u ever hear of presumed innocence until proven guilty? It only
happens to be the mainstay of all jurisprudence. And how could you
possibly justify trying me on Cassylia for actions that occurred on
this planet--that aren't crimes here? That's like taking a cannibal
away from his tribe and executing him for anthropophagy."

"What would be wrong with that? The eating of human flesh is a crime
so loathsome I shudder to think of it. Of course a man who does that
must be executed."

"If he slips in the back door and eats one of your relatives, you
certainly have grounds for action. But not if he joins the rest of his
jolly tribe for a good roast of enemy. Don't you see the obvious point
here--that human conduct can only be judged in relation to its
environment? Conduct is relative. The cannibal in his society is just
as moral as the churchgoer in yours."

"Blasphemer! A crime is a crime! There are moral laws that stand above
all human society."

"Oh no there are not, that's just the point where your medieval
morality breaks down. All laws and ideas are historical and relative,
not absolute. They are relevant to their particular time and place and
taken out of context they lose their importance. Within the context of
this grubby society I acted in a most straightforward and honest
manner. I attempted to assassinate my master--which is the only way an
ambitious boy can get ahead in this hard world, and which was
undoubtedly the way Ch'aka himself got the job in the first place.
Assassination didn't work but combat did, and the results were the
same. Once in power I took good care of my slaves, though of course
they didn't appreciate it since they didn't want good care, they only
wanted my job, that being the law of the land. The only thing I really
did wrong was to not live up to my obligations as a slave holder and
keep them marching up and down the beaches forever. Instead I came
looking for you and was trapped and broken back to slavery where I
belong for pulling such a stupid trick."

The door crashed open and harsh sunlight streamed into the windowless
building. "On your feet slaves!" a D'zertano shouted in through the
opening.

A chorus of shufflings and groans broke out as the men stirred to
life. Jason could see now that he was one of twenty slaves shackled to
the long bar, apparently the entire trunk of a good-sized tree. The
man chained at the far end seemed to be a leader of sorts because he
cursed and goade