thought of things I didn't even know
existed. I'm no lawyer; I can see that."

I returned the smile. "And I don't invent gimmicks, either. So what?"

His eyes looked at me from behind the distorting negative lenses. "I've
been wondering, counselor--why are you so interested in this? I mean, I
offered you a pretty good fee, and all that, but it seems to me you're
taking an unusual interest in the case."

I grinned at him. "Mr. Howley, my profession is Law--with a capital L.
The study of the Law isn't like the study of physics or whatever; these
are manmade laws--commands, not descriptions. They don't necessarily
have anything to do with facts at all. Take the word 'insanity,' for
instance; the word isn't even used by head-shrinkers any more because
it's a legal definition that has nothing whatever to do with the
condition of the human mind.

"Now, any such set of laws as that can't possibly be self-consistent and
still have some use on an action level. A lawyer's job is to find the
little inconsistencies in the structure, the places where the pieces
have been jammed together in an effort to make them look like a
structured whole. To find, in other words, the loopholes and use them.

"And when I find a loophole, I like to wring everything I can out of it.
I'm enjoying this."

Howley nodded. "I see. But what if something--"

I held up my hand to silence him, because the door to the judges'
chambers opened at that moment, and Judge Lapworth came in as the
bailiff announced him. We all stood up while the bailiff intoned his
"Oyez, oyez."

Thursby made a short preliminary speech to the jury, and I requested and
was granted permission to hold my own opening statement until the
defense was ready to present its case.

Thursby was looking worried, although it took a trained eye to see it. I
was pretty sure I knew why. He had been pushed too hard and had gone too
fast. He'd managed to slide through the grand jury too easily, and I had
managed to get the trial date set for a week later. Thursby's case was
far from being as tight as he wanted it.

* * * * *

I just sat still while the prosecution brought forth its witnesses and
evidence. The croupier, the deputies, several employees of the Golden
Casino, and a couple of patrons all told their stories. I waived
cross-examination in every case, which made Thursby even edgier than he
had been.

When he called in the head of the technicians