s. The Chief Justice
went through the pretext of scanning his, then nodded to the Bailiff to
present the prisoner.

With a sly wink at Jacques, the Bailiff took Ann firmly by the arm and
guided her three steps forward. The Chief Justice coughed the
nervousness from his throat, and asked:

"Is this the Lady Ann of Coberly?"

Before the Bailiff could make the correct response, Ann gave her own
impatient answer.

"I am Badge No. 7462883, Transistor Division, Coberly precision
Products, Ltd."

The Chief Justice frowned at this breach of court etiquette.

"Have ye not been properly instructed?"

Ann shrugged, and the loose robe slipped lower on her shoulders.

"I suppose so, but is it necessary to waste all this time? You've got
the record in front of you!"

The judges exchanged significant glances, and a delicious shudder swept
through the stands. Jacques felt time running out on him. At best the
chances of a reprieve for any prisoner were small, and in face of Ann's
attitude....

The Chief Justice's expression congealed into judicial impassiveness.

"Ye are charged with taking the life of a man," he began solemnly.

"That's not true!" Ann interrupted.

Her unexpected words brought a startled gasp from the spectators. The
judges leaned forward alertly.

"According to the evidence ..." the Chief Justice began again.

"He wasn't a man!" Ann cried scornfully. Her glance flickered across at
Jacques. "There are no more men."

Ponderously, like a slow moving river that would not be diverted from
its course, the Chief Justice returned to the facts of the case:

"Ye speak in riddles, Lady Ann! The evidence makes it full clear that
the victim was a man...."

"Evidence!" Ann gestured toward the breathless stands. "There is your
evidence! Ask those women what they are doing here! Ask them what their
great, great grandmothers were doing at the ancient wrestling matches!!
Ask them if they have ever known a real man--or ask your own wives!"

The Chief Justice's impassiveness was shattered. His cheeks puffed out
indignantly. A strange, tense silence gripped the women in the stands;
the men drew back their padded shoulders, and shouted in reproof:

"Shame! For shame, Lady Ann!"

"Why don't you ask them?" Ann persisted.

Yes, ask them, Jacques thought, with a sudden, overpowering anger of his
own. Ask them! Maybe their answers would tell why he, too, of all men,
should have failed so many of them.

"Hold thy in