"Eric Frank Russell - The Witness" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

army can follow." Dismiss-ing the question of whence said army was going to get its
flock of trans-cosmic asteroids, he added, "A dozen armies!"
His voice rising and falling, hardening and softening, he played expertly upon the
emotions of his listeners as a master would play on a giant organ, appealing to world
patriotism, pandering to parochialism, justifying prejudices, enlarging fearsтАФfear of
self, fear of others, fear of the strange in shape, fear of tomorrow, fear of the
unknown. Solemnity, ridicule, sonorousness, sarcasm, all were weapons in his vocal
armory.
"He," Mr. Prosecutor said, pointing at Maeth and still using the male pronoun, "he
pleads for admission as a citi-zen of this world. Do we take him with all his faults
and fol-lies, with all his supernormal powers and eccentric aptitudes, with all his
hidden motives that may become clear only when it is too late? Or, if indeed he be as
pure and innocent as he would have us believe, would it not be better to inflict upon
him a grave injustice rather than court infinitely greater injus-tices to a great number."
Challengingly he stared around. "If we take him, as a refu-gee, who will have him?
Who will accept the society of a creature with which the average human has no joint
understanding?" He gave a short, sharp laugh. "Oh, yes, there have been requests for
the pleasure of his company. Incredible as it may seem, there are people who want
him."
Holding up a letter for all to see, he continued, "This persons offers him a home.
Why? Well, the writer claims that he himself was a spiky thing in Procyon during his
eighth incar-nation." He tossed the letter on his desk. "The crackpots are always with
us. Fortunately, the course of human history will be decided by calmly reasoning
citizens and not by incurable nuts."
For a further half hour he carried on, a constant flow of words which concluded
with, "In human affairs there is a swift end for the human spy, quick riddance for the
sus-pected spy. I conceive of no reason why any alien form deserves treatment more
merciful than that which we accord to fellow humans. Here, we have before as one
who at very least is an undesirable character, at most the first espionage agent of a
formidable enemy. It is the prosecution's case that you have to consider only
whether it is in the best interest of public safety that he be rewarded with death or
with sum-mary expulsion into the space from which he came. The weight of
evidence rules out all other alternatives. You will not have failed to note that the
witnesses who have appeared are overwhelmingly for the prosecution. Is it not
remarkable that there is not one witness for the defense?" He waited to give it time to
sink home, then drove it further by repeating, "Not one!"
Another sip of water, after which he seated himself, carefully smoothed the legs of
his pants.
One thing seemed fairly clear: Maeth was a stinker.
Mr. Defender created a mild stir right at the start by rising and saying, "Your
Honors, the defense does not intend to state its case."
The judges peered at him as if he were a sight ten times more strange than his own
client. They pawed papers, talked together in whispers.
In due time, the middle one inquired, "By that, do you mean that you surrender to
verdict by public poll?"
"Eventually, of course, Your Honor, but not just yet. I wish to produce evidence
for my side and will be content to let my case rest on that. "
"Proceed," ordered the judge, frowning doubtfully.
Addressing Maeth, the defending attorney said, "On your home world all are like
you, namely, telepathic and non-vocal?"