"Roger Taylor - Prisoner Of History" - читать интересную книгу автора (Taylor Roger)

conviction, that being the case. His Majesty's courts may make mistakes at
times, but His Majesty Himself would have soon put things right."

"But I never even knew that a trial had taken place until I came here. I didn't
even know what kind of meeting it was. Did I tell you that Chenkor p'Torlik
invited me?"

The clerk looked down at the paper again. "Chenkor p'Torlik was the police spy
who informed on all the members of the gang."

The clerk shrugged. There was, after all, not much to be done about it now.

The second new thing that Trobar learned was that he had been sentenced to fifty
years of exile in the Penal Colony on T'arnp'ur, but that the sentence had been
commuted to five years, with the right to become a citizen colonist at the end
of that time.

"You will, of course," said the clerk, "receive the standard colonist bonus, if
you should choose that honor." He looked down and continued filling out the form
as he spoke.

"You may also," the clerk added, "elect to return Home on one of His Majesty's
ships, provided you pay for the passage. The rate for that is--" He consulted a
sheet of paper. "Oh, yes, here it is -- five thousand Units."

Trobar looked at the clerk. "The only money I have is back Home. It was being
held for me in the University Treasury."

The clerk shook his head. "Oh, no. You have nothing there. It was all
confiscated by the Emperor. To pay for your trial, and your transportation
here."

All the rumors, then, were true. No matter what sentence had brought you here,
it was a life sentence. None, or few, were those who could afford to pay their
way back Home -- only those who had wealthy friends still in favor with the
Emperor. Those were not likely to be here in the first place.

Trobar spread his empty hands before him. "Then I have no choice but to become a
colonist," he said.

The clerk smiled again, and he also spread empty hands. "You are again a free
subject of the Emperor. You may go where you want, if you have the means to get
there. We will not force you to become a colonist."

"Then my only other choice is to become a freebooter."

The clerk slid a sheet of paper across to him. "That choice is yours. Please
indicate what course of action you choose, and sign. After that, you are free to
go. Your debt to the Emperor has been satisfied."