"James White - SG 08 - The Genocidal Healer" - читать интересную книгу автора (White James)

Three high-ranking Monitor Corps officers had taken their seats facing a
multispecies audience that might be sympathetic, antagonistic, or simply
curious. The most senior was an Earth-human DBDG, who opened the proceedings.

"I am Fleet Commander Dermod, the president of this specially convened court-
martial," it said in the direction of the recorder. Then, inclining its head to
one side and then the other, it went on. "Advising me are the Earth-human
Colonel Skemp-ton of this hospital, and the Nidian, Lieutenant-Colonel Dragh-
Nin, of the Corps's other-species legal department. We are here at the behest of
Surgeon-Captain Lioren, a Tarlan BRLH, who is dissatisfied with the verdict of a
previous Federation civil-court hearing of its case. The Surgeon-Captain is
insisting on its right as a serving officer to be tried by a Monitor Corps
military tribunal.

"The charge is gross professional negligence leading to the deaths of a large
but unspecified number of patients while under its care."

Without taking its attention from the body of the court, and seeming
deliberately to avoid looking at the accused, the fleet commander paused
briefly. The rows of chairs, cradles, and other support structures suited to the
physiological requirements of the audience held many beings who were familiar to
Lioren: Thornnastor, the Tralthan Diagnostician-in-Charge of Pathology; the
Nidian Senior Tutor, Cresk-Sar; and the recently appointed Earth-human
Diagnostician-in-Charge of Surgery, Conway. Some of them would be willing and
anxious to speak in Lioren's defense, but how many would be as willing to
accuse, condemn, and punish?

"As is customary in these cases," Fleet Commander Der-mod resumed gravely, "the
counsel for the defense will open and the prosecution will have the last word,
followed by the consultation and the agreed verdict and sentence of the officers
of this court. Appearing for the defense is the Monitor Corps Earth-human, Major
O'Mara, who has been Chief of the Department of Other-Species Psychology at this
hospital since it first became operational, assisted by the Sommaradvan, Cha
Thrat, a member of the same department. The accused, Surgeon-Captain Lioren, is
acting for and is prosecuting itself.

"Major O'Mara, you may begin."

While Dermod had been speaking, O'Mara, whose two eyes were recessed and
partially hidden by thin flaps of skin and shadowed by the gray hair which grew
in two thick crescents above them, had looked steadily at Lioren. When it rose
onto its two feet, the prompt screen remained unlit. Plainly the Chief
Psychologist intended speaking without notes.

In the angry and impatient manner of an entity unused to the necessity for being
polite, it said, "May it please the court, Surgeon-Captain Lioren stands
accused, or more accurately stands self-accused, of a crime of which it has
already been exonerated by its own civil judiciary. With respect, sir, the
accused should not be here, we should not be here, and this trial should not be
taking place."