em on,
and, assuming your weapons again, go forth from this court a free man,
Wilbur Whately. And take with you that machete with which you vindicated
the liberties and rights of all New Texans. Bear it reverently to your
home, hang it among your lares and penates, cherish it, and dying,
mention it within your will, bequeathing it as a rich legacy unto your
issue! Court adjourned; next session 0900 tomorrow. For Chrissake, let's
get out of here before the barbecue's over!"

Some of the spectators, drooling for barbecued supercow, began crowding
and jostling toward the exits; more of them were pushing to the front of
the courtroom, cheering and waving their hip-flasks. The prosecution
and about half of the friends of the court hastily left by a side door,
probably to issue statements disassociating themselves from the deceased
Maverick.

"So that's the court that's going to try the men who killed Ambassador
Cumshaw," I commented, as Gail and I went out. "Why, the purpose of that
court seems to be to acquit murderers."

"Murderers?" She was indignant. "That wasn't murder. He just killed a
politician. All the court could do was determine whether or not the
politician needed it, and while I never heard about Maverick's
income-tax proposition, I can't see how they could have brought in any
other kind of a verdict. Of all the outrageous things!"

I was thoughtfully silent as we went out into the plaza, which was still
a riot of noise and polychromatic costumes. And my thoughts were as
weltered as the scene before me.

Apparently, on New Texas, killing a politician wasn't regarded as
_mallum in se_, and was _mallum prohibitorum_ only to the extent that
what happened to the politician was in excess of what he deserved. I
began to understand why Palme was such a scared rabbit, why Hutchinson
had that hunted look and kept his hands always within inches of his
pistols.

I began to feel more pity than contempt for Thrombley, too. _He's been
on this planet too long and he should never have been sent here in the
first place. I'll rotate him home as soon as possible...._

Then the full meaning of what I had seen finally got through to me: if
they were going to try the killers of Cumshaw in that court, that meant
that on New Texas, foreign diplomats were regarded as practicing
politicians....

That made me a practicing politician too!

And that's why, when we got back to the vicinity of the bandstand, I
had my right hand