"Certainly," Dudley told him. "What did you think I was working on?"
He intended the words as sarcasm, but even as he spoke he realized that a possible solution was in his grasp. In all of their previous cases they had been in the awkward position of offering a financial settlement to a claimant who didn't want it. Supposing the claimant demanded such a settlement?
Lost in thought, he paced the floor energetically while a strangely subdued McGivern looked on. "Can I help?" McGivern asked finally.
Dudley shook his head. "It's a long shot."
"I like men who play long shots. I like them even better when they win."
Another knock sounded, and Dudley admitted the police officer, a young judge, and an attractive young Maylorian woman.
"Alien Dudley?" the judge asked. "Are you ready for the ceremony?"
"I'm not completely familiar with your customs, Your Wisdom," Dudley said. "This procedure seems very strange to me. Where I come from, the custom is for the violator to pay financial compensation."
"Such a thing is unheard of on Maylor," the judge said. "How could money compensate for the loss of a wife?"
"Nevertheless, Your Wisdom, I would like to know if I cannot request compensation according to my own custom."
The judge frowned. "I don't know. I can't recall such a thing ever happening."
"Is there any law that would forbid such a thing, Your Wisdom?"
The police officer was regarding Dudley with open-mouthed amazement. The young woman modestly kept her eyes on the floor, as though the conversation could not possibly concern her. The judge had his eyes closed in thought.
"The Rule requires only that justice be done," the judge announced finally. "I should have to consider whether or not it would be unjust to deny you justice according to your own custom. To my knowledge no such request has ever been made of a violator, but if such a request were made, I should - yes, I should feel obliged to honor it. Do you now make this request?"
"I do, Your Wisdom."
"And what amount of compensation do you request?"
"Your Wisdom should establish the amount."
"That would require much thought on my part. There is no precedent, none at all. I shall have to postpone settlement of this case until I am able to reach a decision as to the amount."
"That will be satisfactory, Your Wisdom."
Judge, police officer, and workman's wife filed out solemnly. Dudley closed the door and turned to find himself the recipient of one of McGivern's rare smiles. "Dudley, I badly underestimated you. This is the most brilliant stroke I've ever seen." McGivern scrambled to his feet and waddled about the room excitedly. "And I was telling you to be ruthless! You've wrapped the whole thing up nicely. This gives us our legal precedent. One more case -"
"We have it," Dudley said. "My groundcar killed a woman a few days ago. That's why I was under house arrest. The husband - it's a rather complicated story - the husband ended up with nothing because of Eleanor's maneuvering. Now I'll offer him a cash settlement for the death of his wife, the amount to be determined by the judge. He'll refuse, but I'll tell him my own customs demand that I give it to him. He'll end up accepting it if only to oblige me. The Maylorites are a very obliging people."
"Well done, my boy. Well done!"
"And what progress have you made with your problem?"
McGivern started. "That's what I came to see you about. These people are so naive that hiring professional underworld men would be a waste of money. Last night I took a few crewmen from the Indemnity, and we set a dozen fires and looted twenty shops. Did you know that they don't even lock their doors?"
Dudley nodded.
"I've arranged to stay on for a few days. I'm going to take a ground-floor office in a conspicuous location and get out some advertising circulars. We'll hit different neighborhoods tonight and tomorrow night, and after that you won't have to sell insurance. They'll come demanding it."
"You may be underestimating them."
"Nonsense. You take care of those claims, and then I want you to start canvassing the northwest section and explain fire insurance to the neighbors of the people who had fires last night. I'll be looking for that new office. I'll meet you back here this evening."
"Right," Dudley said.
McGivern was waiting when Dudley returned to the apartment. He said quickly, "How'd you make out?"
Dudley seated himself wearily. "I think I've established an entirely new legal principle. And I'm worn out."
"You think? Is that the best you could do?"
"The judges are coming tonight to give me their verdicts. I've been to the northwest section. Whatever you used to start those fires was darned effective."
"The Indemnity's engineering officer made some incendiary bombs. He could only get a dozen ready on short notice, but tonight there'll be twice as many."
"If you'd planted them differently, you could have had much better results," Dudley said.
"I suppose. We don't want to burn down the city, though. A small fire is better for our purposes than a large one." He chuckled. "It wouldn't do to burn so much that they have nothing left to insure."
"What'd you do with the stuff that was stolen?"
"It's stashed away on the Indemnity. We'll dump it as soon as we get into space."
"Then tonight you'll start twenty-four fires?"
"Right," McGivern said. "And we'll loot about fifty shops. Southwest section this time."
"And the new office?"
"Couldn't find anything I liked. I'll look again tomorrow. What is this legal principle you're working on?"
"I finally found out what was behind the Maylorian Rule of Justice. On this world the husband has to put up a sum of money when he's married - a kind of bride fee. The whole point in giving the violator's wife to the husband of the victim is that it supplies him with another wife without cost. Actually it's much more complicated than that, and the practice is encrusted with all manner of historical twists and precedences. What I'm trying to establish is that this is not a Rule of Justice - it's manifestly unjust because it breaks up a marriage and forces unknown and probably unwanted new spouses on the violator's wife and the victim's husband, who are innocent parties. The problem could be solved easily and justly by requiring the violator - or his insurance company - to supply the marriage money so the husband of the victim can choose his own wife."
McGivern nodded thoughtfully. "If they accept that, we'll certainly have a basis for selling insurance."
Dudley said tiredly, "They've already accepted it on an optional basis. They're not ready to dump a time-tested social custom on the world of an Alien, but they're willing to let the victim's husband demand the price of a new wife in compensation if he prefers it that way. What I'm trying to get from them is a legal requirement that all groundcar drivers carry insurance - in the interest of justice."
McGivern's eyes bulged with excitement. "Gad! And Galactic is the only insurance company on Maylor!"
A knock sounded. "Want to hear the verdict?" Dudley asked.
"I can't wait!"
Dudley opened the door and brought in the two judges and an escort of three police officers. The old judge muttered, "Tomorrow would have done just as well. I'll be late for dinner."
"Have you reached a decision, Your Wisdom?" Dudley asked.
"We have. Your petition is granted. Settlement in the two cases in which you are involved shall be as you requested, and we take note of your generous offer to accept a token settlement from the workman whose clumsiness killed your wife. Your petition is also granted as to the insurance requirement, which will be presented to
the Council tomorrow, along with the charter application of the Maylorian Insurance Company."
"Maylorian Insurance Company?" McGivern exclaimed.
"Thank you, Your Wisdom," Dudley said. "Did you record in full the conversation that took place while you were waiting?"
The judge sighed. "We did. We found it difficult to believe, but the facts you have revealed to us support it completely. We accept your recommendations. The charter of the Galactic Insurance Company will be revoked tomorrow. Clearance will be denied Alien McGivern's yacht until the stolen articles are returned and compensation paid for the fire damage. We will arrange with the Interplanetary Authority to securely incarcerate him at the port until justice has been fulfilled. Is this satisfactory?"