Mary noted that Dr. Mah was nodding. The air that accompanied Ponter.
Exactly, said Louise. As wed guessed, it was mostly just air transferred to this universeenough air to burst open the acrylic sphere. But, in addition to the air, one person, who happened to be standing in the quantum-computing facility, was transferred, as well.
So he didnt know he was going to come here? asked Mah.
No, said Reuben Montego, he didnt. If you think we were shocked, imagine how shocked he was. The poor guy instantly found himself submerged in water, in absolute darkness. If there hadnt been that massive bubble of air transferred with him, he would have drowned for sure.
Your whole world turned inside out, thought Mary. She looked at the Neanderthal. He was certainly doing a good job of hiding the disorientation and fear he must feel, but the shock surely had been enormous.
Mary gave him a small, empathetic smile.
Chapter 22
Adikor Hulds dooslarm basadlarm continued. Adjudicator Sard still sat at the south end, and Adikor remained in the hot seat, with Daklar Bolbay stalking around him in circles.
Has a crime really been committed? asked Bolbay, looking now at Adjudicator Sard. No dead body has been found, and so one might argue that this is simply a case of a missing individual, no matter how improbable such a circumstance seems today. But we have searched the mine with portable signal detectors, and so we know that Ponters implant is not transmitting. If he were injured, it would be transmitting. Even if he were dead by natural causes, it would continue to transmit, using stored power, for days after Ponters own biochemical processes ceased. Nothing short of violent action can account for the disappearance of Ponter and the silence of his Companion.
Adikor felt his stomach knotting. Bolbay was right, as far as her reasoning went: the Companions were designed to be foolproof. Before they existed, people did sometimes just go missing, and only after many months were they declared dead, usually simply for lack of a better explanation. But Lonwis Trob had promised his Companions would change that, and they had. No one just disappeared anymore.
Sard obviously agreed. Im satisfied, she said, that the lack both of a body and of Companion transmissions suggests criminal activity. Lets get on with it.
Very well, said Bolbay. She looked briefly at Adikor, then turned back to the adjudicator. Murder, Bolbay said, has never been common. To end the life of anotherto put a complete and utter stop to someones existenceis heinous beyond compare. But, still, there are cases known, most, I grant you, from before the time of the Companions and the alibi-archive recorders. And in previous cases, the tribunals asked for three things to be shown to support a charge of murder.
The first is a chance to commit the crimeand this Adikor Huld had in a way that no one else on this planet did, for he was beyond the capabilities of his Companion to transmit his actions.
The second is a technique, a way in which the crime might have been committed. Without a body, we can only speculate on how it might have been done, although, as you will see later, one method is particularly likely.
And, finally, one needs to show a reason, a rationale for the crime, something that would cause one to commit so awful, so permanent an act. And its that question of reason Id like to explore now, Adjudicator.
The old female nodded. Im listening.
Bolbay swung to face Adikor. You and Ponter Boddit lived together, isnt that true?
Adikor nodded. For six tenmonths.
Did you love him?
Yes. Very much indeed.
But his woman-mate had died recently.
She was also your woman-mate, said Adikor, taking the opportunity to emphasize Bolbays conflict of interest.
But Bolbay was up to the occasion. Yes. Klast, my beloved. She is no longer alive, and for that I feel great sorrow. But I blame no one; there is no one to blame. Illness happens, and the life-prolongers did all they could to make her final months comfortable. But for the death of Ponter Boddit, there is someone to blame.
Be cautious, Daklar Bolbay, said Adjudicator Sard. You havent proven that Scholar Boddit is dead. Until I rule on that, you may speak of that possibility only in hypothetical terms.
Bolbay turned toward Sard and bowed. Apologies, Adjudicator. She faced Adikor again. We were discussing another death, one about which no doubt exists: that of Klast, who was Pontersand my ownwoman-mate. Bolbay closed her eyes. My own grief is too great for expression, and I will not parade it for anyone. And Ponters grief, Im sure, was equally large. Klast often spoke of him; I know how much she loved Ponter, and how much he loved her. Bolbay was silent for a moment, perhaps composing herself. Given this recent tragedy, though, we must raise another possibility about Ponters disappearance. Could he have taken his own life, despondent over the death of Klast? She looked at Adikor. What is your opinion, Scholar Huld?
He was very sad at the loss, but the loss was also some time ago. Had Ponter been suicidal, Im sure I would have known.
Bolbay nodded reasonably. I wont pretend to say I knew Scholar Boddit anywhere near as well as you did, Scholar Huld, but I do share your assessment. Still, could there have been any other reasons for him to commit suicide?
Adikor was taken aback. Such as?
Well, your workdo forgive me, Scholar Huld, but I see no gentle way to phrase this: your work was a failure. A Gray Council session was imminent, at which you and he would have had to discuss your contributions to society. Could he have so feared that your work might be terminated that, well, that he chose to terminate himself?
No, said Adikor, stunned by the suggestion. No, in fact, if anyone were to smell bad at Council, it would have been I, not he.
Bolbay let this comment sink in, then: Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that thought?
Ponter was the theoretician, said Adikor. His theories had been neither proven nor disproven, so there was still valid work to be done related to them. But I was the engineer: it was I who was supposed to build experimental apparatus to check Ponters ideas. And it was that apparatusour prototype quantum computerthat had failed. Council might have found my contribution inadequate, but they certainly wouldnt have judged Ponters to be so.
So Ponters death could not possibly have been a suicide, said Bolbay.
Again, said Sard, you will speak of Scholar Boddit as if he is alive, until if or when I rule to the contrary.
Bolbay bowed again to the adjudicator. Once again, my apologies. She returned to Adikor. If Ponter wanted to kill himself, is it fair to say, Scholar Huld, that he would not have taken his life in a way that might implicate you?