The Offworlder

The red sun was rising over the eastern horizon and the yellow sun was already hanging high in the fall sky when the verdict was read out to an empty courtroom by the jury foreperson.

“For the first count, possession of a protected offworld substance, the jury finds the defendant guilty.”

Judge Crampus presided over the empty courtroom, watching the foreperson read out each count of the verdict. There would be no sentencing, that decision was already made. But she would lead this jury to the end of their civic duty.

“For the second count, obstruction of justice, the jury finds the defendant guilty.”

Twenty miles west of the courtroom, the dry desert floor was stirred into a wave of red dust behind the beating hoofs of a hundred horses racing away from town toward the fugitive. The sheriff was at the front of the drive, spurring his massive horse forward. Crampus had asked Sheriff Belsnik to bring the defendant into the courtroom to hear the jury's judgment; but it was the sheriff’s deputy that had gone down to the jail to retrieve the prisoner.

“For the third count, felony assault of an officer, the jury finds the defendant guilty.”

Charlie Ruddock rode beside the Sheriff, his eyes focused on the vague shape in front of them that had been slowly growing since they had left town that morning. They were gaining on it. For Attorney Ruddock, this case had been his first straight forward prosecution - an offworlder caught in possession of Mendroot, by the sheriff himself. It didn’t hurt that the thing seemed driven to pick a fight with every lawman it came in contact with after it had been accused.

Attorney Ruddock’s eyes stared forward; but his attention was constantly pulled to the bloody hands of the sheriff, gripping hard on his leather reins.

“For the fourth count, second-degree murder of an officer, the jury finds the defendant not guilty.”

Judge Crampus stood slowly, she had been looking in the direction of the foreperson as the verdicts were read; but for the first time the scene in front of her came into full focus. She held eye contact with the juror for a moment while she let the reality sink in.

“Could you repeat yourself, for the record?”

“Yes, your honor.” the foreperson said. “For the fourth count, second-degree murder of an officer, the jury finds the defendant not guilty, your honor.”

The judge held her steady gaze. “When I came into this room from my chamber this morning, this courtroom was in chaos.”

“Yes, your honor. It has been an impassioned day.”

“Forgive me, I want to get this on the record. After hearing a loud blast I came into this courtroom, the defendant had escaped from the deputy, the sheriff had gone after him, and the deputy was shot.”

Escaping the intensity of the judge’s stare, the juror looked back to the papers in his hand where the verdicts had been signed by himself and the other jurors. “That’s right.” he said.

“I held the jury here to complete deliberation. And this court added the charge of murder to the case, while the people of this town ran to their horses and mounted a search for the fugitive, following Sheriff Belsnik out west.”

“Correct, your honor.”

“Now why, in the good God’s name, would you find the defendant not guilty of murder?” the judge asked.

“The jury was in a unique position, your honor, to see the sheriff going in and out of the jail, there.” the foreperson said, motioning to the window behind the jury box that faced the street. “We saw the sheriff go in to see what was holding up the deputy. A few minutes later, we saw him come out holstering his pulse cannon, and there was still vapor rising from the end of the weapon.”

Crampus leaned forward against the desk and took a deep breath. “I only heard one blast.” she said at length. “If Sheriff Belsnik had fired at the defendant after Deputy Marszal had been killed, there would have been two shots.”

“Ye-, yes your honor.” The foreperson looked to the other jurors for support and received none.

“So, Sheriff Belsnik killed Deputy Marszal, not the offworlder.”

There was no response. Then again, it hadn’t really been a question.

“Given your unique position, why did you not stop everyone running after the fugitive without having the facts?” The judge pulled off her robes and took a holster from her top drawer, clipping it around her hip.

The foreperson gave a slight smile from the corner of his lips. “It’s still a fugitive, your honor.”

“Bailiff, get my horse ready.” she shouted.

“I think they’ve all left, your honor.” another juror said, looking around the courtroom.

The judge looked at the foreperson who was smiling more confidently as the reality sunk in that he had successfully condemned an offworlder to death. “It appears you’re right.” she said. “I’ll get my own horse.”

Crampus put her hat on and wrapped a red bandanna around her face, running out to the court’s stable. “Alright, Sugar, you ready to run?” the judge asked as she came around the corner, grabbing a set of reins and a saddle from the gate.

The tall brown and white horse gave an affirming snort.

Minutes later, Judge Crampus was pursuing the mob across the dry desert. The riders themselves weren't visible across the flat plain. Dust from the hours-long run was thick in the air between them; but she could tell their direction and that was all she needed. She took a piece of gum from her pocket and chewed a few times before she tightened her bandanna and urged Sugar on.

As Sugar carried Judge Crampus effortlessly across the desert, the warmth of the two suns was getting more intense. The red sun was getting high in the sky already and the yellow sun was still a couple hours from setting. The day was going to be long and they would only have a few hours of darkness before the morning sun was rising again.

Crampus stopped occasionally to feed Sugar and give her water. She could drink her water as she rode; but Sugar was the one doing all the work. There was a good chance that the others wouldn’t be stopping as often; but when Sugar ran, the judge knew she was going faster than either of the other parties could hope for.

Ahead of the judge, a hundred horses were riding hard against the fugitive. Some of the slower horses and less experienced riders that couldn’t keep up with the herd had already turned back; still, the sheriff would keep most of the group moving at the same speed. It was clear that they were slower by trying to stay together, but they had strength in numbers.

Within sight of the mob, the offworlder wasn’t stopping for anything as it ran desperately across the desert. There was no way that it could run faster than the horses that were after it; but on all fours, it could come pretty close. It hadn’t been on the surface of the planet long; nevertheless, it had been quite the adventure. And hope was not lost. The mob was closing in; but the suns would be down before they caught up with it. In the darkness of this moonless planet, it would have the advantage.

The judge kept Sugar running hard over the dry surface. As they went, horses passed by that had turned back and the cloud of dust was getting thinner even as she closed in on it. She could tell that there weren’t nearly as many riders still pursuing the fugitive as had left that morning. Sugar was a bit smaller than the horse that the sheriff rode, but she had the heart and determination of an athlete. It also helped that she was carrying a lot less weight. Sheriff Belsnik wasn’t getting any thinner with age. Judge Crampus was sure that they could beat the sheriff in a straight race. But he had a two hour head start and the lure of the hunt.

The sheriff had a hatred for offworlders that the judge had never understood. From what she knew about him, he hadn’t ever had any contact with them until he’d moved out to this part of the country. They were the unknown and he was dim enough to think that different meant dangerous. Now, if she was going to catch up with him, her hatred for the sheriff had to be just as strong as his hatred for the offworlder.

Sugar felt the tightening of the judge’s grip and the urging of her spurs as she filled her mind with all the reasons that she had to catch this maniac. He was exactly the kind of person that had made her pursue a career in law. These lawless lawmen set loose like hungry dogs on the great open plains had been a scourge on the native population for too long. The dealings of the tribes with the offworlders had always been peaceful. Only after years of being invaded by these boys with badges was the land starting to look like a battlefield.

Now this particular lawman had shot his own deputy. Maybe the deputy had let the offworlder go. Or he had just been the unfortunate victim of the sheriff’s rage after being overpowered by the prisoner. Either way, his death demanded justice. This justice, that would normally be carried out by the sheriff himself, now fell on her shoulders.

Continuing on, pushing Sugar to run harder, Crampus passed by more townspeople that had given up the chase. Most watched her go by, idly curious at the judge’s fervency as she sped past them. She wondered if any had put it together themselves. If any in the group had begun to question the validity of their pursuit. It seemed unlikely that the foreperson and a few other jury members were the only ones in town that saw the sheriff come out of the jail. Anyone on the street could have seen the offworlder run off before the bang from the sheriff’s weapon. She wondered how long they would let their rage overcome their reason.

She wasn’t just rushing to stop an unjust killing. She wasn’t just pursuing a murderer. Judge Crampus was charging forward against the very forces of evil that were stripping all the good from the world. She was the four horsemen of the apocalypse. She was Conquest over evil. She was War on injustice. She was Starvation of malice. And if it hadn’t already reached him, she would be Death for Sheriff Balsnik.

“Yaw,” she yelled out, crouching forward over Sugar’s heaving neck. “Yaw, yaw!”

Sugar carried the judge over the flat desert floor at full sprint for several hours, taking only small breaks for food and water. Now, they were running out of both. Crampus conserved as much of the water for Sugar as she could. Her chapped lips were cracking in the dry heat and her hands were rubbing raw against the leather reins. Still, she kept them going. One hundred and fifty miles from the town where they had set off, they were coming up on a camp in the desert and she hoped that their journey was coming to an end.

The second sun had set by the time Sugar trotted into camp, but the stars shone brightly enough to light their path. Passing by a hitching post at the edge of the camp, Crampus saw the fatigue setting in on the horses there. They drank slowly and silently from the troth that was set up for them. Judge Crampus pulled down her bandanna and tipped up her hat, looking for the sheriff’s mount. It would have been easy to spot the incredible creature even in the dim light, standing tall above the rest. The horse wasn’t there.

The judge hoped that Sheriff Balsnik had set up a separate post for his officers at the opposite side of the camp and she might find him there. Sugar continued on, walking between two tents into the center of the camp. The perimeter of the camp was set by a circle of twelve tents spaced out with the entrances facing in. By a quick count, there looked to be about 50 people walking about. They had lost nearly half of their original number to exhaustion over the course of the day. The younger members of the group were busy starting a fire in a large pit and passing out rations of food while the elder members rested and secured the tents against the harsh wind that was typical that deep in the desert.

“Judge!” someone cried out. “Judge, you made it. Do you need anything? We have food and water.”

“Get people together near the pit. I need to speak to everyone.” Crampus led Sugar on to the center near where the fire was being set and dismounted. There, as the glow of the fire grew, she could see their faces and they could see hers.

Everyone was stiff and drained from their ride; but it only took a couple of minutes to get them all together around the fire.

“First,” the judge started once everyone had settled down, “let me say that this is the finest camp I have seen out in this desert. And it’s a hell of a thing to see you all come together like this.” the crowd gave a half-hearted cheer. “Alright, alright. I’ll excuse your weariness tonight. You’ve been riding hard, and it’s a marvel you’ve all made it this far. With packs on your horses, no less.”

“Now, I don’t see the sheriff. Where is Balsnik?” she asked.

Attorney Ruddock stepped out of the crowd, his expression was grave. “Your honor,” he spoke slowly, “We here have ridden through the day for justice. But I am afraid that there was something else the sheriff was after. Some incentive that we were blind to.” A bewildered murmur grew in the crowd.

“I reckon you’re right. So, where is he?”

“Not here, your honor.” the prosecutor said. “He stopped with the rest of us, got some food and some water, then he took his officers and rode out under the starlight. They’re going to keep going until it’s dead or they are.”

“Damn that halfwit.” the judge said. She muttered to herself as she stepped back up into Sugar’s saddle. Back on her mount, she projected her voice to make sure the whole crowd heard her. “Get some rest.” she said. “Feed your horses. And keep each other safe. Be on guard tonight. In the morning, head back to your homes and go on with your lives. The court has found the offworlder guilty of possession and assault. But for the charge of murder, it has been declared not guilty.”

A few angry voices grew from the crowd and then went silent. There was no mistaking the conviction in the judge’s expression.

“I will ride out as soon as Sugar gets some water. And if you have rations to share I will take a small amount for her and for myself. I can’t lose any more time than that.”

“I’ll go with you, your honor.” Attorney Ruddock said. “A lot can happen in the desert at night. You shouldn’t go alone.”

“Then have your horse ready to go. Meet me on the west side of camp.”

A short time later, the judge rode to the side of the camp where Ruddock was waiting for her.

“I thought a few more might decide to join us.” she said.

“A few tried. I told them to stay and protect the camp.” the attorney said. “We’ll move faster as two.”

“Well thought.” she said.

They rode out silently into the dark and continued in that manner for an hour before there was any indication that they were closing in on their target. The seemingly endless silence was broken by a blood curdling shriek that made the hairs on the back of the judge’s neck stand up. It was no human noise, and the two riders spurred their mounts on faster in the hope that they weren’t too late.

A moment later, they could hear the blasts from half a dozen pulse cannons going off and men yelling. Neither the judge nor the attorney spoke Offworlder, but both supposed that the shriek they heard before was a battle cry and not a cry for help.

After the volley, the desert went silent again. Whatever the result of the skirmish had been, they’d been too late to stop it.

Judge Crampus and Attorney Ruddock rode on towards where they had heard the sounds. Even the horses seemed to have a renewed sense of purpose. The flat desert floor reflected the light from the stars and the cool night wind blew past their feet. Both riders and horses felt more refreshed than they had since their journey started.

A short time later, they came to the spot where the fighting had happened and the judge dismounted to survey the area. There were hoof prints going in every direction. The sand on the surface of the desert floor had been turned to sheets of glass from the blasts of their pulse cannons. In the center of it all, a body lay cold and bloodied.

Crampus took off her hat and crouched down beside the body.

“I asked him about the blood on his hands.” Attorney Ruddock said in a low voice. “He said he got it on him when he ran to help Deputy Marszal. I should have asked about his knuckles.

The body was already going stiff; but the judge turned his hands over to look at the knuckles - cut and bruised. The sheriff had beaten the deputy with his fist before blasting him with his pulse cannon. She took the bandanna from around her neck and used it to pull the silver badge from the sheriff’s vest. Then she wiped the dirt from his face and placed the bandanna in his hand.

“Justice has been done here.” she said.

“What should we do about the body?” Ruddock asked.

“Our horses are tired, let the buzzards have him.”

They ate some of the food that the attorney had with him and gave their horses water. Then, under the starlit sky, they began their ride back.

The pair rode past the camp in the night and continued on without a word. The night was short and neither of them had any wish to recount their experience to the disillusioned mob. The red sun had set on the western horizon only a few hours earlier, and already they could see hints of yellow light rising in the east to start a new day.

A couple miles passed the camp, the judge slowed and came to a stop. Attorney Ruddock rode up behind her and pulled out his canteen for a drink of water.

“I think this is as far as we go together.” the judge said. She didn’t pull out her water or dismount. She just stared forward at the edge of the yellow sun rising. They were still too far to see the town; but she knew the area well enough. If she turned off now, there was a native territory south of where they stood. Life there would be different than she was used to. There was nothing in the world she wanted more than that.

“You’re going to leave me to explain to everyone what happened tonight?” Ruddock asked.

“In all my life I’ve never known anyone so enamored by the sound of their own voice.” she smiled. “I think you’ll handle it fine. Just watch out for yourself.”

“Yeah I guess you’re not wrong. Here, take the food.” Ruddock held out the portions they’d taken from the camp.

“I’ll take one, but you hold on to the rest.” Judge Crampus said. “You’ve got further to go than we do.”

Reaching down into her saddle bag, Crampus pulled out the sheriff’s badge and tossed it to Ruddock.

“You’re a fine judge.” he said.

“And you’re a fine attorney.”

Ruddock slipped the silver star into his saddlebag and rode on toward the town, leaving the judge and Sugar standing in the desert to watch the rising sun. As it made its way up over the edge of the world, the sun’s light spread across the sky in waves of pink and orange and the stars, one by one, disappeared.

Crampus stepped down and pulled out her water. Breaking off a bite for herself, she gave the rest of the food to Sugar. They stood chewing and watching the sunrise for a moment.

“I guess I should ask you what you think about all this, aye Sugar?” she asked. “Are you up for a new adventure?”

Sugar gave an affirming snort and nodded her massive head.

“That settles it then.” Crampus stepped back up into the saddle again. “South we go.”

As Sugar turned to go south, Crampus looked out over her shoulder to the west and saw the glow of red fire as if the red sun was rising again from the horizon. Within a second, the source of the combustion became clear as a vessel shot up towards the sky in a brilliant flash.

The Offworlder was going home.