side is the fact that Soulminder’s own position in this case is fairly ambiguous—we’re not Ingersoll’s next of kin or his corporate partners or his heirs, or anything else that comes in a neat legal package.”
“Friend of the court?” Everly offered.
“I’ve already filed us in as a trustee,” Porath told him. “After all, we are holding something in trust for him.”
Sommer shivered. “Yeah. Himself.”
Porath nodded, and for a second the logical legal facade seemed to bend a bit. “Yes, well … anyway, the judge is still considering what status to grant us.”
“Can’t we simply show that a Soulminder trap does indeed hold a person’s lifeforce?” Sands asked Porath. “We’ve done, what, six successful transfers?”
“Eight, if you count Dr. Sommer and the Coleman boy,” Porath said. “I’ve filed them as part of my petition to have the judge turn Ingersoll’s body over to us, on the grounds that Soulminder is a life-saving technique and that its use wouldn’t in any way violate any of his last requests. But again, the judge is under no particular obligation to consider the data, just as he might not give much weight to the overall statistics on some surgical procedure in a particular malpractice suit.”
“But it’s not like that,” Sommer objected.
“It’s not like any thing.” Porath spread his hands helplessly. “I’m sorry, Dr. Sommer, but it just isn’t. We’re breaking virgin legal ground here, and there just aren’t any obvious precedents.”
“And I’ll just bet the judge is just smacking his lips over it,” Sands growled. “His big chance to write trail-blazing law. Well, you called it, Adrian—the judicial branch has just officially gotten into the act.”
Sommer grimaced. “Yeah. Swell.”
Everly cleared his throat. “That reminds me. We’ve finished identifying all the assorted Spook Central infiltrators now. Any particular way you’d like to have them bounced?”
“Quick and clean and final,” Sands told him. “No publicity, unless they want to squawk about it to the media themselves. And you might have them tell their respective bosses not to bother trying again.”
Everly cocked an eyebrow. “That could easily be construed as a challenge,” he warned.
“So let them try,” Sands said grimly. “The sooner they find out we have no intention of becoming U.S. Government property, the better.”
“Maybe we ought to try talking to whoever’s in charge before we start waving red flags,” Sommer suggested cautiously. Sands had a bad tendency to lose her sense of proportion when she latched onto something like this. “We really don’t have the energy to waste on a full-scale intelligence war. We’ve got at least a hundred American cities and foreign capitals clamoring for Soulminder facilities, and if Frank’s people have to spend all their time guarding our backs here, we may never get another adequately secure building built. Anywhere.”
“And what are you going to say to them?” Sands scoffed. “Pretty please let us alone?”
“Depends on what they want,” Everly told her. “If they’re after Soulminder itself and aren’t going to stop at anything less, then you’re right, talking won’t do any good. But if all they really want is to make sure a Presidential soul transfer will be secure, then we might be able to convince them that we’ve got things under control.”
“I think it’s worth a try, anyway,” Sommer said. “Frank, can you get me the name and number of the man to talk to?”
“No problem.”
“Good,” Sommer said. “And I’ll want to talk some more with you about this later. There are some thoughts and scenarios I want to get your reaction to.”
“Just let me know when you’re ready.”
“Then let’s get back to Ingersoll,” Sommer said, glancing around the table. “If the judge—”
He broke off as he saw a new and oddly intense look on Porath’s face. “Murray?”
Slowly, Porath’s
“Friend of the court?” Everly offered.
“I’ve already filed us in as a trustee,” Porath told him. “After all, we are holding something in trust for him.”
Sommer shivered. “Yeah. Himself.”
Porath nodded, and for a second the logical legal facade seemed to bend a bit. “Yes, well … anyway, the judge is still considering what status to grant us.”
“Can’t we simply show that a Soulminder trap does indeed hold a person’s lifeforce?” Sands asked Porath. “We’ve done, what, six successful transfers?”
“Eight, if you count Dr. Sommer and the Coleman boy,” Porath said. “I’ve filed them as part of my petition to have the judge turn Ingersoll’s body over to us, on the grounds that Soulminder is a life-saving technique and that its use wouldn’t in any way violate any of his last requests. But again, the judge is under no particular obligation to consider the data, just as he might not give much weight to the overall statistics on some surgical procedure in a particular malpractice suit.”
“But it’s not like that,” Sommer objected.
“It’s not like any thing.” Porath spread his hands helplessly. “I’m sorry, Dr. Sommer, but it just isn’t. We’re breaking virgin legal ground here, and there just aren’t any obvious precedents.”
“And I’ll just bet the judge is just smacking his lips over it,” Sands growled. “His big chance to write trail-blazing law. Well, you called it, Adrian—the judicial branch has just officially gotten into the act.”
Sommer grimaced. “Yeah. Swell.”
Everly cleared his throat. “That reminds me. We’ve finished identifying all the assorted Spook Central infiltrators now. Any particular way you’d like to have them bounced?”
“Quick and clean and final,” Sands told him. “No publicity, unless they want to squawk about it to the media themselves. And you might have them tell their respective bosses not to bother trying again.”
Everly cocked an eyebrow. “That could easily be construed as a challenge,” he warned.
“So let them try,” Sands said grimly. “The sooner they find out we have no intention of becoming U.S. Government property, the better.”
“Maybe we ought to try talking to whoever’s in charge before we start waving red flags,” Sommer suggested cautiously. Sands had a bad tendency to lose her sense of proportion when she latched onto something like this. “We really don’t have the energy to waste on a full-scale intelligence war. We’ve got at least a hundred American cities and foreign capitals clamoring for Soulminder facilities, and if Frank’s people have to spend all their time guarding our backs here, we may never get another adequately secure building built. Anywhere.”
“And what are you going to say to them?” Sands scoffed. “Pretty please let us alone?”
“Depends on what they want,” Everly told her. “If they’re after Soulminder itself and aren’t going to stop at anything less, then you’re right, talking won’t do any good. But if all they really want is to make sure a Presidential soul transfer will be secure, then we might be able to convince them that we’ve got things under control.”
“I think it’s worth a try, anyway,” Sommer said. “Frank, can you get me the name and number of the man to talk to?”
“No problem.”
“Good,” Sommer said. “And I’ll want to talk some more with you about this later. There are some thoughts and scenarios I want to get your reaction to.”
“Just let me know when you’re ready.”
“Then let’s get back to Ingersoll,” Sommer said, glancing around the table. “If the judge—”
He broke off as he saw a new and oddly intense look on Porath’s face. “Murray?”
Slowly, Porath’s
Similar Books
