Faith by John Love Read Free Book Online

There was no public gallery, no media presence, and just a handful of security guards. Ansah had only one guard assigned to her, and he was unarmed; but he was a Sakhran.
    These procedural matters, which were considered unusual but necessary, had been settled at the Pre-Trial Directions Hearing. Other matters, however, would proceed exactly in accordance with the Isis Legal Code: the conduct of the trial would be inquisitorial and not adversarial, the verdict would be decided by a minimum three-quarters majority of the twelve, and once the verdict was given, the complete record of the proceedings would be put in the public domain. There would be no right of appeal.
    The Chairman recited some of these matters, in order to put them, and Ansah’s acknowledgement of them, on the record. He went on to tell her his name and those of the eleven others. As on the previous day, she chose not to remember them, and decided instead to identify them to herself as First Voice, Second Voice, and so on.
    She went to pour herself some tea. The Sakhran guard behind her, without apparently asking anyone’s permission, reached in front of her and gently unlocked the manacles. ( Those wonderful hands! she thought.) She smiled her appreciation and he smiled back. His teeth were very pointed. The inside of his mouth was dark red.
    Someone started reciting charges. The sun Isis rose higher on the left-hand side of the huge bay window, making the figures at the table grow more indistinct, blurring the edges of their silhouettes. She was not unduly concerned at being unable to see their faces clearly. Voices, with their nuances and inflexions, could tell her as much as faces; on her ship, she had acquired some skill in analysing voices.
    Third Voice was speaking.
    “Commander Ansah, will you please tell us your occupation?”
    “Commander of the Commonwealth ship Sirhan. ”
    “And what kind of ship is the Sirhan ?”
    “An Outsider Class cruiser.”
    “That’s not just any kind of ship, is it?”
    “No. It’s considered the Commonwealth’s ultimate warship.”
    “How many Outsider Class ships are there?”
    “Nine.”
    “These nine ships, they’re outside the normal military command structure, aren’t they?”
    “Yes. They report to the Department of Administrative Affairs on Earth, not to the military authorities. But that’s not why they’re called Outsiders.”
    “I’m aware of that, Commander, we’ll come back to that….Tell me about your title. You’re Commander, not Captain. Can you explain that?”
    She smiled faintly. “It’s a kind of symbolism.”
    “Symbolism?”
    “The Department likes to reinforce the idea that it is the Captain of each of the nine. Those who command from day to day are Deputy Captains; Commanders.”
    “So this, symbolism, actually provides a double emphasis. The Commanders are doubly reminded that these extraordinary vessels are… Instruments of the Department?”
    “Yes. The Department even uses that word. Instruments.”
    “An unusual word. Does it mean that each of the nine is absolutely bound to honour the letter and spirit of the Department’s orders, in every detail?”
    Again she smiled faintly. “I see where you’re leading.”
    “Just answer the question, please.”
    “I’m sorry. The answer is Yes.”
    “Commander.” This was another voice. She had heard three so far today, including the Chairman. Yesterday she had heard six, including today’s three, so she called this one Seventh Voice, and committed it to memory.
    “Commander Ansah, what brought a ship like the Sirhan to Isis?”
    “Faith.”
    “Please answer in more detail, Commander. For the record.”
    “A single unidentified ship with extraordinary capabilities, making apparently random, motiveless and highly successful raids on several Commonwealth systems…Is that enough?”
    “Yes, thank you, Commander, that’s excellent….So again, what brought your ship to Isis?”
    “Faith had made eight attacks on