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Mykel bowed, and returned to his seat.
Dainyl looked to the accused.  Trooper Polynt, would you please step forward?
Polynt rose and took two steps forward. His eyes met Dainyl s easily.
 Tell us what happened on the lane when the holder was killed.
Polynt shifted his weight from one boot to the other, ever so slightly, but
continued looking directly at Dainyl.  It was like this, sir. We were riding
patrol. We d been riding patrols all over Dramur. Every place we rode, people
would yell at us or say things in low voices. They d tell us to go home, or to
leave honest folk alone. I ve heard that before. You get used to it, but I was
riding with Mergeyt, and we were in the last rank that day. Been a long day,
sir, and we d been shot at twice. Luck would have it, no one got hurt that
day, but we d already lost maybe ten men in the company, and another ten or so
been wounded trying to track down the rebels and troublemakers. We saw this
old fellow working on a stone wall. He stopped working, just watched us as we
rode up. Sort of sneered, he did; then he said something to the troopers a
cou-pie of ranks up. I didn t hear what he said, but they sort of got stiff.
One of  em, I think it was Sofolt, put his hand on his rifle, but he didn t do
anything. We got close, and the old fellow looked at me and Mergeyt, and he
said something like,  You re such brave Cadmians. You think you re so brave,
but you re as useless as teats on a boar. Go on, brave, brave Cadmians. Well,
before I could even think to say anything, Mergeyt took out his rifle and
plugged the fellow. Took two quick shots. That was all. I looked at him, and
then he threw the rifle at my chest.  Course, I caught it, and quick as I
couldn t believe, he d grabbed mine. Then, the captain rode back, and I was
sitting there in the saddle with a hot rifle. Polynt paused, then added.
 That s what happened, sir. His eyes had never left Dainyl s.
The most frightening thing about Polynt s statement was his belief in his own
words.
 Did trooper Mergeyt say anything? asked Dainyl.
 He might have, sir. I don t rightly recall.
 Captain Mykel wrote a report, which will be included as part of the record.
In that report, he noted that the rifle that you held, the one that had been
fired, was your rifle, that the maker s numbers matched those of the rifle
issued to you. If trooper Mergeyt had used his weapon, that rifle should have
borne his numbers, not yours. How do you explain that, trooper?
 Sir, I can t explain that. I just know what happened, just like I said.
 I will have further questions for you later, trooper. Please take your seat.
 Yes, sir.
 Trooper Mergeyt. Please step forward.
Unlike Polynt, Mergeyt was nervous, shaking slightly as he stepped forward.
 Yes, sir?
 Please tell me what you saw.
 Yes, sir. Wasn t like Polynt said, sir. Not exactly. I mean, well, there was
the old fellow. He was laying stone, and he said stuff, but I wasn t paying no
attention. Not until he looked at Polynt, and he said something like,
 Worthless pup, come back to foul your own den? Hiding behind a Cadmian
uniform, now. Such a brave, brave Cadmian. Polynt didn t say nothing, just
took out his rifle and shot him. Had to turn in the saddle, sideways. After
that, the captain came riding back, and he had his rifle out, made both us
give our rifles to Rykyt& 
As Mergeyt finished talking, Dainyl managed to keep from nodding. Nervous as
the trooper was, he was telling the truth, even if he had kept looking away
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from Dainyl.  Thank you. You may sit down.
Dainyl looked at Polynt.  Step forward.
Polynt did.  Trooper Mergeyt has said that the holder said that you d come
back to foul your own den? Why would the holder have said that?
 He didn t say that, sir. He just talked to Mergeyt.
 Is there any reason why he would have said something like that?
 He didn t say that, sir.
 Aren t you from Dramur, trooper?
 Yes, sir.
 Did you know the holder?
 No, sir.
 Please take a seat and remove your left boot, trooper.
 Sir?
 You heard me. Remove your left boot.
Polynt stiffened ever so slightly, and just momentarily, before sitting down.
Slowly, he removed the left boot.
 Lift your trouser and show us your ankle.
Polynt did.
 Would you please explain the number on your ankle? Prom the corner of his
eye, Dainyl saw Sturwart s mouth open, but the colonel kept his concentration
on the trooper.
 I can t, sir. I just can t.
Dainyl could sense both the truth and the frustration in Polynt.
 Do you see a number there?
 Yes, sir.
 Has it always been there?
 I& don t know, sir.
 Do you know how it got there?
 No, sir.
 You may put your boot back on. Dainyl turned.  I would like Justicer Alveryt
to explain the tattoo on the trooper s ankle, and how it came to be there.
Alveryt nodded slightly and cleared his throat.  Until I saw the trooper this
morning, I did not realize who he was. His name is Apolynt, and he is from
Santazl. He was convicted of theft from a potter h ere six years ago. After
his term in the mines, he was suspected of having committed a murder, but he
ran into the night. When an overturned boat was found in the gulf, several
days later, he was believed dead.
 Trooper Polynt, is your name Apolynt?
 That s what my father called me. I never used the name.
 Are you from Santazl?
 Yes, sir.
 Were you sentenced to the mines?
 Yes, sir.
 Were you not asked if you had been convicted of a major crime when you joined
the Cadmians?
 I don t rightly recall, sir.
 Are you not aware that concealing a crime to join the Cadmians is a flogging
offense?
 No, sir. I never heard that.
Once more, Dainyl could sense the internal confusion in the trooper, a
confusion that bore a sense of Talent-manipulation.
 You may be seated.
Polynt reseated himself.
 Trooper Rykyt, step forward.
The trooper who stepped before the dais was older.
 Please describe what you saw concerning the killing of the holder.
Dainyl listened carefully to Rykyt and the other troopers he called, but
nothing any of them said cast the slightest shadow of doubt on what Captain
Mykel had reported. After all the witnesses had been heard, slightly before
noon, Dainyl let the silence draw out for a time as he studied Polynt.
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