Read Online Sweet Justice by Neil Gaiman - Free Book Online Page A

downstairs.’
    As she left the room a new television set slid up from the floor.
    There was another Judge waiting with Armour, whom he introduced as Judge Pratchett. Hershey had never seen a Judge with a beard before. She found it vaguely obscene. Judge Pratchett was holding a middle-aged woman with a runny nose; he had her arm twisted as far up her back as it would go without actually breaking anything.
    ‘Now then, chummy,’ said Pratchett, ‘tell this Judge what you told me. And none of your lip this time, sunshine, or I’ll add on another year to your sentence.’
    ‘All I know,’ squealed the terrified woman, ‘is that Clute’s been hanging around Speaker’s Corner. Near the Legalise Sugar stand. I bought some stuff off him yesterday.’
    ‘Have you taken any yet?’ said Hershey quickly.
    ‘Oh no. I was saving it for a cup of tea. There’s a bloke I know said he could put a few tea bags my way, you see.’
    ‘Oh dear, oh dear,’ said Judge Pratchett, cheerfully. ‘Well, well, well, tea as well is it? You’re a regular little den of iniquity, my girl. It looks like you’re going to be helping us with our enquiries for quite some time to come, eh?’
    Hershey got on her Lawmaster. ‘Speaker’s Corner?’
    ‘Follow me.’ They headed off into the misty Brit-Cit morning, Judge Pratchett’s muffled ‘Mind how you go, now!’ echoing after them.
     
    ROCKS IN CONCERT
     
    Hyde Park was a smallish car park, not more than a hundred and fifty storeys high, covering less than five square miles. The top floor had been turned into some kind of park. In the centre a Rock Group – an alien species of intelligent granite, top musicians all, on a galaxy-wide tour – were being hooked up to huge loudspeakers. According to the painted legend on their sides they were called the Growling Stones. Hershey had heard a little rock music in Mega-City, but didn’t like it.
    In one corner a knot of people had gathered.
    ‘That’s Speaker’s Corner,’ said Judge Armour. ‘We’ll leave the Lawmasters here by the gate, and go over on foot. We’ll be less conspicuous.’
    As they drew closer the wind blew snatches of speech over to Hershey. She was not sure she believed what she was hearing.
    ‘...of course Judges are evil. The system is an evil, corrupting system...’
    ‘...all right, so if you can grow your own tobacco, what’s wrong with smoking it – in your own home of course...’
    ‘...sure we’re robots. But why should we be treated as second class citizens? A neuronic brain is...’
    ‘...so what’s wrong with a little mutie-bashing, I should like to know? I mean they aren’t like us...’
    The speakers were all men and women (and in two cases robots) who stood on chairs and boxes, in the middle of the crowd. Around them people cheered or heckled, made suggestions or cracked jokes, moving from speaker to speaker by osmosis.
    Hershey stopped. ‘These people... what they’re saying ! Shall we round them up now? They’ll get ten years in an Iso-Cube.’
    Armour shook his head. ‘This is Speaker’s Corner. They can say what they like.’
    ‘But... it’s seditious. And all the people listening to them...’
    ‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Judge Armour. ‘Nobody’s paying any attention. It’s a game.’
    Hershey could not believe her ears. ‘I think you British Judges are crazy . They – they’re breaking the Law! ’
    Armour shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter, Judge Hershey,’ he said softly. ‘They can do what they like. It won’t change anything.’ He pointed to the far corner. ‘Over there. The Legalise Sugar speaker. You move in from the left, I’ll hit the right. Keep an eye out for Clute.’
    ‘...and what they say is, they tell us that sugar is harmful! They tell us it rots our teeth! They tell us it burns out the pancreas! Well my brothers and sisters, that’s a load of tommyrot! I have evidence, I say evidence , that far from being harmful, sugar is actually beneficial to the