our suit, with no interference. It's a deal that puts us in serious business. Now we can hire the best attorneys, ones that can truly make Elasa's case. I will gladly yield my position to one of them.”
“No,” Elasa said.
“Elasa, I am like a popgun compared to the cannons Femdroid will hire. There are sharks in these waters. You need legal killer whales to handle them.”
“I need a lawyer I trust,” Elasa said firmly. “I need you.”
“When David meets Goliath, in real life, the smart money is on Goliath. They've got Goliath. I'm not even David. We need a seasoned warrior.”
“I want you,” Elasa said.
“I assure you, the attorney we engage can be trusted to pursue the case effectively. He will not betray your interest. I have a man in mind.”
“Hire him,” Elasa said. “To serve under your direction.”
Maxine paused. “This would be like putting a general under the command of a corporal. It's not done.”
Now Elasa considered. “Bring him here. Let me talk to him.”
“She's not much subject to mind changes,” Banner said fondly.
Maxine made just the hint of eyes rolling. “I will do that.”
Banner knew that she was doing it mainly as a ploy to get Elasa to listen to reason. But Elasa could be machine-like in her dedication to a principle. He stayed out of it.
Maxine made calls, and in due course Moncho Maverick arrived. He was a handsome middle-aged Hispanic man with a keen eye and a trim black mustache. “I am here with the expectation of taking on the case,” he announced. “But you said there was a caution.” His voice was mellow, with a subtle edge. He did have a bearing like that of a killer whale in a fishpond.
“I'll be blunt,” Maxine said. “We offer a fee matching your custom, and participation in what may be a groundbreaking case. But my client insists that I be her head lawyer, irregular as that may be.”
“Acknowledged,” he said smoothly. He looked at Elasa, who was decorously dressed, with her hair loose. She looked back at him. She smiled tremulously. She was just about as lovely and appealing as it was possible for a woman to be. “Agreed,” he said.
Maxine could not mask her surprise. “No bargaining? You didn't even talk with her.”
“We talked,” he said. “Just not in words. Your client is persuasive.”
Banner knew how that was.
“Do you want to see her demonstration?”
“Needless. I know her nature.” He crossed the room, took Elasa's hand, and kissed it. She blushed. “I will return after completing personal arrangements for my stay in this vicinity. You may settle terms with my office in the interim. We have a case to build, boss.” He departed.
“I think he's a lady killer also,” Banner said.
“He was verifying her semblance of humanity,” Maxine said. “To be sure there is a persuasive case. That's what he meant.”
“Of course,” Banner agreed, smiling.
“If it is possible to win this case, he will win it,” Maxine said. “If this were chess, he'd be a grandmaster. I am amazed and flattered to have him representing us. Not everything he does will make sense to us, but our best course is to cooperate completely. I expect to rubber stamp whatever he proposes.” She looked at Elasa. “Agreed?”
“As long as you trust him,” Elasa said.
“I trust him to chew up the sharks.” She frowned. “But understand: there are treacherous nuances, and the law is unclear. This case may not be winnable. We shall have to proceed largely on faith.”
“I just realized,” Banner said. “Maverick wants you to be a buffer between himself and Elasa. So he doesn't have to reason with her. You'll do that for him. He knew the score before he ever got here.”
“Yes. We have seen him being incidentally sociable. But he is a killer. The opposition lawyers will piss their pants when they learn he's on the case.”
“I like him,” Elasa said.
“You'll like him even better when you see him in action. Just be glad he's on our
“No,” Elasa said.
“Elasa, I am like a popgun compared to the cannons Femdroid will hire. There are sharks in these waters. You need legal killer whales to handle them.”
“I need a lawyer I trust,” Elasa said firmly. “I need you.”
“When David meets Goliath, in real life, the smart money is on Goliath. They've got Goliath. I'm not even David. We need a seasoned warrior.”
“I want you,” Elasa said.
“I assure you, the attorney we engage can be trusted to pursue the case effectively. He will not betray your interest. I have a man in mind.”
“Hire him,” Elasa said. “To serve under your direction.”
Maxine paused. “This would be like putting a general under the command of a corporal. It's not done.”
Now Elasa considered. “Bring him here. Let me talk to him.”
“She's not much subject to mind changes,” Banner said fondly.
Maxine made just the hint of eyes rolling. “I will do that.”
Banner knew that she was doing it mainly as a ploy to get Elasa to listen to reason. But Elasa could be machine-like in her dedication to a principle. He stayed out of it.
Maxine made calls, and in due course Moncho Maverick arrived. He was a handsome middle-aged Hispanic man with a keen eye and a trim black mustache. “I am here with the expectation of taking on the case,” he announced. “But you said there was a caution.” His voice was mellow, with a subtle edge. He did have a bearing like that of a killer whale in a fishpond.
“I'll be blunt,” Maxine said. “We offer a fee matching your custom, and participation in what may be a groundbreaking case. But my client insists that I be her head lawyer, irregular as that may be.”
“Acknowledged,” he said smoothly. He looked at Elasa, who was decorously dressed, with her hair loose. She looked back at him. She smiled tremulously. She was just about as lovely and appealing as it was possible for a woman to be. “Agreed,” he said.
Maxine could not mask her surprise. “No bargaining? You didn't even talk with her.”
“We talked,” he said. “Just not in words. Your client is persuasive.”
Banner knew how that was.
“Do you want to see her demonstration?”
“Needless. I know her nature.” He crossed the room, took Elasa's hand, and kissed it. She blushed. “I will return after completing personal arrangements for my stay in this vicinity. You may settle terms with my office in the interim. We have a case to build, boss.” He departed.
“I think he's a lady killer also,” Banner said.
“He was verifying her semblance of humanity,” Maxine said. “To be sure there is a persuasive case. That's what he meant.”
“Of course,” Banner agreed, smiling.
“If it is possible to win this case, he will win it,” Maxine said. “If this were chess, he'd be a grandmaster. I am amazed and flattered to have him representing us. Not everything he does will make sense to us, but our best course is to cooperate completely. I expect to rubber stamp whatever he proposes.” She looked at Elasa. “Agreed?”
“As long as you trust him,” Elasa said.
“I trust him to chew up the sharks.” She frowned. “But understand: there are treacherous nuances, and the law is unclear. This case may not be winnable. We shall have to proceed largely on faith.”
“I just realized,” Banner said. “Maverick wants you to be a buffer between himself and Elasa. So he doesn't have to reason with her. You'll do that for him. He knew the score before he ever got here.”
“Yes. We have seen him being incidentally sociable. But he is a killer. The opposition lawyers will piss their pants when they learn he's on the case.”
“I like him,” Elasa said.
“You'll like him even better when you see him in action. Just be glad he's on our
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