“Now,” said the Judge, “we have a murder case on our hands. Hube, Orville, Burney, Peter, Mert, all of you — can you provide a court of competent jurisdiction? No. The laws of our state specifically designate the Superior Court as the court of jurisdiction in serious criminal cases, with certain exceptions such as the counties having Courts of Common Pleas, of which Cudbury County is not one. True, we have a trial justice, in common with all small communities in our state that lack a town court; and you, Orville Pangman, are the justice of the peace by town election. But if you’ve read the laws regulating your office, Orville, you know that a case as serious as a murder is not within your jurisdiction, that the accused must be bound over to the next term of the Superior Court or, where such courts are provided for, the court of Common Pleas.
“And do you think — Hube, Orville, Burn, Peter, Merton, all of you,” cried the Judge, “that this accused, Josef Kowalczyk, can get a fair trial in Shinn Corners? Is there one man or woman within range of my voice who is without prejudice in this case? Is there one of you who hasn’t already made up his mind that this man Kowalczyk is guilty of the murder of Fanny Adams?”
Johnny thought, You may as well try arguing with the stones in the cemetery there.
“Well?” demanded Judge Shinn. “Answer me!”
And again Hube Hemus spoke out of his gaunt inflexibility. “Fairness works two ways, Judge. He’ll get as fair a trial in Shinn Corners as Joe Gonzoli got in Cudbury. We want justice, too.” He was silent; then, with his first show of defiance, he added, “Maybe we can’t trust nobody but ourselves no more. Maybe that’s it, Judge. Anyway, we voted it that way, and that’s the way it’s goin’ to be.”
Captain Frisbee said instantly, “All right, men.”
Sheriff Mothless hopped aside.
The troopers moved forward in a sort of drift, as if they felt everything was in delicate balance and must not be weighted down on their side by so much as a heavy footfall. The men and boys watched them coming, the boys a little pale but with half-grins, the men’s mouths flattening.
Hube Hemus brought his gun up.
The sun flashed along the whole steel barrier.
The troopers halted.
Captain Frisbee looked astounded. Then his red face went redder. “I ask you people to get out of our way. If you don’t, we’ve got to come through anyway. There’s nothing we can do about it. The choice is yours.”
“Don’t force the issue, Captain.” Hube Hemus’s jaws ground. “We’d have to shoot.”
The guns steadied.
The police officer hesitated. The hands of his troopers hovered over their holsters. They were watching him uneasily.
“Judge, please step out of the way,” said Captain Frisbee in a low voice. “I ask the minister there to do the same.”
Neither Judge Shinn nor Samuel Sheare obeyed. The little minister’s hands fluttered; that was all.
“I not only ask you to step aside,” snapped the officer, “but if there’s anything you can say to get those women and children away from the doorway you’d better say it now. A lot of people are going to get hurt. I call you to witness that I’m not responsible if—”
“Wait,” said the Judge in a gritty voice. “Will you wait? Give me ten minutes, Captain, just ten minutes.”
“For what?” said Captain Frisbee. “These people, Judge, are plain loony. Or they’re bluffing, which is more likely. Either way—”
A nervous trooper jerked out his revolver and lunged.
There was a shot.
Johnny thought, This is one of those dreams.
The revolver flew out of the trooper’s hand and thudded to the grass beside the walk. The trooper cried out and stared at his hand. Blood was welling from a long crease across the web of flesh between his thumb and forefinger.
Smoke snaked out of Hube Hemus’s gun.
“I warned ye. Next time it’s through the heart.”
Judge Shinn jumped up and down like a marionette, waving his arms. “For God’s sake, Captain, ten minutes!” he shouted. “Don’t you realize yet what you’ve stepped into? Do you want a blood bath on your conscience? Women and children victims as well as yourselves and these mules? I want a chance to phone the Governor!”
Captain Frisbee said in a murderous voice, “Grady, take Ames over to the car and fix up that flesh wound. The rest of you stay where you are. Hollister, take over till I get back.” He nodded bitterly to Judge Shinn. “Lead the way.”
Johnny trailed them across the road to the Shinn house. The Judge sat down in the foyer beside the telephone, wiped his face and hands with a handkerchief carefully. Then he picked up the phone.
“Operator, this is an emergency call. I want to speak to Governor Bradley Ford in the state capital. Governor Ford is either at the Executive Mansion or somewhere in the Capitol Building. I must speak to him in person. This is Superior Court Judge Lewis Shinn calling.”
