hadn’t hunted any of them up to ask why, and no one had come close enough to Kris to let her pose the question.
It was quiet, and boring, and she was kind of enjoying it.
Of course, it would be nice if Jack dropped by. Even if it was to argue about something.
No threats to her. No reason for Jack to argue with her. No Jack.
Such was Kris’s life.
Judge Francine approached Kris with a dinner tray. “May I join you?”
Immediately, Kris found herself doing an examination of her latest high crimes and misdemeanors. All she could think of were the usual mortal and venial sins. “Of course,” Kris managed to stammer without sounding excessively guilty.
The elderly lady had been a giant on the bench before she retired. In real life, settling herself across from Kris was a woman barely five feet tall. Still, she took her chair with all the gravity of a judge taking her place at the bench.
Kris didn’t need to ask Nelly about Justice Francine. In high school, she’d learned of the legendary Judge Francine. She’d spent most of her life on one high court or another.
When the old jurist applied to join the boffin crew of the Wasp, Professor mFumbo had been ready to reject her out of hand. Kris had stepped in personally to grant her a berth. Father always said that one of the few things about his job that made it worth having was being able to make a dream come true for someone who had done their part for the people.
And that good deed had allowed Kris to draft the experienced jurist into helping her with a legal problem . . . or twelve.
“Are you enjoying your stay on the Wasp?” Kris asked. She didn’t usually have to hunt for an ice breaker. Most everyone who approached her had a hidden agenda they couldn’t wait to broach. Being the one tongue-tied was unusual for Kris.
“Matters are certainly better than they had been,” the gray-haired woman answered darkly. “Those cases you had me handling on Kaskatos were nothing short of brutal. Those poor local jurists were totally unprepared to hear crimes of such depravity.”
“Ah, yes,” Kris said, trying not to feel guilty for making the demands the situation had required. So much for breaking the ice.
“This last week, however, has been nothing short of magnificent,” the judge said as her old eyes filled with young wonder . . . and she settled a linen napkin in her lap. “We have long had images of this end of the galaxy. But no observatory can hope to capture what we are seeing up close. That is well worth the price of admission for these old eyes.”
The judicial legend sampled her chicken pasta before she went on. “The scientists in boffin country are bubbling every morning with new discoveries. New conclusions. New ideas to test. I should think you must be bombarded with suggestions. Nay, demands to change course and get closer to this or that phenomenon.”
“Nelly fields them for me.”
“But it’s nice to hear from someone who has an inkling of just what I’m having to wade through . . . and some respect,” Nelly said. “Kris takes me way too much for granted.”
“I’m sure it must seem that way from your perspective,” the judge said, clearly reserving judgment.
“The captain makes the final decision,” Kris said. “He has a very keen sense that the safety of the Wasp and its crew has first call on our course.”
“Ah, yes, the safety of the ship and crew,” Francine said, with a nuanced twist to the words. “That is nice to know.”
For a while they ate in silent companionship.
“So,” Francine said, laying down her fork. “How long are you going to continue putzing around and dodging your duty?”
“Dodging my duty?” Kris almost yelped in surprise.
“Young lady, I’ve sat on enough benches listening to lawyers lay out the history of how this or that crime came to be committed that these old eyes can’t miss a crime in progress.”
Again, all Kris could do was echo, “Crime in progress?”
“Yes, young woman. We didn’t come halfway around the galaxy to loaf around, dawdling from one star system to the next. You are avoiding your duty.”
“You want to tell me what duty I’m avoiding?” Kris asked. Everyone Kris had ever met either hated Longknifes . . . or expected them to save their bacon. It wasn’t unusual for people to hold both views. Apparently, legendary judicial minds were no different.