By the time the trial commenced, however, he was sure of the cause of the disease. It _was_ Martian. Crude as his cultures were, they had proved that. The little courtroom was filled, mostly from the villages. Lou was there, along with others he had come to know. Then the sight of Jake caught Doc's eyes. The darned fool had no business there; he could get too closely mixed into the whole mess. "Court's in session," Wilson announced. "Doc, you represented by counsel?" Jake's voice answered. "Your Honor, I represent the defendant. I think you'll find my credentials in order." Chris started to protest, but Wilson grinned. "Never lost your standing in spite of that little fracas thirty years ago, so far as I know. But the police thought you were a witness when you came walking in. Figured you were giving up." "I never said so," Jake answered. Chris was squirming angrily, but the florid man acting as counsel for Medical Lobby shook his head, bending over to whisper in her ear. He straightened. "No objection to counsel for the defense. We recognize his credentials." "You're a fool, Matthews," the judge told him. "Jake was smarter than half the rest of Legal Lobby before he went native. Still can tie your tail to a can. Okay, let's start things. I'm too old to dawdle." Doc lost track of most of what happened. This was totally unlike anything on Earth, though it might have been in keeping with the general casualness of the villages. Maybe the ritualistic routine of the Lobbies was driving those who could resist to the opposite extreme. Chris was the final witness. Matthews drew comment of Feldman's former crime from her, and Jake made no protest, though Wilson seemed to expect one. Then she began sewing his shroud. There wasn't a fact that managed to emerge without slanting, though technically correct. Jake sat quietly, smiling faintly, and making no protests. He got up lazily to cross-examine Chris. "Dr. Ryan, when Daniel Feldman was examined by the Captain of the _Navaho_ after arriving at Mars station, did you identify him then as having been Dr. Daniel Feldman?" She glanced at Matthews, who seemed puzzled but unconcerned. "That's correct," she admitted. "But--" "And you later saw him delivered to the surface of Mars. Is that also correct?" When she assented, Jake hesitated. Then he frowned. "What did you do then? Did you report him or send anyone to look after him or anything like that?" "Certainly not," she answered. "He was no--" "You did absolutely nothing about him after you identified him and saw him delivered here? You're quite sure of that?" "I did nothing." Jake stood quietly for a moment, then shrugged. "No more questions." Matthews finished things in a plea for the salvation of all humanity from the danger of such men as Daniel Feldman. He was looking smug, as was Chris. Wilson turned to Jake. "Has the defense anything to say?"