Outside, a group of men were standing across the narrow street from his cell. They seemed to be staring at the window, and when Hale's face appeared, they moved back a little, almost as though he'd struck at them. At the same time, the muttering ceased. "What's going on out there?" he asked in his heavy baritone voice. "It's the Plague," said one of them. Hale recognized him as the gun-wielding guard of the day before. "The Plague?" "That's right. Yon the Fisher has it. Seven others. I think you may have it." "Don't be silly!" Hale snapped. "I feel fine. What kind of a plague is this?" "Why--it's just the Plague." "I mean, what are the symptoms?" "Cough. Watery eyes. Nose runs. Then a fever and you die." "And you say Yon the Fisher has it?" Hale felt things were going even better than he had expected. But if the Fisher were to die, the whole deal might fall through. "Look here," he said, "I've got some stuff in my pack that will fix those boys up in no time. Just let me out of here, and I'll--" The muttering in the crowd began again, and the guard said: "I can't let you out without permission from Yon the Fisher." "Now, look here," Hale began. Hale had a persuasive tongue. Even in a strange dialect, he could, given time enough, work men around to his way of thinking. Some years before, according to the court records of the Supreme People's Court of Vega VII, one Leland Hale had been indicted for kidnap-murder, a crime which can only be tried on Vega VII by the SPC. Five learned judges, wise in the law, heard the case. At the same time, a full tape transcript was made. The prosecution presented its case and amply proved motive, opportunity, and identity. Hale defended himself, using the charts and evidence presented by the prosecution. No logic robot would have accepted the defendant's testimony for more than the first paragraph, but the five learned judges listened carefully, believing that they were weighing both sides impartially. When it was over, the vote was three-two in favor of acquittal. The majority opinion apologized to Mr. Hale for inconveniencing him by bringing him to trial. There was no minority opinion; the other two judges merely abstained from voting. When Hale's defense was subjected to semantic analysis, it was discovered that his statements, taken at face value without the emotional content, were a confession and admission of guilt! The press had a field day. The three judges of the majority were forced to resign by public opinion, and the other two left the bench soon after. The entire judicial system of Vega VII was revamped in a frenzied flurry of legislative activity. But it was too late to do anything about Leland Hale--he was three sectors away by that time, and the law couldn't touch him anyway. Hale was glib, clever, and persuasive. Within fifteen minutes, he was heading towards the home of Yon the Fisher with his pack on his back and a goodly crowd following well behind.