Janys leaned back in her chair as she read the first essay in the pile. After the middlers finished reading a book about a boy choosing between studying astronomy and staying on Demeter, she'd assigned them to write about individual life decisions. Although she no longer found their society to be as oppressive as she'd first believed, it couldn't hurt to remind children they could follow a different path.

Children. She ran her fingers across her stomach. On her way home yesterday afternoon she'd stopped by Dr. Alaniette's clinic to pick up her test results. While she'd planned to give Martel the big news last night, she'd held off when he'd stumbled in bleary eyed and exhausted from a crisis at the trade center. That morning he'd taken off before she could think about facing the breakfast table. Surely things would calm down that evening so they could have a private moment…

"Janys." For a second she didn't recognize the voice. Startled, she looked up to see her husband's rigid figure in the doorway.

Maybe she'd just been handed her moment, though she didn't understand why he'd be at her school during working hours. But the news died on her lips as he stared at her. Despite the fact he'd uttered her name, he looked as though he'd never seen her before.

"Martel, what's wrong?" Could something have happened to his family? She jumped up and ran over, planning to take him in her arms, but he grabbed her wrist with his left hand and held it away. His right trailed down at his side, holding something she couldn't see.

"You will come with me now." Bending her arm behind her back, he forced her into the narrow hallway.

"What are you doing?" she cried, trying to pull away. "You're hurting me! Tell me why you need me and I'll come with you as soon as I finish grading these papers—"

"Someone else will finish them for you." He kept up the pressure on her arm. "I doubt it will make much difference in any case. Right now you have much bigger concerns. The Council will be meeting shortly to decide how to handle your actions. Before I turn you over to them, I intend to deal with you myself."

Every cell in her body froze. As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything lately to anger Martel, much less attract the attention of the Council. Even her bibalon held only a few entries.

"I don't know what you're talking about! And I'm not going one more step with you until you tell me!" She sat down, her rear hitting hard against the polished floor.

He released her just in time to keep from overbalancing. From this vantage point, she could see what he held in his right hand. She stopped breathing as she recognized the thick black cane Rodogan had shown her.

For a second she thought he intended to get a new grip and drag her along, but instead he reached inside his tunic and took out a small dataport. The first she'd seen since coming to this planet.

"There!" he threw it in her lap. "Go on—plug it in! I doubt you have forgotten how!"

Although it was an older model, she still thought it would work with her implant. But why was her husband ordering her to use prohibited technology? Quickly she pressed it against the back of her neck, feeling the slight tingle as she searched for a downloadable file.

Only one occupied the entire device—the big story of the day from the "Universal Chronicle", the major news portal for the Protectorate. "Tales from Captivity" the headline blazed across her brain. "Institute Researcher Shares Diaries Re: Demetian Life."

She only had to experience a few moments of the presentation to recognize the text. Jerking her hand away, she cried. "But those are my journals! How did they get them?"

"How do you think? Perhaps when you gave them to your Professor?" Grabbing the port, he jabbed it against her implant. The word "Professor" keyed up an image of the man telling talk show host Lianna Martin how his research assistant Janys Livingston rebelled against slavery to sneak the journals into his hands.

"Martel, I didn't give him anything," she whispered. "I didn't TELL him anything. I let you know what happened—"

"Silence!" he commanded. "You can say whatever you want to the Council if you think it may spare your life, but I will not listen to any more of your lies." He scowled down at her. "Now get up."

"Are you taking me home?".

Martel shook his head. "As if I could return you to your Institute, which seems to be the only home you recognize. No, I am taking you to the square. We have some business there before you face the Elders."

"Oh God, Martel—no!" Frantically her eyes searched the hallway. Was there some place she could run to? Perhaps Master Pannolorian's classroom? Or Meisin's office? Unfortunately she couldn't expect either to intervene between her and her husband. "Please! You're not going to take me there and whip me with that thing—"

"I will start whipping you with it right here if you do not stand up and start walking towards the door." He prodded her with his toe. "Now are you going to move, or do you want me to thrash you in front of the students?"

She got to her feet, wondering if her legs would carry her all the way to the square. Maybe she'd fallen asleep on the couch and fallen into a nightmare. Yet she couldn't remember any dream being so vivid, from the sweat on the back of Martel's neck to the ache in her shoulder where he pinned her arm.

They marched out into the blazing sunlight. "Martel, listen to me for just a minute. You can't believe I did this—"

His voice trembled. "You told me you loved me. That you wanted to stay with me. All to buy time so your Professor could make publishing arrangements."

"That's not true," she sobbed. "I do love you. And I told Prof I wanted to stay here."

Spinning around, he released her hand to grab her shoulder, shaking it hard. "Before or after you kissed him?"

"I—" Speechless, she couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Or maybe you want to deny that as well," he shook her again. "Unfortunately for you, Tadewidan managed to get that much truth out of Shalimerie by threatening to charge her as your conspirator. She could have ended up losing Chardontal forever. Yet she still insists you never said anything about the journals—"

"Because there wasn't anything to say!" she cried. "I didn't give them to him! I didn't even tell him they existed! And he's the one who kissed me. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to be hurt!"

From the edge of her eye she saw a flash of movement, but before she could react something hard thumped against her backside. "No," he told her sternly as he held her in place, swinging again. "You 'failed' to tell me because I might have figured out how things actually stood between us. How you and your lover were playing me and everyone else in Wyteen. Then you would be the one hurting, as you will be in a few minutes."

Even through the layers of tunic and prander, the cane burned. "It wasn't that way!"

He pulled her forward again. "When we get to the square, I intend to leave my mark on you. For the rest of your life, however short it may be, it will help you remember how you betrayed my family and me. You will have a lot to write in your next installment, but I doubt you will be given the chance."

"Wait!" Suddenly her fear-choked mind remembered her current writing. "I don't know what Prof got, but he can't have my newest volume. I wrote in that last night. Martel, we'll go home and I'll show it to you. You'll see how much I love you, how much I was looking forward to our—"

"Silence." He clapped his hand across her mouth. "I am sure you are clever enough to have a second journal filled with all sorts of good things in case this happened. You want to make the Council and me hesitate long enough so you can escape your punishment…"

"Just LOOK at it first—" she tried to get out, knowing he couldn't understand her muffled words.

"You have two choices, Janys." The cold fury in his voice cut through the hot air. "If you want to continue this charade of being my wife, you will obey me without saying another word. That means coming with me to the square, and submitting to the cane. When we are done, I may look at this other journal while you plead your case to the Council. Nod if you understand."

She closed her eyes and bobbed her head. "If you refuse to offer your body for my correction, I will leave you now." His fingers closed around her marital bracelet. "But first I will rip this from your arm. With the marriage ended, the Council will again have no alternative but to sentence you to Kollent."

"But—" she cried through his fingers.

This time the cane caught her lower legs. "Not one more word, Janys, or it will be the last you say as my wife."

Hot tears dripped down her face as she stumbled after him… How could this be happening? She'd never left the Prof alone long enough to take her journals, even if he'd known where to look. Of course other people know about their existence—

Yagote. Prof thought someone else might be in the house, but she'd dismissed his fear along with his worries over hidden microphones and cameras. But when he came to pick her up at Shalimerie's house, Martel mentioned Yagote being there making lunch… While Janys washed her face, the other woman could have spirited the journals out the door.

But if she tried to tell her suspicions to Martel, her marriage would be over before she could even get out a complete sentence. Besides would he believe his adopted sister guilty of treachery?

She hoped the square would be vacant as they'd usually find it at this time, but a small crowd gathered around the whipping platform. A nude woman had been bent into place, buttocks jutting out of the wooden restraints. As they drew nearer, she identified the long black hair spilling over the bare shoulders. Something long and thin flashed in the sunlight, and Shalimerie's body convulsed.

"Kronitin begged Tadewidan to let him take care of her this way instead of bringing her before the Council," Martel informed her. "We do not think you were foolish enough to tell her directly about the journals. However, if we had known about your relationship with the Professor, we could have taken more steps to protect ourselves. I know she considered it to be the confidences of a friend, but she still has to take responsibility for the harm her silence caused."

Janys shook uncontrollably. Her failure to take Shalimerie's advice caused the other woman to be severely punished. I do deserve to be whipped, she thought dully. Maybe Yagote gave the journals to the Professor, or maybe he teleported them out of my house, but I'm completely to blame for what's happening now.

Thankfully Shalimerie's ordeal ended by the time they crossed to the far corner of the square. Kronitin put an arm around her shoulder, helping her away before Janys could catch her eye. "Let us through," Martel told the crowd. Quickly the others stepped aside, clearing a path to the dreaded platform.

In a trance, Janys climbed the steps. "Strip," she heard him say, and she automatically reached for the fastenings on her tunic. Despite the heat, her fingers felt numb as she fumbled with the ties. Martel shoved her hands away and undid them himself, roughly pulling off her clothes. Within seconds she was totally naked.

He didn't bother with the head restraint as he buckled the leather straps around her wrists. Just like the forbinner, except then they'd been alone. And for that he'd promised not to leave any permanent mark. Now he wanted to hurt her, and there's was nothing she could say—

Her scream filled the square as the cane struck full across her buttocks. "That was for 'Obedience'," Martel announced. "Here comes 'Promptness'." She heard the whistling, then another line of pain ripped through her. Frantically she pulled at the restraints. "'Responsibility'." She writhed as he cracked it again across her helpless bottom.

"I know I will always feel the scars from the last two vows you broke. So I think it only right that you and everyone else be able to see them as well." He stuffed her clothes in a bundle at her feet. "Kneel." Trembling and sobbing, she slumped down on them.

The cane lightly tapped across her shoulder blades. "I will put 'Faithfulness' here. As for 'Honesty'"—he moved to her lower back and pressed it, forcing her forward against the base of the structure.

The baby. If he hit there as hard as he threatened, her stomach would be smashed against the wood. Leaning her head back, she yelled up at him, "Stop! I'm pregnant!"

"What?" With the sun behind him, she couldn't see his face.

"Pregnant, Martel!" she choked out. "So tear off my marriage bracelet if you want to, but I'm not going to let you harm our son or daughter."

The crowd fell silent. Perspiration ran down Janys's back to the welts left by the cane. "You're lying." However underneath the accusation, she sensed uncertainty.

"If you would just read my last journal like I asked, you'd know I'd planned to tell you last night, but you didn't give me a chance." She shook her head, trying to fling away the tears.

"We had gotten a rumor about the Chronicle story. Until we had the facts, I was not permitted to speak to you about it," he said stiffly. "I thought it best we not speak at all."

. "So now you know what you missed…"

"So you say." The cane brushed ominously against her bare skin. "What convenient timing, Janys."

"You don't believe me." Around her the crowd made rustling sounds. "Lean over, Martel. Let me remind you of something without an audience."

He paused so long she feared he'd decided to end the conversation, but finally she felt him squat down beside her. "You may say one more thing, then we will proceed."

"Think, Martel." She formed the words carefully. "Think how many decedonners we've been married. Think how many times you've made love or spanked me without interruption. I haven't had my period since the decedonner before our marriage."

Janys watched him do the calculations. "It does seem unusual," he admitted.

"If Demetian medicine hadn't taken a step back into the Dark Ages, I could have confirmed it a couple of decedonners ago. But Dr. Alaniette said it wouldn't be one hundred percent sure until this week." Janys turned as far as she could, trying to catch his eye. "Go ask her if you don't believe me. She'll tell you I didn't make up our baby."

"I will do that." He stood up abruptly. "But you will remain here. If I find out you have lied to me about this, I will stripe you from the nape of your neck to your ankles."

"I'm not lying." Besides the three lines of fire across her rear end, the restraints cut into her hands, and her knees had begun to ache. Still she could understand why Martel distrusted her.

Fortunately people began drifting away after Martel's departure until by craning her neck, Janys could tell she'd been left alone with the sun and the pain. After what seemed an interminable time, she heard footsteps behind her. "Here," a voice said softly, holding a cup of cold water to her dry lips. She drank awkwardly, not wanting to look into Shalimerie's eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered. "You must hate me."

"Well, love, I wish you had told him about the kiss." Shalimerie ruefully rubbed her rear end. "That is only the second time I have ever been caned so harshly, and I hope it will never happen again. Still you simply made a mistake. Never for a moment do I believe you would have come to share your thoughts with me if you had given your journals away."

So at least someone didn't want to see her sent away for life. "No, you're right. Shalimerie. I didn't do any of it."

"I believe that to be true." The two women fell silent. "But how will we prove that to the Council?"

"I'm thinking it must have been Yagote," Janys ventured. "She knew where to find the journals—"

"And she had a good reason to try and get rid of you." Shalimerie brushed her hair off her face. "At least then. Now Kronitin tells me she and Lewital plan to marry."

"They'll be short one wedding guest if I've been sent to Kollent."

Shalimerie tipped the last of the water down Janys's throat, then stood up. "I will go find her and bring her before the Council. Tadewidan will ask if she was involved."

"Maybe." If Janys even got a chance to put on a case. The longer Martel stayed away, the more she feared he'd decided to end their marriage.

Her friend sadly eyed the restraints. "I am sorry, love, but I will have to leave you like this. I cannot release you from—"

"I know," Janys told her, biting her lip to keep from crying again. "Just do what you can about Yagote."

"Later—" Shalimerie's voice trailed off. "Later after all this is over," she began again more firmly. "I will help you put on my special cream. Kronitin allowed me to use it on myself, and I scarcely feel the cane strokes now."

"I'm glad." Janys closed her eyes as her friend walked away. She didn't believe even the best ointment could eliminate the pain Shalimerie suffered on her behalf, any more than she felt she had any chance to remain in Wyteen after the Council met.

Sometime later she heard more steps, then Martel stood beside her. "I talked to Dr. Alaniette. Then I fetched this." He held out her journal, then laid it down on the ground. Reaching down, he took her chin in his palm, forcing her to look up at him. "Janys, I know you are carrying a child. But is it mine?"

"Of course it is!" Fresh tears pricked her eyelids. "If you don't believe my journal, we can do genetic tests—"

"Not with our technology," he pointed out. "At least not until after birth. Until I know how Professor Rickman gained possession of your writing, I will have doubts. But for now, you are my wife, and I will protect the baby."

"Then please let me go," she begged.

"In a moment. As your husband, I intend to complete your correction. No—" he stifled her protest. "I will not touch your back, or leave the permanent marks as I planned. But Dr. Alaniette told me at this stage in the pregnancy I could safely give you two more strokes in the same area as the first three. Shalimerie received the same."

Picking her up around the waist, Martel once more bent her over. Although she tried to take them stoically, remembering how much worse it could have been, Janys still yelped as the thin wood twice more sliced into her. Mercifully after he finished, Martel immediately undid the hand restraints and helped her to her feet. He averted his eyes as she dressed.

She opened her mouth to tell him her theory about Yagote when an unwelcome figure drew near. "Master Martel," Tadewidan began. "You said you needed time before the Council met to administer your own correction. Have you completed that process?"

"Yes." Martel stepped in front of Janys, shielding her from the Elder's cold stare. "I have come to believe she may be innocent. Also I have learned she is carrying my child."

"I see." Tadewidan looked at him with sympathy. "But you know on other occasions we have sent pregnant women to Kollent."

"Only when the Council found them to be a continuing danger to others!" Martel protested. "Why not allow me to administer correction in a way that will not put the child at risk?"

"We will discuss that alternative." The other man clasped Martel's shoulder. "Just be prepared, my friend. The Council does not understand how Mistress Janys could so quickly defy our law a second time after having experienced forbinner. Some feel we have no choice. But we have not had a chance to take into account her pregnancy. Possibly that circumstance combined with true contrition on her part—"

Janys burst out, "I haven't even had a trial and you've already decided I'm guilty?"

The Elder shrugged. "If you choose not to accept responsibility, we will give you the opportunity to rebut the accusations. But be warned we have seen convincing evidence against you."

"What evidence?" she exploded. "Sounds like you've convicted me based on a news report. You consider that justice?"

"Have you downloaded the entire story?" Janys shook her head. "You should. Although none of us has transplants, the 'Universal Chronicle' furnished us with a monitor copy. The part we found most interesting comes at the end." He looked meaningfully at Martel. "You know what I mean."

"I have the dataport here—" Martel reached into his tunic.

"Then she can review it in the meeting hall. I see no reason to delay this any longer."

Their discussion attracted several people, so Janys again felt many eyes on her as the two men escorted her across the square. What could they have found at the end of the story so compelling they believed her guilty of something she had never done?

She felt a strong sense of deja vu as they led her into the hall. Janys knew if Martel hadn't assumed custody, she would again be flanked by guards. Scanning the room, she tried to find Shalimerie, but the closest she came was Kronitin, who immediately looked away.

As they sat down, Martel put the dataport into her hands. "Forward to the end of the interview," he advised. Several of the Elders frowned as she touched it to her neck. Skipping over the Professor's animated discussion, she reached the conclusion.

"Thank you, Professor Rickman," Lianna purred. She and the Prof stood suspended in a news bubble, their transplants connecting them to the Universal Chronicle network. But what was that? A gauzy substance covered the Prof's skin and clothes. Janys's hands started shaking. They'd put him in a truth web.

Lianna continued, unaware how her interview affected a woman on trial for her life on the other side of the galaxy. "Because of the unique nature of this story, UC professional standards require us to verify its truth before broadcast. As our viewers can see, Professor Rickman, you consented to be webbed. If you are comfortable, I'll ask a few more questions…"

"Absolutely." The Prof sat back and crossed his legs as though completely unaware of the network of micro monitors measuring every aspect of his body. The reporter flicked a button, and a revolving white sphere appeared between them.

"Your name is William Rickman?"

"Yes." The sphere turned green.

"And how are you employed?"

The next few questions covered background information on Janys and how she came to be stationed on Demeter. Each time the sphere remained green, signifying no evidence of deception. The Professor sailed through questions probing the authenticity of the journals. "This is not a hoax," he proclaimed. "Ms. Livingston wrote them in her own hand based on her personal experiences on the planet. I have no reason to think they are anything other than what they purport to be".

"And how did they come into your possession?" The interviewer had the vacant look of someone accessing her net, but Janys's mind focused completely on the spinning sphere.

"She gave them to me when I went to Wyteen to investigate the circumstances of her arrest and punishment." Desperately Janys looked for a color change. Nothing. Just a green globe, damning her to hell.

Lianna's eyes brightened, as though she'd finally found something more interesting to ask. "We have learned from other sources that you and Ms. Livingston share something more than a working relationship. Would you care to comment?"

"That goes beyond the bounds of verification!" the Professor sputtered. "I don't need to answer questions about my private life!" The green began swirling.

"Because you're happily married?" Lianna cooed.

"Yes!" he barked as a red wave washed over the lower part of the sphere, changing it to brown. Realizing his mistake, he started to tear off the web as his interrogator smiled and closed her show.

Janys removed the dataport, jolting her mind back to the meeting hall. Tadewidan and the others stared at her. "Given your reaction to the evidence you just reviewed, Mistress Janys, I believe you now understand your peril. While you reviewed it, I have had a chance to speak with my colleagues about the change in your circumstances."

"We do not wish to jeopardize the life of an innocent child, or take more from Master Martel than we must," he continued. "Therefore we will offer you this: if you will take responsibility for creating and releasing your journals and offer your body for correction, you may stay in Wyteen under house arrest for the duration of your pregnancy."

"And after the baby is born?" Martel asked.

"As soon as Dr. Alaniette certifies she may travel, Mistress Janys will be sent to Kollent." Tadewidan paused. "We are very sorry, but the Elders believe she will continue to disregard our rulings and laws. Despite our giving her a second chance, she has forfeited her right to live with us. We can delay her departure, but she must be sent away."

Janys rubbed her temples. If she 'confessed', she'd save the baby's life and buy herself a number of decedonners. But at what price? Martel might nominally remain her husband, knowing their marriage would automatically end at her banishment, but she would have admitted to being both a traitor and liar. Whatever love remained between them would perish the second she said the words, as she herself would die in Kollent. No, no matter how bad the odds might be, she had to keep trying to make them believe her.

She took a deep breath. "Certainly I take responsibility for creating the journals. But they were written with the permission and knowledge of both this Council and my husband. Why should I be corrected for doing so?"

"Because we required you to keep them secret," Tadewidan retorted. "You were not to show them to anyone."

"And I didn't. The only time I ever offered any of my journals to another person was earlier today, and then only to Martel. I did not give them to Professor Rickman, and I know nothing about their release except what I have learned today."

The Elder looked impatient. "Unfortunately Mistress Janys, we have a verified report stating otherwise. You have much more experience with truth webs and verifications than we do. Do you dispute their reliability?"

Janys bit down hard on her lip. "Not usually, but—"

"Isn't it true the ICJ routinely accepts verified reports as undisputed testimony?"

"Yes," she admitted. "But look! Put me on a web. Ask me if I gave the journals to the Prof. I don't know why he said he got them from me, but I can prove I'm telling the truth!"

Tadewidan shook his head. "You know we do not have the technology to do so. But to be fair, because we will not be able to give you that chance, I will instruct the Council to ignore the verification in weighing the credibility of the two stories…"

Whatever you do, don't think of a pink elephant… Even if they pretended to ignore the spinning green ball, she knew none of the Elders would find in her favor. "Maybe the Professor thought he told the truth," she offered. "Maybe the person who gave him the journals told him they came from me."

Tadewidan arched an eyebrow. "Do you have a candidate in mind?"

"Yes she does." From the back of the room, Shalimerie marched forward dragging a terrified Yagote. Behind them Elondelle and Lewital fought to get through the crowd. "This one could have done it. She knew about the journals, and she wanted to break up the marriage."

The Elder frowned. "Those are strong accusations, Mistress. Do you have evidence?"

"Ask her!" Shalimerie demanded, just as Kronitin grabbed her hand, forcing her to release Yagote. The girl fell sobbing into Lewital's arms.

"Yagote, do you have anything to tell us?" the Elder asked sternly. Her hair flashing wildly, she shook her head.

"Yes you do!" Shalimerie dug her nails into Yagote's arm. "You know Janys is telling the truth—"

"That will be all!" Tadewidan thundered. "Master Kronitin, if your wife does not control herself immediately and allow us to continue, I suggest you take her outside for another dose of the cane. Now—" he turned back to Janys. "Do you have anything more to say?"

"Just that no matter how it looks, I didn't do it." She wiped her eyes and looked at Martel. "And whether he believes it or not, I love my husband with all my heart."

"Thank you. If you give us a moment, we will give you our decision."

A moment was all it took. The last Elder had scarcely filed out when Tadewidan led the processional back into the room. None of them looked at her as Tadewidan resumed his place. "Mistress Janys, despite your refusal to take responsibility for your offenses, we find your body should be corrected. You will be held here briefly until we can arrange transport to Kollent where you will remain the rest of your life."

As Janys sank into her chair, Martel stood up, his hands shaking. "Elders, may I ask what will happen to the child?"

Tadewidan looked down at his hands. "Because of the conditions in Kollent, no one has ever successfully given birth. However if Mistress Janys becomes the first, we will allow the child to be sent here."

"Then when you make your arrangements for transport, make certain there is room for me," Martel told him softly. "I shall accompany my wife, and do all I can to see she and the baby survive."

"No!" Yagote shrieked as Elondelle sagged against Zellin. Immediately the crowd noise rose.

"Silence!" Tadewidan barked. "Master Martel. I am not sure you understand the situation. Only the child would be permitted to leave. Whatever the circumstances, we do not allow adults to return from Kollent. If you go, it will also be for life."

"Then I try to make it as long as possible," Martel said with dignity. ."Will the Council grant me that right?"

The group murmured, then Tadewidan rapped on the table. "It will be a great loss to our community, but you may go with your wife."

"Wait!" To Janys's shock, Yagote stumbled forward. "I need to say something!"

"We gave you a chance to speak a few minutes ago," Tadewidan reminded her. "You said you had nothing to tell us. Now we have made our ruling."

"But Mistress Janys told the truth! I gave the journals to the Professor!" she wailed. "I take responsibility and offer my body for correction!"

"We will discuss this in private!" Once again the Elders vanished. Lewistal started towards Yagote, then stopped. Finally he made his way to her and put an arm around her shoulders as she cried.

This time the Elders stayed away for a long while. "What could they be talking about?" Janys asked Martel. "When are they going to come back here and reverse my sentence?"

"Just give them time. I am certain everything will work out." Gently he squeezed her hand.

Finally the door opened, and Tadewidan reappeared. Scarcely had they resumed their places when he began talking to Yagote. "Young woman, we have considered your statement carefully. We believe as a loving sister, you would do anything to prevent Master Martel from spending the rest of his days in Kollent. Had you spoken to us before your brother made his extraordinary announcement, we would take it as true, but under the circumstances —"

He looked around the courtroom. "Master Zellin and Mistress Elondelle. Would you please come forward?" The white-faced couple brushed by Janys.

"What we are going to ask you do may run contrary to your feelings, because I am sure you are proud of your daughter for trying to save your son and his family. But—" he glared at Yagote. "We cannot have people lying to the Council, no matter what the reason. Therefore she needs to be taken home and punished."

Tadewidan looked at Elondelle, "Mistress, we want you to wash her mouth out thoroughly with soap. Do you promise to do so?" Slowly the woman nodded. "And Master Zellin, you will need to wear out your arm on her behind."

"But I told you the truth!" Yagote sobbed. "Why do you not believe me?"

"You should be glad we did not accept your story," the Elder reprimanded her. "Otherwise you would be getting much worse than a mouth washing and spanking. We have now concluded this matter."

He motioned to the two guards. "Master Martel may have until the transport ship leaves for Kollent to reconsider his decision. Therefore we will allow him to remain free so that he may say goodbye to his family before they leave to carry out their assigned tasks. However Mistress Janys must be bound."

Two lengths of rope appeared. Holding her down in her chair, one guard tied her wrists behind her while the other wrapped her ankles securely. Janys had hoped to have a chance for a final word with Shalimerie, but Tadewidan ordered the room cleared.

Martel stood silently by her. "We will have time to talk on the transport. Right now I must—"

"I know," she said dully. At least she wouldn't have to face them herself. "Ask—ask your mother if she would be willing to bring up her grandchild." She tried not to think about the future where she and Martel would struggle to live long enough for her to put the baby into Elondelle's hands.

"There is something else I wish to do," he told her hesitantly. "I know my sister. My mother and father always had to force her to take responsibility for anything she did. The Council may not have believed her, but I know she would never volunteer for correction unless she deserved it."

"So you believe Shalimerie and I are right?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "What she did was terrible, but she did come forward at the end. I am going to tell her I forgive her. I can only hope someday she forgives herself."

As soon as he left she gave in. During the hearing she'd forgotten about the caning, but now the ropes pressed her painfully into the chair. Still she'd rather have a hundred more strokes than be put on the transport. How could things turn out so terribly?

She looked up dully at the feet at the door. Could it already be time to leave? Martel had only had a few minutes with his family. But if so, why would the entire Council be filing through the door?

Tadewidan looked harried as he came up to the guards. "We have yet another development. The Protector has ordered us to grant landing clearance to an ICJ shuttle. We believe Professor Rickman to be a passenger. "

He frowned at Janys. "In the interests of justice, and in light of the purported admission by Yagote, the Council has agreed to reconvene with all parties present." Slowly the room began filling again with people. Lewital supported a trembling Yagote down to the front as the Elders assembled.

Janys clutched Martel's hand as they waited. Finally she heard a familiar voice at the doorway. "Good God, now what have are they doing to you? Looks like I just got here in time."

The Prof flashed a piece of paper at her. "Sweetie, we did it. I've got the official dataport version as well, but this should be good enough for Demetian records."

"And what may that be?" Tadewidan eyed it suspiciously.

The instructor waved it under his nose. "An order from the ICJ taking exclusive jurisdiction of this matter and pardoning Ms. Livingston of any wrongdoing." He turned and winked at Janys. "I told you with the right material we could get someone at the Court to take notice, and your journals did the trick. After the UC broadcast, people on over nine hundred worlds ported Lianna Martin demanding your immediate release."

:"For the record, the Council protests your using the media to influence the ICJ—" Tadewidan began.

"Protest all you like, Elder. But first untie my employee so she can sign the order." At a signal from Tadewidan, the guards released her. As Janys flexed her fingers, trying to drive out the pins and needles, the Prof shoved a pen at her. "Sweetie, put your name right there."

Her hand shook as she took it. "What does it do?"

"Indicates you consent to the recession of all prior actions taken under Demetian law, including your marriage, and requests the ICJ to return you to the Institute."

"What about this?" she pointed.

"In order to keep this problem from happening again, the ICJ asked the Institute to remove this planet from its list of research sites. That says you also agree you will never return." Leaning over, he rubbed the chafed areas on her wrist. "Come on now. I've got a doctor waiting on the shuttle to fix you up."

"But you don't understand," she said slowly. "I'm pregnant."

For a moment he looked confused, then smiled again. "The doctor can take care of that too if you wish. Or if you decide to keep the child, you know what wonderful medical facilities at the Institute."

"Janys." Martel urgently whispered in her ear. "Professor Rickman is right. Sign the order. Even if I never get to see our child, I know he or she will be born safely at your Institute. Do the right thing and save both of you."

Still her hand played with the pen. The right thing? To leave forever the man she loved and this world she'd started to accept as her own? "One thing first," she said, dropping the paper into her lap and looking at Tadewidan. "You said you had reconvened the hearing. Are you still taking evidence?"

After glancing at the other Elders, he shook his head. "In light of the ICJ ruling, we see no need to continue."

"I still would like everyone here to know what really happened!"

"If you insist." Tadewidan raised an eyebrow. "Professor, if you would tell us how you got the journals."

"Why, Janys gave them to me," he replied without hesitation. Martel groaned softly as he loosened his grip on her hand.

"Are you certain?" the Elder persisted.

"Of course!" he snapped. "How else could I have gotten them?"

"I believe that settles the matter as far as all of us are concerned," Tadewidan began. "Let us not waste any more time—"

"No!" Janys grabbed the Professor's arm. "William, remember you taught me to state my observations as precisely as possible. You just generalized. Tell us specifically how you came into possession of my journals. Did I put them into your hands?"

He looked annoyed. "No, of course not. How could you when they had you under surveillance? But obviously they came from you."

Tadewidan leaned forward. "How did Mistress Livingston get the journals to you?"

"Why should that matter?"

"Trust me, Professor, it does. Now I will ask you once more—who gave you the journals?"

"One moment." Bending over, the Prof whispered in her ear. "Why are you putting me on the spot like this? I thought you wanted to protect your friend. She said I should keep her name secret, because you didn't want her to be punished for helping you."

Janys pulled back. "I never told anyone to give you my journals," she said slowly. "And I have no interest in protecting the person who did…"

"All right." He shot an apologetic smile at Yagote. "That young lady down there met me on the path when I was coming back here after talking with Janys. She told me I was right—Janys was being watched, so she couldn't do anything directly. But she said Janys wanted me to have the journals to help her case."

"Did she say anything else?" Tadewidan asked dangerously.

"Only that Janys knew she'd get into terrible trouble for helping her, so I should forget I'd ever met her. What I did until you decided to make such an issue about it."

"Thank you, Professor. You have indeed cleared matters up for us." Tadewidan turned to Yagote, who'd buried her face in Lewistal's shoulder. "Before we decide your correction, would you like to add anything to what you previously told the Council?"

She jumped up, brushing away the tears. "Just that I am very, very sorry. I heard the Professor say he needed something get the ICJ interested in the case, but I never dreamed he would publish them." The girl collapsed on her knees in front of Janys. "Please believe me," she whispered. "I thought you would just go back to your Institute. I would never have done it if I thought—"

"I do believe you," Janys murmured.

Tadewidan looked sternly at Yagote. "Whatever your intentions, you knowingly broke the law, and two innocent people almost had their lives cut short. Under the principle of limiton, if Mistress Janys wishes, we will impose that sentence on you. If she fears you may be dangerous to others—"

As Janys watched the trembling girl, a soft hand touched her shoulder. "Please," Elondelle whispered. Behind her, Lewistal put his head in his hands.

She didn't have to look at her husband to know how he would feel about losing party of his family. "No, I don't think she'll do anything like that again. There's no need to banish her."

Yagote had barely uttered her thank you when Tadewidan help up his hand. "You will nonetheless receive severe correction. Master Zellin, considering the other events of the day, it seems fitting it should begin in the square. I believe your son still has possession of a suitable instrument." Janys almost pitied Yagote as Martel handed over Rodogan's cane.

"We will start there, but that will not be the end of it, " Zellin told the Council. "Every day for the next decedonner, her mother and I will remind her how she almost cost us our son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild. You will not see her sitting down again for a very long time."

"I will give my assurances as well." Lewistal stepped forward… "Two decedonners from now, we planned to announce our marriage." Yagote looked at him fearfully. "I am troubled by what I learned today. But I believe a strict husband could prevent future mischief."

He turned to her. "I know I have no right to punish you for things happening before our wedding. However, if you become my wife, you will allow me to use the marital paddle to show you what happens to those who endanger others. Knowing that will be a long and painful lesson, do you still want to marry me?"

Yagote threw her arms around him. "Yes," she sobbed. "I do."

Tadewidan exchanged glances with the rest of the Elders. "We find that acceptable."

Immediately the crowd noise rose as Martel moved back to her side. "Janys, how can you ever forgive me? I should have believed you—"

"It's all right," she murmured, lacing their fingers together. "It's all going to be fine."

"Yes, it will," the Professor jumped in. "But only after you sign that order so we can be on our way. I'm not going to let that Martin woman near either of us, but UC will be sending another reporter to the Institute to interview you, so we need to get back there as soon as possible."

"We haven't finished the hearing." She looked hard at Tadewidan. After a moment, he nodded and called for silence.

"Now that we have heard ALL the evidence, do we need to conference in order to reach a decision?" One by one the Elders shook their heads. "Then Mistress Janys, we reverse our ruling. While I assume you will still be leaving us, we have no reason to send you to Kollent."

"Thank you," she told them, her voice heavy with relief. "But does that mean you would allow me to remain in Wyteen?"

The Elders appeared mystified. "Yes, if you wish. But we assume in light of the ICJ order, you would prefer returning to your former life."

"Then you assumed wrong." She held Martel's arm tightly. "I'm sorry, Prof, but I can't consent to your order."

"Wait a minute!" The Professor grabbed her other arm. "I bring you a ticket away from these people with their canes and ropes and paddles, and you say you don't want to use it?"

"I told you the same thing when you were here before. That's why I wanted you to drop the appeal."

"Janys." He chewed his lip. "I don't know what hold these people have on you. Maybe they've got you wired to receive electric shocks if you go outside the party line. I'm not going to believe a word you say unless I know we're truly alone."

"Then let's take a walk," she suggested.

"No, that's not good enough." He looked at Tadewidan. "Do you have any objection this time to my meeting with Ms. Livingston on my shuttle?"

The Elder shook his head. "Mistress Janys is free to go wherever she likes."

"Then give me a moment to make arrangements." He began sub-vocalizing into his implant.

She used the time to kiss her husband. "Janys, I love you," Martel whispered. He reached back and traced the throbbing lines beneath her tunic. "You have every right to leave me for using the cane in anger. But if you would only stay—"

"I'm going to." Her lips found his again. "Just give me a few minutes. If you wait here, I'll come home with you."

"Of course," he told her, eyes shining.

"We're all set," the Prof announced. With one final look at Martel, Janys followed her former mentor through the crowd.

They didn't talk as they walked the short distance to the landing field. Does the Prof think they're beaming microphones at us? She laughed as she walked up the landing ramp. True to his word, a young man in a medical uniform greeted them at the door.

"I'm fine - " she started to say as she passed him. Suddenly something cold pressed at the nape of her neck just as the door clanged shut behind them. "No!" she cried as her vision fogged. The Prof and the doctor caught her as her knees gave away.

"Sorry, sweetie, but I thought it would be easier this way," she heard as she slipped into unconsciousness.

She woke lying in a narrow bed wearing a hospital gown. A slight vibration confirmed her worst fear—the shuttle was definitely in flight.

From the next compartment she could hear a male voice, presumably the doctor. "All in all, she's not in bad shape. Abrasions on her ankles and wrists which NuSkin cleared completely. Five extended welts on her buttocks. I relieved the discomfort and used some NuSkin there as well. Some evidence of previous bruising, and her skin seems to have toughened in places, but that should correct itself."

"And the pregnancy?" the Prof asked.

"Everything progressing normally. I've gone ahead and given her an iron implant to make sure she doesn't become anemic, but other than the things I've mentioned, she's normal."

"Well, I'm very glad to hear it." For once he sounded sincere. "What about monitoring devices?"

"I scanned her completely. Nothing there." Cautiously she stood up, her legs still wobbly against the cold floor.

"Really? That surprises me. Then they must have brainwashed—"

"They didn't do any such thing!" Holding her gown together as well as she could, Janys propelled herself into the compartment. On the monitor she could see Demeter below. Thank God they hadn't gotten out of orbit.

"Janys, please go back to bed," the Professor ordered. "We'll be rendezvousing with the main ship in a few hours, then they're going to supralight us back to the Institute."

"I don't think so!" Looking at the Institute time on the monitor, she made the calculations. "You've stolen almost half a day from me! Now get me back to Wyteen right now!"

"Darling, I know you will feel better as soon as you've been away from those monsters." He tried to steer her back towards the bed. "Once we get back to the Institute, we'll do a complete psychological battery—"

"I'm not crazy!" she spit out. "But you must be if you think you can get away with this."

"Someday you'll understand—"

"No, understand this—when I'm in that news bubble with Lianna Martin or whoever UC sends, I'm going to tell the universe you slapped a disrupter on my implant and kidnapped me." She smiled. "And guess what—my spinning globe will be bright green."

"I'll be up with the pilot," the doctor said as he disappeared.

"Janys, calm down. You're not thinking clearly.".

"I'm thinking I want to go home!"

"And that's where I'm taking you. But it's going to be even better than before," he promised. "First of all, don't you understand we're both rich? You're the author and I'm the agent of the hottest selling story in the galaxy. The public can't wait for the second half—"

"Good. Then after I do my broadcast, I'll buy myself a ride back to Demeter. As we build up to cruising speed, I'll make two connections," she added nastily. "One to the Institute, and one to your wife."

"I was going to talk to you about that," he said through clenched teeth. "But you refuse to listen. Ever since my interview, things have not been well between us. I believe she is seeking legal advice. Things will be messy for a while of course, but eventually you and I might actually—"

"Don't even say it," she told him tiredly. "I already have a husband. And here's the deal. Either you return me to him and I let you go on being my agent, or I will discredit the journals. By the time I'm through, you might not even have a job at the Institute."

"You would do that to me just to get back to that hellhole?"

For one last time she searched her heart. "Yes."

He smashed his hand against the metal wall. "All right, sweetie, you win. Your clothes are in the cabinet over there. I'll instruct Joe to return planetside."

She didn't say anything else to them until they strapped in for landing. "I've been wondering about the money."

"I put it into your Institute account," he said stiffly.

With his connections through the trade office, Martel should be able to access it. "I'm going to put it in trust for my child." Or better yet, children. In case someday they wanted to become astronomers—or even Institute researchers.

No one said goodbye to her as she made her way down the ramp into the dark field. Still lights burned in the meeting house. Could Martel possibly have waited for her after all? She stumbled down the path and flung open the door. "I finally made it back!"

"So I see," Tadewidan noted. He sat alone in audience, a book in his hand. "Everyone else left after your shuttle took off. They told me a little while ago a new landing clearance had been requested, so I came here. Did you forget something?"

"No." Planting her hands on her hips, she stood in front of him. "You're the one who keeps forgetting I want to stay in Wyteen. But guess what, Tadewidan? Despite your best efforts, you're stuck with me."

To her shock, he laughed and patted the bench beside him. "Then I believe I owe you an apology. I admit I had many doubts about you, Janys, because I always felt you would leave Martel. But again you have surprised me."

Could the Institute have secretly replaced Tadewidan with someone human? As Janys tried to adjust to his friendliness, he shocked her again. "After you left today, the Council decided it had been wrong about something else as well. As a result of your journals, we are receiving inquiries from all over from people who seem genuinely interested in our way of life. But of course they only know half the story, and not the good half at that."

He motioned with the book. "Now that our secrets have been stripped away, we thought to ask Rodogan if he might write something based on your life here. Finish the story. Obviously now that you are back, I offer it to you."

Janys grinned. "The first time someone asked me that today, I said no. But—I'll think about it. I'm not going to just release my other journals though."

"I am sure Rodogan would help you put it into a story format."

"Perhaps," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe I can do something when school ends while I wait for the baby. But for now, I'm going home to my husband."

He nodded and smiled again. Could this be the same man who'd terrified her so many times? "That you should. We can talk later."

Never had the walk from town seemed so long, especially considering the thoughts jumbling in her head. She wanted to run up to Martel, throw her arms around him, and lead him to their bed. But there was something that needed to be done first. Finally she made her decision.

Through the window she could see him sitting in on their living room couch, staring into the unlit fireplace. He didn't turn around when she came through the door. "I told you, Mother, to just leave me alone tonight," he snapped. "And take with you those jars Shalimerie sent over. Even if you refuse to give them to Yagote, no one here will ever use them."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." His head whirled as she came up behind him. Pressing her lips together, she continued by him, reaching for the paddle over the fireplace. She came back and put it within easy reach of his hand. "I think I might need them after you get done with me."

"Janys! I thought you had gone—"

"I know." She took off her shoes, then pulled down her prander. Standing in front of him, she took his hands. "I don't want there ever to be secrets between us again. There's a few things I'm going to write down in the bibalon—one involving a ruler at school, and a few other things. But two things I want you to address tonight."

He shook his head. "Janys, I know you mean well, but I am not going to paddle you on top of that caning."

"They took care of it. Not that I asked them to." Slowly she lowered herself across his lap, then pulled up the tunic. "See?" He fingered the barely perceptible ridges as they caressed her flesh.

"To get back here, I had to threaten someone I used to love with some pretty terrible things." She took a big breath. "Maybe he forced me to, but I still feel bad about it."

Martel bent his palm, then brought it down three times. Although the sound was impressive, Janys barely felt it. "Consider yourself corrected," he hugged her.

"The other you're not going to like. They did it to me tonight, so now I know how wrong I was to do it to you." Facing down at the couch, she was glad she couldn't see his face. "The night of the Men's Gathering. I put sleeping drops into your drink, then used Shalimerie's creams on your back.

He chuckled. "I wondered if you would ever tell me about that. Dr. Alaniette figured it out when she examined me. Fortunately as a doctor, she wants to mend bodies, and gets annoyed with punishments that go too far, so she kept silent."

"You're not angry?"

"Because you took care of me?" Martel bent over and nuzzled her ear, then rested his hand lightly on her back. "No. But you should have confessed earlier."

"So what are you going to do about it?" She wiggled her bottom at him.

"Well," he squeezed her right cheek. "We have special ways of dealing with expectant mothers. There is a special drink loaded with vitamins which is very good for you and the baby, but tastes terrible. Or I could make you spend tomorrow in bed resting. Kronitin told me Shalimerie was overjoyed when he went back to walloping her after Chardontal was born."

Nasty drinks? Confinement to bed? Janys agreed with her friend there might be much worse punishments than getting her backside warmed. She really would have to be on her best behavior during the coming decedonners. Raising herself on an elbow, she looked back at her husband. "But the doctor told you it was still okay—"

"To use this?" He held up the paddle. "Yes, I think for keeping secrets from me, you could use a change of color down there before I take you up to bed."

As he gripped her around the waist, Janys waited happily for the first spank.