lurkers-guide/novels/004

<p>
<strong>Written by Jim Mortimore</strong><br>
Release date: January 10, 1996<br>
ISBN: 0-440-22229-X<br>
ISBN: 0-7522-0153-0<br>
Setting: Late 2259, between
<a href="/lurk/guide/043.html">"Comes the Inquisitor"</a>
and
<a href="/lurk/guide/044.html">"The Fall of Night"</a>


<br clear>

<blockquote><cite>
Sheridan is torn between duty and defiance when he's ordered to execute
an innocent alien.
</cite>
</blockquote>

<p>
Reader reviews, and online ordering, can be found at
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/044022229X/thelurkersguidet">Amazon.com</a>.

<p>
<hr>

<h2><a name="BC">Back Cover</a></h2>

<h3 align=center>Death Before Dishonor</h3>

The Tuchanq, a newly discovered humanoid species, can be an
important ally for the Earth Alliance commanded by President
Clark.  So Captain John Sheridan welcomes their ambassadors
to Babylon 5, not knowing that among them is D'Arc - a mass
murderer on the run hoping to escape into the unsuspecting
worlds of the galaxy....

<h3 align=center>Clark's Law</h3>

But the unforgiving rules of space have a different fate in store
for D'Arc.  A terrifying accident wipes away D'Arc's identity and
his evil... leaving behind a loving, innocent being with a child's
mind - a being that must die because President Clark, a leader
with his own secret agenda, orders his immediate execution.
Now, as Babylon 5 physician Dr. Stephen Franklin begs Sheridan
to defy Clark's law, the captain faces the greatest test of his
command - and a far greater test of his manhood, which may
end his career in shame or become a shining reminder of what
being human truly means....

<H2><A NAME="SY">Synopsis</A></H2>

<H3>Prologue: Lies</H3>
<P>
"Earth: First Lie": Opening in November of 2242, we see the Captain of 
the 
Earth vessel which fired on the Minbari lie to the president and then 
Vice 
President Santiago about who 
fired first.  Captain Ferdinand claims it is the Minbari who fired first.
</P>

<P>
"Earth: Second Lie": The scene opens on now President Clark in October of 
2258 (See <A HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.)  Clark has been plotting to reinstate 
the death penalty to regain popularity among humans by maintaining 
control 
and re-initiating capital punishment.  Clark's internal thoughts also 
turn to 
the problems with Earth's colonies without which Earth could not survive.
The senate is tied on the vote about re-instating capital punishment.  
Clark lies when the speaker of the senate asks if it will be equally 
applied to both humans and aliens.  Answering yes, the speaker of the 
senate agrees to pass the law.
</P>

<P>
"Tuchanq: First Lie": The scene is inside a Narn battle cruiser as G'Kar 
drops Centauri plasma generators on Tuchanq.  After a few days G'Kar 
lands 
the Narn cruiser offering the Tuchanq assistance in recovering from the 
devastation caused by the "Centauri."
</P>

<P>
"Tuchanq: Second Lie": October 2259, we see D'Arc of the Tuchanq killing 
the last of the Narn on Tuchanq and then boarding a Narn cruiser to head 
for Babylon 5 in search of assistance.  Tuchanq has suffered tremendous 
environmental damage from years of Narn enslavement.
</P>

<H3>Part One: Among Shadows (December 12, 2259, Day)</H3>
<P>
The story opens on Sheridan eating breakfast and trying to cope with the 
mounds of paperwork that he needs to deal with as well as his own 
discomfort in his role as commander of Babylon 5.  His mind turns the 
phrase <CITE>"If you go to Z'ha'dum you will die"</CITE> over and over 
again 
as he contemplates life.  (See In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum)
</P>

<P>
Ivanova interrupts his inner turmoil in order to be briefed on the arrival 
of the Tuchanq delegation.  She remarks on the unusual fact that they are 
quadrupeds and after some jokes about the paper horizon and stations 
vanishing, he leaves her in charge of the matter.  The problem for the 
Tuchanq is that their world's ecosystem has been destroyed by the Narn 
occupation. 
</P>

<P>
<CITE>"The Corps is your friend. Trust the Corps"</CITE> Ivanova is still 
plagued with thoughts about her friendship with Talia and hears her 
whispered words, more than just the touch of bodies, the touch of minds.
After shaking herself awake from her nap, she struggles to gain inner 
peace 
as the core shuttle heads towards arrivals.  The inner struggle relates 
to 
her continued denial of her telepathic abilities and the need to hide it 
to avoid the Psi Cops.
</P>


<P>
Arriving in the customs area, things were already turning ugly.  The 
Tuchanq were engaged in a bizarre ritual involving leaving blood on the 
floor of the arrival area.  G'Kar had helped program a translator for 
Ivanova, but she turned out not to need it because they spoke System 
English.  The ritual then involved cutting their throats and bleeding 
because their customs require returning something to the land.
</P>


<P>
Anti-alien sentiments begin to break out and Ivanova realizes the 
situation 
is quickly escalating out of control.
Then a Narn spots a Narn skull attached to one of the Tuchanq and 
fighting 
begins in earnest.  Ivanova is finally forced to stun the delegation with 
her PPG to prevent further violence.  Unfortunately the Tuchanq do not 
sleep, at least not as humans understand the concept, and by making them 
stop singing their songs of being and journey through the stunner, they 
are 
now all dead (insane.)
</P>


<P>
The scene shifts back to Sheridan's office where G'Kar is imploring 
Sheridan to get the Tuchanq off the station and to make amends for the 
sole death from the incident -- a Narn.  Sheridan refuses his request and 
G'Kar leaves in disgust.
</P>


<P>
D'Arc awakens surround by Medlab personnel and quickly realizes that her 
Song of Being is 
broken.  She attacks one of the Medlab people with a knife which she 
withdraws from some sort of body pouch and flees with her Song of Journey 
running strong.  In order to be whole again, she would need to steal a 
new 
Song of Being from someone else.
</P>


<P>
Londo Mollari meanwhile begins trying to jockey for a chance to meet with 
the Tuchanq.  His conscience is still wracked with images of the 
bombardment of the Narn homeworld and their destruction of their 
civilization.
Mollari meets up with Garibaldi who explains that the Tuchanq are 
"killing" each other to cure the insanity.  Once the remaining sane 
Tuchanq 
break the Song of Journey they will be pronounced dead and be reborn with 
new Songs of Being and Journey.  nu'Viel (their leader/mother) explains 
to 
Ivanova the urgency of catching D'Arc to which Ivanova points out the 
size 
of the station and their limited resources.
</P>


<P>
Brian Grond would become D'Arc's target.  He would not realize this yet, 
but his taste for perverse (See <A HREF="#NO">Notes</A>)
sexual activities with aliens along 
with his need to record them would be his downfall.  Grond was hoping to 
have an especially interesting encounter with Belladona with whom he had 
already had several encounters.  Down Below he went to where he expected 
to 
find Belladona but she was not there.  Then his eyes met those of D'Arc.  
He makes an offer to give her cash if she will take him to Belladona.
D'Arc expresses her desire to murder him with a confusing discussion of 
the 
need to take his Song of Being, Grond merely replies yes and he heads off 
towards his death.
</P>


<P>
The PPG he is carrying does not save him when in the middle of a cargo 
hold 
D'Arc pulls the knife from her pouch and kills him taking his Song of 
Being.  In the process, a cargo loader impacts a crane in the cargo area 
leading to the possibility of the crane impacting the station's structure 
and causing a rupture.
</P>


<P>
Franklin and other Medlab personnel head out to rescue the trapped crane 
operator.  He goes out suited up because the area has become 
depressurized.  Further he will have to amputate the crane operator's leg 
inside the suit.  The timing is close to the wire and the crane does in 
fact impact the station but Franklin and the crane operator survive, 
barely.
</P>


<P>
Lyta Alexander appears briefly as we see her thoughts turning to the need 
to stay out of site and her desire to be able to visit the Vorlon 
homeworld.  Garibaldi interrupts her reverie and asks for a telepathic 
favor 
involving Tuchanq.  In a moment that recalls Lyta's first role in the 
pilot, she enters the Isolab to scan Tuchanq. Lyta explains that D'Arc is 
like a newborn child with <EM>no memory</EM> at any level of the events 
that resulted in Grond's death.
As Lyta leaves Medlab she starts to hear the song, Kosh's song and 
realizes 
that nothing separates her from the Vorlons except some empty space -- 
and 
she does know how to deal with that.
</P>


<P>
This section of the book ends with a Gold Channel transmission from Earth 
ordering 
Sheridan to hold D'Arc for the death penalty.
</P>

<H3>Part Two: Hunting Shadows (December 12, 2259, Night)</H3>


<P>
This section opens on Jacintha Grond's arrival at Babylon 5 customs. (See 
<A 
HREF="#NO">Notes</A>).  She is surprised to be greeted by the ubiquitous 
press, specifically Debora Devereau of Channel 57 News. (See <A 
HREF="#NO">Notes</A>).  Grond is bombarded with a barrage of questions 
about how she feels on a variety of issues -- "What will you do if they 
won't release his body?".  A security officer finally takes her hand and 
leads her away from the media frenzy.
</P>

<P>
Mollari meanwhile is scheming to provide assistance to the Tuchanq.  With 
the help of Vir he manages to arrange a meeting with nu'Viel and her 
chorus.  Exploiting their hatred of the Narn, Mollari is able to extend a 
credible offer of assistance.
</P>


<P>
Sheridan gets a chance to meet with Jacintha Grond who is rather confused 
and upset at this point.  He explains to her that he can not release the 
body because it is needed for evidence and that she will have to 
basically 
deal with the situation.  She explains that she intends to be on a return 
shuttle in 16 hours.  Grond also takes her anger out on Sheridan 
explaining that she holds him personally responsible for the situation.  
Sheridan's inner frustration and turmoil is evident but he merely invites 
her to remain on the station and explains he will do the best he can.
</P>


<P>
Franklin's overuse of stims is starting to have a noticeable effect.  His 
first chance of sleep is interrupted by the arrival of the executioner.  
The 
executioner wants to use the life giver machine,
<A HREF="/lurk/guide/021.html">Quality of Mercy</A> to perform the 
execution and demands it from Franklin.  Franklin resists and the 
executioner summons Garibaldi who seems to have been waiting for this 
eventuality.  Garibaldi recommends that Franklin comply by providing some 
bits and pieces to fool the executioner in the meanwhile.
</P>


<P>
Sheridan approaches Delenn in search of assistance and guidance.  He is 
disappointed to realize that Delenn has already been approached by Earth 
Gov and has reluctantly agreed not to interfere.  The reason she explains 
has to do with her post-chrysalis state and the likelihood that the Grey 
Council would overrule her. 
</P>


<P>
On a core shuttle, G'Kar is attacked by Tuchanqs.  G'Kar survives with 
only minor injuries and a closer examination reveals that someone has 
equipped humans with changeling nets to make them look like Tuchanqs.
</P>


<P>
Garibaldi was already plenty busy, he had found the executioner bludgeoned 
to death in the Mosque where he had gone to pray while Franklin produced 
the life-giver machine.  A decision is made to pay n'Grath a visit to 
find 
out where the changeling nets came from.
</P>

<P>
Garibaldi has his teams scan red sector so that he can learn where n'Grath 
is to meet him.  He stops in on Ivanova and they end up fighting about 
the 
upcoming execution.  Ivanova fairly clearly against and Garibaldi somewhat 
indifferent to pro-execution.  Their attempts to communicate are 
interrupted 
by Garibaldi's comm indicating that n'Grath has been located.
</P>


<P>
G'Kar and Vir encounter each other again and Vir is clearly still trying 
to 
figure out how to help G'Kar and the Narns.  There last meeting had been 
several months back and had not gone well.  G'Kar asks Vir whether or not 
Mollari had him attacked and G'Kar 
nonetheless hounds him further and leaves Vir feeling very uncomfortable. 
 
Vir of course is aware that Mollari did in fact plot the attack. (See <A 
HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.)
</P>


<P>
Vir goes and tells Londo about his meeting with G'Kar and accuses Londo 
directly.  Mollari refuses to answer the question, and provides no useful 
information about whether or not he had G'Kar attacked.
</P>


<P>
Garibaldi arrives in Red Sector too late to for n'Grath.  The creature is 
bleeding and he calls for an emergency team to assist the alien.  n'Grath 
refuses to divulge information providing only a name "Askari" and an 
admission that he did sell the nets.  Garibaldi turns and catches the 
motion of a gun; instead he gets a blast in his face of a PPG.  The 
faceplate of his suit ruptured.
</P>



<P>
G'Kar decides that he will handle Askari, a Centauri himself.  
Approaching 
Askari he grabs him and demands to know who hired him.  Askari admits it 
was Mollari.  G'Kar then leaves him for dead from the dagger wound.
</P>


<P>
Violence begins to erupt on the station as protesters for and primarily 
against the execution begin to start filling common areas.  Grond is 
starting to have a crisis about what to do and resolves to go see D'Arc.
</P>


<P>
G'Kar comes in and attacks Mollari with his dagger.  He leaves Mollari 
for dead with the dagger in his back.  Vir arrives and removes the dagger 
and conceals it before summoning Medlab.  G'Kar leaves with the intention 
of committing suicide.
</P>


<P>
In Medlab, Garibaldi comes around and then Kosh shows up and 
enigmatically 
mentions that "Obligation is a hangman's noose.".  Meanwhile Ivanova 
brings nu'Viel to Sheridan to help lodge a protest against the death 
penalty being applied to D'Arc.  As they are talking a gold channel 
transmission puts Sheridan in charge of everything -- trial and 
execution.  After the transmission, nu'Viel decides that perhaps the 
Centauri a better choice to pursue aid from.
</P>

<H3>Part Three: Becoming Shadows (December 13, 2259, Day)</H3>


<P>
Jacintha Grond heads to security to visit D'Arc.  She sees that D'Arc is 
clearly suffering from brain damage based on the erratic behavior D'Arc 
is 
demonstrating in the holding cell.  Jacintha then decided to rent a room 
for the night and stay for a bit.
</P>



<P>
Vir continues to hide the dagger from security as Londo suffers in 
Medlab.  Franklin has to put Mollari in cryo-stasis since without 
assistance of donor organs it will be impossible to save him.  The idea 
of using 
the life-giver device comes up and Vir promises to try and seek 
volunteers.  He discovers that none will assist Londo, they are all 
afraid 
of him.  And Centauri Prime already has a replacement ambassador on the 
way.
Vir also attempts to enlist the help of the Minbari who will not assist 
because of religious beliefs concerning diminishment of the soul.  (Cf. 
<A HREF="/lurk/guide/002.html">Soul Hunter</A>.) Vir also thinks of 
asking 
Kosh after he bumps into him, but decides against it after getting a 
sense 
of someone walking over his grave when talking.
</P>


<P>
Sheridan will not agree to Franklin's request to order people to donate 
life energy but agrees to assist in broadcasting a request for assistance 
on the station network.
</P>


<P>
G'Kar was still alive because without his dagger he could not perform 
suicide.  Sheridan visits G'Kar and G'Kar shows him a different dagger 
thus "tricking" Sheridan into thinking he didn't do it.  Vir returns the 
dagger to G'Kar later saying, "I said I was sorry."
</P>


<P>
Garibaldi starts getting the sense of the violence that is going to break 
out on the station on his way through the station that day.  Protesters 
are all around with signs pleading to save the alien.  Garibaldi true to 
form uses his fists to break up a fight and is caught in the act on 
camera 
by Devereau from Channel 57.  Morden happens to be on hand and gets 
interviewed as the guy on the street.  He says, "I suppose that all life 
is important in some way." Then as if nodding to himself, he continues, 
"Yes.  That's what I believe.  Life is important.  If you know what to do 
with it."  
</P>


<P>
Morden then continues to talk with Garibaldi and asks him about assisting 
in saving Mollari.  Garibaldi rebuffs the suggestion pointing out he 
would 
die.  Morden remains silent.  Morden then shrugs and says "Then I'll 
consider the debt yet to be repaid." Smiling, he says, "Join me on the 
monorail?" Garibaldi is interrupted by Sheridan on the comm link and takes 
his leave of Morden.
</P>



<P>
The court chamber.  Grond is looking on as the trial commences. Sheridan 
takes his place as judge; there will be no jury.  nu'Viel is used as a 
witness for the prosecution to explain that D'Arc had murdered before.  
Sheridan responded to prosecution demands that nu'Viel restrict her 
answers 
to the questions, cutting her off regularly. (See <A 
HREF="#NO">Notes</A>.)  On cross-examination, the defense tries to bring 
out the issues about D'Arc's psychosis, which seems to fall on deaf ears.  
The defense calls Dr. Franklin to the stand for direct who explains about 
the brain damage and her child like state. (See <A HREF="no">Notes</A>.)
Sheridan recesses and on return finds D'Arc guilty on murder.  As if on 
cue,
chaos breaks out in the courtroom.  Grond even agrees saying on TV that 
she feels justice is not served. 
</P>


<P>
In Medlab, Sheridan tries to get Franklin to agree to sedate D'Arc.  He 
balks and Sheridan begins to administer the hypo and Franklin agrees to 
do 
it only to prevent Sheridan from killing her by giving the hypo.
</P>


<P>
Garibaldi notices Morden leaving Medlab and that he has used the 
life-giver without the assistance of any others to save Londo.  Garibaldi 
also realizes that the Shadows had a hand since otherwise Morden would be 
dead.
</P>



<P>
G'Kar can't bring himself to go through with the suicide because of his 
fear of what the future holds.  He leaves his quarters to go out and 
shape 
the future.
</P>


<P>
Jacintha Grond goes to find her husband and sees he is missing.  The 
station is descending into further chaos as the preparations for the 
execution procession commence.  The execution will be in an airlock.  
Devereau grills Sheridan why such barbarism is being used to execute 
D'Arc 
and why there are crowds, etc.  Then G'Kar 
arrived to beg forgiveness from nu'Viel.  She grants him forgiveness.  
Then, 
all hell breaks loose.
</P>


<P>
Even Devereau had never seen violence like this.  She managed to don a 
gas 
mask to aid herself.  After enough of the violent protesters were downed 
with gas, the procession proceeded towards an airlock.  Franklin makes one 
last attempt to block the airlock with his body.  Delenn offers a very 
insightful comment stating:


<BLOCKQUOTE><CITE>
This event has left in my mind an 
extraordinary feeling of terror and shame.  It seems to me I have been 
witness to -- and indeed, party to -- an act of ... of shameful violence 
perpetrated by intelligent beings [glance to Sheridan] against one of 
their 
fellows.  No matter what anyone might say, violence will never prevent 
violence.
</CITE></BLOCKQUOTE>


</P>


<P>
After the death, a gold channel message comes in while they are all near 
the airlock.  Sheridan allows it to be played there.  No clemency from 
the 
Senate, either way it was too late.
</P>


<P>
257 Wounded. 53 Deaths, including a miscarried pregnancy.
</P>


<P>
Clark calls Sheridan to thank him.  Sheridan is feeling sick on the 
inside.
</P>


<P>
Ivanova helps the Tuchanq delegation head off the station.  The Tuchanq 
have accepted the Centauri offer.
</P>


<P>
Franklin and Garibaldi arrive together.  Franklin is stating he wants to 
lodge a complaint.  Sheridan deters him by explaining that Garibaldi and 
he had swapped the bodies, D'Arc is safe and actually Brian Grond who was 
already dead -- wearing a changeling net -- was executed.
</P>


<P>
The book ends with some words from Kosh.  Kosh looks at him quietly.  
Like 
a mirror.  Fear is a mirror.  Sheridan speaks, "I understand now.  
Because 
I was scared I became devious.  I took advantage of people and events to 
accomplish my own ends... ...my fear has enabled me to understand myself 
more clearly."  Finally, Kosh said, "You are the light, yet the hope of 
all 
darkness."  Pause.  "You are touched by Shadows."  Then Kosh leaves.  The 
book ends with Sheridan realizing in a moment of truth 
that his life would end as it had begun with awe and wonder, pain and 
terror.  And Shadows, always with Shadows.
</P>




<H3>Epilogue: Truth</H3>

<P>"Earth: The First Truth": We see Clark contemplating the future in the 
Senate Chamber in late December 2259.  He realizes that the actions he 
takes today will cause him not only to be remembered by the future but to 
define it.  A quote next to the page explains how EarthGov has subpoenaed 
the footage from the execution to avoid scandal.  Devereau (the anchor) 
also 
mentions that the death penalty has now been repealed to avoid scandal.
</P>

<P>"Tuchanq: The Second Truth": nu'Viel stands surveying the planet now 
that Tuchanq is being "aided" by the Centauri.  She realizes that in 
reality the Tuchanq song now belongs to the Shadows.
</P>

<P>"The Rim: The Final Truth":  Captain Varese finds his ship under 
assault by screaming ships.  As he dies, he has a peculiar sense of deja 
vu 
about his final words, "They fired first." 
</P>

The book ends: 
2259:
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<CITE>It was Christmas Eve, 2259: the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind.  
The Shadows were coming.</CITE>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
</P>

<H2><A NAME="UQ">Unanswered Questions</A></H2>
<UL>

<LI>
What's the deal with singing and songs?  The issue has been brought
up several times in relation to the Vorlons and now with the Tuchanq.
What relation is there if any to the way the machine on Epsilon 3 
functions especially given some of the descriptions in this book about 
how 
the songs serve as a connection to the land (place)?
</LI>

<LI>
Is Kosh's comment to the recovering Garibaldi prophetic in terms of 
predicting the run in with Morden or meant to be prophetic in the longer 
term?
</LI>

<LI>
Are we to assume that Morden was prompted by the shadows when giving his 
speech to Devereau?  And if so, how are we to take it in terms of what 
the 
future would hold should the Shadows gain ground?
</LI>

<LI>
What is Kosh up to with Sheridan?  As the ending dialog suggests, 
whatever 
is going on is a lot more complicated than simply teaching Sheridan.  
Perhaps there is a special role for Sheridan much like Sinclair had a 
special role for the Minbari and Humans.
</LI>

</UL>

<H2><A NAME="AN">Analysis</A></H2>

<UL>
<LI> The parallels between what the Narn did to the Tuchanq and what the 
Centauri did to the Narn are extremely striking.
</LI>

<LI>
This particular novel fits with the overall storyline much tighter than 
others.  The insights we gain on the fragile hold of Clark on power as 
well 
as his willingness to use deception and trickery to gain popularity are 
telling about other story arc elements such as the Night Watch.
</LI>

<LI>
Things are moving quickly.  This corresponds with the increased pace of 
the 
show, Earth, Babylon 5, and the universe are getting ready for a big 
explosion.
</LI>


</UL>
<H2><A NAME="NO">Notes</A></H2>

<UL>
<LI> The second lie portion of the prologue should probably be dated 
October of 2259 not 2258.  This is an editing error in all likelihood.  
The reason it is an error is that Clark did not become president until 
the 
very end of Season 1, which took all of 2258 and further a death penalty 
law would not go a full year without a test.  Also the Tuchanq second lie 
is, we presume, supposed to occur shortly after the re-enactment of the 
death penalty.
</LI>

<LI> This book has extremely detailed albeit sometimes apparently 
inaccurate descriptions of the station -- Ivanova's quarters -- but it 
does give a nice sense of the station.
</LI>

<LI> Another editing error seems to involve the captain's name in the 
prologue and the epilogue both should presumably be the same since 
presumably the deja vu has do with previously having said "They fired 
first."
</LI>

<LI> It is surprising that G'Kar and perhaps Narns in general have such 
difficulty grasping human subtlety.  Contrast this with the generally 
broader understanding demonstrated by the Minbari and Vorlons at reading 
between the lines, etc.  This may have more to do with experience and 
knowledge due to general species age than anything else.  Alternatively 
it 
can be indicative of why the Narn (and Centauri) are dying species.
</LI>


<LI>
It is interesting to note that there seem to be taboos against 
miscegenation 
with alien races much like we had enforced by law in the United States 
and 
still now by prejudice in some areas. [See: bans on interracial marriages
unconstitutional, <CITE>Loving v Virginia</CITE> (U.S. Supreme Court 
1967) and 
compare with the 1984 custody case involving Mrs. Palmore's daughter 
which 
reached the Supreme Court because of Mrs. Palmore's subsequent
interracial marriage. <CITE>Palmore v. Sidoti</CITE>, (U.S. Supreme Court 
1984)].
</LI>

<LI>
Lyta's appearance is extremely well done and helps tie together her 
appearance in relation to Talia and then her later appearance back on the 
station after visiting the Vorlons.
</LI>


<LI>
Timing of the sections seems to be slightly problematic since it seems a 
bit unlikely that Jacintha Grond could get from Mars to Babylon 5 
<EM>so</EM> 
quickly, less than a day.
</LI>

<LI>
I believe Devereau has been seen before, except she had worked for ISN, 
perhaps this is a change of jobs or just an editing error.
</LI>

<LI>I take the references on p 141, par 3-4, to indicate Mollari ordered 
the attack on 
G'Kar and that Vir strongly suspected that it was true, this may be an 
incorrect inference.
</LI>

<LI>
From the trial scene it is interesting to note that little has changed in 
the basic procedure of the Common Law system of trial and justice.
</LI>

<LI>
In the United States today, the death penalty has and continues to be 
carried out on the mentally retarded, even upon people with IQ's as low 
as 
60.  (McCollum v. No. Carolina, US SC 1994: Blackmun's dissent from the 
denial of review mentions that the person to be executed has a 9 yr old 
mental age and can barely read at a second grade level.  He was "under 
stress and easily influenced by others." Continuing, Blackmun explains 
how 
the lower court found:

<BLOCKQUOTE>
that he committed the felony murder under the influence of 
mental or emotional disturbance, that he had cooperated with the police, 
that he had no significant history of prior criminal activity, and that 
he 
had adapted well to prison.  In addition, the trial judge concluded that 
"[a]ll of the evidence tends to show that [McCollum's] capacity ...  to 
appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform to the 
requirements 
of law was impaired." McCollum was 19 at the time of the crime.  
</BLOCKQUOTE>

Blackmun's dissent concludes on a note that is similar to the rationale
that the senate used in turning down the death penalty:
"Our system of capital punishment simply does not
accurately and consistently determine which defendants most "deserve" to 
die."
The sole standard that the Supreme Court has established is that at 
the time of death the person must be able to comprehend what is going to 
happen to them thus leading to ironies like lawyers trying to have their 
clients taken off anti-psychotic drugs to prevent executions.
</LI>

</UL>

<h2><a name="JS">jms speaks</a></h2>
<ul>

   <li> <em>Will D'Arc appear in the show?</em><br>
	Probably not, but one never knows.

   <li> <em>Lyta is deaf?</em><br>
	I don't know how that would've gotten past me...I don't recall
	seeing that in the draft...either I was tired when reading, or it was
	added later.

   <li> No, the novelist didn't blow it, Joe blew it, because in proofreading
	the manuscript, Joe missed that line somehow, and didn't catch it.  It's
	my job to catch these things.  (Just spent a whole week going over the
	A-Z of Babylon 5 coming out from Boxtree Books in the UK to keep it as
	accuate as possible.)

   <li> <em>Why did the captain lie?</em><br>
	The Minbari approached with their gun ports opened...but they
	also hadn't locked on.  They were a potential menace, but had not gone
	into the territory of definite menace...and when they fired, it was
	clear from the moment or two it took to respond that the Minbari ships
	weren't ready to attack.  So he chose to cover his butt rather than
	take responsibility for screwing up a first contact situation and
	plunging Earth into a war.

</ul>