"I'm sorry, Professor. Can you repeat the question?"

"Yes, Mr. Morgenste. What rule did the Galactic Court use in determining that the species of Benetine-Gamma did not have standing to sue? Was it the right rule?"

The mammals have resolved to sentient semisquirrels, creatures particular to the universities of this planet. They are playing a game: they toss an acorn to the air, turn around, and try to flick it with their tails.

"Mr. Morgenste?"

He looks back at the center of the room. "Capacity for pain and capacity for intellection." He says it almost dismissively. The class is hushed. After the events of the past month, only the most confident of them could still think of Neumann as a peer. Some think him a hero.

"And was it proper?"

The semisquirrels have stopped their game. They are watching too. The clouds have stopped their orbit and the sun has stopped its glow. The life of this Central sphere is captured now like stained glass in the periphery of his vision. Out of the side of his other eye he sees the professor, slightly stooped, nervous, maybe awed. He tunes these out and stares straight ahead. And nobody knows what he is looking at.

"Mr. Morgenste?" It's almost a whisper.

"No," he says. A few people gasp audibly.

"W-w-what was their mistake?"

"When plaintiff species brings a suit based on harm to another species, the suit should be allowed if and only if capacity for pain and capacity for intellection are both represented, but in both species cumulatively, not in either simultaneously. The ancient machines of Benetine-Gamma have the capacity for intellection. And the giant blue warblers of Benetine-Alpha had the capacity for pain. Taken together, those should have sufficed to pass the test, and the suit should have been allowed."

His classmates are whispering wildly. A few women have tears in their eyes. The professor has dropped his notes on the floor and seats himself, shaking. But Neumann isn't looking at them. He looks out the window instead, and there, outlined against the mendacious bright blue of this powerful world's manufactured sky, he sees the semisquirrels all in a row, looking straight at him. And they bow.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2842993&forum_id=2#27587450)

180

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2842993&forum_id=2#27587472)

fun shows.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2842993&forum_id=2#27587359)

One second.

Yes.

Are you sure.

They're all here.

You have to be sure.

Yes I have all of them.

*nods*

Begin the ritual.

*places signature pages on the stone floor*

*cuts wrist*

"Ph地glui inglw地afh Cthulhu R値yeh wgah地agl fhtagn."

Again.

"Ph地glui inglw地afh Cthulhu R値yeh wgah地agl fhtagn."

My mouth is dry. I'm feeling light headed, can I have

Again. Resume the mantra.

"Ph地glui inglw地afh Cthulhu R値yeh wgah地agl fhtagn."

Now. The indenture. Flip to page 5 and begin reading. Do not stop. Speak clearly. Do not look at me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2842993&forum_id=2#27587494)