32--The Ultimate Encounter, Ch.4

December 16.

Limbo.

ithin a few minutes, the communications-radio in Kevin’s car beeped. Kevin activated it. “Kevin here,” he said.

“Steelheart here,” Steelheart said over the communicator. “You’re nearing the limits of the Limbo solar system. When you arrive, please reduce your speed. You are permitted to go only at or below warp two in the solar system. For some reason, the mandatory slow-down is not marked.”

“Got it,” said Kevin. He turned off the autopilot and began slowing down. He soon approached Hawkhaven and banked towards the large bay doors. After landing gently on the entry ramp, he steered left to the visitors’ parking. He picked out a slot, parked, and left his car.

Kevin took the elevator to the hangar and saw that Kidd had safely landed the Mirage. The Mason-Team, the Silver Hawks, and several Thunder Cats were present. Lana and MegaMan were there, too. “So, how are the goings‑on?” Kevin asked.

“Not too good,” said Mason. “It appears that two characters known as Liquidator and Bushroot have beaten us to the punch.”

“It was a good thing that I sent that fake Tally-Hawk up there to Brim*Star,” said Steelheart. “Mon*Star thinks he has the real Tally-Hawk. Well! He sure will be surprised when he learns otherwise. Too bad the fake Tally-Hawk ran out of power on us before we learned what the villains would be up to.”

“Yes,” said Mason. “I’m going to appear as the assistant attorney to Burger in the case of Limbo versus Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar, Melodia, Windhammer, and Hardware. Will you be there, Paul?”

“No,” said Drake. “I’m going to help open a warp zone to Saint Canard. If this is as serious as it appears, we haven’t a second to lose.”

“In that case, I’ll call a roll of those in here who are under subpoena by Perry and me,” Burger said. “Steelheart, Seymour, Kevin, Lt. Arthur Tragg, and Lt. Steve Drumm.”

“Tomorrow, we’d better deliver a rock-solid case so that those four evildoers will be convicted and won’t be able to commit any more crimes,” Mason said. He turned to Kevin. “Kev, could you give us a lift down to Bedlama Jail? Burger and I have an appointment to question the defendants.”

“I’d be happy to, except I don’t know where that is,” Kevin said.

“That’s why I’m here,” Steelheart said. “I’ll be your navigator.”

“All right,” Kevin said.

“Wait,” said Moonstriker. He had been working at a computer station. Now, he handed a transponder to Kevin. “Kevin, place this in your car’s glove compartment, and you can park up here.”

Kevin took it and grinned. “Thank you, Moonstriker. When do we leave?”

“Right now,” Steelheart said.

He, Steelheart, Burger, and Mason took the turbo-elevator to the guest parking area. When he entered his car, he put the transponder in his glove compartment. Once everyone was in and settled, he set out.

“Now, when we reach the landing ramp on Bedlama, go on the right-hand side, Kevin,” Steelheart said. “Traffic goes on the opposite-of-left on Bedlama.”

“All right,” Kevin said.

“Also, the warning signs are triangular with a red fringe and a white background.”

“Okay.” He turned towards the exit and accelerated. At the exit he paused. This was the first time he had the opportunity to savor the moment before he lanced out. He accelerated very quickly and shifted gears appropriately. When flying outside in open space, he curved down towards Bedlama.

“You’re going in just the right direction,” Steelheart said. “I’ll have to program your navigational computer later.”

Kevin nodded. He sped down towards the large continent and entered the atmosphere properly. As they penetrated the light cloud cover, they began to be able to discern lakes and towns around Bedlama City, most of which was built out over the water in one of the largest bays Kevin had seen on any world. Upon his approach, Kevin saw the entry ramp below them. A blue arrow pointed upwards, and on the left side of the ramp, a red arrow pointed to the down-right, indicating that he had to keep to the right. To the left of this ramp was the exit ramp, which had do-not-enter signs on either side. He knew very well what this meant, and he positioned the car so that the wheels would touch the ramp gently. As this happened, the ramp leveled out slowly. Signs were posted on either side to tell drivers to lower speeds, and Kevin complied. By the time the ramp became completely level, the speed limit was 90 km/h, the standard surface freeway speed. He merged in with traffic that moved at speed. Afterwards, Kevin kept in the second lane from the right for a ways.

“Good, Kevin,” Steelheart said. “Now, get in the right-hand lane, and take the next exit to the center of Bedlama City.”

“Got it.” He followed her instructions and traveled down a ramp that looped around and led to an underpass. Then, he had to merge into the right-hand lane of a congested city thoroughfare. Just as he had merged in, a traffic light just in front of him turned yellow, then red an instant later. Fortunately, he was going quite slowly, so he had the opportunity to stop. “What? One-second warning light?”

“Around here, yep,” Steelheart said. “Just take it easy, and you’ll do just fine.”

“Regulations in VideoLand force all yellow lights to be at least three seconds long,” Mason said. “The standard is six seconds.”

“Around here, the standard is four seconds, but the traffic department can make red light traps if they want to. It’s really out of hand, but—oh, well. I’m not in charge down here, so I can’t complain.”

Kevin watched traffic light for the traffic crossing from his right-hand side. It turned amber, but red one second later. He then looked above at the signals governing his direction. The left-turn signal gave a green arrow without any signal between red and green. “No red flashing yellow here,” he noted.

“Nope,” said Steelheart. “This lane is for those going straight ahead and for those turning right. You want to go straight ahead.”

“Right.”

As the left-turners stopped coming, the left-turn signals from both directions gave a one-second amber before turning red. Then, the normal signals turned green. Kevin was ready, and he started off immediately, as no left-turners were crossing his path. He glanced to the left at the line dividing the two ways of traffic. “Oh, God. A white line? It’s not yellow?”

“Yes. Driving in this city isn’t exactly ideal, Kevin. America on my world has better driving conditions. Note that here, you have right-turn-on-red, and drivers here expect you to take advantage of it, especially if you’re just in front of them, you’re turning right, and the joker behind you is turning right. I hate to say it, but humans are particularly bad about it. Also, there’s parallel-parking here, but at least parallel-parking is never permitted in any travel lanes.”

Kevin could not resist a sigh. “Oh, well.”

“By the way, turn right at the next traffic light.”

“Sure.” As they continued, they neared another traffic signal. Kevin activated his right blinker to indicate his intention to turn right, and the traffic light turned red just as he was approaching. He stopped and gave way to the cross-traffic coming. At the first break in cross-traffic from his left, he turned right onto the crossing street.

“Now, turn left at the next signal.” Kevin nodded. He made his way into the left-turn lane before any cars could come behind and get in his way. The left-turn signal was already red, so he stopped and waited. The oncoming traffic was sparse, though, so he quickly got a leading green and turned left. He turned into the proper lane. “Good. Now, keep going straight until I say otherwise.”

“Will do.” Unfortunately, the traffic quickly became much denser, and they soon got backed up in a traffic jam. “L.A. traffic. This is what my parents have to go through every Thursday when they go to the central office building in Los Angeles.”

“This place can get worse than L.A.,” Steelheart said. “Rush hour traffic is terrible here in the downtown area. And we’re right in the middle of rush hour.”

Kevin checked his watch. Yes, it was 17.30. Horns were blaring, and cars were going at a sickeningly slow pace. “How far is it?”

“Oh, not far. If they would synchronize these blasted traffic lights, though, things would go more smoothly.”

“These lights aren’t synchronized? Man. The traffic in downtown Monsteropolis, MegaLand, at rush hour isn’t nearly as bad as this.” He turned back to Mason. “This is what my dad put me through every other Thursday during the summer of 1989, Mr. Mason.”

“I believe it,” Perry said. “Just be patient, Kevin. The traffic will move. When it moves, don’t gun it, or you’ll just have to stop faster.”

Kevin nodded. The traffic started moving slowly. Soon, he saw the source of the bottleneck: unmarked road construction. The forward lanes on either side of the center lane were barricaded by traffic barrels. “Hm. Road construction.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Steelheart asked. “Of course, they never manage to get things fixed for more than a day.”

After they passed into the construction area, the traffic started flowing more smoothly. Ahead of them, another set of traffic signals turned red abruptly, but Kevin had just enough time to stop. He had to laugh. “This traffic is nuts. In VideoLand, road construction has to be marked for at least half a kilometer.”

“The tight marking regulations there help keep the traffic moving quite smoothly,” Mason said.

“Of course, they came about after several millennia of trial and error in MegaLand,” Kevin added.

“I see,” said Steelheart. “But that’s not the worst traffic that I’ve ever seen here, not by a long shot.”

“Ah.” The signal became green, and Kevin continued forward. The traffic was heavy but flowed smoothly on down the road, as they left the main downtown area. Kevin was duly cautious with the traffic signals, and he narrowly avoided running the several reds that popped up instantly. “And, ah, where do they have four-second yellows?” Kevin asked when they had stopped at one intersection about one kilometers away.

“You have to get further out to encounter them,” Steelheart said. “The suburbs and small towns.”

“Hm.”

“Move to the right and make a right turn at the next signal after this one.”

“All right.” He obeyed her instructions when he got the green light. When they got to it, the light was actually green, so he got to turn immediately. They crossed a bridge to an island constructed out over the water. When they came onto the island, he saw his destination on the left side: Bedlama City Jail.

“We’re there,” Steelheart said. “There will be a parking lot to our left after we’ve passed by the jail building.”

Kevin nodded. He flipped on his left blinker and got in the leftmost lane. He turned left into the parking lot and selected a parking place, into which he maneuvered the car. After switching off the motor, he leaned back and sighed. “I just love these traffic conditions,” he said. He lifted the parking brake and unlocked the doors.

“You handled it well, though,” Steelheart said.

“Yes,” Mason agreed. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I knew the traffic would be like this.”

Kevin grinned. “It’s okay. I can handle it.” Once everyone had disembarked and closed their doors, Kevin locked up the car. Then, he and the others walked over towards the jail.

* * *

Bedlama Jail, Bedlama City.

Rick Spelling was waiting at the door to greet them. “Good day, Mr. Spelling,” Steelheart said.

“Good day, Commander,” he said.

“These are Perry Mason and Hamilton Burger, the attorneys for prosecution.” After shaking hands, they went into the jail. Steelheart went over to Brigadier Brightlight, who was at a desk in the entry hall. He was tall and humanoid, but he belonged to a species with yellowish skin and a beak-like mouth. He was in charge of defense on Bedlama. Bedlama’s governor, Zander, was a member of the same species. “Brigadier, I’m here with the prosecution and the defense to interview Melodia, Hardware, Windhammer, and Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar.”

“Very well, Commander,” the brigadier replied. He called a deputy to take his place, then led the others back to the interrogation room. “I trust the traffic wasn’t too onerous?”

“Not as bad as it can be,” Steelheart replied.

“Unfortunately, I’m not in charge of traffic. If I were, I know several things I’d change. In fact, I hear Governor Zander’s trying to work with the transportation department to try to improve things, but they are a very difficult lot. The current system fills their coffers with money from traffic violations.” He opened the door to the interrogation room, which had a long table and several chairs. The defendants were there already.

“Well, if it isn’t Commander Steelheart and the prosecutors,” said Windhammer.

“You’ve got that right,” Steelheart replied. The three attorneys sat at the table, while Steelheart, Kevin, and Brightlight remained standing. “These are Perry Mason and Hamilton Burger, the prosecuting attorneys.”

Spelling turned to the Mobsters. “You don’t have to answer anything they ask. When they ask you a question, I’ll tell you first whether you should answer it or not.” He turned to Mason and Burger. “They will be pleading not guilty.”

Make things difficult, eh? thought Steelheart. Well, you want to play hardball, we’ll play hardball. That did not surprise her. Spelling had a good reputation for representing his clients’ interests, even when he was merely appointed to do so. Of course, it was his job, and he should be fired if he didn’t do it correctly.

“That may be just as well, since we’re not offering a plea bargain,” Burger said. “Tell me, why did you use a cab to do this? Until now, the cops of VideoLand wouldn’t have known that your limos were a threat. And I understand that Seymour’s cab is somewhat rickety.”

“Don’t answer that,” Spelling advised. “Mr. Burger, you seem to be assuming that my clients did it.”

“Well, I have all the evidence I need to determine that. Maybe the judge will show some mercy if your clients confess.”

“No. You still have to prove in court that they did it, Mr. Prosecutor. Without their help, I might add, since you cannot call them as witnesses and I refuse to do so. Besides, I sincerely doubt that Her Honor will show any leniency.”

“I don’t need their help to establish my case.”

“I’m glad to hear that. If they follow my advice, they will provide none. You see, they do not have to incriminate themselves.”

“I know that. That’s been the case everywhere I’ve prosecuted. So, you people work for Mon*Star, correct?”

“Don’t answer. Mr. Burger, allow me to define the term ‘self-incrimination’ for you as it is defined here.”

“You don’t need to. I know its meaning quite well.”

“Oh? You don’t seem to be talking like you do. You see, I know better than to let my clients answer questions such as this.”

“All right.” Burger turned to Steelheart. “I gather that being employed by Mon*Star is, in itself, a criminal offense.”

“Yes,” Steelheart said. “The crime on the books is knowingly being employed by a known criminal organization. Mon*Star’s Mob is such an organization.”

“VideoLand has something similar on the books.”

“I’d like to ask something,” Steelheart said. “Did you call Seymour to take you somewhere, and, if so, where did you tell him to take you?”

“You can answer that,” Spelling said.

“Yes, we did call him, and we told him to take us to third‑Earth,” said Hardware. “He commented that it would earn him a substantial fare, which we would gladly pay.”

“Did you have any reason to go?” Steelheart asked.

Spelling did not object. “Oh, we would’ve visited our pals, the Luna‑tacks, the Mutants, and Mumm‑ra,” Hardware said. “Just to visit, I assure you. We haven’t seen them in a while.”

“That sounds quite thoughtful of you, and it is slightly believable. Well. Does anyone have any further questions to which the defense attorney will not object?”

“I don’t think so,” Burger said.

“No,” said Mason.

“Kevin?” the Silver Hawk asked.

“I doubt it,” replied Kevin.

“All right, then. Well. I suppose that we can conclude this little get-together.”

“We appreciate your common sense, Commander,” Spelling replied.

“I wouldn’t want to waste our time needlessly. This inquiry is now officially concluded.”

* * *

When they were outside, Kevin turned to Steelheart. “I have one question, Steelheart. Why did you end it so soon?”

“Because Richard Spelling wasn’t going to let us get in any good questions,” she replied.

“I see.”

“That’s as good a reason as any,” Mason said.

Brigadier Brightlight came out. “One moment, please,” he said. “May I inquire about the vehicle you used?”

“Sure,” Steelheart said. The five went over to Kevin’s car.

“What type of fuel does it use?”

“It uses electricity,” Kevin said. “As do all vehicles made in MegaLand.”

“That’s good, then. What about the license plates?”

“They’re standard VideoLand license plates,” Mason replied.

“These vehicles exceed the quality standards for Limbo vehicles, Brigadier,” Steelheart said. “Our scans of this vehicle have shown us this.”

“Very well, then. I shall consult the department of transportation about permitting these in Limbo permanently. One other matter. Why is the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the vehicle?”

“Throughout VideoLand, people drive on the left-hand side of the road,” Mason replied. “But Kevin had no trouble driving it here.”

“I see. Very well, then. Thank you. I shall put this information into our computer network so that people with VideoLand cars will not have to be questioned in the future.”

“Thank you, Brigadier,” replied Steelheart. “See you later.”

“See you later, Commander,” Brightlight said. He returned inside.

“Well, now, shall we go?”

“Yes,” Kevin said. He went to the driver’s side and unlocked the doors. When everyone had gotten aboard, he started the car and left his parking space. He turned onto the road running by the police department. When they had crossed the bridge back to the mainland, he safely maneuvered into the left-turn lane and waited for the traffic signal to turn green.

“I notice they use American-style turn arrows here,” Kevin said. “The horizontal line is detached from the chevron. In VideoLand, they use more solid arrows.”

“I see,” Steelheart said.

“By the way, I assume I am right in going back the way we came.”

“Pretty much. The closest exit to the highway is that way. Keep going. I’ll tell you where we deviate.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The lights for the crossing traffic turned red, and the left-turn lanes got a leading green. Kevin made the turn and went down the busy road he had come up before. Though there was construction on this side, too, the traffic had thinned out a bit, and they did not get stuck in a jam again. Besides, all the traffic was leaving downtown right now, and he was going into town against that traffic. He turned right back onto the boulevard from which they had exited.

“Go on past this intersection, and then get into the left-turn lane.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He did so. There was yet another traffic signal at the end of this left-turn lane, and they waited behind a short line of cars. When the light turned green, the cars turned and began going up the ramp. All the vehicles had accelerated to freeway speed by the time they merged into freeway traffic. “Now, this isn’t like L.A. freeway traffic at rush hour,” Kevin said.

“No, it isn’t,” Steelheart said. “The freeways here are constructed for a lot of traffic, and they are maintained frequently. That’s because the freeways belong to the planetary government, while the city streets belong to Bedlama City, and Governor Zander has a far easier time dealing with the planetary government.”

Kevin noted a green sign ahead of them. “Interstellar launch ramp,” he said. “The exit is two kilometers ahead. That the one we want?”

“That’s the one,” Steelheart said.

“Kevin, make sure the switch is set to speed up the ramp rather than lift into the air,” Mason said.

Kevin made the settings. “Got it,” he said. A couple of kilometers ahead, they approached three signs that were spaced one hundred meters apart. The first had three diagonal marks, the second had two, and the last had one. “Let me guess. Countdown markers.” And the exit sign was past the last marker. “All right!” He switched on the right blinker and moved into the exit lane.

“Do not slow down,” Steelheart said. “Note that blue circular sign.”

“I see it. Minimum speed: 100 kilometers per hour.” Since he was going to keep on going fast, he got in the left-hand lane when the road split into two lanes.

Steelheart kept her eyes open. “Notice these darkened signs on either side. They are electronic. If they suddenly begin to flash red, slow down and stop.”

“Got it,” Kevin said.

“They are for emergency situations, like if a truck is coming down and loses control.”

“I see.” He continued going at speed. Then, he passed a red-rimmed circular sign increasing the maximum speed to 150. “One hundred fifty?”

“Yes. Take particular note of the blue signs.”

“The minimum speed increased, too, to 120. “Wow. I guess this means speed up.”

“Yes. In fact, it’s far more dangerous to violate the minimum speed than to violate the maximum speed, because all the traffic behind you is speeding up, too. If you are still going 120 kilometers per hour, you do not want to get hit by a car going 500 kilometers per hour. And you would be at fault for the collision, not the driver behind you.”

Kevin sped up. The maximum and minimum speed limits kept increasing until the max reached 2 000 kilometres per hour. As this happened, the ramp kept curving upwards, becoming gradually more vertical. Then, a red-rimmed circular sign said, ‘0.5 I.’ “What’s that mean?”

“Half impulse. In other words, we’re about to run out of platform.”

Kevin grinned. He sped up even more, kicking in the sublight engines. When they ran out of platform, the car kept accelerating into the sky. “Yeah,” he exclaimed happily. Now he was happy with the car that he was driving. And the electricity gauge still looked full.

Mason grinned. “Glad you enjoy it.”

“What an understatement,” Kevin replied. He drove the car out of Bedlama’s atmosphere and up to Hawkhaven. He slowed down and carefully entered the space doors, driving straight to the Hawks’ hangar. “Man, this is more convenient.”

As they came into the main hangar area, Steelheart pointed to the right. “Park over there, Kevin.”

“Got it.” Not seeing a specifically marked spot, he just stopped the car in a position where he could swing around easily towards the exit. As he powered down the vehicle, they all exited.

“Hey, guys,” Bluegrass greeted.

“Hello, cowboy,” said Steelheart. “Well, we now know the defense lawyer, Rick Spelling, is doing his job.”

“I see.”

“Oh, well. We’ll get him in court tomorrow, though. Isn’t that right, Mr. Burger?”

“I believe that we certainly shall, Commander,” Burger replied.

* * *

Mario: “Plumber’s Log, number 700: the evil Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa appears to be at it again, though why it should surprise me now is beyond my understanding. He has opened a warp zone linking the Palace of Power and Hawkhaven from ‘Silver Hawks.’ Captain N knows that this is part of a devious plan for evil to dominate the galaxy. Ludwig intends for the most evil characters from VideoLand, Limbo, third‑Earth from ‘Thunder Cats,’ and Saint Canard and Duckburg from ‘Darkwing Duck’ and ‘Ducktales’ to join and rip us apart.

“Fortunately, we transmitted the information to the Thunder Cats by visiting them and having them come to Limbo. We were also aware that Liquidator and Bushroot from Saint Canard had arrived at Brim*Star. What we were unaware of, though, was the fact that Liquidator, Bushroot, and the whole Mob were heading to the courthouse.”

* * *

December 17.

Court of Limbo, Asteroid X150, between Automata and the Penal Planet.

At the courthouse, Simon Belmont was substituting for the official bailiff and Princess Lana for the judge. They had disappeared into the judge’s chambers upon arriving at Limbo’s courthouse. The Mason-Team, the Mario-Team, the Silver Hawks, several Thunder Cats, and many members of the N‑Team were waiting at the door to the courtroom.

“This ought to be an open-and-shut case,” Perry Mason said with tongue firmly in cheek.

“Don’t count your solar systems before they’ve formed, Mr. Mason,” said Steelheart. “The Mob can be awfully slippery.”

Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa approached them. “Good day, my friends. How are you?”

“Don’t you act that sweet toward us, von Koopa,” said Mario.

“Now, now, Mario. Is that any way to greet your future emperor?”

“Hang on,” said Kevin. “What do you know about Liquidator and Bushroot?”

“Only that they’ve just recently reached Brim*Star,” answered Eggplant Wizard, right behind Ludwig. “Why?”

Ludwig’s fists clenched as he turned to Eggplant Wizard. “I’m sorry to say that your job performance leaves much to be desired, Eggplant Wizard.”

“Calm down,” said Kevin. “We already knew that Liquidator and Bushroot have arrived.”

“So? Eggplant Wizard is not even supposed to be here.”

“Your temper sure changes erratically,” said Wilykit.

“I’m afraid you’re right, Thunder Kitten,” said Ludwig. “What I want to call Eggplant Wizard isn’t appropriate to say around anyone, sadly.”

“If you don’t calm yourself, I’ll have the court term you as a hostile witness,” Burger said.

“Very well. I mind not if you call me as a regular prosecution witness, but I do mind if you label me hostile.”

“I do intend to call you as a prosecution witness. The hostile part depends entirely upon you.”

“I’ll truthfully answer all the questions that you deliver, Sir Hamilton of Burger,” said Ludwig. He looked out a window and saw the Mob, Liquidator, and Bushroot approaching in space-limos. “And now, if you will excuse me, I have someone to see.”

“Wait a minute,” said Burger, handing him a sheet of paper. “In case you don’t remember what this is, it’s a subpoena.”

“I know perfectly well what it is, Burger,” said Ludwig. “I have just one question, though.”

“What?” asked Burger.

“I’m already present. Why do you feel the need to subpoena me?”

“Oh, we thought that it would be a good idea to have you listen to the entire case. It’s just a little idea Tragg and I had.”

“I’ll be there,” said Ludwig. “Come on, Eggplant. We must go see a new acquaintance.”

“Whatever you say, Your Wickedness,” Eggplant Wizard said. “Tah tah!”

“Wait a minute,” said Kevin. “What new acquaintance?”

“You shall soon see, Kevin,” Ludwig said. “Just sit tight.” Eggplant Wizard and Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa left the area.

“That dude gives Koopas a bad name,” said Toad.

“You’re right,” said King Spike Koopa. “He gives Koopas an extremely bad name.”

Wilykat shivered, and not from cold, because it was warm enough. “A minute or two around that guy, and I already can’t stand him.”

“Same here,” said Wilykit. “Cheetara, don’t you think he does it intentionally?”

“I’m sure of it,” said Cheetara.

At that moment, Bailiff Simon Belmont emerged from the court room. “Court!” he called. Spectators and witnesses crowded through the doors in a heavy stream.

Tragg swore. “Where did Ludwig go?”

“How do I know?” asked Kevin. “Go look for him.”

“You’re going to be my first witness, Tragg,” said Burger. “You’re under subpoena. What—”

“Call another witness,” said Tragg. He left to look for Ludwig.

“You will be my first witness, Kevin,” said Burger. “Now—”

“Court! Counsel!” Simon called.

Mason, Burger, Della Street, and Kevin turned and strode toward the courtroom. Everyone else followed just as quickly. Mason opened the court doors, and they all walked in. As Mason, Burger, Della Street, and Steelheart strode toward the court officer section in front of the courtroom, all the others stood each in front of a seat at the rear of the courtroom’s spectator section. Mason, Burger, Della, and Steelheart stood in front of their seats at the table for prosecution counsel. Spelling was already present, sitting next to the Mobsters at the defendants’ table.

Drake came in and made tracks toward the counsel part of the courtroom. Mason saw him and opened the double-doors in front separating the spectator section and the officer section. Drake stopped right in front of Mason. “Perry, there is something that you must know,” he said softly.

“What?” asked Mason.

“As soon as you can get someone out of here, send them to Hawkhaven. The situation is deteriorating more quickly than we thought. I can’t get into it now. You’ll need a witness to testify to this before it’s too late.”

“Okay, Paul.” Mason turned around to Steelheart and whispered Paul’s information to her, and she went back into the spectator section. She went to Quicksilver and Bluegrass.

When she got back into the officer section, she said, “Drake, Quicksilver and Bluegrass will follow you. Lead them to Hawkhaven and tell them what’s up. Mason will call them when they get back.”

“Okay,” said Drake. “Thanks.” As Drake went to leave the courtroom, the door opened inwards abruptly. He jumped back in time to avoid being hit by both the door and Tragg walking swiftly to the officer section. “What’s the rush, Lieutenant?”

Tragg was agitated. “No time to tell you, Paul. I have to tell Perry first.” Drake, Quicksilver, and Bluegrass left the court in haste as Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa and Eggplant Wizard entered. Tragg approached Perry Mason. “Call me as soon as Lana gets in here and begins the case, Mason. I’ve got to tell you something vitally and extremely important.”

“Where’s the fire, Tragg?” said Mason, joking good-naturedly. “The Lost Forest of Hyrule?”

“Mason, this is serious! I must tell you this, and I must tell you this under oath. If you don’t, we could quite literally be up the creek.”

“The court will rise,” Simon said. Everyone in the courtroom that had taken a seat stood up now in silence. Lana opened the doors from the judge’s chambers and went to her seat at the judge’s bench.

When she reached her seat, Lana brought down her gavel. “Be seated, ladies and gentlemen. The Case of the People of Limbo versus Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar, Hardware, Melodia, and Windhammer is in session. This is a preliminary hearing. It is a known fact that each of these defendants is a criminal who commits misdemeanors and felonies with disturbing regularity. However, after this point, that is not to be spoken of, unless it pertains directly to the case at hand. I will severely reprimand anyone who disobeys that instruction. Has the prosecution any opening statement?”

“No, ma’am,” said Mason.

“No,” said Burger.

“Has the defense any opening statement?” asked Lana.

“No, Your Honor,” said Rick Spelling. “Our plea is not guilty.”

“Very well. Prosecution, please make your case.”

Mason stood up. “Very well, Your Honor. The first witness for prosecution will be Lieutenant Arthur Tragg.”

“Lieutenant Arthur Tragg to the stand, please,” Simon said. Tragg rose. He went over to the bailiff and naturally raised his right hand as the bailiff raised his right hand. “Do you swear that the testimony you give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

“I do,” said Tragg.

“Please state your full name and occupation,” said the bailiff.

“I am Arthur Tragg, Lieutenant of the Homicide Division of the VideoLand Police Squad.”

“Be seated,” said the bailiff. Tragg situated himself comfortably on the witness stand, waiting for Mason’s questions.

“Lieutenant Tragg, what happened early yesterday?” Mason asked.

“Several things,” said Tragg. “First, I woke up.” There was a titter in the courtroom, which Lana, smiling, promptly silenced by softly tapping the back of her pen on her desk. “But let’s move on to more relevant events. The first major event of the day was when you called me. You stated to me that there was a warp zone about a mile away from the Palace of Power. That warp zone led us here to Limbo. In exploring the area, we headed towards what we now know as Brim*Star.”

“Tragg, could you please tell the court what the Palace of Power is?” Mason asked. “I’m sure that there are several people here who do not know what it is.”

“The Palace of Power is the capital of all of VideoLand, which occupies a section of the galaxy quite distant from Limbo. Its laws are similar to those of the U.S., of England, and of this area, the Limbo Galaxy.”

“What is VideoLand?”

“VideoLand is the land where a great many things in Nintendo games exist in reality. If one went there, one would see much that is in Nintendo games. In short, it converges all of the worlds in the Nintendo games into one large kingdom that occupies nearly a third of the galaxy.”

“Now, Lieutenant, let’s get back to the case at hand. What happened when you got close to Brim*Star?”

“The defendants made our acquaintance in a most unfriendly manner. They fired their weapons at me and my colleagues.”

Mason opened a notebook, removed a picture, and showed the picture to Tragg. “Do you recognize this vehicle?”

Tragg examined the picture. “Yes. That is the vehicle the defendants used to attack us. The license plate is the same, as is that minor dent in the front fender.”

“Now, before court began, I asked you to follow a felon—forgive me, a person—by the name of Prince Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa.” Many of the spectators suddenly made a gasp of fear as to the possible presence of the being in this court. Evidently, the name had been heard before. “What did you find out?”

“I found out that he was meeting Liquidator, Bushroot, and the entire Mob, save the defendants.” The fear level among the spectators went up a notch as they now knew that some of the most evil beings in the galaxy were present.

Spelling arose calmly. “I object, Your Honor. Counsel is referring to people who could not possibly exist, save the whole Mob. Moreover, I object entirely to the notion of a land where video games exist.”

“I must overrule your objection,” ruled Lana.

Spelling’s calm veneer seemed to crack. “But Your Honor, he is trying to stir up fear in the courtroom deliberately. It is well known that Perry Mason is a side-show lawyer. I do not want any of his circus tactics used in the courtroom.”

Burger arose. “I beg Your Honor’s indulgence. Mr. Spelling knows nothing about how successful Mason’s tactics are to getting at the truth. Furthermore, Mr. Mason is speaking of people and lands that do exist. I therefore ask that you overrule the objection.”

“I already did,” said Lana. “Let me make one thing clear to you, Mr. Spelling. In my court, it is illogical deny the existence of VideoLand, the Mushroom World, Darkwing Duck’s Earth, or third‑Earth or of any beings residing therein. The Court is aware that all these entities exist in fact. Please continue your examination, Prosecution.”

“We have no further questions at this time,” said Mason. “However, we reserve the right to recall this witness for further direct examination.”

“So ruled,” said Lana.

“Your witness.” Mason and Burger sat down.

Speling rose. “Can you show this courtroom positively the existence of these . . . characters?”

“Of course,” said Tragg. “I’m sure that the Prince Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa is in court with Eggplant Wizard. They are both from VideoLand.”

“Will the Prince Baron Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa of the Kingdom of the Evil Koopas and of the Brain-Team arise with his assistant, Eggplant Wizard, please?” Simon said.

Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa and Eggplant Wizard arose from their seats. A few gasps escaped from the crowd. “Thank you,” said Spelling. “You’ve made me a believer, Lieutenant. No further questions.”

“Your next witness,” asked Lana.

Mason stood as Tragg seated himself behind him. “At this time, Your Honor, I wish to call Prince Ludwig to the stand.”

Ludwig took the oath and assumed the witness stand.

“Prince Ludwig, you’ve taken an oath to tell nothing but the truth. Will you uphold it?”

“I shall,” said Ludwig.

“Thank you,” said Mason. “Do you remember making such a promise to Hamilton Burger outside this court earlier?”

“Yes, sir,” said Ludwig.

“Now, before Mr. Spelling starts tossing technical objections at me, I’ll get down to the matter at hand. Is it true that you left conference with me after Hamilton Burger subpoenaed you to meet the Mob, Liquidator, and Bushroot?”

“That statement is true,” Ludwig said, almost with defiance.

“Why did you not get nervous when I asked the question?”

“I already told Captain N that his suspicions about my wanting to join the Brain-Team, Mob, Plundarrians, and F.O.W.L. together were correct, Mr. Mason. I think that that should suffice. I also noticed that your private investigator, Paul Drake, ran out with Quicksilver and Bluegrass to Hawkhaven. Now, I could tell you what that is about.”

“I want Quicksilver to testify to that, Prince Ludwig. I must remind you that you are under oath.”

“Well, I can tell you what I think they left about.”

“Very well,” Mason said, knowing full well that an objection was coming. “What?”

Spelling sprang up. “Objection. The witness is not an expert. He should not be allowed to give an opinion.”

Burger got up from his chair. “I do not agree with the defender, Your Honor. If I may be allowed to ask a question or two before a ruling is made on this objection, I think you’ll see that this witness is indeed qualified to answer the question.”

“Go ahead,” said Lana.

“I recall that, some time in the past, you almost defeated the N‑Team with telekinesis,” said Burger.

In the back, Cheetara shuddered, her eyes widening. She knew from this very question that Ludwig was dangerous.

“Is it true that you have ESP?”

“I know I have telekinesis,” Ludwig said. “That is a form of ESP. Which particular power do you want to know about?”

“Please tell the court whether or not you have both telepathy and precognition.”

“I have both,” said Ludwig.

“Can you prove it?”

“I shall. Give me one minute. I must have complete silence also that I can concentrate. I’ll first prove that I have telepathy.” He closed his eyes for a few moments. A very small but noticeable strain was put on Steelheart and Steelwill.

“Ah!” said Steelheart. She whispered, “Cut it out, Will.”

“Me?” Steelwill whispered back. “I thought you were the one doing this.”

Suddenly, a more powerful and noticeable strain fell upon Cheetara. She screamed. It felt to her as though her brain were burning to cinders in Hell. And she could not tell at all whether that was figurative or literal! “Please stop it, Prince Ludwig. My mind can’t stand this strain.”

Ludwig opened his eyes. The strain on the Steeltwins and Cheetara vanished gone. “That’s proof that I have telepathy,” he said. “One of the properties of the power is the ability to pull on the energies of others that have the power.”

“I had no idea that my telepathy was strong enough to resist a strain like that,” said Steelheart.

“Now, as for precognition—you’d better step aside, officer,” said Ludwig. “Quicksilver and Bluegrass are about to burst through that door.” The officer next to the back door shrugged and got out of the doorway. Barely a second after he did this, the door burst open. Quicksilver and Bluegrass ran in toward Mason.

Lana pounded her gavel. “The defense’s objection is overruled.” When Spelling opened his mouth to begin a protest, she glared at him. His mouth closed promptly.

“A moment, please, Your Honor, whilst I address my colleagues,” called Steelheart.

“Granted,” Lana said.

Steelheart stood up. “Now, wait just a minute, Colonel Quicksilver. Why did you so disrupt the proceeding of this court? It had better be important.”

“Yes, we have urgent news from Paul Drake,” said Quicksilver.

“I’ll bet it’s about Liquidator and Bushroot kidnapping Darkwing Duck,” said Ludwig. “True?”

Quicksilver and Bluegrass’s mouths both gaped open. “How did you know?” asked Bluegrass.

“Call it a lucky guess,” said Ludwig.

“Please return to your seats,” Steelheart told the two Silver Hawks. “Your Honor, I’ve finished.”

“Continue,” Lana said.

“The kidnapping of Darkwing Duck by Bushroot and Liquidator happened,” Ludwig said. “That was what Quicksilver and Bluegrass were discovering from their comrades. I believe that helps to answer to your question, Mr. Mason.”

“Right,” said Mason as Burger sat down. “Now, what do you know of the warp that is equidistant from Hawkhaven and Bedlama toward the Artificial Sun?”

“I opened it, but not by design,” answered Ludwig. “I intended the warp to be at Brim*Star, but my assistant who figuratively possesses the brains of a peanut entered the coordinates incorrectly on my computer. I also wanted to warp to third‑Earth and bring the Plundarrians here. You see, sir, the Mob meeting with F.O.W.L. and my meeting with them was to my benefit. However, your nascent alliance with the N‑Team, Silver Hawks, and Thunder Cats was contrary to my idea.”

“You’ve been a most cooperative witness,” Mason said. “As always, that astounds me. No more questions.”

“If the court please,” said Burger, “the questions I asked earlier were preliminary. I now intend to pose him more questions.”

“No objection,” said Spelling.

“You may proceed,” said Lana.

“Prince Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa, what do you believe will happen in the recent future?” asked Burger.

“A flood,” answered the witness.

“A flood? Here?”

“Yes.”

“How could a flood occur on this asteroid? The outer floors slope downward. Please strike the question and answer from the record. I’m through with the witness.”

“Do you wish to cross-examine?” asked the judge.

“Are you biased in favor of the prosecution?” asked Spelling.

“Not at all, sir,” answered Ludwig. “I might have been termed as a hostile witness by the prosecution, but I do not show quite enough prejudice to be termed as one. I would like nothing better than for the four defendants to go free.”

“Thank you,” said Spelling. “No questions.”

“We have no questions on re‑direct, Your Honor,” said Mason.

“The witness may step down,” Lana said. “Call your next witness, Prosecution.”

Mason paused, as if calling his star witness. “Your Honor, I wish to call Seymour, a taxi-cab driver in Limbo and a victim, to the stand.”

“Seymour will come forth and be sworn,” Simon said.

Seymour arose, went to Simon, was sworn, and took the stand. “Seymour, can you tell me what happened earlier today?”

“I sure can,” Seymour said. “My cab got stolen.”

“Can you tell the court who forcibly took possession of your cab?”

“That would be Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar, Hardware, Melodia, and Windhammer.”

“The back seat is too short for all four of the defendants but just right for Melodia, Hardware, and Windhammer, isn’t it?”

“True. Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar and his tin buzzard, Volt‑Ure, hid in the trunk of the cab.”

“How can you know for sure?” asked Mason.

“When we had landed on an asteroid close to Brim*Star, Windhammer and Hardware tossed Zeek and me out of the cab. Then, they went to the back and let Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar and Volt‑Ure out. Mo‑Lec‑U‑Lar and Volt‑Ure entered my cab and transformed into Zeek and me.”

“Who can verify your testimony?”

“Zeek the Beak. He came with me. I know, he may not be the most reliable witness, but he’ll back me up.”

“The defendants are also accused of assaulting the Police Department of VideoLand. Is this possible with your cab?”

“Certainly, though with the shape my cab is in, it was a bad idea.”

“Who rescued you?”

“You, Commander Steelheart, and Captain N.”

“No further questions.” Mason situated himself in his seat at the prosecution counsel table. He nodded at Della, who nodded, then got up and left the courtroom.

“No questions,” Burger said.

“No questions,” said Spelling.

“The witness is excused,” Lana said. Seymour got up, stepped down, and took his seat. “Call your next witness.”

“I call Captain N to the stand,” Mason said. Captain N got up, was sworn, and was seated. “For the record, please state your name and occupation to this court.”

“My birth name is Kevin Keene, and my title is Captain N,” said Captain N. “My occupation is Head of the VideoLand Royal Military Force, the First Officer of Her Highness’s Court.”

“Thank you very much,” said Mason. “Please summarize the events that happened yesterday.”

“During the course of the morning, I came across an unfamiliar warp zone a few kilometers away from the Palace of Power. I was with you, Mr. Mason, and you called the police. They entered the warp, which led to Hawkhaven. Mr. Hamilton Burger joined us. We passed through the warp and when we discovered that we had arrived in Limbo, we went to meet the Silver Hawks.

“After I had told Commander Steelheart what had happened, she, you, and I left at once. She was worried because the police were headed towards Brim*Star. The next thing I noticed while flying across the galaxy was an asteroid where Seymour and Zeek had been abandoned. We went down to help them. When they entered our automobile, they accused the defendants here of having stolen their cab. We then found out that we had to go right away to Brim*Star, or else. So, we went out there, and we saw that the defendants were assaulting the police. Steelheart single-handedly subdued the defendants.

“After all that, several of the Silver Hawks and I went out to third‑Earth to meet the Thunder Cats, with whom the Silver Hawks had previously met, and to tell them what was happening. Is that all you need to know, other than the fact that the Thunder Cats joined us?”

“That’s more than adequate,” said Mason. “That is all.”

“No questions,” said Burger.

“No questions,” Spelling growled. He was hoping that Kevin might say something to which he could object, but no such luck.

“Call Zeek to the stand, please,” said Mason.

“Zeek the Beak to the stand,” ordered Simon. Zeek trotted toward Simon, was sworn, got through with the preliminaries, and sat down.

“Zeek, you heard Seymour’s testimony,” asked Mason. “From your point of view, which parts of it were true?”

“All of it,” answered Zeek. “I was there, and I experienced all the same things.”

“No further questions,” said Mason. The audience began mumbling about what was going on.

“May I have it a little quieter in here, please?” asked Lana, but with the slight bit of sarcasm in her voice. The audience responded by falling silence. “Thank you.”

“No questions,” said Burger.

“No questions,” Spelling said.

“That concludes my part of the case, Your Honor,” said Mason. “You may proceed as you wish, Mr. Burger.”

“That concludes to a ‘T’ what I would have presented, Your Honor,” said Burger. “I have no witnesses.”

Mason said, “In that case, I move that the defendants all be bound over for jury trial in superior court with the charges of robbery and assault of numerous police officers.”

“Does counsel wish to put on a defense at this time?” asked Lana.

“Well, I—” Spelling began.

“Pardon me. Hold it,” said Condor, quickly coming forth to the double-doors separating the spectator area and the officer area with a picture in his hand. “This man is an impostor.”

The spectators erupted with conversation. Lana pounded her gavel. “Order in the court!” Everyone hushed up. “I understand the cause of this disturbance, but any more such outbursts from the spectators, and I’ll have to clear the court. Now, state your business, Condor.”

“I have some facts which may clear up one scam in this case,” said Condor. “If you’ll call me, Mr. Burger, and let me testify before this court, I can show what Mr. Spelling is made of.” The court got into small, low-toned babble, which Lana, surprised, made no effort to silence.

“If you can prove that the defender is dishonest, I’ll definitely call you to the stand,” Burger said.

Spelling got up. “I object. The prosecution has already closed its case.”

“Counsel, approach the bench,” Lana said. All three lawyers approached the bench.

“I protest against this, Your Honor,” said Spelling. “Prosecution has stated that its case is closed. I have yet to establish anything resembling a case.”

“Your Honor, Condor of the Silver Hawks claims to have important information that may show possible illegal actions of this lawyer,” Burger said.

“Your Honor, I agree with my distinguished colleague, Mr. Burger,” said Mason. “If Mr. Spelling is indeed dishonest, we must prove it here and now.”

“All right,” said Lana. “Step back, please.” As the attorneys left the bench, she spoke up. “The defense’s objection is overruled. The reporter will strike the statement that the prosecution’s case is closed. Condor will be sworn and take the stand as a prosecution witness.” Condor raised his right hand while facing Simon, took the oath, and situated himself on the witness stand. Mason and Burger approached the stand while Spelling fell into his seat as though he were carrying an unbearable weight.

“Condor, please give this court your statement,” Burger said. “What can you tell me about Rick Spelling?”

“I have good reason to believe that he is not the actual defense attorney assigned to this case,” said Condor.

Lana slapped her hand over her mouth, fainted, and fell out of her chair. Bailiff Simon gritted his teeth when he saw this. “The court will take a fifteen-minute recess,” he announced. As he banged a gavel, everyone stood. He went up to behind the bench and took Lana into Chambers. Kevin immediately followed. So did all three attorneys. After a hasty command from Lion‑O, the Thunder Kittens entered, also. In Chambers, Simon looked over her. “She’s definitely out cold. Clearly, what Condor said shocked her. What shall we do?”

“Mr. Burger, please call Lieutenant Larry (Spike)Koopa in here and have him take the princess to the VideoLand emergency hospital,” said Kevin.

“Yes, sir,” said Burger. As Burger left, Lt. Drumm came in.

“Hello, Steve,” said Mason.

“Hello, Perry,” said Drumm. “You shouldn’t have let Condor answer that question so abruptly. You sure scared the life out of Her Highness. Now what’ll we do?”

“There is only one thing to do,” Kevin said. “I legally can and shall go out there in order to replace Lana. I’ve been listening to the whole case.” He turned to Spelling. “We’ll see whether your case is worth a cent or pence or whatever you consider the lowest piece of currency, Mr. Spelling. As soon as I get out there and Condor finishes his testimony, I’m going to bind those evil defendants over for jury trial in a superior court.”

“You cannot do that,” said Spelling.

“I can, and I shall. One thing is for certain: if you’re not properly qualified, I’m going to have you held for practicing without a license. I’ll also have the Bar Association on you like the fires of Satan’s home. Do you get my drift?”

“I can live with it. I hardly see, though, how an eighteen-year-old can do a competent job of being a judge. Now see here, incompetent minor—”

“I am no minor; I am almost nineteen years old,” Kevin said as his temper began to slip. “And I’m hardly incompetent. I have replaced Lana as judge several times.”

“Uh, guys,” Wilykit said.

“You must have fouled up all of those cases, juvenile dimwit,” Spelling said.

“Mr. Mason,” Wilykat said.

“Why, you son of a—”

“Please!” shouted Wilykit just before Kevin said, ‘of.’

“This has gone far enough,” interrupted Mason, slapping his hand over Kevin’s mouth just before he could get in the last word. “Kevin is competent enough to be the judge of any trial. His only fault is his temper, sometimes. No more, Mr. Defender.”

“Well, pardon me,” said Spelling. Meanwhile, Larry (Spike)Koopa, Lieutenant of the Vice Squad of VideoLand, came in with Burger and a few medics, and the medics took Lana away to the hospital.

“Thank you, Mr. Mason,” said Wilykat.

“I still don’t understand how that happened,” said Larry as Condor entered.

“That’s because I didn’t have a chance to give you the whole story,” Condor said.

“And pray tell, just what is the whole story?” Kevin asked.

Condor showed the picture he had examined to Kevin. “I’ve been examining a photograph of Rick Spelling. I know the guy well. If you will notice, Captain N, the photograph of his face is a mirror image of the guy in here. That means that this man is not the genuine article.”

“Now see here,” shouted Spelling. “That’s a lie!”

“It most certainly is not,” said Burger, taking the picture before Spelling could. “It’s clear: this pale freckle is reversed.”

“We’ll prove it after court reconvenes,” said Mason.

“Yes, we certainly will,” Kevin said. “Whoever you are, I’m sure you’re no lawyer.”

The Thunder Kittens sneaked a peek at the picture. They went to a corner and conversed quietly under the others. “ ’Kit, that man masquerading as Spelling must be A‑Tom‑U‑Lar. Remember? We were here when the Hawks first encountered him.”

“I remember,” she said. “We’ve got to tell the other Thunder Cats.” They nodded to each other and left Chambers.