Chapter Fifteen
Now, Bright Serpent, in his time as Speaker, made many wise Judgments.
He was known for his great fairness. The most important case he heard
was this.
2 One day, a Daughter of The Oneness was brought before him. Her
husband had been arrested because he was a Hood. It was found that the
woman had long known of his activities, of all the evil that he had
done, but had said nothing. According to The Law this made her as
guilty as him.
3 She would not confess her crime, or in any way say she had done
anything wrong. So she was sentenced to death. She appealed the
sentence. The Speakers hearing her appeal could not decide, so it was
brought before Bright Serpent.
4 "Tell me, woman," he asked, "why is it you say you are not guilty,
and why is it you say you are not bound by The Law? All in this world
and in our new homes on other worlds are bound by The Law. Why is it
you consider YOU are an exception?"
5 "Because, sir," she explained, "though I respect your people,
understand and respect your Law, I am bound by a greater Law...the law
of The One True and Only God. That law states that I shall serve my man
with all my body, my mind, and my Eternal Spirit. That he is my master
in all things, and that HIS secrets are my secrets. Never am I to speak
against him. For it is not a woman's place to speak against her husband
in any matter. For she is his, and must not offend him.
6 Now, your people say the opposite ...if a wife knows her husband is
doing wrong, she must report it. Even children you expect to betray
their parents if the parents are doing wrong. This, to us, is
unthinkable. Kin cannot betray kin. So I am caught between two Laws. If I obey the law of my
God, which I believe is just and good, then you will put me to death,
but if I obey your Law my God will shut me out of his temple in the
next life and I will lose