‘Justice does not obey the wishes of any individual,’ the Viceroy said, raising his hand. ‘Its aim is to uphold right conduct. The slave-girl committed a crime by running away from her master’s house. She has acted like a thief by turning away from that service. The slave-girl is the property of the Brahmin. By attempting to commit suicide, she has tried to deprive the Brahmin, her master, of his property.’

‘Long Live His Excellency! How right his judgment is! The Protector of the Faith, the Incarnation of Justice. Long Live His Excellency!’ shouted the Brahmin again, raising his arms in benediction.

The Viceroy turned towards Dara, who sat kneeling on the planks of Ratnaprabha’s barge with hands joined, ‘Slave-girl, you are guilty of theft having tried to deprive the Brahmin of his lawful property.’

Dara bowed so low as to touch the deck with her forehead, and said, ‘Incarnation of Justice, for this crime, may the slave and her son be punished with death. The slave will be beholden to Your Excellency for this act of justice.’

The Viceroy shook his head disapprovingly and said, ‘Punishment cannot be meted out in accordance with the wishes of the criminals. The slave and the slave’s child are both the property of the Brahmin. It does not rest with slaves to decide the manner of their disposal.’

‘How right is His Excellency!’ shouted the priest again, ‘the Incarnation of Justice! The Image of Truth! The Image of Justice! Long Live His Excellency!’

The Viceroy turned again to the slave-girl, ‘Why did you try to commit the sin of suicide?’

‘It was the misery of being a slave, Your Excellency, the hunger, and my child’s hunger!’ Dara said with palms joined together, tears streaming down her cheeks.

At this Ratnaprabha pleaded, her voice touched with pity, ‘Protector of the Faith, I am prepared to pay in gold any fine that is imposed on this slave-girl as a punishment for the crime that she may have committed.’

The Viceroy raised his hand asking the Court Dancer to wait and addressing himself to the priest, said, ‘Listen, Brahmin, you are well versed in the scriptures and in jurisprudence. The fact that this slave-girl has tried to kill herself along with her child is clear proof of her being oppressed. In the eyes of the law you are guilty of having been cruel to a slave.’

The priest’s face turned pale and his voice shook, ‘Not cruel, Incarnation of Justice. This slave is an unwilling worker and is hostile to her master.’

‘Brahmin,’ said the Viceroy, ‘a master is entitled to service from a slave, but not to the slave’s life.’ The Viceroy’s voice grew stern, ‘It is the gods that grant life to living beings and they alone can take it back. On earth, the king is the representative of the gods, and only the king has the right to take back life. The slave too, like the Brahmin, is the subject of the king.’ Then, turning towards others he said, ‘Where is the child of this slave?’