The Judgement of Solomon (short story)

The Judgement of Solomon
Main character(s):	Bernice Summerfield
Featuring:	Assad, the figure, King Solomon
Main setting:	Baghdad, 8th century
Key crew
Writer:	Lawrence Miles
Release details
Part of:	Decalog 5: Wonders
Release date:	18 September 1997
Virgin Decalogs
Next →	Bibliophage

The Judgement of Solomon was a short story written by Lawrence Miles for the 1997 anthology Decalog 5: Wonders.

The story was notable for being the first standalone solo Bernice Summerfield short story, although Prelude Love and War (Bernice's very first appearance) and Prelude Sanctuary had also featured solo Benny. The licence for Summerfield stories later moved to Big Finish Productions, who released a number of short story anthologies featuring the character.

Summary

In the ancient days of Earth, a king named Solomon banished all magic from his lands and espoused the word of the One True God. One day, his mapmakers sighting a city of brass watched by monsters of stone and filled with wonders. Solomon set it upon himself to destroy the city, seeing it as an abomination. He sent troops to demand that the people destroy their own city and convert, but this failed. He then declared war on the city. The war lasted for several years - with the city growing smaller each year and Solomon's forces slowly making weaponry that can actually fight the forces of the city - before Solomon declares that the city will be destroyed with a wondrous weapon. Hearing this, the people of the city surrender.

Some time later, Bernice Summerfield visits Baghdad in the eighth century after hearing of batteries being invented in the city centuries before the battery is officially invented. She learns of a hunchback bringing fish back to life and, after being bribed to drink an extremely strong alcoholic beverage, stumbles through the streets. Due to the scene that she is making, she is accosted by local guards. She finds that her translation device is failing her and punches it repeatedly - causing various speech errors before the device's battery explodes.

After recovering from the explosion, Bernice makes a quick getaway into an alley where she fixes the translation device. She notices that someone else in the alley and finds the "hunchback" (who actually does not have a hunched back, as the term is a pejorative for anyone with a deformity) - a man named Assad who uses a device he swiped from someone else to perform tricks to gain money. The two are soon found by the guards from earlier and are attacked.

Bernice and Assad are brought to the "House" of Jafar Abd al-Malik, Vizier to Harun al-Raschid - where the various "wondrous" things created by cultures mixing in Baghdad's walls are brought to be held. Bernice finds a man with a metal bird that is capable of flight before she is attacked by Assad, angry that she drew attention to him and brought him to be tried.

Bernice is brought before the Vizier. Bernice tries to argue her case, but is not allowed to talk before the Vizier. After Bernice's translation device is thrown into a heap of various broken devices, the Vizier demands that Bernice be punished - even after she claims that she is a powerful demon - and Bernice is thrown into an oubliette with a figure of a man made of brass. Bernice discovers that the figure can answer any question she asks of it - even though there is no way that it can understand English. Bernice asks it various questions to figure out what it is, leading it to recount the story of how Bernice entered into the cell while splicing in the story of King Solomon. Once the story ends, the figure reveals that it was a gift to the Vizier but that the Vizier threw it into the oubliette as it can never lie. Bernice realises that the Vizier (and by extension King Solomon) barred "magical" objects as they presented a threat to his rule. Bernice then asks the figure how it works, but is dragged out of the oubliette before she can read the answer.

Bernice then visits Assad to try to apologise, but Assad yells at her - which comes out as static due to the lingering influence of the broken translation device - and reveals that his hand has been cut off. Bernice then leaves.

Characters

• Bernice Summerfield
• Assad
• The figure
• Vizier Jafar Abd al-Malik
• King Solomon

Worldbuilding

• The Braxiatel Collection is mentioned.
• Benny was born in 2540.

Notes

to be added

Continuity

to be added

External links

The Discontinuity Guide to: The Judgement of Solomon at The Whoniverse