Free On Kingdom Mountain by Howard Frank Mosher

of the court at all? The town of Kingdom Common has already offered Miss Jane one thousand dollars for the right of way over Kingdom Mountain. Also, the town is willing to route the Connector around my cousin’s spawning pool. Indeed, the original right of way map provided to the cutting crew circumvented the pool in question. But instead of referring the matter to me or to the town fathers, Jane Kinneson assaulted my loggers with a deadly weapon.”
    Judge Allen did not seem much impressed by the last allegation. “Are you ready to call your first witness, Eben?”
    Eben’s first witness was the Canadian crew chief. With some difficulty, because of Monsieur Thibideau’s heavy accent, Eben established that Thibideau had been given a topographical map with the right of way and the condemned property outlined on its contours. The map was produced, and in her cross-examination Miss Jane asked Thibideau to read the legend at its bottom.
    The crew chief grinned. “I can’t, me.”
    â€œWhy not? Surely you can read?”
    â€œ
Oui.
In French.”
    Next a college-trained forester, billed as an expert witness for the defense, testified that he had examined the stream in question a few days earlier and found no dead fish.
    â€œA query, forester,” Miss Jane said. “Did you secure permission to check the fish in my spawning pool?”
    â€œCertainly. From Mr. Kinneson.”
    â€œLet me understand this. My cousin gave you permission to come onto my land to manufacture evidence to use against me in court?”
    â€œObjection, Your Honor,” Eben Kinneson Esquire said. “Because of the way that question is—”
    â€œI withdraw the query,” Miss Jane said. To the forester she said, “If I see you again on Kingdom Mountain, I won’t answer for the consequences.”
    â€œYour Honor,” Eben said, “the sectors of Kingdom Mountain that lie south of the forty-fifth parallel of latitude, designated as the international border between Vermont and Quebec, clearly belong in the township of Kingdom Common. The township is well within its rights to drive a road over the mountain, connecting the county to the Eastern Townships of Quebec and thence to Montreal. Indeed, the so-called Canada Pike Road running over the mountain has never been officially abandoned by the township. If necessary, my clients can simply route the right of way along the pike road. Miss Jane may own Kingdom Mountain. She does not own the road connecting it to Canada.”
    â€œJane, do you wish to make a closing statement?” Judge Allen said.
    â€œI do,” she said. “The woodland splendors of the Gate to Canada have been destroyed. I ask for one thousand dollars as reparation for the cut timber. As for the Canada Pike Road, it’s been all but impassable for decades. Neither the township of Kingdom Common nor the state of Vermont nor the United States of America nor the Dominion of Canada owns one square inch of Kingdom Mountain. It belongs to me and me alone.
    â€œThere will be no high road,” she continued. “I end with a gloss of the famous words of old Cato, who concluded each of his speeches to the Roman Senate, no matter the topic, with the urgent reminder
Carthage delendo est.
Carthage must be destroyed.” Miss Jane paused. Then, in a stentorian voice worthy of old Cato himself, she roared out, “
Via alta delendo est
, my good people. The high road must be destroyed.”
    Judge Allen sighed and retired to his chambers to deliberate. Miss Jane remained sitting at the plaintiff’s table with Henry. From time to time she tapped her pointer on the edge of the table and glared meaningfully at Eben Kinneson Esquire, the knuckles of whose left hand were now visibly swollen.
    â€œWell, well,” said the judge, returning to the courtroom sooner than expected. “The Canada Pike Road reminded me of a story, folks. You’ve all