Cubello 54
Cubello 54 is the sleek and polished lawyer for the Jonglor Centennial Exposition, who acts as a legal adversary to Sheerin 501 during the investigation into the Tunnel of Mystery disaster, prioritizing the Exposition's liability and reputation over the psychological harm suffered by the victims.
Identity and Role
Cubello 54 is introduced as a sleek and polished lawyer representing the Jonglor Centennial Exposition. He is present at the Jonglor Municipal Psychiatric Institute alongside the hospital director, Kelaritan 99, when Sheerin 501 arrives as a consulting expert on mental health. Cubello's professional demeanor is immediately apparent: he is quick to challenge any language that might imply legal liability for the Exposition. When Sheerin refers to the patients as "victims," Cubello objects sharply, insisting that the term carries a presupposition he finds unacceptable. He argues that there is no necessary reason to think that the people who died in the Tunnel of Mystery did so as a result of having gone through it, a position that Sheerin crisply dismisses as predictable from a lawyer protecting his client.
Conflict with Sheerin 501
The tension between Cubello and Sheerin is immediate and personal. Sheerin, a ruddy and far-from-gaunt psychologist, is innately suspicious of anyone of adult years who weighs less than half of what he does, and he finds Cubello's sleekness distasteful. When Sheerin expresses his view of lawyers in general, Cubello reacts with outrage, demanding that Kelaritan register a protest. He accuses Sheerin of acting as a witness for the prosecution rather than an impartial expert. Kelaritan must intervene to calm the situation, reminding both men that they share the same objective: to discover the truth and prevent a repetition of the unfortunate events. Sheerin eventually offers a genial smile, but the underlying antagonism remains. Later, when Sheerin interviews the traumatized longshoreman Harrim 682, he asks Kelaritan if Cubello's presence is necessary, suggesting the interview would go more smoothly without him. Kelaritan agrees, and Cubello is asked to leave, his face dark with displeasure.
Legal Pragmatism and the Tunnel's Closure
Cubello's role is defined by his legal pragmatism. He explains to Sheerin that the Tunnel of Mystery remained open even after deaths occurred because the same psychological mechanism that made it frightening also made it appealing. He notes that the City Council put a doctor in the front office to examine customers, which actually boosted ticket sales. The Tunnel was only shut down, Cubello reveals, not because of the deaths, but because of the liability insurance problem: the ongoing expense of hospitalizing survivors who suffered traumatic disturbance became too high a financial drain on the municipality and its insurers. Sheerin is appalled by this calculation, but Cubello insists it is essentially the calculation the City Council was forced to make. After Sheerin himself rides the Tunnel and emerges deeply shaken, he delivers a passionate verdict that the ride is deadly and must be shut down for good. Cubello tries to argue, but Sheerin cuts him off, telling him to shut the Tunnel down in the name of sanity.
