Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal last Friday ordered Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Google CEO Larry Page to sit down next Monday and Tuesday and seek a financial settlement to Oracle's Java infringement suit against Google.

If they get nowhere next week they'll have to show up for one more try on Friday, September 30.

It's still unclear whether the Java jury trial will start as scheduled on October 31. It all depends on whether an unrelated criminal case gets precedence. The Java case was recently divided in two: a liability part and a damages part.

Judge Grewal, who will try to mediate, issued his Larrys order after Oracle railed against Google's idea of sending Android chief Andy Rubin to a sit-down. Oracle sees Rubin as the author of the infringement and it's got internal Google e-mail -one of the e-mails Google has been trying to suppress - supporting its position. He's also not perceived to have the clout to settle.

Oracle was going to send its negotiator-in-chief Safra Catz, who can still tag along with Ellison under the Grewal order.

Judge Grewel is obliging District Court Judge William, who's been saddled with the case and wants it to go away. Alsup "strongly" recommended that Ellison and Page attend the talks in a September 8 filing but left it to Grewel to decide who should do the dickering.

Oracle of course is trolling for billions.