as the door opened and the judge appeared.
For a moment it failed to register in his brain, and then he realized that the face under the judge's cap was that of Marda Debune, the woman who had approached him on the street and begged him to speak to her mother.
He was stunned. He recalled that look she had given him when he'd told her his name. She'd looked as if she'd seen a ghost. She'd known then that he would come before her in the court.
Judge Marda did not make eye contact with him. She acknowledged only the advocates as she gaveled the court into session.
The advocates rose, and the oath was spoken by the sergeant of the court. Prosecutor Plake moved to have the court take up the case of the Legion versus Dragoneer Relkin of the 109th Marneri.
In support of this request the prosecutor produced a copy of what it termed the defendant's "confession." In fact, it was the Customs Form that Relkin had filled out on his return from Eigo, listing all the gold except for a handful of tabis that he'd had the foresight to keep secret. If only he'd listened to the dragon, he would've never told them about any of the tabis. They hadn't even searched him for contraband when he stepped ashore in Kadein. He could have smuggled that gold through easily. But no, he had to go and fill out the forms and get himself into this nightmare situation.
Prosecutor Plake continued in his presentation in a deceptively bland manner and style.
"We already have the defendant's own testimony to the effect that this gold is loot. Thus there is no reason to put off any further the inquiry into the crime."
Bertonne was quick to rise and to approach the judge's bench.
"Your Honor, the prosecution has neglected to mention many pertinent facts. They have done so in a way that I find disheartening, even dishonest, and certainly disreputable. I must ask why the presentation was skewed so oddly. For instance, only a part of the gold in the defendant's possession is claimed to be loot. The majority of the gold was freely given by the King of Og Bogon. And we shall enter as evidence his letter to that effect. This letter was shown to the prosecution weeks ago, so their failure to mention it is even more astonishing. One can only conclude that before any evidence has been presented they seek to blacken my client's name and prejudice the court against him."
Judge Marda had a thin humorless smile.
"Yes, Bertonne, I rather imagine that Captain Plake has been painting an overly dire picture of the situation. Still, that does not answer the question he poses. Why shouldn't the trial begin on the gold that is admitted to have been looted?"
Bertonne compressed her lips for a moment and smoothly changed track.
"Indeed, my lady, such questions abound in this case. Some of them we hope to answer, such as why this case has even been pursued in the first place.
"Furthermore we shall prove that though Relkin did take the gold tabis from the house of an elf lord in the city of Mirchaz, he regarded it as payment for services rendered. We are also confident that in time we shall have a signed statement from the current government of Mirchaz that will officially designate the gold tabis as payment to the defendant and his dragon, the Broketail of the famous 109th squadron."
"In time? What does that mean? Please explain, Advocate Bertonne."
"Mirchaz lies at the end of the world, you understand, Your Honor. Our first messenger perished on the route and never reached the city. Our second messenger sent word from Eigo that he was traveling south by sea from Sogosh and hoped to round the Cape of Winds by the end of last month. It will take longer for him to reach Mirchaz itself. He must then return with the reply of the rulers of Mirchaz."
"We could be waiting for a year or more."
"That is possible."
"Do we even know who these rulers of Mirchaz are?"
"No, Your Honor, we do not."
"Thank you, Advocate Bertonne. Indeed, there are many questions to be answered in this
For a moment it failed to register in his brain, and then he realized that the face under the judge's cap was that of Marda Debune, the woman who had approached him on the street and begged him to speak to her mother.
He was stunned. He recalled that look she had given him when he'd told her his name. She'd looked as if she'd seen a ghost. She'd known then that he would come before her in the court.
Judge Marda did not make eye contact with him. She acknowledged only the advocates as she gaveled the court into session.
The advocates rose, and the oath was spoken by the sergeant of the court. Prosecutor Plake moved to have the court take up the case of the Legion versus Dragoneer Relkin of the 109th Marneri.
In support of this request the prosecutor produced a copy of what it termed the defendant's "confession." In fact, it was the Customs Form that Relkin had filled out on his return from Eigo, listing all the gold except for a handful of tabis that he'd had the foresight to keep secret. If only he'd listened to the dragon, he would've never told them about any of the tabis. They hadn't even searched him for contraband when he stepped ashore in Kadein. He could have smuggled that gold through easily. But no, he had to go and fill out the forms and get himself into this nightmare situation.
Prosecutor Plake continued in his presentation in a deceptively bland manner and style.
"We already have the defendant's own testimony to the effect that this gold is loot. Thus there is no reason to put off any further the inquiry into the crime."
Bertonne was quick to rise and to approach the judge's bench.
"Your Honor, the prosecution has neglected to mention many pertinent facts. They have done so in a way that I find disheartening, even dishonest, and certainly disreputable. I must ask why the presentation was skewed so oddly. For instance, only a part of the gold in the defendant's possession is claimed to be loot. The majority of the gold was freely given by the King of Og Bogon. And we shall enter as evidence his letter to that effect. This letter was shown to the prosecution weeks ago, so their failure to mention it is even more astonishing. One can only conclude that before any evidence has been presented they seek to blacken my client's name and prejudice the court against him."
Judge Marda had a thin humorless smile.
"Yes, Bertonne, I rather imagine that Captain Plake has been painting an overly dire picture of the situation. Still, that does not answer the question he poses. Why shouldn't the trial begin on the gold that is admitted to have been looted?"
Bertonne compressed her lips for a moment and smoothly changed track.
"Indeed, my lady, such questions abound in this case. Some of them we hope to answer, such as why this case has even been pursued in the first place.
"Furthermore we shall prove that though Relkin did take the gold tabis from the house of an elf lord in the city of Mirchaz, he regarded it as payment for services rendered. We are also confident that in time we shall have a signed statement from the current government of Mirchaz that will officially designate the gold tabis as payment to the defendant and his dragon, the Broketail of the famous 109th squadron."
"In time? What does that mean? Please explain, Advocate Bertonne."
"Mirchaz lies at the end of the world, you understand, Your Honor. Our first messenger perished on the route and never reached the city. Our second messenger sent word from Eigo that he was traveling south by sea from Sogosh and hoped to round the Cape of Winds by the end of last month. It will take longer for him to reach Mirchaz itself. He must then return with the reply of the rulers of Mirchaz."
"We could be waiting for a year or more."
"That is possible."
"Do we even know who these rulers of Mirchaz are?"
"No, Your Honor, we do not."
"Thank you, Advocate Bertonne. Indeed, there are many questions to be answered in this
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