Challenges

by Sharon Green

  At the end of the double handful of minutes, a door opened on the left side of the room and three men appeared. They all wore the heavy purple robes of judges, and filed up onto the dais and took their places. Once they were seated, everyone in the courtroom stood up and bowed their respect. The judge in the center, the presiding judge, nodded acknowledgment to let everyone sit again. The judge on the right, who oversaw the procedures used by the prosecution, and the judge on the left, charged with looking out for the accused, made no effort to add their own nods.

  “Now,” the presiding judge said once everyone was settled. “Will someone please tell me why we’re all here this morning?”

  “The circumstances are rather special, Your Honor,” the chief prosecutor said after getting to his feet. The man had Spirit magic, and although he was no more than a Low to Middle talent, he must certainly be able to feel the judge’s vast annoyance.

  “As I’m sure the court knows,” he continued, “we’re in the midst of preparing for the competitions which will choose our next Seated Blending. The matter before you this morning concerns the attempted kidnapping of one of the participants who qualified for the competitions. The special section of Advisory law therefore comes into play, which mandates the speediest trial possible.”

  “I can’t see that waiting one more day would have caused the entire system to break down,” the judge grumbled, dissatisfaction clear on his broad, middle-aged face. “But since we’re already here, we might as well get on with it. Go ahead and start giving us the facts.”

  “Really, Judge, this is all such foolishness,” Allestine interrupted as she rose gracefully to her feet. “The charges are absolutely untrue, and—”

  “Dama, this isn’t the time,” the judge on the left interrupted in turn, his face expressionless. “You’ll be allowed your say, but not until the prosecutor has his. Sit down now, and wait until you’re asked to speak.”

  Allestine was extremely annoyed, but she still nodded and smiled at the judge and resumed her seat. She seemed to think that she’d done something to help her cause, but Jovvi knew better. All three of the judges were Low talent Spirit magic users, and not one of them had missed Allestine’s very transparent emotions.

  The prosecutor went on to describe the attempted kidnapping in surprising detail, ending with the fact that the victim hadn’t tried to press charges. That was why the empire, much less soft-hearted and forgiving than a young, inexperienced woman, was bringing the matter before the bar.

  “Very simply put, Your Honor, this isn’t an attempt that can, or should be, overlooked,” the prosecutor wound up. “Qualified participants for the competitions are rare enough that they must be thoroughly protected, to be certain that no one tries the same again. We respectfully ask the court to make an example of this woman and her cohorts.”

  “Why are the two men in chains?” the judge on the right asked after the prosecutor bowed. “Since there’s a squad of guardsmen around them, chains seem rather unnecessary.”

  “A squad of guardsmen was also sent to arrest the three, Your Honor,” the prosecutor explained, faint embarrassment over the omission clear in the man’s thoughts. “The two men still tried to resist, apparently at the orders of the defendant. They’re in chains now to avoid a repetition of the incident.”

  “Very commendable,” the judge on the right commented dryly, his tone telling the prosecutor that the point was an important one and shouldn’t have been overlooked. His thoughts seemed to indicate that the man was new, and therefore wasn’t yet used to all parts of the proper procedures.

  “All right, Dama, now it’s your turn,” the judge on the left said to Allestine. “Were you telling us earlier that the charges are a bit harsh?”

  “Not harsh, Judge, completely untrue,” Allestine said as she rose again, completely ignoring the hint given her by the judge. “That silly bit of fluff was lying when she told everyone what happened. The truth is that I’d come to say goodbye to her, and she begged me to take her back to Rincammon with me. She said she hated everything about this city and wanted to go home, back to my residence in our city. I tried to be as gentle as possible when I refused her, but she still flew into a rage. She made me stop the coach then and there to let her out, but not before she said I’d be sorry for refusing her. I had no idea what she meant until the guardsmen came to arrest us. Her story is a lie, Your Honor, from beginning to end.”

  She used her smile on all three of the judges then, moving her body very slowly and gracefully. Jovvi recognized the subtle movement as one all courtesans are taught, to show prospective patrons that the courtesan is completely available. Allestine considered her speech and offer—a full success, but that was because she had Low level Fire magic. Spirit magic showed Jovvi how unhappy the three judges were with Allestine’s story, the judge on the left disgusted with the way she’d ignored his suggested defense.

  “Dama, are you saying you weren’t overcome by emotional loss and therefore found yourself doing something foolish?” he tried again, this time spelling it out for her. “The young lady had lived in your residence long enough for you to become sisterly—or motherly—fond of her, so perhaps you weren’t able to face the idea of leaving her behind all alone. That would explain—”

  “Nonsense, Your Honor,” Allestine interrupted with a small laugh, actually trying to make the words sound coy. “The girl was a terrible troublemaker in the residence, and she wasn’t even particularly popular with my patrons. With that in mind, you can see that the idea of my trying to kidnap her is pure nonsense. The truth is that I was very relieved to be rid of her.”

  “So that’s the truth, is it?” the judge on the right said while the one on the left sighed with exasperated resignation. “Then why don’t you tell us, Dama, why you came all this way just to visit a girl you don’t like? You’ve conducted no business of any sort in this city, nor have you visited anyone else. Court investigators checked the point thoroughly, so there’s no mistake.”

  “I’m afraid they weren’t quite as thorough as all that,” Allestine disagreed, apparently prepared for the question. “I came to Gan Garee to see if it was practical to open a residence here. I’ve been thinking about expanding for quite some time, and finally decided to look into the matter. Courtesy forced me into visiting that stupid girl while I was here, which I certainly now wish I hadn’t.”

  “Looking into expanding your business would mean seeing what properties are available and assessing the competition you would face,” the judge on the right pursued, his expression hard and unyielding. “You may now tell this court how you found out what was available, and the method you used to gauge your future competition.”

  “Why, Your Honor, the answer to those questions is very simple,” Allestine purred, privately feeling a ridiculing delight. “I meant to do those things, but I’m afraid I disliked this city the moment I laid eyes on it. As soon as I got here I decided against opening a residence after all, and so had no need to do any investigating.”

  “I see,” the judge on the right responded stiffly, vastly annoyed with Allestine’s inner amusement. “You came all the way from Rincammon just to change your mind once you got here. Would you now like to explain how a woman with High ability in Spirit magic can possibly make an unpopular courtesan? Or how such a woman could possibly prefer the life of an unpopular courtesan to the chance of becoming one of the new Seated Blending? Those points are still rather unclear.”

  “Not to me they aren’t,” Allestine all but snapped, resenting the fact that the prosecuting judge had brought up the very same argument that Jovvi had. “The girl just isn’t very bright, and she never seemed to realize that my patrons didn’t like her. She would boast about having first standing in the residence, and never noticed that the other girls were laughing at her. That, Your Honor, was the way it was.”

  “That, Dama, is a crock,” the prosecuting judge countered, completely out of patience. “A High practitioner in Spirit magic would have to
be dead not to notice unpopularity and laughter at her expense. You leave me no choice but to ask for an unbiased accounting.”

  He looked at the other two judges then, and the defense judge simply shrugged and nodded. It seemed to Jovvi that he couldn’t think of a reason to counter the request, and therefore was forced to agree to it. The presiding judge nodded when he saw that, and then raised his arm.

  “It’s the unanimous decision of this court that the defendant be required to give an unbiased accounting,” he announced to everyone in general. “The chief court clerk is authorized to make the necessary preparations.”

  People got up and began to move around and talk to each other then, leaving Allestine feeling confused and vaguely worried. Jovvi was also confused, so she took the opportunity to turn to the friendly bailiff.

  “Can you tell me what that’s all about?” she asked in a soft voice, looking up at him. “I’ve never heard that phrase before.”

  “It’s only used when the defendant denies all the charges lodged,” the bailiff replied just as softly after bending to her. “The court wants to know the truth, and the only one here who can give it to them without question is the defendant herself. She’ll be given the drink, and once it starts workin’ on her she’ll tell the court everythin’ it wants to know.”

  “What drink is that?” Jovvi asked with a frown. “Is it a truth drug of some kind?”

  “Better than those phony truth drugs,” the man replied with a smile. “It’s called Puredan, and when it’s inside somebody they have to do as they’re told. They keep a careful eye on the stuff, because once somebody under its influence is told somethin’, they’ll still obey the command once the Puredan wears off. And since it’s supposed to taste like funny water, people could have it fed to them without knowin’ about it. That’s why they’re so careful about who can use it.”

  Jovvi nodded her thanks, and turned back to what was going on in the courtroom again. Allestine was in the process of drinking a glass of clear liquid which one of the men in the room had brought to her, and the judges were watching carefully as she drank. Her mind said she didn’t know what it was that she drank, but had accepted it despite her annoyance over the delay in her release.

  And then Jovvi started, as an unexpectedly swift reaction began in Allestine. The woman hadn’t even finished the entire glass of liquid when her thought processes came to a sudden halt. All voluntary cogitation seemed to be gone, and she paused in the drinking until the court clerk quietly urged her to finish the liquid. She did so immediately, then stood in docile thoughtlessness, waiting patiently for the next thing she would be told.

  There was something of a stir over near where Ark and Bar sat, and Jovvi suddenly noticed how agitated their minds were. It had taken them a moment to realize what Allestine was being given, and by the time they tried to interfere it was too late to stop her from drinking. The guardsmen got the two bullies quieted down again, and by then Jovvi had noticed the two men seated a few rows behind the squad of guardsmen. They weren’t at all happy about what was going on, but the frustration level inside them said there was nothing they could do to stop it.

  “Why don’t we start with a simple but obvious point,” the prosecuting judge said suddenly, quieting all other conversation in the room. “In your initial statement, Dama, you said that your two male companions didn’t realize at first that they were resisting arrest. You claimed that they thought they were protecting you from some sort of attack, and now I ask if that statement was true.”

  “Of course not,” Allestine responded at once, her voice soft and entirely free of reluctance. “They knew the guardsmen were there to arrest us, so they tried to prevent that from happening. It was what they were supposed to do.”

  A not-quite ripple went through the people in the room, a voiceless reaction to the easy and damning admission. Jovvi could tell she wasn’t the only one who had never seen the results of Puredan use, and the others seemed as shaken as Jovvi felt.

  “That sounds more like it,” the prosecuting judge said with satisfaction. “And now you may tell us about the reason for your presence in Gan Garee. Did you really come here to see about expanding your business?”

  “It would be rather impractical for me to expand all the way here,” Allestine replied calmly. “The residence at home requires my close personal supervision, and so would any other residence I opened. I might be able to divide my time if the two were in the same city, but not with them being so far apart. No, the only reason I came here was to see what Jovvi was doing.”

  “Didn’t you know what she was doing?” the judge asked next. “She came here to test for High practitioner, didn’t she?”

  “Certainly, and that’s why I had to follow,” Allestine agreed. “She’s always been so quick to do just the right thing for herself, that I knew she would choose to stay here if she passed those tests. And maybe even if she didn’t, since any residence in the city would have accepted her gladly. But she brings in more gold than all the rest of my ladies combined, so I simply couldn’t afford to let her go. I made up my mind to come after her and bring her back, knowing no one would notice the absence of one single girl.”

  “Didn’t you realize that she’s more than just another girl?” the judge pursued. “How could you think that no one would notice the disappearance of a competitions entrant?”

  “Everyone knows that competition business is nonsense,” Allestine said, almost adding a small laugh. “Real people never bother about it, so why should I? Besides, I wanted her back in my residence, and I usually get what I want. Ark and Bar make sure of that, so why shouldn’t I have tried to kidnap her? It didn’t even matter that she said she would report me to the authorities. I wanted her back.”

  “Is that why you didn’t leave the city when your attempt failed?” the judge asked next. “You had all your possessions with you and you’d paid your inn charges in full, our investigators told us, but then you went back to the inn. Were you going to try again?”

  “Of course, but that isn’t why I didn’t leave,” Allestine answered, her hands folded comfortably in front of her. “It wasn’t possible to leave, it just wasn’t, and that’s why I decided to try again. We would have made sure she was unconscious that second time, but I’m not certain about what I would have done with her. It wasn’t possible to leave…”

  Allestine’s voice trailed off as though she were confused about something, but she really had nothing in her mind that could be confusing. Jovvi, however, wasn’t in the same position, and she was both confused and disturbed. Something wasn’t right here, she knew, but before she found it possible to figure out what, the defense judge spoke.

  “Did you regret your actions at all?” he asked, his mind weary with the necessity. “Weren’t you the least bit sorry that you tried what you did? Wasn’t there the smallest chance that you would have changed your mind about trying again?”

  “No, I wasn’t sorry,” Allestine admitted quickly and easily. “Why would I be sorry about taking back what’s mine? She belongs to me, you know, and always will. Just like the other girls in the residence, only she’s much more valuable than them. When I get her back, she’ll make my fortune even larger than it already is.”

  “I think that’s clear enough,” the presiding judge said while Jovvi’s insides twisted and knotted. Allestine really did consider her a slave, and would not have hesitated to keep her a prisoner if she’d gotten her back to the residence. “I now direct the senior court clerk to bring the defendant out of it, so that she’ll be fully aware when sentence is pronounced.”

  As the clerk approached Allestine again, the three judges began to speak softly among themselves. The prosecuting and defending judges seemed to be making suggestions, and the presiding judge listened and asked an occasional question. Jovvi could feel his effort to keep an open mind, but it wasn’t possible to deny completely that he’d already made a decision. In the interim the clerk had been speaking to Allestine, and now her t
houghts had returned as quickly as they’d previously disappeared. When the clerk walked away from her, she looked up at the three judges with faint puzzlement.

  “Does the defendant have anything she’d like to add?” the presiding judge asked, sounding downright solemn. “This, Dama, will be your last opportunity to do so.”

  “How many times can I repeat that the silly little chit is lying?” Allestine asked sleekly, as though she had no idea about what she’d said only a few moments ago. “I’m completely innocent, and I think I’ve shown that no one can prove differently.”

  Once again she didn’t quite smirk, but that was only on the outside. The presiding judge saw the same thing Jovvi did, but wasn’t nearly as upset by it.

  “But the opposite of your claims has been proven, and in a way no one can doubt or discredit,” the presiding judge said in a ponderous voice. “Allestine Tromin, stand forward and hear the penalty for your crimes.”

  “What are you talking about?” Allestine tried to shrill, suddenly frightened by what she’d heard. “Who could have—”

  “Allestine Tromin, you have been found guilty of a terrible crime through the testimony of your own words,” the judge plowed on, overriding Allestine’s protests. “Kidnapping with the intent to enslave is vile enough, but to take as your victim a rare resource of the empire is unforgivable.”

  Allestine now stood with her mouth opening and closing, but no sound emerged. Her face had gone completely pale, and her mind clanged with shock. No one had ever challenged her word before, and not only challenged it but declared it a lie. Jovvi could see that she began to believe the scene unreal, as though it were nothing but a nightmare.

  “For those reasons I shall pronounce an equally monstrous sentence,” the presiding judge continued, his talent closed down to separate him from the woman he spoke to. “You are hereby remanded to the department of justice, which will transport you to one of the empire’s deep mines. There you will remain, performing hard labor, for five full years. And those two men, who accompanied you in perfidy, will also accompany you in your sentence. They will suffer the same fate, but at two other mines, to exclude the possibility of continuing your mutual support. Take them all away.”