by S A Shaffer
“She was my secretary.” Blythe said in a flat tone.
“And what was your relationship with your secretary?” David asked.
“Strictly business.” Blythe said without hesitation.
“You never had any romantic… entanglement with Ms. Paula?” David asked.
“None.” said Blythe.
“I would remind you that the speakers dais binds all who sit upon it in an oath of honesty.” David said, laying the final snares of his trap.
Blythe nodded coolly.
David felt giddy inside. “I will call my second witness, Mr. Mallory Shackleford.”
Mallory stood and descended the stairs from Walker’s box with his hat in his hands. His nervous manner was not nearly as refined as Mercy’s elegance, nor was it as polished as the time David had first met him nearly a cycle earlier when Blythe and himself first dined at The Dancing Skyfish, when Mallory led them to their table. It struck David as strange, all those seasons ago, that Mallory knew Blythe by name and had a particular table permanently reserved. And David didn’t believe for one moment that it was only because Blythe was a representative. He had a hunch that Blythe frequented the establishment, and his hunch had been correct.
David rushed through the introductory procedures, so he could ask Mallory a question while Blythe’s business relationship was still firmly in the assembly’s minds.
“Mr. Mallory, how often did you see Mr. Blythe at The Dancing Skyfish?” David asked.
“Oh, perhaps once or twice a week.” Mallory replied.
“And did he visit alone or with company.”
“Always with company.” Mallory said, and nervousness tingeing his voice as he twisted his hat in his hands.
“Do you recognize this woman?” David pressed some keys on the steam projector again and a picture of Ms. Paula in her teardrop hat and light pink fingernails resolved out of the steam.
“I do, she came with him to dinner on many occasions,” Mallory said. “but I haven’t seen her there for about a cycle.”
“I don’t see where you’re going with this,” Blythe said, cutting into the questioning. “I also took you to dinner at the Dancing Skyfish. Did we also have a romantic relationship?”
The assembly laughed, and Mallory looked at his hat, but in a small voice, he said something that only David could hear, and what he heard made him smile.
“I’m sorry,” David said when the assembly had quieted. “I didn’t hear the last thing you said, Mr. Mallory. Could you repeat it?”
“I… I did see them kiss once.” Mallory said.
“A kiss?” David said as he faced Blythe. “Is a kiss also part of the business relationship?”
Blythe frowned at Mallory. “Evidently I didn’t tip enough.” The assembly laughed again and continued to do so as Blythe went on. “On the other hand, it seems to me that you’re feeling a bit jealous, David.”
“Not at all sir.” David said as the assembly again laughed. “But I do wonder if you were telling the truth when you said there was no romantic entanglement between you and Ms. Paula.”
“Let me clear this up.” Blythe said. “She kissed me, not I her. I had no romantic entanglement with Ms. Paula, though she may have had one with me.”
“I see,” said David. “and did your interactions with Ms. Paula ever advance beyond her kissing you?”
“Never.” Blythe said.
“That’s all Mr. Mallory. You may go.” David said.
Mallory ascended the stairs as quick as a man could without running.
“Next I would like to bring up the doorman from Ms. Paula’s apartment.” David said. “One Mr. Wade Bristol.”
A very round man with a stern manner and a halo of hair waddled down the stairs and took up a stance beside David, his wide girth separating his small feet from his narrow shoulders.
Again, David rushed through the introductions and pressed Bristol for any knowledge he had about Blythe, particularly knowledge of Blythe at Paula’s apartment. Blythe frowned when he saw Bristol, but he offered no comment, not even when Bristol described Blythe walking through the complex at 8:00 in the morning in not but a Bathrobe, and that on several occasions, he paid for Ms. Paula’s rent.
David thanked Ms. Bristol and returned his attention to Blythe.
“Am I to understand,” David said, “that you still maintain that you never had any romantic interaction with Ms. Paula beyond a kiss?”
“That is correct.” Blythe said. “None whatsoever.”
“So we’re to believe that you paid for Ms. Paula’s rent in not but a bathrobe in the early morning because…”
“I couldn’t find my trousers that morning.” Blythe said, filling in David’s sentence.
The assembly laughed once again.
“Did you try looking under Ms. Paula’s bed?” David asked, snagging Blythe’s momentum as the audience continued to laugh. “Really, Mr. Speaker, your story is ludicrous. Do you really expect us to believe such a ludicrous tale?”
“I’m not responsible for what anyone believes.” Blythe said. “I’m responsible for telling the truth.”
“He’s got you there, lad,” a representative called from the audience to more snickers.
David did his best to smile, but more and more he wondered if this was one giant, elaborate show, and everyone was an actor save him.
“Really, David,” Blythe said. “Even if I did enjoy a romantic flair with Ms. Paula, such antics are not unknown by this assembly, and they are hardly a crime. You began this inquiry with an accusation of murder, yet all I’ve heard are headlines from the juicy section of a tribunal.”
“You’re quite right, Mr. Speaker.” David said. “Let me continue to this second box of evidence. I wish to call Inspector Kenneth Winston to assist me in establishing the evidence.”
Blythe flinched a little when David mentioned Winston’s name.
“Inspector Winston,” David asked when the inspector reached the floor in front of the dais. “How are you connected to this case?”
“I was the inspector assigned to investigate the case.” Winston said. “This is the evidence I collected during my investigations.” Winston gestured to the boxes on the glass floor.
“And what of Ms. Samantha Samille?” David asked.
“Since the cases had a strong connection,” Winston said, “I was also assigned that case.”
“Could you explain what you mean by strong connection?” David asked.
“Both victims were killed in the exact same way.” Winston said. “Blunt force trauma all across the body. In short, they were beaten to death. And, since they both worked in the same office, sat at the same desk and worked the same position, we can presume with nearly one hundred percent certainty that they were killed by the same person.”
“I don’t think I need to ask Speaker Blythe if he had any romantic interaction with Ms. Samille.” David said.
“I’ll admit to that one,” Blythe said with a smile. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
David walked to one of the evidence boxes and drew out a small note.
“Inspector Winston,” David asked, “could you explain what this is?”
“This is a love note from Ms. Paula. She was having an affair with a married man and wished to end it with marriage.”
“Could you read the letter in its entirety.” David asked.
“A divorce would ruin me, and you cannot offer me enough to justify the loss. Are you not happy with what we have?” Winston read from the note.
“What does that tell you, Inspector Winston?” David asked.
“That Ms. Paula had a lover, a married lover.”
David took back the letter and flipped over to another bit of evidence. The onlookers made no sound, but he saw curiosity in their eyes. Perhaps their curiosity would grant him the upper hand.
“What is this Inspector?” David asked.
“That is Ms. Paula’s personal notebook.”
“Is there anything o
f interest in that notebook?” David asked.
“Yes, there is a very interesting page in the back. It contains a list of addresses in the Third District and their general increased value.”
“When was the note written?” David asked.
“After the announcement that Public pharmaceuticals’ would move to the Third District.” Winston said. “We know this because their values remained the same for ten cycles, and because the increased values in that notebook are representative of their values after the announcement.”
“And who owns those properties?” David asked.
“According to the district property records, all of them are owned by Speaker Blythe.” Winston said.
Blythe looked in shock as David put an image of the page in question on the steam projector.
“What does this tell you, Inspector?” David asked.
“It tells me that,” Winston said, pausing to collect his thoughts, “Ms. Paula was keeping a personal record of Speaker Blythe’s net worth and financial dealings. And, it was one of the last things she did before she died.”
The assembly murmured when they heard that.
“How do you figure that, Inspector Winston.” David asked.
“Our original autopsy report established Ms. Paula’s time of death between 24 and 48 hours after Mr. Blythe’s grand speech. Therefore, she wrote that note after Speaker Blythe’s grand speech but no more than 48 hours after the grand speech.”
“Very good Inspector.” David said. “On another note, in your investigation of the speaker, did you ever calculate his total net worth?”
“I did. As of a season ago, I calculated it to be in excess of 20 million sterling.”
“20 Million?” David asked as he looked at Blythe.
But Blythe only shrugged and said, “Business has been good.”
David reached into the evidence box and pulled out one last item, his crowning jewel.
“Could you tell me what this is, inspector.” He asked.
“That is Ms. Paula’s locket.” Winston said.
David held it up for all to see and enjoyed Blythe redden when he saw it.
“Ms. Paula always wore this locket.” David said. “In fact, I never saw her without it, despite the fact that she had a fine collection of jewelry.”
David let that sink in for a moment, gnawing at the minds of the representatives. Then he turned the metal locket, and the two halves came apart revealing the writing within.
“Ms. Winston, could you tell me what it says on the inside of the locket?” David asked and handed the locket to Winston.
“On the one side there are the letters, WJB,” Winston said, “and on the other side IV.”
For once, the assembly remained absolutely silent, every one of them staring at the tiny locket Winston held in his club-like hands. None of them dared to make a sound.
“So, sum up what we have established, if you would, inspector,” David said. “Tell me your professional opinion of the evidence and the conclusions we can draw from it.”
Winston bit his lip before he began. “Speaker Blythe and Ms. Paula were having a love affair. Ms. Paula wanted marriage, but Speaker Blythe refused, not wanting to jeopardize his political standing. So, Ms. Paula threatened him with blackmail, then she was tortured to death—
“This is slander.” Blythe said. He jumped up from his seat interrupting Winston.
“Is it?” David said, fury tainting his voice. “You did not feel so when you accused me of the same crime.”
Blythe fumed. His face reddened and mouth opened and closed with unspoken words.
“As it is,” David said, “My inquiry has come to an end. I would now ask the assembly to vote on this matter. A three-quarter vote of no confidence will strip the speaker of his power until a magistrate trial either convicts or acquits him. His first aide would fill in his speaker duties during the interim, or until his district’s next election.”
“Thank you, David.” Blythe said. “We are all aware of the assembly rules. Before this assembly votes I would remind them all of the prosperity we have all enjoyed these past few seasons and the continued peace and prosperity we will feel for many more to come… while I am speaker.” He said the last part with particular emphasis, almost as though he was warning them that if he went down, he would take them with him.
The steam projector showed two tallies, one for yeas and one for nays. A murmur began and rose to a rabble as representatives talked amongst themselves. But the discussion ended as soon as it began. David felt his blood chill and his heart pound as he paced on the glass floor in front of the dais.
He wondered. Had they already come to a decision? That was too quick.
He looked up at the tally and saw fifteen yeas for Blythe’s removal, but he needed fifty-seven votes to remove Blythe and the nays’ tally had not resolved from the mist yet. Thirteen nays appeared, and David bit his lip, then the number thirty, and David gawked. Just like that, it was over. He’d failed to convince the assembly. It didn’t matter that there were still votes outstanding, there weren’t enough votes left to reach fifty-seven yeas.
David felt himself screaming inside his own head. How could they? How could they ignore such overwhelming evidence? They hadn’t even considered it. It was as if they always intended to vote as they did.
But the number of nays continued to grow, while the yeas remained at fifteen. Forty-nine nays, then fifty-two, and at last, sixty-one. The nays had the vote by an overwhelming margin. Very few, if any, Equalist voted against Blythe. Evidently, they didn’t mind having a torturous murderer as their speaker, as long as he let them prosper off the sweat of the taxpayers. David looked at Blythe and saw a cold smile; a smile of triumph.
“Well, David,” Blythe said. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that trouble. I could have told you that would be the result even before you started. What did you think you would accomplish through all of that, hmm?”
David maintained his gaze at Blythe, but he said nothing.
“It’s hard for me to believe I once called you brilliant,” Blythe continued, “because, that was a very foolish thing to do. You’ve given yourself to me and accomplished nothing in your sacrifice.”
“It wasn’t in vain.” David said. “The people heard the truth. They’ll rise up against you.”
“The people!” Blythe said, barking out a laugh. “What people? I switched off all broadcasts of this assembly the moment you called your first witness. You think I would allow them to hear all of that? And even if they had heard, they wouldn’t care. Why would the ignorant, doped up masses care what kind of man is sending them their social assistance checks? The money, the drugs, and the ease are all they care about.”
“You mean your pacifying wonder drugs? The drugs you’re using to control the populous?” David said. He turned and looked at the representatives around him. “Don’t you care what he’s doing to Alönia? He’s forcing Don Johnson to issue pacifying drugs so the people will accept whatever he says. He’s destroying our democracy from the inside out while you sit by and do nothing!”
Nobody spoke, nor did they meet his eye. The only sound in the room was that of Blythe’s chuckling. David turned and faced Blythe, disbelieving what he saw.
“They know, David.” Blythe said. “They all know. That fact is: they don’t care. They get to live very comfortable lives because of my legislation.”
“By comfortable lives,” David said, feeling himself sweat as Blythe looked at him with his sickly condescending smile, “are you referring to the fact that your administration has spent more sterling in its first few seasons than Walker spent in his entire tenure as speaker? You’re enjoying and wasting our peoples hard earned money.”
Blythe shrugged. “A small price for a unified party.”
“But what of our democracy?” David said. “What of our Houseland government?”
Blythe sighed. “What is democracy but two Voxils and a mountain sheep deciding what’s for supper.
The people still vote, they just don’t realize that I’ve dissolved their will to work and survive without my assistance. They’re dependent on me, no… they’re addicted to me.”
“But that’s wrong!” David said. “It will destroy the houselands, and you know it.”
“You know what the problem is with Pragmatics ideology? You’re always bogged down disputing between yourselves what’s right and wrong. We Equalists don’t bother, we simply unify behind what’s easiest, profitable, and popular. The houselands died some time ago, David. Sure, Walker got a few last kicks out of the old girl, but the era of Alönia is over, and the era of a unified Fertile Plains has begun, and I will lead it.”
“The people of Alönia did not elect and pay for your extravagant lifestyle so you could sacrifice them in favor of other realms.” David said looking at the representatives. “You represent Alönians, not Bergs or Viörns, or even the Armstadies. Do you even know about the speaker’s Viörn friend,” David asked and enjoyed seeing Blythe’s face twitch out of the corner of his eye, “the one giving him orders?”
“They are fully aware of my peace talks with Viörn and Berg.” Blythe said, interjecting.
“Alönia will not be so easily thwarted.” David said, turning back to Blythe. “You can say whatever you want about us, but we are a proud, strong people. We will not fall so easily to a dictator eager to prostrate us to our enemies. The Viörn and Berg are coming—”
“That’s enough out of you,” Blythe said. “Guards, take him away so we can hang him.”
“They are mass-producing their airships and positioning them along the border.” David continued as five guards walked across glass floor and toward him. They surrounded him and closed in like a noose around a bovine’s neck.
David pointed a finger at Blythe. “Justice will find you one day. It will knock on your door and demand recompense for the crimes you’ve committed, the innocent lives you have wasted.”
“I said that’s enough!” Blythe shouted, standing to his feet. “Shut him up.”
A guard lunged at David, but David was not the simple aid he had once been. He easily dodged and elbowed the guard in the face. He felt a crack through his sleeve and saw blood seep from the man’s nose.