This time, the murmur that passed through the crowd was louder. Caromina blinked several times, her cheeks flushed, and sat down, keeping her eyes lowered.
• • •
From where he sat slightly behind Judge Perran, Levron had a good vantage point from which to view the gathered town folk seated in the town hall. It gave him some solace to see that everyone appeared to be suffering from the heat as much as he. Several people had brought fans and were attempting to create a breeze. Another scan of the assembly revealed a mixture of expressions; some seemed amazed at Caromina’s interruption of Perran’s examination of Brock, while other faces held hints of anger.
As for Jerret, the boy had sat silent through the entire proceeding. His mother, positioned directly behind him, had remained quiet and composed. Once again, Levron thanked Vkandis that he held the position of assistant to a judge, for he grew more convinced that everything Hannah had told him regarding Brock rang true. He knew he would find it nearly impossible to render an unprejudiced ruling in a similar case.
He watched Brock’s reaction to the continued questions Perran asked, the boy’s face alternating between haughty assurance and slight confusion. He supposed Brock had never had to defend his past misdeeds.
As for Caromina, she could hardly sit still. Levron didn’t need mystical powers to know what she thought. All the years of protecting her only son now fell under scrutiny, not only from her fellow town folk, but from a sanctioned judge straight out of Sunhame, granted powers by the Son of the Sun.
At last, Perran motioned Brock to be seated and turned his attention to Jerret. The boy’s face went pale, but his eyes never wavered from the imposing figure of the judge.
• • •
“You do not need to rise, Jerret,” Perran said, pointing to the cane the boy had leaned against his chair. “I understand it would be uncomfortable for you, and I need you to pay strict attention to the questions I ask. Be reminded that you, as Brock, are sworn to answer truthfully. Do you understand?”
“I do, Lord.”
“All right. Please tell us briefly how you sustained your injury.”
Jerret swallowed heavily. “I was out with a group of boys. We had finished school and had gathered by some shops before heading home.”
“And you were doing nothing but talking?”
“That’s all, Lord. And then Brock came up to us. He had several companions with him. My friends and I don’t really associate with him or his friends. They tend to tease us every chance they get.”
“Why is that, Jerret?”
“I guess it’s because they’re bigger and stronger than we are. They like to push us around. Anyway, he began teasing us again, calling us soft and useless. We don’t play sports like they do, and I guess that makes them think we’re sissies.”
“What happened next?”
“There’s an orange cat that has started living around my house. He roams a lot around town and has become affectionate. Anyway, we weren’t all that far away from my house, so I wasn’t surprised to see him. For some reason, Brock doesn’t like the cat. He picked up a rock and threw it at the cat.”
“Has he done this before?”
“Yes. But the cat’s pretty fast and doesn’t get hit much. I said something to Brock about him being mean to the cat and he didn’t like it.”
“Has Brock been cruel to other animals?”
“Yes, Lord. He kicked a puppy that belongs to Fora, a sister of a friend of mine.”
Perran glanced at Brock. The boy’s face had gone red, but his jaw still remained clenched. “I see. So, what happened next?”
“Oh, the usual, Lord. Brock called me nothing short of a wilted flower. I’m thinking I have to go home, get away from him. I turned to go and he pushed me. I almost fell, but I turned away. That’s when he pushed me again, and I tripped over a low set of steps leading to one of the shops.”
“Was this when you broke your leg?”
“Yes, Lord. It hurt awful bad.”
Perran leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his hand. He glanced at Caromina, who now sat motionless, her attention fixed on her son.
“Has Brock ever hit or pushed you before?”
“Several times. He doesn’t like me.”
“All right. So, your friends found some adults to take you home. And then the Healer came and set your leg, is that right?”
“Yes, Lord. He gave me something for pain, and it made me sleepy and confused.”
Perran sat up straighter and drew a deep breath. “All right. Now, I’m going to consult with my assistant, who has questioned people regarding this case. I require silence in the room.”
He motioned Levron forward. “Do the statements made by Brock and Jerret ring true from what you’ve discovered?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“They do,” Levron replied.
“Well, I think this might not be as difficult a judgment to render, then.”
Sudden movement swept through the assembled town folk, a loud murmur arising from the rear of the room. Perran frowned, leaned forward and looked down the aisle, and saw an orange cat wandering toward Brock and Jerret. Total silence fell on the room then as everyone watched the feline visitor.
The cat looked around as if to get his bearings and came directly up to Jarret. With a soft meow, the cat rubbed up against Jerret’s chair. Then he turned and stared at Brock.
Ears back, fur raised along his spine, and tail bristled, the cat hissed loudly, turned, and fled down the aisle toward the back of the room.
• • •
Levron found it difficult to keep a smile from his face. If evidence had ever been presented at trial, this intrusion was outstanding. He looked at Caromina, whose face had frozen in a distinctly horrified expression. Brock sat as if turned into stone, but Jerret turned his head to see where the cat had run off to.
From past experience, Levron knew judgment would be forthcoming. He felt certain he could foretell what Perran would say, but he kept his thoughts to himself, schooling his face into immobility. It would not do to give any hint as to what he hoped would be the outcome.
As for the town folk gathered at the trial, they sat silent, even their fans still, their eyes trained on the judge who sat behind the large table, ready to make a decision that could affect everyone.
• • •
Perran leaned forward, his attention locked on Brock and Caromina. Mother and son stared back, and it was difficult to sense what they felt. No matter. The judgment he would hand out was going to be distinctly different than what might be expected. As for Hannah and Jerret, they sat as silent as the rest of the gathered town folk.
“Hear me!” Perran said, crossing his arms on the table. “I speak now as the judicial representative of the Son of the Sun and Vkandis Sunlord. The judgment I render will be final with no appeal, and reported back to Sunhame.
“We’re dealing here with a situation that I’ve seen in the past—a situation that, in many cases, goes unpunished. Caromina, will you please stand.”
Brock’s mother glanced left and right, squared her shoulders, and stood.
“You’ve heard the evidence presented and the testimony given to my assistant. It should be clear to you by now that you have a problem with your son.”
“But, Lord,” Caromina said, “Brock’s always been a handful, but his father and I have tried to keep him in line.”
“Not from what I’ve heard,” Perran said. “Excuses made for him, over and over. No obvious punishment given him for any of his misdeeds. Do you realize that by withholding discipline of any sort, you’re actually harming your son?”
Caromina shook her head slightly. “We only wanted the best for Brock. He’s our only son, destined to follow his father as a successful merchant.”
“If that is true,” Perran said, “he won’t do well
as a merchant. Bullying in any form isn’t favored among the merchant class. He may be able to hold sway over boys and girls in town, but I don’t think other merchants would be pleased to deal with someone who won’t listen to objections made against him. Eventually, they’ll become exasperated and conduct fewer transactions with him. I ask you, what is one of the methods employed in dealing with goods to be transferred or sold? Is it trying to push others around, or learning to deal with different personalities that might not accept such actions and otherwise reach a compromise?”
Caromina glanced down at her feet, then looked in Brock’s direction, but remained silent.
“The case before me has no request for a monetary reward. Mistress Hannah has raised the question of how her son was pushed by your son and consequently broke his leg. Jerret simply questioned Brock’s meanness, displayed not only to him, but to other children in town and, by extension, to animals. If this behavior is not curtailed, it could become even more disastrous. Can you begin to see what the outcome could be?”
“I suppose, Lord,” Caromina said in a small voice, “you have shown me another way of looking at things. We, his father and I, only wanted the best for Brock.”
“And overlooked his bad behavior. Let me tell you a story. A few years back, I presided at a murder trial. The defendant had brutally killed three people. Now this might not seem to have any bearing on the decision I make today, but it does. From childhood, this young man had been cruel to animals, torturing them in any vile way you can imagine. This was not the first time I had been presented with a killer who began his life of crime by torturing animals. From those acts, he began to bully and beat other children. There seems to be some connection between that behavior that escalates into murder. This is a path I can see unfolding before your son.”
“Murder?” Caromina exclaimed. “Surely not, Lord!”
“Yes, Mistress Caromina. It’s a fact that I can give you more evidence of, that I’ve seen and passed judgment on. Bullies tend to go after anything and anyone they sense can’t retaliate. It can start out as cruelty to animals that can’t fight back, to going after younger children who are powerless to respond. This is also a behavior displayed when a bully sees ample opportunity to tease and push around other children.” He looked at Brock, who had leaned so far back in his chair that it appeared he was trying to become invisible.
“Hear my judgment. I’m issuing an order that will be obeyed as if it comes directly from the Son of the Sun. For the act that broke Jerret’s leg, there is no monetary award. Mistress Hannah didn’t request one. What she did request was a review of Brock’s behavior that resulted in her son’s injury. My order will go to the instructors at the school both boys attend. The instructors will be ordered to pay special attention to Brock, to work with him in trying to turn his mind in a direction that doesn’t promote the behavior of a bully. They will make periodic reports of Brock’s progress. And let me make this clear: If Brock is unable to change his behavior, if any of his instructors see no improvement in him, there are schools in Karse that deal with bullies who are unable to change. I can see, Mistress Caromina, that you understand all too well what I’m saying.”
Caromina bowed her head, her face gone pale. “I do, Lord.”
“Then let it be my judgment. Brock will be monitored at school by his instructors. His friends, those who follow him in his bullying, will be held under scrutiny. This behavior will be brought to a halt. Today. Brock, you will stand.”
Brock stood, his expression wavering between embarrassment and outright fear.
“You will now give your sincere apology to Jerret for causing his injury. And, believe me, I’ll know if the words you say are true.”
Brock turned and faced Jerret. “I’m sorry for what I did. It won’t happen again.”
Jerret nodded. “I hope not,” he said in a steady voice. “I never held anything against you.”
“So, then.” Perran looked from Caromina, Brock, Hannah, and Jerret to the assembled town folk. “This is my judgment, sanctioned by the Son of the Sun and laws of Vkandis Sunlord. No appeals will be made. So I have judged, so let it be acknowledged.”
• • •
Levron and Perran left the town hall behind, full of citizens who now were left to deal with the judgment rendered against Brock. Levron could hardly contain his appreciation for the judgment Perran had given. He had hoped the outcome would bolster his admiration for his master and had not been disappointed. It was a different trial from those he was used to, but the judgment had been, as far as he could see, correct to the last.
“Well, Levron,” Perran said as they walked the short way to the inn. “What do you think?”
“What do I think?” Levron shrugged his shoulders. “Once again, you reveal yourself as a wise judge, one who takes all evidence into consideration and makes a proper judgment. I hope Brock can turn himself around.”
“It’s my hope too. I don’t want to see a boy turn into a lawbreaker just because he thinks he can get away with it. Unless parents can truly see what their children are becoming, more cases like Brock’s will surface.”
Levron nodded as they approached the inn. “Vkandis protect!” he got out, pointing to the steps leading up to the inn. “Look!”
Sitting on the steps by the front door was the orange cat, tail wrapped demurely around his feet. He lifted one paw and gave his face a thorough washing, appearing totally unconcerned about what went on around him.
“I swear, it’s the same cat that Jerret feeds,” Levron said. “Perfect evidence offered at trial.”
Perran stopped and cocked his head. “There’s nothing better than direct evidence.”
As for the cat, Levron could have sworn the cat winked once at him before he stood, arched his back in a liquid stretch, then sauntered off down the street, tail proudly erect, as if totally pleased with his participation in the outcome of the trial.
An Ostentation of Peacocks
Elisabeth Waters
“Lady Magdalena,” the King asked, “what do you call a group of peacocks?”
“An ostentation of peacocks, Majesty.” Lena’s reply was prompt, as memorizing odd collective names for animals was a game at the temple where she lived.
“That’s certainly appropriate,” the Queen chuckled, looking up from her needlework. “I’ve never seen anything else so ostentatious in nature—only the clothing of some people at court is gaudier.”
They were in the Queen’s solar, relaxing before dinner. Lena suspected that the King and Queen would prefer to dine quietly in their rooms, and she would much rather be back at the temple of Thenoth, Lord of the Beasts, where she could wear a comfortable novice’s robe, rather than the dress she was currently stuffed into.
Lena hated formal dinners, but, as the King’s ward, she had to appear at court often enough that the other highborn didn’t complain that the King was keeping her out of sight and unwed so that he could continue to control her lands and income. When she first became his ward at the age of ten, it hadn’t been an issue, so he had permitted her to live at the temple, where she could learn to use her Gift of Animal Mindspeech. She was still allowed to live at the temple, but she was required to show up at court more frequently as she got older. She was sixteen now, and she feared that soon he was going to require her to go through an actual social season. She shuddered at the thought and thanked the god she was small for her age.
“Why did you ask about peacocks?” she asked the King. “Are you getting some?”
“I’ve lost some,” the King replied, “and they were a gift from our newest Council member, so I do need to get them back.”
“How did you lose them?” Lena asked. “And just how ostentatious was your loss?”
“They appear to have been stolen, and there were two peacocks and three peahens.”
That’s quite a lot to steal. “Do we know when? And
do we have any idea who—or, in the god’s name—why?”
“Politics,” the Queen sighed.
“Oh, joy.” Lena hated politics. “So the usual Council infighting just went up a level?”
“It looks that way,” the King agreed. “It doesn’t look good when the Crown can’t keep a gift safe for even a few days.”
“When were they last seen?” Lena asked.
“They were there at feeding time this morning,” the King replied.
“Are we sure they’re not still on the Hill?”
“We’ve searched, and we can’t find them. We did find one peahen’s feather near the gate the supply carts use, so we suspect they went out that way. The guards don’t remember seeing anything unusual, but . . .”
“They don’t know everyone, and a lot of supply carts look alike. Give me a minute.” Lena closed her eyes and reached out with her mind. There were a lot of birds on the Hill, from hawks in the mews to lots of wild birds, but everything she touched was either contented on its perch or happily flying about under an open sky. Nothing felt unhappy, confined, or stifled—and if they took the peacocks out in a covered supply cart, they’d be unhappy for certain!
Wherever they were, they were not within her range. The most distant birds she could reach were crows . . . the perfect spies, as long as they stayed interested. She sent a mental request, asking them to spread out along all the roads away from Haven—she didn’t think anyone was going to try to drive peacocks across an open field, at least not close to the city.
Lena opened her eyes. “I’ve asked the crows to watch for them,” she told the King. “It’s a good thing it’s summer; that will give them more time to look before the sun sets. And,” she added, “it’s a good thing you didn’t send me on one of those visits to the country this year.”
The Queen laughed. “He did make noises about it, but I’m afraid that there is some reluctance among potential hosts. Apparently there are rumors of dead bodies.”
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