by Rob Summers
Chapter 18 The Necessity of a Trial
“Despite this new evidence, you doubt that you want Obscurity tried. But I tell you that, unless she is, the matter will never be properly settled.” Grace leaned casually against the improvised judge’s bench, erected in Grace House’s dining room, and looked in turn at Dignity, Bits Bitterly, and Reason.
It was New Year’s Eve morning, bright and clear. Reason, seated on one of the many chairs that now filled the center of the room, looked down at her baby in a carrier beside her. “It’s not that we don’t want the trial,” she said, “it’s that we don’t want to do it ourselves.”
“Don’t you?” said Grace. “You’ve set Honesty to watching her, assembled the evidence, actually formed a case against her. Now do you want to just turn it all over to me and go your way? Would you be satisfied with my decision? Keep in mind that you haven’t yet been satisfied with my opinion of Obscurity.”
“No, I suppose not,” said Dignity, “but we hardly feel adequate to handling it ourselves. Reas’ and Bits as prosecutors, that I can see. But me as judge? I don’t have any experience, and besides, I’m anything but impartial. How can I be a judge when I’m claiming that I myself was severely wronged by her?”
“How indeed?” Grace looked Dignity in the eye. “And yet you and only you can settle it. If I were to judge her and acquit her, you would be back to the Embassy within a month with fresh evidence and accusations. Oh, I realize the risk. This is no mock trial, Dignity, and you may actually banish Obscurity from the house if that’s what you decide. And do I see a light in your eye when I say that? Yes, I mean it, you can be rid of Obscurity forever. Hold steady, boy, you will have to wait till the end of the trial.”
“Of course I will,” said Dignity, reddening. “I can be fair.”
“We’re agreed then?” said Grace. “Bits?”
“I’m ready to lend a hand,” said Bits. “I’ll be a proper Heavenite during this trial and bring all the dark things into light, as the good book says.”
“And Reason?”
She nodded. “But who will represent Obscurity?” she asked. “She needs a defense lawyer.”
“That you remember when the young men are unconcerned,” said the Ambassador. “Yes, she needs a proper defense, and she has asked me to represent her. I’ve agreed.”
Dignity’s face fell. “But if you’re on her side—”
“You’ll have to acquit her? No, I’ve already explained that you don’t have to. My representing Obscurity is fitting, that’s all. And anyway, you only just now wanted me to be judge. Am I proper for judge and not for defender?”
Dignity had no answer.
“Very good then, let’s be cheerful. Bits, I’ve brought my judge’s robes for Dignity to wear. They’re in the kitchen. Would you help him into them? Thank you. I just need to have a word with Reason.”
As the two men went out, Grace sat down by Reason and spoke to her quietly. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes, but I don’t know how you knew,” she said. “It’s about Bits. I’m not sure he should really be here for this, not as part of the prosecution at least.”
“And why is that?”
Reason caressed little Wisdom and thought. “He’s just not reliable. He doesn’t seem one of us, if you understand me. Even when we were young, I could never thoroughly be at ease with him. Now I find myself disliking him. For one thing, he has no sympathy for Obscurity whatsoever. I personally think a prosecutor should be broad minded enough to see things from the accused’s point of view.”
“That’s very idealistic.”
“Yes, but I just am idealistic. Actually, I don’t have much enthusiasm for this, Ambassador. I don’t understand Obscurity, but I don’t hate her. No matter how damning the evidence, something tells me she isn’t all bad.” She smiled self-consciously. “Of course, ‘something tells me’ is worthless in a court of law.”
“Not at all,” said Grace. “What you’re saying is that you intend to be merciful, which is invaluable. As for Bits, he won’t be, but that’s precisely why he should be here. Obscurity’s defense must stand against the most rigorous prosecution, or else she can’t be proved truly innocent.”
“I suppose so,” said Reason, raising the child to her shoulder, “so I’ll go along with this. By the way, Bits says Obscurity is going to try to destroy his credibility by raising a spurious accusation of his being a City spy and agent. I never would have expected that from her.”
“Interesting,” said Grace.
“There really isn’t anything to it, is there?”
Grace raised an eyebrow. “You could scarcely expect the defending attorney to provide you with such information.”
Reason laughed. “Of course not, I was forgetting myself. Good luck to you then.”
“And to you.”