Grace House: The Trial of Obscurity

by Rob Summers

Chapter 23 The Witness Obscurity

  At a table at Cruel’s Place, in a corner very dark at midday, sat Mr. Power and the lawyers Pitfall and Trial. A block shaped candle at the center of the little table lit their faces: Power’s, broad and thick-browed; Pitfall’s, gray and cadaverous; and Trial’s, long and flabby.

  Trial was speaking. “She disappeared well before lunchtime. Pit thinks she went off to kill herself.”

  “And left her car in front of Dignity’s house?” Power was scornful.

  “Are we sure that’s her car? Seems like that’s the last place she’d go.”

  “It’s hers,” said Power. “I’ve had a reliable policeman keeping an eye on the place. The license plate Shaky called in has been matched with Pinch’s rental car. She’s in there, and I want to know why. Pitfall?”

  Pitfall took a menu from the waitress. “I asked for this lunch meeting because I thought she’d be safely dead before the day was out. We could have been preparing our statements for afterward. ‘So sorry—never saw it coming—deeply shocked.’ What she’s doing at Grace House I’m not prepared to say.”

  “Is that legalese?” said Power darkly. “What does ‘not prepared’ mean? You must know pretty well what’s up, so out with it.”

  Both lawyers were silent.

  “I don’t pay you to sit there and chew your gums. I could break you both down to shoeshine boys.”

  “It’s, uh, that one of Pinch’s inside people was exposed,” Trial said. “The security expert Obscurity.”

  “What, Self-Righteousness’ brat?”

  “Yes, her. Pinch actually went in the house to pay her off.”

  “Very stupid,” Pitfall put in. “We absolutely never do that.”

  “One of them trailed Pinch back to our offices,” Trial said.

  Power cursed profusely. “So this is my high-powered legal department? Why didn’t one of you handle it?”

  Like most of Power’s questions, this had no adequate answer. He glared at them while the three ordered.

  When the waitress left, Pitfall gathered himself. “As I see it, she really did intend suicide when she left our offices. Old Grace must have intercepted her.”

  Power swore again. “You mean he’s bought her? But she works for us.”

  “I forgot to tell you that I terminated her.”

  “Idiot! And she’s gone over to them? Hell’s bells, how much does she know?

  Trial smoothed his colorful tie. “As far as the immediate situation is concerned, she can expose both Obscurity and our other informant.” He lowered his voice. “That’s Bits Bitterly.”

  “Bitterly—he’s one of those scalies, isn’t he? Brooding’s kid?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “So what kind of damage are we talking here? No foreigners’ trial, absolutely not. We can’t let it get out of our hands. Pitfall?”

  “According to Pinch’s last report, Obscurity was to go on trial this morning. The Heavenite trial is being held right there at Grace House. Grace may have raked in Pinch as a witness.”

  Power sat back with a light sweat on his face. “Always Grace,” he said. “He hounds me. He plucks things out of my fingers. Romps through this town like it’s his own. But it isn’t, gentlemen, it’s mine.” He sat silent and staring.

  “We’re looking at damage control,” said Trial. “We can keep it out of all our news media, but that still leaves them the Heavenite channel and their Internet sites. If it blows, it’s going to spread slowly. We can beat them to it, release our own version first.”

  “I am not going to be beaten by Grace again,” Power said. “I won’t be put on the defensive. My sister-in-law was supposed to put nooses around Dignity and Reason’s necks last week, but something went wrong. We still have options in that direction.”

  He pulled out a cellular phone and punched a button. “Abject? I want seats for two more at Mrs. Power’s party tonight. I don’t care, disinvite somebody. Just work it out. And we’re going to have to hand deliver the invitations. Now get ready for the names and address. Write this down.”

  The children of Grace House were out of school for the holidays, so even with some of them seated in the kitchen, the dining room table at lunch was full. Dignity sat with Joy on his right hand and Love on his left and listened to them talk across him. Both wore annoying paper ‘O’s. Love had brought a clipboard to the table and was planning the entertainment for that evening’s Grace House New Year’s party.

  “So I thought we’d have the youngest children right away. I’m thinking of their bedtimes and also that people appreciate that sort of thing better early, when they’re still alert.”

  Joy laughed. “Yes, I always think that off-tune kids are cuter in the early evening. Who will be second?”

  “Oh, the Embassy Choir is actually first. They’ll come in singing after their time on the neighborhood streets. Then the kids. Then the choir again, and then we have down, uh, Obscurity.” Love glanced at Dignity. “So maybe that’s tentative. But we’ll want to have her amplifier set up and tested. I think she wants to blast us into the new year.”

  “I’ve never heard her play,” Joy said. He also glanced at Dignity, who’s interest seemed held by a turkey and lettuce sandwich.

  “Well, anyway, I think it’ll be Faithfulness on the piano after that—some Chopin. Then the teens. As for coaxing Reason to sing karaoke, I’ll need your help. She still doesn’t believe that she’s got a great voice, but she wow’s me. You got new batteries for the video camera, didn’t you? OK, then maybe our duet....”

  “The defense has neither denied that Pinch brought the accused a large cash payment nor that the accused was secretly employed by the City,” Reason said.

  In session again, the Heavenite court was quiet and orderly, though most of the spectators, both children and adults, wore paper ‘O’s, and the pro-Obscurity banner had reappeared at the back of the room. Little Wisdom was upstairs being cared for by Faithfulness, so Reason’s attention to her argument was undivided.

  “In his capacity as the accused’s lawyer, Grace has told us that she is a double agent with true loyalty to Heaven, but I wonder why we have had no official pronouncement on that from the Embassy? But in fact Grace spoke only of implied permission and not of an actual assignment to carry out espionage.”

  “Excuse me,” said Grace, standing. “If I may be allowed to explain briefly, I can throw some light on that omission.”

  “It’s fine with me if the prosecution doesn’t object,” said Dignity. “Reason?”

  “Of course, Ambassador.”

  “The Embassy did not at any time instruct Miss Obscurity to act as a double agent,” Grace said, “and she did not report that she was doing so. However, we approve. We’re accustomed to giving her a free hand, you see.”

  “But Ambassador,” said Reason, “surely you don’t mean that your only direct evidence for Obscurity being a double agent is her bare word?”

  Grace nodded affably. “Yes, and my professional embarrassment is matched only by my personal satisfaction at being able to trust Miss Obscurity unhesitatingly.”

  Reason smiled. “I think the prosecution will return to this point at the summation. Your Honor, the prosecution rests. Our case is virtually complete.”

  “Thank you,” Dignity said. “Does the defense wish to call witnesses?”

  “Yes, Your Honor,” said Grace. “I call Obscurity to the stand.”

  After she was sworn in, the security woman sat down with downcast eyes, her hands carefully folded.

  “Just to clear up any possible confusion,” Grace said to her, “you do admit to receiving the cash from Miss Pinch, do you not, and in fact to being secretly employed by her?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “But as was said before, you were using Pinch to get information as to how the City might undermine Grace House?”

  “Yes, sir.”

&n
bsp; “And as for what you told Pinch, it was very little and nothing really helpful?”

  “That’s right.”

  “What did you intend to do with the money?”

  Obscurity made a flurried dismissing gesture. “I hadn’t given it any thought. I think I would have given it to you, to the Embassy.”

  “You didn’t think of it as yours?”

  “No.”

  “Did you, however, take and keep some other form of payment from the City?”

  “I did. I took—they got me some used parts for my fog machine. That’s all.”

  Reason turned a raised eyebrow to Bits. “That one got by us,” she whispered, “and yet Grace is giving it away for free!” Slumped in his chair and glassy eyed, Bits did not respond.

  “The value of those parts, Obscurity?” asked Grace.

  “A few dollars. I don’t know exactly.”

  “A few old pieces of metal, then, that enriched you not at all but helped you to carry on your work against the City. Is that right?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Grace paused. “Now let us consider a matter that the prosecution has chosen to pass over. I mean the history of your family. I realize this will be painful for you, Obscurity, but I think it will provide the court with some much needed insight into your character. Do you still want to testify about these matters, my dear?”

  Obscurity looked up. “Yes.”

  “Then as briefly as possible, let me say that you were born the daughter of a Mr. Righteousness and his wife Godly Fear, and the sister of Innocence; and you grew up in a house in this City. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And it was a happy home.”

  “Yes, very much so.”

  “But that came to an end some three years ago.”

  “Yes.”

  “Your father became friends with a Mr. Notice, a City man, a very plausible fellow. He wanted your father to rise in society, to join the City’s upper crust. Yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “And how was this to be brought about?”

  Obscurity looked away.

  Grace paused. “A certain legal agreement?”

  “Notice was always wheedling Dad,” she said, “talking about private clubs he could join, important people he could know and be known by, lots of other things—money—if only Dad would make our place a City House. I was so young and thoughtless, and I was busy with the Gray Ciphers—with a rock band. I never understood what my Dad was doing. And Mom and Sis, they thought it was great.”

  “Then one night....” Grace prompted.

  “Yes. Notice came by the house with the actual paper for Dad to sign. I guess Dad had had phone calls from Power, from the mayor, and others, and he was just dazzled. And Notice was always telling him that it was just a legal formality, that the house was still his to live in. So—Dad signed.”

  “And you came home that night.”

  “Later that same night. I was dropped off from a band rehearsal. We had these spotlight type lights in our front yard that were turned towards the house, and one of them was on this, this seal that had just been put on the house. It was the City seal. You know, with the gold fortress and the little snakes.” Obscurity’s voice had begun to tremble. “I stood there for a long, long time and just looked at the seal. I was stunned, I was scared. Then, I swear to God, I could see that the house was on fire.”

  “On fire? How do you mean?”

  “I can’t explain it, but I could see a sort of ghost fire all over the house, inside and out. And the house didn’t burn, but it did burn, you see? I could even smell it. It was horrible.”

  “What did you do? You went in?”

  Obscurity looked up with wide, wet eyes. “Oh, no way. I walked off. I walked around all night.” She touched her hair. “That’s when it started growing out white. No, I just crashed with some of the Gray Ciphers for a few days. Then I got some help from the Embassy. Eventually, I started my business. I’ve never seen my house again, and I’ve had very little communication with my family.”

  “And what of your family?”

  “They’re City, and very rich. They think I’m just stupid and perverse for not following them. I can’t talk to them; they’re really deep into it.”

  “I’m sorry, Obscurity,” Grace said. “Tell the court this. What has this experience taught you? What have you made of it?”

  Obscurity seemed to be studying the witness box rail. “Taught. Made of it. Those are words. But till the day I die there’s this thing in me that is—it feels like a volcano. It’s just knowing that I’m going to fight them. That they won’t do this to anyone again if I can do anything to stop it.”

  “Excuse me, Obscurity. ‘They’ meaning...?”

  “The City. Power, Notice, all of them. I can hide a house so they go right by it. I can’t attack them, I can’t hurt them, but this at least I can do.” Without seeming to notice what she was doing, Obscurity had stood in the box. “I don’t care what happens to me, and I don’t care what anyone thinks. As long as the Embassy keeps giving me houses to guard, I’m going to hide them from the City.” She looked around the room. “It’s all I know to do.” She sat down.

  “And you do it very well,” Grace said to her. “Your Honor, I think that’s enough for this witness.”

  Dignity stirred. “Counselor, I just have one note here. You said that during the accused’s testimony you would address the matter of the stolen book.”

  Grace looked up at Dignity and down at his witness. “Yes, I said that, but the witness is emotionally played out.”

  “Of course. Perhaps after a break?”

  “Grace’s eyebrows lowered and his lips wrinkled. “Your Honor, I assure you the matter is of no importance. The book never left the house, as you recall.”

  “Yes, but concerning your ‘double agent’ defense, I can see no reason for a double agent to take the book. A true Heavenite wouldn’t want to communicate anything valuable to Miss Pinch, so why find out anything about The Pride Story? You can see my point.”

  “I do, Your Honor. A brief break, then, and we’ll address it.”

  Trim, plausible Mr. Notice emerged from Mr. Power’s house and walked to his Park Avenue. Seated in the car, he paused to look over what he was about to deliver. Addressed to a Mr. Dignity and a Mrs. Reason of 1422 Sandhill Street and adorned with the City crest, they were important looking envelopes. Paper clipped to one of them were a map of Sandhill street and a picture of Grace House, so as to avoid any possible misidentification. Power had instructed him to place the invitations directly into the hands of the addressees.

  “Obscurity, did you steal a copy of The Pride Story?”

  “No, sir.”

  “You borrowed it from the library, then, and intended to put it back?”

  “I didn’t think anyone would mind even if I kept it,” she said. “I gave it no thought either way. I’m not a thief.” She considered. “I hoped not to be leaving here anyway, so the book would have stayed here.”

  “If anyone had asked you about it, you would not have hid the fact that you had it?”

  Obscurity was silent.

  “Pardon me, let me put it another way. If you had known it would be such an issue, you would have returned it to the library?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Now, the question remains. Why did you borrow it? We’re going to come around to that gradually. To begin with, you met Mr. Dignity soon after you came here. Isn’t that so?”

  “The same afternoon,” she said. “I was planting a cedar tree in the front yard.”

  “What did you think of him?”

  Obscurity did not look up at Dignity on the bench. “He came bounding up those steps to the front yard, and he stopped to talk for a moment. I thought that I’d never met anyone like him. He was so free, so untroubled, like some happy soul from another world.” She paused. “Reall
y good looking too.”

  Grace grinned at Dignity. “He’ll do. So that was your first impression. Did it last?”

  “It—deepened,” she said. “He was coming to dislike me, and at the same time all I could see was, here was this man in danger and unaware of his danger, and I wanted more and more to help him, to protect him.”

  “You’re saying that this was more than professional?”

  “Well, I was....”

  “You were?”

  Obscurity looked up at Dignity with apprehensive eyes. She looked down again.

  “I was in love with him.”

  The spectators’ reaction ranged from quiet exclamations to childish giggles. There was a smattering of applause.

  “But you didn’t tell him?”

  “No, he thought I was the enemy. I knew that he hated me and thought I was insane. No way could I tell him.”

  “Quite understandable,” said Grace. “And the reason you took the book?”

  “It had—I just—” Obscurity blinked and closed her mouth.

  “Yes, go on, it had his picture on the cover. Was that it?”

  “Yes, that’s it.”

  “And you wanted to look at his picture?”

  “I must sound like a school girl.”

  “Not at all, Obscurity.”

  Dignity had kept his outward composure through this, but inside he was stunned. Was this a ruse of hers to escape justice? He thought not. He himself had forced this testimony about the book. If not for that, she would have said nothing about it.

  He looked for help to the prosecutors. Bits seemed to be ill. The poet was leaned in his chair like a mannequin, his head faintly moving, his hands clenched around the chair’s wooden arms. Reason was alert, but Dignity frowned when he saw, dangling by a thread from her collar’s button hole, a metal ‘O.’ Worse, she was smiling. Was he the only unbiased person left in the courtroom? Did everyone believe Obscurity?

  “That’s all for this witness,” Grace said.

  “Cross examination, Counselor?” Dignity asked Reason.

  She was almost laughing. “No, Your Honor, we have no questions for this witness.”

  Dignity glared at her. “Then Ambassador, you may call your next witness.”