Volume Eight Wales Tinyplot Special Web-Only Edition
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==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= .............._______ ............./ / THE LEGENDARY TIMES ............/ / .........../ /.....______.._____.....______.._____.......____ ........../ /...../ /./ \.../ /./ \...../ \ ........./ /...../ ___/./ ____/../ ___/./ __. \.../ /\ \ ......../ /...../ /_.../ /....../ /_.../ /..\ >./ /./ / ......./ /...../ __/../ /____../ __/../ /.../ /./ /./ / ....../ /_____/__/__../ \_\ /./ /__../ /.../ /./ /_/ / ...../ / /./ /./ /./ /.../ /./ / ..../ /_/..\______/./_____/./__/.../__/./_______/ MUD .../________________/ running on mud.legendmud.org 9999 64.7.5.163 9999 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= http://www.legendmud.org/ ftp://ftp.legendmud.org/pub =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SPECIAL EDITION: WALES TINYPLOT August 14, 2001 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TABLE OF CONTENTS Our Reporter's Account Boreas's Account Confessio-Part II The Sandman's Statement Part 2 of 2: Mayhem in Wales The courtroom was packed, with all manner of spectators and witnesses. Patrick was on hand, praying for the souls of the pagans who he encountered among those gathered. Don Giovoni lurked in the doorway, joined by dame Lira, and S'ou'le sat attentive, his interest drawn by the predicted execution. Two doctors, Witte and Fairfax, attended on the accused. Ganymede, chief among the Guardians of Justice, was in attendance to preside over the assembly. The trial began with some amount of disorder. The sheriff was only too happy to play the role of prosecutor. However, the city of Lincolnshire apparently makes no allowances for a public defender of any sort, and therefore there was no one to speak on behalf of the accused. The lady Boreas graciously agreed, and gave her best effort. The sheriff stated the charges: 'Angharad Clwyd stands before you accused of treachery against the people of Lincoln, and against fair England. And the doctor Witte is accused of aiding and abetting his attempted escape from jail.' Then he called his first witness -- Angharad Clwyd himself -- and despite the protests of his doctors, Clwyd took the stand. The sheriff said to Angharad Clwyd, 'Please identify yourself for the court, with your name and place of origin.' Lira mumbled something at this, the only word this reporter could pick up was 'cat.' 'Angharad Clwyd, Sir Gaermyddrin,' Angharad Clwyd said, his face drawn with pain. 'That makes you a citizen of Wales, does it not?' said the sheriff, and Clwyd agreed. The sheriff added, 'The court will note that England and Wales are in a state of war at present.' 'So noted,' Justice Ganymede gaze said, his a voice smooth and courtly. 'Yesterday you explained your reasoning for being in Lincoln,' the Sheriff said to Angharad Clwyd. 'Will you state on the record, why you came from your place of origin to Lincoln?' 'To see if troops were being raised here,' Angharad Clwyd said. 'But I did nothing to harm anyone!' The Lincolnshire Sheriff addressed the courtroom. 'To see if troops were being raised here." he says. So pitiful-sounding. He was seeking information to use against us in our war! Is this not clearly espionage on its face? Has he not confessed?.' 'You have invaded OUR country!' Angharad Clwyd argued, with great effort. 'Our war is not on trial here, sir,' said the Sheriff. 'You are. This case is so simple, I am sorry it has troubled London to send us a guardian. The prosecution rests.' Justice Ganymede says in a courtly fashion, 'Defense, please state your rebuttal now.' 'I will do the best I can,' the tempestuous sorceress Boreas said, glancing around nervously, to Angharad Clwyd. She stood, and paced back and forth, trying to think. Angharad Clwyd gulped nervously. As she paced, a peasant-turned-executioner pulled out a whetstone and began to sharpen his axe. *scrape* *scrape* 'Please explain why you were sent to Lincoln for the court to understand,' Boreas said, stuttering, to Angharad Clwyd. 'To see if troops were being raised,' Angharad Clwyd said painfully. 'The English seek to exterminate the Welsh. If we do not know when troops are being raised, they will succeed.' 'What has been going on in your country of late?' Boreas asked. Angharad Clwyd said painfully, 'Ah, he ennglish have conquered most of the south, but the north has always been free. But now, they seek to extend their sovereignty over all Wales. When they move in, the Welsh lose the land, not the english...I once had a farm... but they took it.' Boreas asked, 'Do you have a wife, children?' 'Objection, your honor,' the sheriff said. 'Must we be schooled in history before this scum is purged from the land? This testimony is irrelevant!' Boreas glared at him. 'He has a right to be heard!' 'The reasons for this man's presence in England were relevant to your own case, he is merely expanding,' Judge Ganymede responded. 'Your objection is overruled.' Angharad Clwyd said painfully, 'What do you think?' 'Were they killed by the English?' Boreas continued. Angharad Clwyd nodded solemnly. 'They tried to resist the taking of the farmhouse, it was burned to the ground.' Boreas went on. 'Did this happen to many other Welsh at the hands of the English?' 'Mostly the men,' Angharad Clwyd said. 'The green land bleeds red.' 'Now lets talk about the past few days, when you have been in England,' Boreas said. 'Did you burn down any houses?' Angharad Clwyd said, 'No.' Boreas continued, 'Did you kill any women or children?' 'Please, can I have a few minutes,' Angharad Clwyd said, appealing to the judge. 'I need to regather my strength.' The peasant-turned-executioner continued to sharpen his axe. *scrape* *scrape* The sound was rather...grating. The sheriff rolled his eyes, as Boreas laid a comforting hand on her client's shoulder. Justice Ganymede nodded his agreement with Angharad Clwyd. 'I am sorry,' she said. 'I know this testimony is hard on you.' 'I hurt no one,' Angharad Clwyd said. Justice Ganymede responded evenly, 'That is for the court to decide.' 'I killed no women and chldren, nor men, then,' Angharad Clwyd said. 'Did you poison the water supply?' asked Boreas. 'Not intentionally,' Angharad Clwyd said. Boreas asked, 'Salt the fields?' 'No,' Angharad Clwyd said. 'Can we just presume I did nothing but look?' 'Did you cause harm to any person during your stay here?' Boreas asked. 'I did not,' Angharad Clwyd said. 'What was done to you while here?' Boreas asked. Angharad Clwyd said, 'Shot by arrows, darts, and the like, poisoned, thrown down the well...' Boreas asked, 'So you came here, without intention of harm, and were nearly murdered for it?' Boreas turned to Justice Ganymede, 'I am through questioning this witness, for now.' He nodded solemnly, and asked, 'Is there any more testimony to be presented here today?' 'Yes,' said Boreas, helping Angharad down from the witness stand. 'The defense calls Thomas the Innkeeper to the stand,' she continued. The sheriff rolled his eyes. 'I will bring him to the court, though I hardly see how he relates to this proceeding.' He returned soon, with a rough-looking and burly man at his side. Justice Ganymede says in a courtly fashion, 'The witness must take the witness stand.' Thomas the innkeeper growled, but complied. 'Please state your name and occupation for the court,' Boreas said. Thomas the innkeeper growled, 'I'm Thomas, and I'm an innkeeper. That's why they call me Thomas, the innkeeper.' 'Surname?' Angharad Clwyd said painfully. 'I aint no sir.' Thomas the innkeeper growled, 'So I don't have no fancy sir name.' Boreas said, to Thomas the innkeeper, 'Do you recall who this man is?' She pointed to Clwyd. Thomas the innkeeper said, 'He's the no good dirty welshman who bled on my floor yesterday eve, when you and yourn drug him in.' He snarled. 'And why was he bleeding?' Boreas asked. Thomas the innkeeper said, 'Somebody gave him what what he had coming.' Boreas nodded, and asked, 'Is it not true that you attempted to murder this innocent man?' Thomas the innkeeper spat out, 'If you'd seen the way he was looking at my sweet Lucy, you'd've done the same!' Boreas kept her compusure, and asked, 'Do you hate him because he is Welsh?' 'Your honor, I again question the relevance of this testimony!' the sheriff said. 'The man on trial is this Clwyd, not our citizen Thomas!' 'I am attempting to establish the unjust persecution going on here,' Boreas said, standing her ground despite the Sheriff's threatening mannerisms. Justice Ganymede ruled, 'I shall allow it, but I warn ye, counsel, stay to the matter at hand.' Thomas said, 'The welsh are nothing but dirt in the eyes of the crown, why should I see him differently?' Boreas continued, 'Did you witness the defendant causing any harm, or doing anything illegal?' Thomas the innkeeper said, 'We don't like outsiders around here. They drink our water, our people thirst and our crops die. Any outsider is a trespasser among us.' 'The Welsh control the weather now?' Boreas said. And Thomas could only scowl. Boreas said, 'I'm through with this witness.' Thomas the innkeeper shouted out, his voice half-desperate as he climbed down from the stand, 'The well, witch! The well is the very best we can do for ourselves, and still we must fight off those who would take e'en that.' Justice Ganymede replied, 'The preservation of your well does not seem well served by casting a man into it.' Thomas the innkeeper scowled darkly in Justice Ganymede's direction. A fight broke out between an Irishman and a young baron over some unheard matter, and the Guardian called for order. The sheriff began to grumble. 'Durned foreigners, always tussling in the streets. I oughter take ye to gaol!' 'One more such disturbance and I will clear this courtroom!' the Justice said firmly. 'Now then, next witness?' Boreas said, 'I call the Sandman as my next witness.' At this, Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago blinked with surprise. 'Take the witness stand, please,' Justice Ganymede says, in a voice smooth and courtly, to Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago. Boreas began to pace back and forth. Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago straightened his suit and walked smoothly to the stand. 'Objection, your honor!' said the Sheriff. 'The Don was scarcely present for any of the events yesterday!' 'As a guildmaster, I think he is competent to speak on behalf of his clan,' Boreas said. The sheriff rolled his eyes. 'But he was present, and the defense may call whomever she sees relevant,' a Justice Ganymede intense gaze says fluently. 'However, if she does not quickly *establish* relevance I will call her defense to an end.' He looked meaningfully at Boreas. Boreas said, 'Mr. Santiago, please state your name and occupation for the court.' 'I happen to run a shylock business,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said, with an undertone. 'A shylock business?' Boreas said. 'Could you explain exactly what that entails.' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said subtly, 'The shylock business is rather simple. I lend out money to those in need and they pay me back with interest at a later time.' Boreas nodded, and said, 'And if they do not pay?' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said, with a subtle wink, to the tempestuous sorceress, 'They always pay.' Boreas pursued the matter. 'Is it not true that your clan is known to kill people who do not pay?' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago smiled a little as he responded. 'Killing people is such a bad way of putting it. Never once have we needed to "kill" someone to repay a debt.' 'Does your clan in fact, kill people (or however you choose to put it) for money?' Boreas persisted. 'I have never ordered a hit on someone who had owed us a debt, they always seem to pay,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said, with a subtle wink, to a tempestuous sorceress. 'Let's move this along, counsel,' Justice Ganymede said in a courtly fashion to Boreas. 'Relevance.' Angharad Clwyd protested, pointing at Lira, 'She tried to kill me, and Pinion, and most of the others.' Lira leveled a seering gaze at him, and then went back to cleaning her nails. 'For what other reasons have you 'ordered a hit on someone', Boreas continued. 'Specifically, why was a hit ordered on Angharad Clwyd?' 'To my knowledge there wasn' one,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said. 'How does a trial of a spy turn into a discussion of organized crime?' the sheriff groaned. 'I don' see how my daily life affects any of thise,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said. Justice Ganymede says, in a voice smooth and courtly, to a tempestuous sorceress, 'Counsel, my patience is running thin.' 'Are you aware of the penalty for purgery?' Boreas said. 'Yuppers,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said nonchalantly. Boreas peered at him. 'All right,' she said. 'I am finished with this witness.' Boreas says, voice hopeful, 'And I call Lira to the stand.' Lira slowly raised herself and walked forward. 'Please state your name and occupation for the court,' Boreas said. 'Lira and I wander,' Lira replied, almost in a whisper. 'Where were you yesterday afternoon, at the time the defendant was being assaulted?' Boreas asked. 'Actually, I was running alot yesterday, which time?' said Lira. 'I heard he was hit more then once.' Boreas clarified. 'At the time he was shot.' Angharad Clwyd said, 'At the time you shot me.' Lira responded, her voice almost a whisper. 'I was gathering food for my continuing journey.' 'May I take over a moment,' Angharad Clwyd said to his cousel, who agreed. The Sheriff, inevitably, had an objection. 'Your honor, I object! 'Aggreived as this man may be, none of this makes him innocent of espionage!' 'Sustained,' Justice Ganymede said. Angharad Clwyd dismissed Lira from the stand, and called Boreas. Angharad Clwyd asked Boreas, 'You saw me be shot, correct?' She nodded. 'Who did it?' Angharad Clwyd continued. Boreas replied, 'I saw that woman taking a deadeye aim at you.' She pointed. 'It was Lira,' Boreas says stubbornly. Angharad Clwyd said to Justice Ganymede, 'That is all I needed from her.' 'I was aiming at a rabbit!' Lira protested. 'Clear your eyes woman.' 'I know what I saw,' Boreas argued. 'You were aiming at Angharad!' Angharad Clwyd turned to the judge, 'I need to get facts straight before the witness can be used effectively.' Justice Ganymede replied to Angharad Clwyd, 'Then do it quickly, and do not turn the court into a circus.' 'Oh?' Lira laid into Boreas with a sneer. 'I was hmmm? You saw through my eyes to know what I was looking at?' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago coughed loudly at this. 'After that, I was chased around by three members of the syndicate,' Boreas continued. 'Lira, Zamb, and Bella.' 'I have successfully proven she shot me, in ten seconds,' Angharad Clwyd told the Justice. 'How quick did you desire?' Lira disagreed. 'I did not shoot you.' 'They threatened my life if I told anyone,' Boreas said fearlessly. 'But I'm telling now.' Angharad Clwyd said to Justice Ganymede, 'And that they intimidaed the person who saw it.' To this, Justice Ganymede replied, 'Please continue with the witness.' 'You admitted you were aiming at a rabbit,' Angharad Clwyd said to Lira. 'You may then claim it was an accident, but not that you did not shoot me.' 'Look at me,' Angharad Clwyd addressed the Justice. 'I have been nearly killed five times since I was here. Haevn't I suffered enoguh?' He paused. 'Unless my council knows any other defence, we are ready to sum up.' Justice Ganymede nodded solemnly. 'Proceed then, followed by the prosecution's summation.' 'I have only souht to protect my countrymen, by giving us warning to hide,' Angharad Clwyd said, pain clouding his eyes. 'I have not harmed the English, despite all they did to me. And I have come so close to death that taking me farther would be cruel. Have I not suffered enough at the hands of the English? My wife.. my children...' Here, he burst into tears. Boreas laid a hand on his shoulder, then continued for him. 'Your honor, we seek only justice,' Boreas she said. 'Angharad Clwyd is an innocent man.' 'Proceed,' Justice Ganymede turned to the Lincolnshire Sheriff, who put on his smoothest grin. 'Your honor, this began as a simple enough case,' the sheriff said. 'A man has confessed to his guilt of the charge of espionage. Here on this very stand, he speaks of his guilt and yet proclaims innocence. This cannot be.' 'Objection,' Angharad Clwyd said. Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago chortled with amusement. 'There are no objections in summation,' Justice Ganymede said, his voice still smooth and courtly despite the chaos of the day. Clwyd continued despite that. 'Espionage is defined to involve acts that harm the others. I harmed noone.' Justice Ganymede turned a stern eye on Clwyd. 'Ye had the chance to make your case, please sit.' 'The defense has paraded an assortment of strange characters before the court, as if it were a stage,' the sheriff said. 'A play, a sham, a place of gobbledy gook and disorder. And even now, they mock the order of this court.' Here, the sheriff paused to glare at Clwyd. 'He is changing his case!' Angharad Clwyd protested. Justice Ganymede looked particularly stern. 'Must I hold ye in contempt to get ye under control?' 'The crown declares our laws, and the crown declares our enemies,' the sheriff said. 'And this man is enemy to the crown, and he came into this town to seek information against the crown. Truly he is loyal to his own people, but they are an enemy people, and this is war. And in war, loyalty to the enemy does not turn enemy into friend.' Angharad Clwyd whispered to Boreas, loud enough for this reporter to hear. 'He hasn't proven any of this!' Boreas nodded her agreement. The sheriff continued despite the interruption. 'His crime is obvious, and punishable only be execution.' Angharad Clwyd objected again, 'Your honour, may I have the chance to rebut his summation?' The Sheriff kept on. 'His treatment at our hands is not relevant to any judgement of his guilt, and does not mitigate his crime.' 'We can only hope that Sir Ganymede sees the truth in this,' Boreas said to Angharad Clwyd. 'Thank you for your attention,' the Sheriff finished, and took his seat. Justice was swift. Ganymede said, 'Very well, I shall render my decision now.' The peasant-turned-executioner, expectant, gave a quick polish to a double-bladed axe. It shone brightly in the shafts of light which streamed in from the courtroom windows. Angharad Clwyd sighed loudly, and Boreas crossed her fingers for luck. 'Espionage is indeed a crime in the eyes of the English crown,' a bladesman with an intense gaze says, in a voice smooth and courtly. Clwyd began to cry. 'Take me back to Wales when I'm gone... I cannot rest here....' 'In such cases, the guilty is given the right under law to a quick execution,' Justice Ganymede said. The peasant-turned-executioner carefully stepped around behind Angharad Clwyd, who burst into tears anew. Justice Ganymede paused. 'However.' Boreas gulped nervously, her stomach doing flip-flops. 'This man was not given that quick execution to which he is entitled,' Justice Ganymede said. 'He was beaten and tortured before the court was allowed to render a decision. Angharad Clwyd shall not be executed. He shall be banished from England for life. Never is he to return to this island, and if ever caught here again, his execution shall be swift.' The peasant-turned-executioner snarled angrily at these words, and the Sheriff began to protest. 'You have been blessed by a miracle!' Patrick said, his voice burning with fanaticism, to Angharad Clwyd. 'Show your thanks and become a follower of the Christian God! He has saved you so that you might join him in the Kingdom of Heaven!' 'You will live!' Boreas cried. Justice Ganymede said, 'His pains up to date shall be accounted as payment for the crime of espionage.' 'You honor,' Boreas said. 'I petition that in the light of Clwyd's unfair treatment, the charges against Witte also be dropped.' Justice Ganymede says in a courtly fashion to a tempestuous sorceress, 'Petition denied.' A sly look came over the dismayed sheriff's face, replacing the anger which had colored it. 'Your honor, does this mean that the Syndicate and Thomas are blameless before the court?' 'And I suggest that in the future, those accused of the crime shall be brought before the court BEFORE their torture,' Justice Ganymede said. 'My injuries are great,' Angharad Clwyd said, petitioning for more time. 'Ye have one day,' Justice Ganymede said. 'But your honor, Witte was only trying to get Clwyd to a safe place when he was grievously injured,' Boreas said stubbornly. 'Has anyone evidence to present in the accusations against Witte?' Ganymede asked. The sheriff whispered to Lira, 'Not often that you can be the arm of the law, is it?' Lira replied, 'I don't know, that seems more a question you could answer, since you so rarely do your job.' The sheriff scowled at her, and stood. 'If I may testify to the court, as witness to his actions?' he said. 'I didd goodsh weeeel!' a smiling young doctor said cheerfully. 'Joostiice!' 'That is for the court to decide,' Justice Ganymede said. Justice Ganymede nodded to the sheriff. 'Very well.' 'I placed him in custody because I found him leading the accused spy out of the gaol where I had put him,' the Sheriff said. 'Therefore I present Witte himself as evidence in this case, and ask that he take the stand.' Witte complied. 'Tell us, doctor,' the sheriff said. 'What were you doing, leading the prisoner from his cell?' The smiling young doctor replied, 'Clywwd was in paine!' This reporter believes that the doctor may have some sort of speech impediment. 'Cell cooold!' he said. 'Oon goodsh weeel!' The sheriff continued. 'Who gave you the right to remove him from the cell where justice had placed him?' 'Joostice ?' Witte said. 'Tweh place hoort man in cooold cell ? nee! GOODSH WEEEL! I tell ye! AYE!' 'We have already established that he was guilty, and guilty people belong in gaol,' the sheriff said to the smiling young doctor. 'Safer in gaol than among the people of Lincoln, surely.' 'Cell cooold!' Witte said. 'Man hoort!' The sheriff continued. 'Did you petition to have him relocated to another location?' Witte responded, 'He hoort njeeded heelp!' 'So you've said,' the sheriff said. 'But you chose to break into his cell rather than following the law!' Witte disagreed. 'Law ? nee law. Ye doo whaa njeeded.' The sheriff rolled his eyes. It was clear that the witness was getting on his nerves. 'Eh!' shouted Witte. 'Oon he dyiing. Reeght?' Witte turned to Clwyd. 'Ye hoort mooch!' Then he turned to the sheriff. 'Eh! I nee let him die!' 'Your honor, this man's guilt is plain,' the sheriff said. 'I have no more questions, I cannot stand to hear his prattling any longer.' And the prosecution rested. Boreas began. 'You are a medical doctor, right?' The smiling young doctor nodded his agreement with Boreas. 'The weelsh hoort!' Witte said. Boreas continued. 'How long have you been practicing?' 'All lifee!' Witte said. 'Soom yeers.' 'And do you consider yourself an expert in that field?' Boreas asked. 'Was in greeatwar heelped all.' the smiling young doctor said. 'All experrt. All coore wondee!' The Lincolnshire Sheriff held his hands to his head, looking pained. Boreas continued, 'And in your expert medical opinion, what would have happend to Clwyd if he had stayed the night in the jail?' 'He cloose tweh dye!' Witte said. 'See goodsh all tiim nee necee.' 'He would have died,' Boreas said. Witte continued. 'Oor all tiim hoort. Leke nee walkiing agaiine.' I have a few more questions for Angharad Clwyd,' Boreas said. 'May I please, please be questioned from here?' Angharad Clwyd said, his face drawn with pain. 'Eh!' Witte said, stepping down from the witness stand. 'Clwyyd hoort let heeme!' 'Please describe the cell where you were put,' Boreas said. Clwyd shuddered. 'Straw everywhere... and rats and fleas... I couldn't push the rats away, and they gnawed on me...The jailors....' he shuddered. Boreas asked, 'Were the jailors cruel to you?' And Angharad Clwyd nodded solemnly. Justice Ganymede broke in. 'The jail conditions are not on trial here. Have ye any actual evidence to present?' Boreas protested, 'Your 'onor, this is relevant.' Boreas continued. 'Were you given food and water?' 'Some worm-filled moldy bread,' Clwyd said. 'No water.' 'He was hardly in there long enough to say for sure,' said the sheriff, rolling his eyes. Boreas went on. 'And you were grievously injured?' Clwyd nodded. 'Ye boot he hoort!' Witte said to the sheriff. 'Reely hoort I teel ye!' The sheriff snarled. 'I'll show you the boot.' Boreas continued. 'Is it your opinion, that in rescuing you from the gaol, Witte saved your life?' 'Probably,' Angharad Clwyd said. Boreas turned to Justice Ganymede. 'It is clear that Witte acted out of compassion, and in doing so saved Clwyd's life.' 'Have ye any more evidence to present?' Justice Ganymede asked. She had none. 'Summations?' Justice Ganymede said. The prosecution spoke first. 'Your honor, this is a simpler case than the last,' the sheriff said. 'Whatever motivated his crime, it was still a crime. Compassion does not relieve him of guilt. He aided the escape of a prisoner, and must be punished for it. Thank you.' Witte stepped in with his own summation. 'I woold leke tweh saay tha goodsh weeel was tweh saave the weelsh. Nee the weelsh hoort englesh soo wheh weelsh see goodsh.' 'I believe Mr Santiago has a bit to say in the summation,' Boreas said. Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago grinned, and stood up. The Sandman straightened his suit and cleared his throat. He began to pace back and forth. 'Highly irregular,' the Sheriff grumbled. 'Make it short,' Justice Ganymede said, with a sigh. 'This is a quite simple case,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said, with a subtle wink. 'The doctor here is not all right in the head to begin with, if I may note his teddy bear he has a death grip on and him noting he was an expert doctor.' 'Luuck!' Witte said exuberantly, patting a teddy bear in a sailor suit affectionately. Boreas was a little shocked at this turn of events, and peered at Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago. 'Ye all knewe wheh scaared thoonder thi! Njeeded teeddy,' Witte said. He hugged the bear. Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago continued, 'It would seem that the doctor is not fit to think before his actions and his first thought in his crazy mind was to aid someone.' Witte looked confused. 'Wheh ? Goodsh weel I tell ye! Goodsh weeel! AYE!!' 'So I conclude that the doctor should be let off on a case of insanity,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said. Justice Ganymede asked, 'Is that all?' And Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago nodded. 'No evidence presented to prove insanity,' the sheriff muttered. Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago responded, 'His bear is evidence enough for me to know.' And he shrugged. 'Please tell me there are no other summations,' Justice Ganymede said. 'Um, the defense rests,' Boreas said, looking nervous. Justice Ganymede said, 'Very well then, I shall render my decision now. Witte was acting with compassion for Clwyd, tis true. However, that does not excuse him from his actions, and unlike Angharad Clwyd, his punishment was not enacted before trial.' Justice Ganymede continued. 'Therefore, Witte is ordered to spend six months in prison, and his teddy bear will be confiscated to cover his tax debts to the crown.' 'WHAT!' Angharad Clwyd cried. 'Nee!' Witte cried. 'I TELL YE NEE!! LUUUCK!' Patrick tried to comfort the grief-stricken young doctor. The peasant-turned-executioner polished his axe with a mournful look in his eye. There would be no execution today. The defense continued to protest. 'You can't do this,' Boreas said. 'It is too cruel!' 'I teddy luuuck I njeeed teeddy!' Witte said. 'I tweh scaared wit ooot eh!' 'Will the crown accept payment aside from his teddy?' Justice Ganymede relented. The sheriff shrugged. 'I don't want his rotting teddy,' he said. 'Let him tend to the people of Lincoln for free, forever. And their livestock!' Boreas gasped, and the Justice pondered the offer. 'That will repay us for the trouble he has caused,' the sheriff said. 'In that case, I will suspend his prison sentence,' Justice Ganymede said. 'The convicted is hereby ordered to tend to the livestock and people of Lincoln, until his debt is repaid.' 'He hasn't caused trouble,' Boreas said, going into hysterics. 'All he did was save a man's life!' Angharad Clwyd tried to comfort the young doctor. 'The non-sheriff non-Thomas people seem friendly.' But one of these so called 'friendly' people had had enough. The peasant-turned-executioner let out a terrible cry, and ran straight at Clwyd, brandishing his axe! Clwyd struggled briefly, but soon crumpled to the dirt. Witte stepped in too late, managing only to kill the peasant in the process. 'Njeeded newe sooool!' Witte explained. Boreas burst into tears. 'This is an outrage!' Justice Ganymede stormed. 'Is this your doing??' he demanded of the sheriff. 'It is all his doing,' Boreas snarled hysterically. Lira said, 'Justice in this town I guess, if they cant do it legally, they do their will illegally.' The sheriff shook his head. 'He's just a citizen who hates the Welsh, same as me.' Lira turned to the sheriff. 'You are not inocent in anything.' 'But I didn't put him up to this,' he protested. 'You could ask him yourself, if you hadn't killed him.' As Patrick knelt before Clwyd's body and said a quiet prayer, Lira said, 'Your honor, if it please the court.' 'This is an abomination,' Justice Ganymede says in a courtly fashion. 'The town of Lincolnshire shall pay for its poor execution of justice by losing its judgment against Witte. So ordered!' 'Sai, ye are free to go,' Justice Ganymede said to Witte. The Justice glared icily at the sheriff. Then he turned to Lira. 'What have ye to add?' Lira sounded dismissive. 'You've already passed judgement, case settled.' Justice Ganymede said, 'my apologies, but I asked if there was any other evidence or summation to be made.' Lira countered, 'My apologies, but I was not available at the moment.' Just then...the strangest thing happened. The body of the welshman, on the floor of the court...moved? Boreas did not notice at first. 'The Sheriff will go free if you do not speak,' she said to Lira, with a great show of tears and hysterics. And then with great joy, she cried, ''e's not dead!' And Patrick declared, 'It's a miracle!' A slight flutter of breath bubbling with blood escaped the lips of Clwyd. Justice Ganymede shook his head. 'Egad, this is madness.' 'Doc, I think you're needed,' Lira said. Justice Ganymede turned to Witte. 'Don't just stand there, attend to that man!' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago sat back with a sly grin playing across his face. Lira spoke to the Justice. 'Might we speak, while they tend to the corpse?' Lira began to whisper quietly. 'The Sheriff has been trying to raise problems, he came to me and asked me to aid him in his quest against the Welshman, but we could not.' 'Go on...' Justice Ganymede said. 'Yous will pay one way or another good sheriff,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago whispered to the now-accused sheriff. The sheriff only chuckled. 'Doubtful, I have done nothing,' he said. 'You are a disgrace to the community, that's what you are!' declared UggaBagugga. Lira continued to whisper. 'He asked for our assistance, but we could not aid him. then yesterday before the man was taken to jail, for lack of better word, both he and Thomas admited to hatred for the man and his kind, saying the likes of none of his kind should suffer life.' Clwyd gave a slight moan, as all within earshot of Lira's whispered testimony took a particularly harsh look at the sheriff. He spoke up 'Whatever she is accusing me of, I am innocent,' the sheriff said. 'She herself shot this man, I did nothing to him.' Ganymede was direct. 'Did ye hire the Syndicate for the purposes of punishing the Welshman?' The sheriff shook his head. 'Never.' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago coughed loudly at this. Boreas withdrew into herself and chanted a spell. A soft wind blew over Clwyd, restoring his breath. 'Have ye any evidence?' Justice Ganymede asked. The sheriff spoke up again. 'I believe that it was Thomas, the innkeeper, who hired the Syndicate.' 'That was following his flirting with Thomas's daughter,' he continued. 'As your honor may know I was out of town most of that day,' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said, with a subtle wink. 'When I came back in to find everyone talking with the sheriff and thomas I was told the sheriff was wanting to hire us.' 'Never!' said the sheriff. Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago continued. 'But ofcourse my clanmates did not accept this because I was not around for the approval.' The sheriff argued further, 'It was all I could do to keep him away from your Syndicate, trying to attack him.' Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago said, 'I have a contract here that was not signed by my clanmates that states the Sheriff put out a hit.' 'Hrm, let's see,' Justice Ganymede says fluently. 'I can't... can't move,' Angharad Clwyd moaned painfully. Witte nodded. 'Ye goot ye leegs oon arrms breeken agaaine.' As the doctor and Boreas tended to his wounds, Angharad Clwyd asked with great effort, 'Hwhat's happening?' Ganymede began to ask after the contract, when the sheriff volunteered. 'I believe I found that contract when I brought Thomas in here earlier,' he said. He handed a contract for the death of Clwyd, signed 'Thomas' in a scrawl, to Lira. The sheriff continued, 'You'll see that it doesn't involve me at all.' Lira handed the contract to Ganymede for his examination. 'Is that Thomas's handwriting?' Angharad Clwyd asked. 'You didnt bring this into evidence earlier?' Lira questioned to the sheriff. 'I found it when bringing him in,' he replied. Justice Ganymede compared the contract to some pre-trial papers filed by the Sheriff, and gasped in astonishment. Justice Ganymede said, 'They are the same writing!' He raised the contract for the death of Clwyd, signed 'Thomas' in a scrawl high in the air above his head. 'Ha!' Boreas cried. Justice Ganymede turned on the sheriff with a threatening and angry gleam in his eye. 'Ye wrote this!' The sheriff scowled. 'Your deception has gone on long enough!' Justice Ganymede said. 'Bailiff! Take the Sheriff into custody!' The sheriff cried out, 'I admit nothing!' as armed guards appeared in the doorway. Justice Ganymede says in a courtly fashion to him, 'Ye'll be imprisoned until such time as your trial proves ye guilty and ye are sentenced to be executed.' The Lincolnshire Sheriff was then dragged from the courtroom under heavy protest. 'The exile of Clwyd stands, and Witte is hereby exonerated,' said Ganymede. 'Court is now adjourned.' The participants filed out of the courtroom, Boreas bearing up Clwyd with her magic, and the others wandering out with varying levels of confusion. Ganymede gazed around the empty courtroom. 'Egad, what a morass.' -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- Boreas's Account It was a beautiful day in Lincoln. The birds sang gaily. Well, no. They weren't singing anymore, but the wind did whistle through their skeletons, making a song of sorts. I was just fetching the nightingale to come have tea with the rest of the skeletons, when I saw something very frightening indeed -- Lira taking aim at a helpless peasant. It was bloody murder! Now I've seen people die before, even done it myself a time or two...or perhaps three. Certainly no more than five. But I never killed anyone who didn't fight back. She was so cold and cruel shooting that chap. Seeing that scared the wits out of me and all I could do was flee. I felt like there was a great typhoon rushing inside my head. Blinded by my tears, I stumbled around Lincold for quite some time. There were murderers around every corner as I fled this way and that. When I came to the town square, it was a ghastly sight. The poor man's body had been stuffed into the well! I screamed and cried, and well, it's all such a blur I don't know what all I did. To make things worse, Lira and her Syndicate fellows showed up, as if to survey the damage they had wrought. I fled, but they followed me. One of them, a very menacing black man, told me that I'd be next if I breathed a word of what I'd seen. Then the sheriff showed up, but he didn't do much to take things in hand. He even accused me of the murder, and I could barely keep my feet on the ground, much less defend myself. If I told, I'd be murdered as well. Things just got stranger from there on. The poor murdered chap started groaning! He came alive again, with nary a spell. Turns out he hadn't been dead at all, but he was as near to it as I've ever seen. A smiling young doctor was there to keep him alive, but he was horribly wounded. Now the almost-dead chap was one Angharad Clwyd. He'd been shot, shoved down a well, and poisoned, but still wanted dead just for being Welsh. The three of us (the Welshman, the good doctor Witte, and I) fled all over the county looking for a safe place to rest and heal up. We left the sheriff to find who did it to him (I still hadn't told), but I don't think he was much interested in that. He seemed sorry Clwyd wasn't all the way dead. That nasty innkeeper Thomas confessed the crime. Seemed like everybody was in on it. But who did the sheriff toss in gaol? The victim! He said Clwyd was a spy. Of all the nerve! Luckily the doctor rescued him. But then the sheriff arrested Witte! Good thing my friend Rowane was there. He helped persuade the sheriff to let the two stay the night in the Royal Stag, until the trial the next day. The trial was a bloody mess. The judge was a decent fellow -- Ganymede of the Guardians of Justice. But poor Clwyd and Witte had the terrible misfortune of me representing them. I did my best, and even stayed calm and acted proper for most of it. But it was hard trying to show what injustice had been done, and that they were both good men, not criminals. And I couldn't get those Syndicates to admit what they'd done. In the end, Clwyd was sent to exile from England (I'd never want to come back here if I were him anyway.) and Witte was made to work off his sentence. He almost lost his dead teddy, so I suppose it could have been worse. The peasant turned executioner tried to kill Clwyd anyway, getting him even more almost-dead, if that's possible. After that, Lira told what she'd done. That nasty sheriff got his, for it seems he was the one who'd hired the Syndicate. His trial's tomorrow, but I don't know if I'll go. Lincoln is a tough little town. -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- Confessio-Part II On my journey north to Scotland to find my old home, I passed through a troubled Welsh country that was much changed from my memories of old. The Welsh people were in strife with Britons called the English, who were by no means Roman as far I could discern. This was strange beyond compare, but I found at a nearby tavern a brew that seemed God's Cure for this puzzlement. After a healthy dose of this Ale all seemed to be as it should. The wondrous concoction also seemed to stir the Holy Spirit within me, for I soon found that I could hardly contain my thoughts and desired to shout the promise of Salvation aloud. Standing at a well in the drought-stricken Welsh township of Lincoln (for as the Spirit of God moved me I was sure that it would fill the well with water, if the people of the town proved worthy of such a miracle), I began to shout tidings of His Love and the path to Redemption. The Lord sent a Welsh troublemaker named Clwyd, however, to test my resolve and to keep me humble. At every joyous and priceless sentence that I gladly shouted to the people from a heart which was filled with the Love of God, this Clwyd mocked my Holy Words. I ignored this insolence for a while and carried on--and I am sure that many of the pagans felt the stirrings of the Spirit within their hearts at my words--but alas I finally proved weak and lost my temper, which had been honed to a fine edge after so many years with the Irish. I shouted some things that I soon regretted, and of which I am too ashamed to repeat the words. I left the well in sorrow at having failed the Lord's test, but I soon felt better after another dose of His Holy Medicine at the tavern. I decided to find this Clywd and apologize for my harsh words, but alas I found a horrible sight at the well--Clywd had already paid the price for Blasphemy, being now naught but a broken body at the bottom of the well. The locals brought the body to a nearby tavern and began to investigate the attack. I, however, knowing that it was ultimately the Hand of God that had cast Clwyd into the well--and therefore being uninterested in the worldly instrument of the punishment--retired myself to another tavern which stocked the medicine for which I was beginning to thirst again. As I stumbled down the stairs of the tavern from my room the next day--feeling none to well--I heard the locals speak of a trial that was to take place that afternoon. Clywd had survived, it seemed, only to face trial for being a spy. A kindly physician was also charged for helping the spy to escape prison, but such is the price when you defy God's Will. I knew at once that this was another opportunity for me to show God my worthiness. He was giving Clwyd just enough time before death to find Salvation, and I was to be the instrument of that Salvation. Before Clwyd's head was cleaved on the executioner's block, I was resolved to Baptize it into the Christian faith. I spoke with Clwyd throughout the trial, begging for conversion before it was too late. The pagan will is strong, however, and I received little for my efforts. As the Lord always uses tragedy to bring good, it was found during the trial that the corrupt sheriff was behind the many attempts on Clwyd's life, and so he was exposed for what he was while doing God's Will. Clwyd was allowed to go free by the merciful judge--and it seemed for a moment that all would be well for the defendant--when, with no warning, the rogue executioner's axe neatly cut off Clwyd's head. This was quite a shock, and I was saddened at my failure to convert the pagan before the end. I fell to my knees and prayed with fervor for the Lord to forgive me and to show me the way to redeem myself for this failing. My faith proved strong, for it was then that a miracle occurred. Clwyd's lifeless body began to stir. A sorceress--who was obviously an angel in disguise sent to answer my prayer--brought Clwyd fully back to life, giving me another chance to bring God's love into this hard pagan heart. Clwyd, know that your life is but a gift from God, brought back to you after your death so that you may find Salvation through His Grace. How can you deny His Power, his Mercy, and your Fate after such a miracle? Bring yourself before me to be Baptized into His Church, and show your gratitude for His Gift. Your Humble Servant, Patrick -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- Giovoni "The Sandman" Santiago's statement After hearing word from a loyal source while I was out of town, I came back to find my clan in the thick of a heated murder mystery. As I was told of the thin gs that had started to go down a couple of trials were underway. I attended the trials to make sure nobody pointed fingers our way just because of who we are. During the trials I ended up on the witness stand, to my surprise. But of course nothing I had to say was remotely relevant to either case since I had been out of town the day before. As the trials came to a close the Sheriff decided to play dumb as well as cross The Syndicate. He learned very quickly that doing so wasn't the greatest of ideas. For he had signed a contract for a hit and one way or another The Syndicate was going to make him pay. Once we showed the contract to the judge, it was a done deal. Luckily for the Sheriff law prevented him from dying a slow painful death to the Syndicate.