15 Oix 4385: In the Details

[boomstarter.livejournal.com]

In the next few hours, I had ample time to review the documents left for me. They told me much the same thing the solicitor had, but using nineteen times as many words and capturing a nineteenth of the clarity.

One new and interesting detail caught an eye: as Esclegerio had said, the twenty-lozen court fee was refundable if I presented myself in court and was judged Innocent. It was also refundable if I was judged Guilty. It was forfeit if I did not appear in court, and forfeit if I appeared and was judged Egregiously Guilty. Egregious Guilt, as I understand it, means that one has been judged not only to have committed the crime, but to have no credible defense whatsoever against the accusation. The idea is to deter criminals from wasting court time contesting charges of which they are clearly guilty.

I was not entirely sure whether or not I qualified as Egregiously Guilty in this case. After all, I was Khtsoyis. I had been unclothed in public. If the law holds that a Khtsoyis nude in public is committing Aggravated Public Indecency, I had clearly been in violation. On the other tip, however, I had not been nude by choice, and perhaps the law would regard this as a mitigating circumstance. My experience with the law has not been that it is inclined to accept mitigating circumstances, particularly where Khtsoyis are concerned. Yet it was surely possible that this time would prove the exception.

Still, when Esclegerio sent a girl 'round later to see if I was ready to sign, I did tell the messenger that I wished to know if there was any hope for success in contesting the charge before I committed to doing so. She noted her inability to give legal advice, and returned to her master. I passed another night in gaol. Nickerskeepers observed that I was, in point of fact, a complete idiot. I did not contest this, since I rather suspect I am Egregiously Guilty of it as well.

The next morning, on 15 Oix, Esclegerio did me the honor of another visit. I daresay he was a good deal less honored by it than I, for which I do not fault him. I asked if there was any hope in court for me.

"I doubt it'll go to court," Esclegerio said. "If it weren't Oix, I'd've had the prosecutor drop the charges already. There's dozens of witnesses saw your singer take your hat and you trying to get it back. No case for convicting you of a crime in that. You're the victim."

"Ahh." I considered this. "... would using this defense thereby transfer the charge of Public Indency to Song-for-Always? My singer," I added, in case he didn't know that detail. He seemed quite well informed about so many of the others that I rather suspected he knew, however.

"Her? What, did you want her arrested for stealing?"

"No! Certainly not. I have no desire to trade my safety and wellbeing for hers."

"Ah. Then no. You can only convict an Orren of Public Indecency if you prove intention, which generally means advance planning. If it was a rehearsed part of your act ... ?"

"It was not. She was improvising."

"Right. If they arrested every Orren who acted on a sudden bad idea, the guards wouldn't have time for anything else. They can get these guys --" he waved a gloved hand to my Orren cellmates "-- for lewdity because the Naked Parade was organized. But your lot was planning to wear clothes."

"I see, thank you. There's just one other thing, then." I rifled through the pages. "I could not find where, in these documents, it notes that I owe the two hundred seventy lozens to Pinsitter in the event of a loss or forfeit."

Esclegerio sighed. "That's because you don't."

"... I don't? But I thought --"

"Miss Pinsitter is not lending you the funds. She is posting it on your behalf. If you forfeit or somehow contrive to get yourself judged guilty in spite of the evidence, then she loses it. When you are judged innocent or the case is dismissed, she regains it. You have no monetary interest either way," he said flatly.

"But ... what ... why is she doing this for me?" I asked, bewildered.

"You," Nickerskeepers said behind me, laughing, "need to stop checking that gift over for flaws in the wrapping. Thank the nice lady and get your bare hide out of here."

Esclegerio was giving me a level stare. "Any information I might or might not have on this subject is confidential between myself and my client. If you want to know, ask her."

I could not think what else to say. I signed the documents and returned them to Esclegerio. Two-thirds of an hour later, the guards released me. As I floated into welcome freedom, Nickerskeepers yelled, "Hey! Tell your rich lady friend that if she ever gets tired of slumming with morons, she should look me up!"

Comments

[zeeth_kyrah]

I applaud your care in the binding of words.

[boomstarter.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sir. All of you have been most kind and understanding about my deliberation here, which I must admit I find heartening.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Well, you will have to do something nice for Miss Pinsitter! ^_^

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Yes, this exactly! Think up some gifts or appropriate things you can do for her as way of thanks!

[boomstarter.livejournal.com]

I must! It's hard to imagine what would be a suitable thank-you for such a sizable favor, I confess.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you should write some music for her! Maybe a drum piece that begins slow at first, like a calm heartbeat, then races faster and faster as your companion musician weaves a flute or other woodwind into the music to suggest her presence.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

So... if a khtsoyis without a hat is being lewd, did they give you an emergency hat to wear while you were in prison?

[terrana.livejournal.com]

Indeed they did! From the previous entry:

"I hastily ceased my tentacle-tip drumming against the gaol wall and straightened my gaol-provided grey cap."

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

How peculiar -- how peculiarly very! I do suspect that it is time for you to flee Daukrhame for more devastating climes!