Page 164 of Heartless

The King hesitantly stood. ‘That is – yes. Yes, indeed. It’s so good of you to join us, Sir Peter. I believe this calls for, uh . . .’ The King scratched beneath his crown. ‘What happens next?’

‘A trial, Your Majesty?’ suggested the White Rabbit.

‘Yes! A trial. Excellent fun. Good distraction. Yes, yes. Jury, assemble yourselves. Write down the Queen’s accusation.’

The jury rustled and pulled out slate tabs on to which they began to scribble notes with white chalk. Peter Peter stayed on his knees, but his head was lifted, his gaze piercing Catherine. She stared back, unafraid, for once. She was filled with the anticipation of seeing his blood spilt across the courtroom floor.

‘The jury would like to call a witness, Your Majesty.’

The King clapped his hands. ‘Oh yes, jolly good. Who shall we call?’

‘We would like to call the court joker to the stand.’

Cath growled. Whispers and glances passed through the crowd. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Jest to appear on a silver hoop from the ceiling.

‘He is dead,’ she said through her gritted teeth. She had to fend off a fantasy of having every imbecile in this courtroom beheaded.

‘Oh yes, that would be so, wouldn’t it?’ the Badger muttered, punctuating the realization with nervous laughter.

‘I am your witness,’ Cath said. ‘I was there and I have already told you what happened. He is a murderer and he deserves to be punished.’

Everyone tittered, uncomfortable that their new queen was intruding on the court’s traditions.

‘Perhaps,’ said the Rabbit, ‘if there are no other witnesses present, the jury might consider a verdict?’

A wave of glee sparkled over the jury box and Catherine heard mutterings ofguiltyandinnocentandin need of a bath, when Peter Peter cleared his throat.

‘I got something I’d like to say.’

Though his voice was hoarse, it roared through Catherine like a tidal wave. White spots flecked in her vision. She wanted to silence him forever.

The King, ignorant of how Cath’s blood was boiling, pounded his gavel. ‘The murder – er, the defendant wishes to speak!’

Two guards came forward and grabbed Peter Peter by the elbows, hauling him to his feet. The chains the Sisters had abandoned clinked across the floor.

Raven hopped along the rail, putting himself in Cath’s field of vision. It was like having a confidant at her side – someone else who had been there that night, whoknew.He alone had not flinched when the Sisters had taken Cath’s heart. There had been a time when he had planned on doing the same thing to her. When Jest had planned to do the same thing to her.

But that no longer mattered to her. Such a heart was worthless, despite what everyone said. There was no value to it at all.

Sir Peter planted his feet so he could stand without the guards’ assistance. Though dishevelled, he was as intimidating as ever. His eyes darted from the King to the jury to the royal courtiers to the guards – and, finally, to Catherine. ‘I did kill him,’ he snarled. ‘But I was defending my wife.’

The jury scribbled on their tablets.

Peter took a step forward. ‘These people – the maid, the Joker, andyou.’ He snarled at Catherine. ‘They trespassed on to my property. I’d asked none of them to come there. Nosy wretches they were, coming to see the “monster”, the “beast”.’ He spat. ‘But she was my wife! And you killed her. Right in front of me, you killed her. You’re the monsters. Not me. Not her!’

‘She was the Jabberwock!’ Cath screamed.

A gasp rose from the crowd.

‘That’s what he isn’t telling you. The wife he was protecting was the Jabberwock. Mary Ann was to be the creature’s next meal.’

‘She should not have come to my patch. Trespassers! Murderers!’

‘You are the murderer!’

‘As are you, and a thief besides! You stole that pumpkin from me, I know you did. She was getting better. The curse was going away, but then she saw that cake and had to have it and when she turned again . . . she wouldn’t . . . she couldn’t turn back again and it’s your fault!’

The King pounded his gavel – each thud like a hammer on Cath’s temple.

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