Page 69 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part Two

“Mind sweepers are uncommon, but highly accurate.”

“Is there more?”

“NOT for now, but I’d like to reserve my right to request further comment.”

“Nice try, Counselor. That’s not a right. It’s a privilege.” Max smiled. He’d tested me to see if I knew my stuff. Thank the gods I’d read that footnote late one night and recalled it in spite of Chardonnay. “The privilege of requesting further comment is hereby granted.” I turned to the defendant’s table. “Counsel for the defense, please stand and introduce yourself.”

Onorato Achilla wasn’t blessed with the mere beauty. She also had an unmistakable presence, an air that commanded attention. If she was male, it might be said that she had that elusive quality known as natural leadership.

“Onorato Achilla, Your Honor. Counselor for the defendant, Skaresh Farsid.”

“Would you like to argue with Max?”

Her lips parted as she blinked twice. Perhaps she was a little surprised by my informality in calling opposing counsel by his first name. It wasn’t my intention to throw her off her game, but it was my intention to keep things a little unpredictable in court.

After a brief pause, she gathered herself and said, “Yes, Your Honor. I would like to argue with the Bureau’s counsel.

“Very well, proceed.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. As has been suggested by the plaintiff, my client, Mr. Farsid, is a distinguished member of the community. It’s true that he is wealthy and powerful. It’s also true that it’s not a crime to have assets, physical or otherwise.

“Mr. Farsid is a merchant, first and foremost. For a substantial time he was the sole proprietor of a jewelry shop patronized by many notable citizens. He then reinvented his business, and in many ways, himself, when he had the brilliant idea of importing exotic pieces of jewelry from the human world. That, coupled with the concept of once a season auctions, has provided him with luxury and status.

“He has been known to be active in politics, particularly in the area of elevating the concept of status by merit rather than inheritance. It’s also widely known that he initiated the fashion of philanthropy and made it popular among the noble classes.

“This proceeding is the result of complaints filed by those who may be envious of Mr. Farsid’s success. And that makes him nothing more than a victim of mischief and jealousy.” She nodded slightly, then said, “Thank you, Your Honor. We have nothing more.” She sat down.

I was surprised that the self-congratulatory bio was all she had.

“No mention of the, um…” I looked down at my notes, “shadavar’s horn? Since that is the crux of the case brought against Mr. Farsid?”

When she stood, I noticed a distinct change of demeanor. The way her eyes flashed, the way she held her shoulders, said she was ready for a fight.

“Sorry, Your Honor. I didn’t know that needed to be addressed, but I’m happy to speak about that. The Bureau has brought a baseless claim against my client based on ‘fae code’.” She did air quotes. “Fae code is a loose collection of guidelines, a combination of that and various traditions. It is not organized as a system of statutes. In other words, my client’s position is that one can’t break a law that doesn’t exist.

“Mr. Farsid would like a public apology from the Bureau and punitive damages to be used to restore the wrong done to his reputation. The defense rests.”

I wasn’t surprised that Max was on his feet before her well-shaped bum was in the chair. “Your Honor,” he pled. “This is outrageous. The fae community doesn’t have a structure of statutes, as defense counsel calls them, because none has ever been needed. We’ve been behaving civilly toward each other for thousands of years because we recognize that it’s in the best interest of fae and other magic-kind to do so.” That speech was met with a roar of approval from the crowd, clearly populated by traditionalists. “It’s not our understanding of how to behave that needs an overhaul. It’s Mr. Farsid’s greed.”

I’d never seen Max worked up before. The “loose collection of guidelines” clearly meant something to him personally.

“Are you exercising the privilege of further comment?” I teased.

Unbelievably, Max looked embarrassed. His emotions had gotten the better of him and he’d forgotten to request permission to speak.

“I beg the court’s patience,” he said. “Might I have my remarks included in the record?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation. “If there is nothing further, I will be in recess for the next hour to clarify the arguments and consider my ruling.”

Hengest adjourned court temporarily as I rushed toward my chambers.

I grabbed Lochlan by the tweed lapels as soon as we were out of earshot of the crowd.

“Lochlan! You have to help. This is the first time, and I mean thefirsttime, I’ve felt uncertain. Like there’s no clear determination. Oh, my gods. I’m the wrong person for the job.”

Lochlan didn’t roll his eyes, but he did look away briefly before gently removing the fabric of his coat from my fists. “Tea?”

“That’s all you have to offer. Tea?”

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