Page 42 of Honorable Convictions
“I suppose that’s true, but that doesn’t mean the RKs see me as a permanent liaison. Perhaps once the project is completed, they can handle the changes and training or task the VKs with it,” Pierson responded. After salting the meat along with sprinkling on the spices, he poured some oil in a pan and turned the heat on.
“Why wouldn’t they want you to continue, Blondie?”
Exasperated, Pierson picked up his glass of wine to take a sip as their gazes clashed. There was amusement on Mitchell’s face but instead of irritating him, he shook his head at his mate’s teasing. It didn’t make him feel harried as it had in the past because he finally understood it wasn’t malicious. “I’m not a mind reader, Brooks. I don’t know what’s in the future either, and I’m not going to assume I am now a permanent liaison.”
“What was your question?”
After holding his hand above the pan to see if it was hot enough, Pierson picked up his filets and placed them in it. “What percentage of cases do you think go before a judge that don’t need to?”
“You mean like your mage friend who doesn’t want to pay his rent?”
“Exactly. I’ve had plenty of cases throughout the years that should have never been escalated to that level, but there’s no other option. If the client won’t cooperate even if the other Juris Knight has sent a decent proposal, we’ve no choice but to petition to have it heard by a judge.”
“Yeah, it’s irritating and a waste of time,” Mitchell muttered.
Flipping his steaks, Pierson frowned. “What if there was an arbitration system?”
“The problem is, that would require someone above the Juris Knights to handle. The VKs and RKs certainly aren’t going to agree to add more to their schedules. They don’t have any space on their calendars, so I’m not sure if that’s a viable option.”
“It’s too bad, because I think if we could take care of these cases internally, it’d impact every Juris Knight in a positive way,” Pierson commented. After searing the surface of his meat, Pierson stuck it in the oven to cook. Checking his potatoes, he found them tender, so he poured them into the colander he’d already placed in the sink. Under his pan of butter and milk, he flipped the heat to low. Once the water was gone, he dumped them back in the pot and used his masher to break them up.
“I’m on your side, but without a direct Juris boss, it’s not going to happen.”
“Well, how the hell do you select a boss for the Juris Knights? It’d have to be one of our own if you want the arbitration system to work. We’re the ones who work with laws and check precedents.” Adding the butter and milk to his potatoes, he continued to smash them.
“I don’t know. Juris has been around since almost the start of the Order of the Fallen Knights. After six hundred and fifty-one years, how do you choose just one to manage them? We all have the same qualifications.”
Satisfied with the softness of his spuds, he threw pats of butter on top and hurried to the oven. Checking the temperature of his meat with a thermometer, he found it at one hundred and thirty-five degrees, so he set it on the counter to rest. Since his carrots were beautifully browned, he took them out as well. After giving his wine reduction a quick taste, he added a little butter and grabbed two plates. Once he’d added everything to them, he poured the sauce on his steaks.
Mitchell held out a hand to grab one, but Pierson side-stepped around him. It was his meal and his home, so Mitchell didn’t need to help. At the table, he put them on the chargers he’d already placed earlier. Frowning a little at Mitchell, who carried both their goblets, he opted not to argue, and they took their seats.
“This looks and smells delicious,” Mitchell offered with a smile that made Pierson a little weak inside.
“Thank you. Please dig in.”
“Were you thinking of volunteering to oversee the Juris Knights?”
Pierson was so surprised he nearly dropped his fork. “Me? No way.”
“As I said, we’ve all got the same qualifications, but you’re the first to represent us in any formal way with your project. Not to mention, it’s your case files that everyone turns to first when they need to look up how to move forward with something tricky or to find a precedent that no one is going to poke holes in. In Vegas, you consistently received more cases than the rest of us.”
“I manage a larger number due to the speed at which I read, not because I’m superior to anyone.”
Mitchell chuckled. “Yeah, your entire reputation is based on how fast you can motor through your cases.”
“I’m not special, Brooks.”
Mitchell’s sensuous mouth flattened into a thin line. “Yes, you are. You were the first to graduate with perfect scores on the thinking portion of our exams. To date, one other person has accomplished that since we trained, and he’s now a Reverent Knight. Don’t negate your gifts in front of me. I’m not going to tolerate it for one minute. You went straight to headquarters and have built a flawless reputation. You’re renowned for your memory, and what you’ve always failed to understand is that people envy the way you tackle your cases. You treat your clients with the utmost respect even if you’re forced to handle petitions that have no business being in the system. Any question asked, you answer it, keeping every nuance of the law in mind. Most people are completely in awe of you.”
Unsure what to do with the praise, Pierson’s attention went to his plate. “The vast majority of those questions are sent via email because no one wants to speak directly to me.”
“Ever thought about the idea that some of them are intimidated by you?”
“You’ve never been.”
“Nope, not for a moment,” Mitchell remarked. “But then, I’m your mate. And can I just say, this food is absolutely delicious.”
“Thanks.”
