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Chapter
Thirty Three "You
know what the difference is between you and me? I make this look good."
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THE
LINA INVERSE TRIAL BEGINS IN RRATSNEK! *SORCERESS
PLEADS "INNOCENT" TO ALL CHARGES, CLAIMS RAMPAGE WAS PUBLIC
SERVICE! *METALLIUM
vs METALLIUM: FATHER AND SON GO HEAD TO HEAD IN THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY! *FISTS
OF JUSTICE! SEYRUUN PRINCESS CHARGED WITH ASSAULT! *SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR IN GAY SEX SCANDAL WITH CHIMERA! *PRIESTESS
OF SEIFIED EXPECTED TO TESTIFY FOR LINA INVERSE! *CRAZY
FOR CRAVATS! THE URLICH METALLIUM LOOK! (Art by Gigi) *LINA
INVERSE: FASHION FAILURE! TOP DESIGNERS' ADVICE FOR THE BANDIT KILLER!
(Art by Amethyst Angel) *BUSTY MAGICAL BABES:
THE SEXY INVERSE ENTOURAGE! AND NOW, ON WITH OUR STORY... It was bright and early on the morning Lina Inverse’s trial was set to begin after a delay requested by Urlich when his motion for a Bench Trial was denied. Sunshine poured through the windows of Zhara’s downstairs parlor and pooled on the exotic rug beneath them. It sparkled on the crystal stars, teardrops and spheres Sylph had hung in the windows for just that effect many years ago. The little rainbows the light made as it passed through the prisms glittered on the floor, the furniture and on the fair-haired man in sky blue pajamas with fluffy white clouds on them, who was curled up on the couch reading a magazine. His slippered feet were propped on the coffee table in front of him, and a cup of coffee steamed on the side table at his right elbow. The latest batch of trial gossip was stacked on the coffee table by his feet. Melfinius had been collecting anything to do with Lina’s trial and bringing it to Zhara, who usually just glanced at the newspaper headlines or magazine covers, made a disgusted noise, then went back to whatever it was she’d been doing when Mel had arrived. Her sons were only a little more interested, mostly in the news items, and sometimes actually read entire articles. Then there were the…um…less tasteful publications, which everybody ignored (or claimed to.)This morning, Ullan intended to ignore them once again. It wasn’t that he didn’t like looking at pretty, naked girls, it was just that he was a decent sort and viewed pornography as degrading. Anyway, it embarrassed him, so he planned to ignore the latest edition of “XXXposure” from Rratsnek, along with all the other trashy magazines by his feet. That is, he planned to ignore it, even though it had arrived by overnight post, addressed specifically to himself and Zellan. Addressed in very neat, flowing handwriting of the sort a Princess might have. Certainly not the sort of handwriting a tall, buxom sorceress who liked to wear a tiny leather bikini and skull accessories would have. Even though the return address on the plain, brown wrapper clearly indicated it had come from Naga the Serpent, who was in Rratsnek with Lina and by all reports drunk most of the time. Drunk people didn’t have such nice handwriting. Ullan figured she must’ve had a moment of sobriety. So he sipped his coffee, read an article in “Gentleman’s Monthly” about his uncle Urlich’s good taste and enviable wardrobe, and pretended the porno didn’t exist. He just let it sit on the coffee table, its brown wrapper laid on top of it, covering the naked portrait of Naga in a suggestive pose that graced its cover. Naga in nothing but her skull jewelry, a lascivious smirk, and a come hither look in her eyes. Naga with her long, black hair loose and falling over her shoulders to lie in strategic places. Ullan stared at a picture of his uncle and read the caption about his cravat. Ten times, in fact. His coffee got cold. Naga was still naked under the brown paper wrapper. There had been a letter clipped to the magazine cover, written in that same, Princess-perfect handwriting that graced the wrapper. The letter directed the brothers’ attention to the magazine’s cover, as well as to certain dog-eared pages within, including an ad in the back for some kind of magic-driven massager Naga thought would be great for their health spa. Ullan had read the advertisement and decided they didn’t need that kind of massager at any health spa of his. As he continued to pretend to be interested in the article about his uncle’s smashing cravats, Ullan wondered whether or not to show Zellan Naga’s letter and the magazine it rode in on. Zellan had not yet made an appearance that morning, Ullan and Zhara being the true early risers of the family. Zellan would probably toddle downstairs just about the time his relatives were beginning to contemplate lunch. Unless Zellan hadn’t gone to bed yet (or even come home), which Ullan figured wasn’t too far-fetched a notion since his brother had snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. That amused Ullan for a couple of reasons, the chiefest of which being that each of them was more than eight hundred years old, more adult than a lot of people ever got to be, and shouldn’t have to sneak around. His other reason was that the moment Zellan so much as touched his mother’s wards, Zhara would have woke up and sent out mental feelers to determine who was mucking with her spell. Ullan knew his brother had left the house at a weird hour of the night because he himself had been up late going over the architectural plans for the spa. And if Zellan thought his mother or younger brother couldn’t figure out who he’d slipped away to see, he had another think coming, though Ullan was at a loss to know what his brother saw in Beast Master. That woman gave him the crawling heebie-jeebies, and not just because she was a Mazoku Lord. She was just, plain, freaky (even more so than his grandfather Xellos, which said quite a lot.) So it was no surprise to Ullan when he heard the front door open and recognized his brother’s stocking-footed steps tip-toeing toward the stairs. "How’s Zellas?” Ullan couldn’t resist calling out to his brother at the same time as his mother called from upstairs: “Good morning, Zellan!” The footsteps stopped abruptly. Zellan cursed colorfully and dropped his boots, then stomped into the parlor to glare, red-eyed and cranky at his little brother. “How do you always know…?” Ullan looked up with an angelic smile. “I’m your brother, silly, and Mum knows because of her wards.” He fought down a snicker and went back to “reading” the article about Urlich’s fashion sense. “Aren’t you a little old to be sneaking around? We all know you’re seeing Zellas again, though I for one am curious to know why, considering how badly she treated you last time you two were an item.” The silence that followed that comment hit Ullan like a fist to the jaw. He cleared his throat and ventured a cautious look up at his brother, who had a major battle aura building up around him. Ullan tried that angelic smile on him again but quickly realized that wasn’t one of his better ideas. He hastily rearranged his features into something more contrite. “Sorry. She just freaks me out. I didn’t mean anything by it, ok? Geez, Zellan, try to calm down! Can I get you some coffee?” Zellan took a deep breath to calm himself and failed. He sat down on the other end of the couch from Ullan and continued to glare menacingly and shimmer with a red aura. “No thank you,” he muttered. “I’m fine. Just…fine.” Ah. They’d argued. Ullan cleared his throat again, thinking a little comedy might help his brother’s mood. He pulled “XXXposure” out from under its paper wrapper and laid it on the cushion between himself and Zellan. “Naga sent us a present. She wants our opinion.” Zellan glanced at the cover. He blinked at it, then pushed the magazine in Ullan’s direction. “My opinion is this stuff is trash, and you may tell her I said so.” Ullan pushed the magazine back at his brother and waggled his finger at him in a very Xellosian way. “No, no, no. She sent a letter with it. It’s inside the cover. Read it.” When Zellan looked skeptical, Ullan nodded encouragingly. “Go on. You look like you could use a laugh.” Zellan sighed, and his aura finally dissipated. “A laugh, huh?” He snorted. “You have nooooo idea. Zellas has gone to Rratsnek to, and I quote, ‘see that bitch Lina Inverse go down for everything she’s done to the Monster Race!’ end quote.” “Well, she does have a point,” Ullan admitted. He ticked off the reasons on his fingers. “There was the Shabranigdo thing, the Zaniffar thing, the Phibrizo thing, the Darkstar thing, and, less directly, the Gaav and Valgaav things. Not to mention the host of miscellaneous Mazoku she destroyed along the way. Of course, since we believe a piece of Gaav got reborn into Lara Sorez, Zellas shouldn’t worry about him too much, except that he was a traitor.” Zellan looked as impressed as a guy who’d just spent all night fighting with his evil Dark Lord girlfriend could look at such a silly hour of the morning. “Whoa, Ullan. You’ve really been doing your homework! And here I didn’t think you’d really read any of those newspaper articles on Lina’s history.” “Well, after reading all that and verifying it with Mum, I think Lina’s got a leg to stand on with that public service defense.” Zellan shrugged. “Depends on the public. If the public is Mazoku, no, but since the public in question is Humans, I’d have to agree with you. But I think she’s up for bandit bashing, isn’t she?” Ullan shrugged. “Bandits, Mazoku…what’s the difference? They both prey on Humans, so Lina destroying them is serving the public good. Right?” “I guess.” Zellan turned his attention Naga’s letter, and Ullan watched his expression go from serious, to incredulous, to amused and back to incredulous again. Zellan lowered the letter and glanced at the magazine cover. It was upside down, so he turned it the right way around and studied it with a bemused look on his face. He picked it up and opened it to the dog-eared pages and studied those pictures, too. After a while, he lay the magazine on his lap and looked at his brother. “She wants a second opinion?” Ullan nodded. “She doesn’t think the artists did her justice. Have you seen her naked before?” Zellan’s eyes narrowed. “Hell no, and nor did I care to.” “Then why did you look?” Ullan asked as innocently as he could manage without cracking up into his coffee. Zellan frowned. “You didn’t?” “Only the cover because I couldn’t avoid it.” “But I’ll bet you read the ad, didn’t you?” Nod. “You know what it’s for, right?” “Yes…” Ullan blushed and narrowed his eyes at his brother over his coffee mug. “And we’re not going to have that kind of massager in our spa. It’s a health spa, not a brothel. You should remind Naga of that next time we see her.” “I should remind her? You’re the one who’s got a problem with it!” “You don’t?!” Zellan rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Yes, I do. We want a clean establishment. L-Sama knows this town doesn’t need another brothel. I was just saying—nevermind. I’m too tired to argue. Fine, I’ll set her straight,” he looked up at Ullan suddenly with a wicked gleam in his eyes, “if you look over those pictures and tell her whether or not you think they do her justice.” Ullan choked on a mouthful of coffee. “You—cough—you must be—cough—joking! She’ll think I like seeing her naked! That I want to! No way! Uh-uh! You do it!” Zellan smiled beatifically. “We’ll both do it. After all, she did address it to both of us, so we should both give her an opinion.” Ullan cringed into the sofa. “Can’t I just make something up without looking at the pictures?” “No,” Zellan said as he got up and headed towards the stairs to his room. “Honesty is best, brother dearest, so tell her what you really think. I’ll think about it while I have a shower, then we can write her a letter together, how’s that?” “You’re still mad about that Zellas comment, aren’t you?” But Zellan was already up the stairs and didn’t reply. Ullan sulked into his empty coffee mug, thinking that the day had started out so nicely, too. Now the bright, cheery sunshine just seemed to be mocking him. He stared at the magazine lying face-down on the cushion just within arm’s reach. The man on the back cover held up a box of condoms and stared back at him with an enthusiastic grin that seemed kind of lewd to Ullan, as if the guy knew what was on the front cover and was just hoping somebody would fold the covers against each other so he could use the product he was endorsing on Naga the Naked Serpent (as the caption on the front cover called her.) He sighed and reached for the magazine. “Alright, I guess I should just get this over with.” A half an hour later, Zellan returned to the parlor to find his younger brother in a state of shock, and the magazine in a jumble on the floor on the other side of the room. He picked it up and put it on the coffee table, feeling a tad unnerved by Ullan’s hypnotized expression and red face. “Uh…Ullan? Are you ok?” Ullan didn’t even blink. “Nobody does that with snakes.” With a perfectly straight face, Zellan put a pad of paper and a pen in Ullan’s lap and said: “She wants it in writing.” While Zellan had spent the night arguing with his girlfriend, the Zelgadis Party had spent it celebrating getting the first piece of the spell onto its scroll at Tudrac and discussing their next move. Melfinius had told Zelgadis how to transfer the spell after first giving him a hard time about not asking him about such an important detail while he was still in Marrigan. But once the spell was on the scroll, Gadis had summoned bottles of wine (very good wine, as it turned out) and appropriately fancy goblets. Sylph had refused to accept anything from the beautiful Mazoku at first, but when she saw everybody else, including her sister, drinking and having a good time, she caved in and let Gadis pour her some. “So where now, Zelgadis?” Jessica asked when they were all good and comfortable, and the moon was rising in the clear, starry sky. “I think we should proceed to Zefilia, since Lina’s group is stuck in Rratsnek for her trial. We really shouldn’t waste time waiting for her trial to end before approaching the Knight of Seified about the spell fragment.” Zelgadis leaned against a large bit of debris and looked up at the stars as he ran a fingertip along the lip of his goblet. “I want to go to Rratsnek and help Lina, but…” he let the sentence trail off, not really sure how he should finish it. He really did want to help Lina but at the same time his usual healthy amount of selfish ambition was urging him to go to Zefilia and find Luna Inverse, the Knight of Seified, who was supposedly a spell fragment. Or a clue to a fragment. Maybe it was best if he went instead of Lina, who was terrified beyond words of her sister. “Yeah,” he thought, “it might get done faster if I do it, instead.” But still…what was left of his Human loyalty to his friend was urging him to go to her rescue. Sylph touched his arm, and he looked over to see her smiling at him. “You want to help Lina but you know we’re short on time. Zel, it’s ok to be selfish in this case. Lina would never forgive you if you lost your chance for a cure because you decided to help her instead—especially when she has enough help with her in Rratsnek already. Remember? She has Url, Gourry, Amelia…” She counted them off on her fingers. Zel did the same. “Xellos, Lita and that monster that’s been following her and her Lara half around, Naga…” “Who is a clue, just like Luna Inverse is,” Jessica interrupted, hoping to put his thoughts back onto a more positive track. “If she can keep from getting arrested, she should still be able to leave Rratsnek at any time. So if Lina’s trial drags on, and the deadline L-Sama gave you draws near, she can always leave Rratsnek to help you piece together your spell.” Zelgadis and Sylph sighed, then giggled at each other. Gadis, who lounged on the other side of Zelgadis in a pose calculated to display himself in the most striking (yet casual) way possible, looked like he’d like to summon some poison into his rival’s drink. Not that it hadn’t occurred to him a few times already, mind you. The only thing that kept him from doing it was knowing Zelgadis would never forgive him and, worse, would drive him from his side. That prospect was intolerable, so Gadis put up with his master’s little flirtations with, as he called her, “that Kitsune slut.” “Well, if anyone cares what I think,” Gadis said as he poured himself another goblet of wine from a bottle that never seemed to get empty, “I think we should go to Zefilia and see about the spell fragment this Luna person supposedly has.” “She probably doesn’t have it,” Zelgadis corrected. “She’s a clue to it.” “Gadis is right,” Jessica said and ignored the derisive little snort her sister made at the thought of agreeing with “that stuck-up fairy-boy excuse for a Mazoku.” “But what about Firedrake?” Zelgadis asked. “Gourry’s new sword is also a clue, and there’s no way he’d ever leave Lina’s side at a time like this.” “And Icedrake won’t let Firedrake leave without her,” Sylph groaned, “unless Gourry takes both swords with him.” Jessica frowned thoughtfully and took a sip of wine. “That might not be such a bad idea, since I understand it was Icedrake that got Lina into this mess in the first place. However, she did choose Lina, so it’s unlikely she’ll be parted from her so easily. Well, you make a good point, Zelgadis. I guess we’ll just have to leave Firedrake for last—oh!” Her hand flew to her mouth in embarrassment. “I forgot that we still need to find out what the other clues are!” “Which you can’t do if you’re with me and not in Seyruun studying that fresco,” Zelgadis added. “So I guess it’s just me and Sylph—“ “And me!” Gadis protested. “Don’t you dare leave me behind, Master! After all I went through to be with you at last!” He bit his lip prettily and looked like he might start crying. Zelgadis rolled his eyes. “Me, Sylph and Gadis—“ “I will not travel with that stuck-up drama queen!” Sylph crossed her arms and tossed her head with a huff. “We still don’t know for sure that he wasn’t sent by your enemies to sabotage your quest! I don’t trust him.” “Hmph!” Gadis tossed his head in a perfect imitation of her gesture. “Likewise, I’m sure! Bitch.” “Fairy-boy.” “Slut.” “Look who’s talking.” Zelgadis slapped his hands down onto their thighs and was rewarded with a couple of gratifyingly painful yelps. “Children…what did Uncle Zelly tell you about being catty?” Sylph rubbed her throbbing leg and bared her sharp, little teeth at him. “That he really enjoys it?” Zelgadis looked thoughtful for a moment, then gave them a sheepish grin, which was more unsettling than endearing. “Oh yeah. Forgot.” He clapped his hands together with a scary twinkle in his eyes. "Well, then! Carry on!” Jessica buried her face in her hands and wondered if any of the three would survive the journey, much less get the spell fragment to which Luna was a clue and get it onto its scroll at Tudrac. “So are you going to Zefilia, or what?” She asked through her fingers. “Ok, I’ve made up my mind!” Zelgadis emptied his goblet in a single gulp, wiped his lips, then belched loudly because it so annoyed all present. Then he got up and tossed the goblet at Gadis. “Great wine, Gadis, thanks.” He belched again as he stretched, then scratched his stony rump, picked up his pack and slung it over his shoulder. “We’re off to Zefilia! I’ve always wanted to meet Lina’s scary sister. Did you know she passed up a chance to save the world and made us and Lina do it instead? Part of it happened right here where we’re standing. It’s a great story. I’ll tell you about it on the way.” Everybody else just blinked at him in utter confusion for a few seconds, then Sylph got up and brushed herself off, still looking a little suspicious. Jessica was the next on her feet, then Gadis, whom Sylph thought was just way too bouncy all of a sudden. So was Zelgadis, come to think of it. Hm. Disturbing trend. She mustn’t let either of them have wine in future. “Well, then,” Jessica began uncertainly, “I guess I’ll get back to Seyruun.” Zelgadis smacked her on the back with enough force to really hurt her, but the ancient fox was onto him and forced herself to do no more than grit her teeth. “Good luck, Jess! Give my regards to Prince Phil!” All of a sudden Zel got thoughtful again and turned a suspicious look on Gadis. “What did you put in that wine? I’m feeling a little too…” he cast about his brain for the right word, then it hit him, and it wasn’t pretty. “Too Xellos-y. Ugh.” Gadis made an ugly face at the wine bottle in his hand, then tossed it over the side of the platform. “I didn’t put anything in that wine, but I most certainly will never, ever drink that particular vintage again!” He shuddered. “Xellos-y. Ick.” Sylph wrinkled her nose at both of them and said: “I think you two just can’t hold your liquor.” Before either of them could put words to the outrage on their faces, she added: “Come on, boys, let’s go. That clue won’t come to us. Zel? The pocket dimension, if you please?” Zelgadis fished up Melfinius’ party gag with a grin, and a moment later the platform was empty. Lina Inverse was all dressed up in brand new duds and ready to fight for her life, wielding nothing but the Sword of Justice. Well, ok, that’s what Amelia called it. Urlich said the courts of Rratsnek wouldn’t know Justice if it spat in their faces. So what Lina, through her lawyer Urlich, would use was something more akin to the Lance of Loopholes, a tool of which Urlich professed to be a master. Since he was the son of Xellos, Lina fully believed him. Unfortunately, she also realized that if Urlich got the knack from his dad, that made Xellos an even greater master of the art of slipping through loopholes. And Xellos, the slipperiest little fruitcake Lina had ever met, just happened to be the one prosecuting her case. Making matters worse was the fact that Judge Joodie had denied Urlich’s motion for a Bench Trial, which would’ve meant the case would be heard by the Judge alone, not a jury. It might also have meant the public would be excluded, too, but neither Lina nor Urlich had been holding their breath on that one. Pity, really, since such a ruling would have also kept Zellas Metallium out of the courtroom. Beast Master sat behind Xellos’ table and made gloating faces at Lina whenever she could catch the sorceress’ eye. Lina made sure that happened as infrequently as possible. Next to Beast Master was Xellos’ star witness, Princess Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova and her husband Zangulus, whose Howling Sword II had to be left outside the courtroom, which Lina figured explained his grumpy expression. Lina’s allies were sitting behind the Defense table. Even Amelia and Lita had been allowed to attend, though they were facing criminal charges themselves. Gourry was directly behind Lina, a nice, solid, encouraging presence. Lina had wondered what he’d done with Firedrake, since none of them trusted security in this place, and Firedrake would fetch an enormous price for any thief bold enough to try and steal it. However, Icedrake had informed her that Firedrake had pulled the same trick she had and was hiding under Gourry’s collar. Lina found it extremely reassuring to know Gourry had a sword on him. Urlich’s star witness, the Shrine Maiden Sylphiel Nels Lahda, sat next to Gourry, looking worried. Amelia was on Gourry’s other side, with Lita next to her. Naga was next to Sylphiel and was actually wearing real clothes, per Judge Joodie’s orders. Her tight pants and top were both made of black leather, though, and she wore her usual skull jewelry and cloak. The Judge had allowed Url’s motion to continue the trial, though she’d only granted him till the next morning. While she waited for the trial to get underway, Lina comforted herself with thoughts of Dragon Slaving Rratsnek as soon as Url got her off the hook. Of course, to do that, he’d have to out slime his slippery father. :: What’s wrong with you? :: Lina lay her head down on her arms on the table and sighed: I don’t feel so good. :: I told you, you should’ve eaten something. This isn’t like you. :: Yeah, I know. Do you think we can beat Xellos? :: Not a chance in hell, sweetheart, but did you make a break for it when I told you to? Nooooo :: Hello? Death is what I’m trying to avoid here, remember? :: Wuss. :: Whatever. “Lina,” Urlich shook her by the shoulder, “wake up. It’s almost show time.” Lina pushed herself up, squared her shoulders, and straightened the new outfit the eternally well-meaning Amelia had made Urlich buy after reading a magazine article that condemned Lina’s taste in clothes. Lina had been against it, claiming loudly she didn’t care what some stupid fashion magazine had to say about her taste. Right after she’d torn the offending magazine to pieces. Since another magazine had heaped glowing praise upon Urlich’s fashion sense (and since Amelia and Lita were confined to quarters, and Naga…well, Naga was Naga), he was chosen to make Lina look like a million. What he came up with wasn’t exactly Lina’s style, but since her “style” had been the problem, and Urlich’s was being held up as the paragon of good taste, she supposed the outfit he’d selected was supremely fashionable. “I just thought to myself,” Urlich had explained when he’d presented her with her new clothes the night before, “she’s going to be sitting next to me in court all day, so it’ll have to be something that won’t make me embarrassed to be seen with her. Heh. I guess I’ll have to keep dressing you for the duration of the trial. Ooh, lucky me.” Fortunately for him, he’d said that from the other side of her cell. Url had decided to go with a conservative, yet trendy, suit in sage green. It had a short, straight skirt and matching long jacket made of what felt like expensive silk. Under it, she wore a white silk blouse and gold necklace. The outfit even had pumps dyed to match the suit. Amelia had put Lina’s hair up in a roll, with a few curls to hang about her face. Holding her hair in place was a gold comb with green jade leaves on it. Though Lina had been unsure, the outfit was a big hit with her friends, who all agreed that Urlich really did have incredibly good taste (except for Naga, who thought the blouse should be unbuttoned a bit lower, the skirt raised a little higher, and that Lina could benefit from a pushup bra.) He certainly hadn’t spared any expense, which made Lina wonder when she’d get the bill…for the outfit and for his legal services. Phil certainly wasn’t going to pay him for hanging around with her instead of babysitting Zelgadis, so all this finery had probably come out of Urlich’s own pocket. Not that she was going to bring it up if he didn’t… Her new threads even had Xellos oohing and ahhing. Several artists from fashion magazines had hustled over to get quick sketches before the Judge appeared and called the courtroom to order. Lina had tolerated it all with what she thought was great aplomb but after a while she just couldn’t take it anymore and had gotten a little testy about it. Well, as testy as she knew how to get without the use of physical violence or high-level attack spells. “Ooh, Miss Lina!” Martina sneered. “In that outfit, you don’t even notice how flat your chest is!” Lina’s aura flared for an instant, then she remembered the manacles and smiled sweetly at Martina instead. “I see you still can’t afford a new outfit, Martina.” “And whose fault is that?!” Martina pouted. “Guess those paper flowers and Zoamalgustar amulets ain’t sellin’ like they used to, eh?” “If you hadn’t destroyed Zoana, Lina Inverse, I wouldn’t have to work for a living, like you commoners!” “A true Princess doesn’t look down on her subjects, Miss Martina!” Amelia chimed in righteously. “Will you shut up?!” Urlich hissed. “They’re getting down every word you say!” He pointed at the press corps, who were, indeed, scribbling away. He turned to his client and pointed a finger in her face. “Just ignore her. Do you think you can do that?” The finger swung around to point meaningfully at Lina’s allies, who all nodded with a muttered apology from Amelia. “Lina…?” Lina turned her back on Martina and studied her nail polish instead. “She started it.” “I don’t care who started it, it stops now. Get it?” “Yes, oh great and mighty defender of justice.” Urlich’s face turned red. “Lina…do you want to walk out of this town alive, or not?” :: I vote for blowing the place to smithereens and going out in a blaze of glory! :: I told you I’m not going to die here! :: And I told you you’re a wuss! :: This is me caring… Urlich jabbed her in the arm. “Behave, dammit!” Lina rubbed her sore arm and nodded her resignation, then motioned him close so she could whisper in his ear. “We don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, do we, Url?” “Yes we do,” he whispered back. “Just trust me. I know how to play their games, Lina. I can do this.” “Yeah, but can Xellos do it better? And that Judge Joodie…should you have to keep reminding her what the law is?” Urlich started to reply that yes, in Rratsnek that’s how the game was played, but at that moment the bailiff thumped his staff and announced: “ALL RISE! This session of the Rratsnek felony court is now in session, Judge Joodie Shinylint presiding!” :: Let the games begin! :: |
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