Clockworks Cronicles of Zahn

8) Justice’s Hammer Falls

Judge Sir Henry Waldheim sat behind the bench waiting for the next case. He was the magistrate of minor cases on the palace grounds as well as for all cases for the district immediately surrounding the Imperial Palace.

He looked down and read the first lines when his clerk placed the next case’s file in front of him. He then looked at the prosecutor and asked, “You are aware cases involving the Children of the Crown are the purview of Her Eminence for adjudication?”

“Well my lord, I thought such an obvious case of assault on noble children by a non-noble child would be well with in your purview to adjudicate.”

Sir Henry looked back down at the file and read a few more lines and said, “So one child attacked four children without provocation and beat them unconscious?” He shook his head and asked, “Are the children in question present?”

“All but one child sir who needed hospitalization for his injuries.” The prosecutor then made a motion to the bailiff and he escorted three children from the audience.

The judge looked at the three children all looking to be around 16 years old then over to Ouihan who was standing in the accused booth who looked 12. He then looked back at the three other children to see those wearing bandages and slings and having obvious bruises then back at Ouihan again seeing he had no apparent injuries.

The judge asked, “Apparent assault? It doesn’t look like even one of these children does not outweigh the defendant by at least one or two stones. If what your accusers say is true, then they should have been able to at least get one or two hits on the defendant and yet he looks absolutely uninjured.” He then frowned down at Ouihan and asked, "What have you to say about this young man?”

“My lord judge, I was the one attacked. They surrounded me and then forced me to defend myself.”

The judge looked surprised then thoughtful. Finally, he said, “This case is not so simple Prosecutor Harris. It would require a trial and I would be the one trying it if, and I do mean if, it was to have happened off the palace ground or if the defendant had only been a simple servant or a child of a servant. However, as I said before, since the defendant is a member of The Children of the Crown, the only one who is able to adjudicate this case is Her Eminent Empress Victoria II.” He then hit the gavel down and said, “Hold over for Her Eminence for trial…”

“Your honor if I may please approach the bench?” a redheaded woman said from the audience.

“And you are?”

“Elsie Carmichael, soon to be High Lady Elsinore Cooper Baroness of Calador, and I have a Royal Decree from Her Eminence.”

The Judge motioned for her to approach.

The bailiff escorted Lady Elsinore to the bench where she presented the judge with a piece of paper.

The judge read the paper: “To all concerned, let it be known We have given High Lady Elsinore Cooper, Baroness of Calador Our complete confidence and full Royal authority to oversee all matters involving and in regard to The Children of the Crown. We do this without any reservations or reluctance. Her commands in any such matter are absolute and to be seen as the word of the Crown. Signed Her Eminent Empress Victoria II Arkanti Empress of The Civilization, High Queen of the Northern Continent…” he skimmed through all her titles which took up nearly half the page and looked at the signature and date, “On this day 1 August Year of Arkan 1024.”

He then inspected the attached seal and realized it was authentic. He looked down at Lady Elsinore and said, “You realized this says you can adjudicate this matter?”

“Yes, it does and yes I do, and as you have been duly informed, any further matters pertaining to The Children of the Crown which are brought to you in the future will be referred to me and me alone, or, of course the Empress.” She said firmly.

“So, let me guess, you plan to dismiss the case?”

“Actually no. My fiancé, High Lord Colonel Calvin Cooper, Baron of Calador wouldn’t approve of such a thing. I intend to see to it all the facts are properly gathered and then I’ll properly adjudicate the case. But in the meantime, since he is a mere child of 12, he should not be held over in a prison but rather returned to his residence at the Victoria I library complex where he will be under close arrest until I determine the facts here.”

“Well, well, it would seem Her Eminence has chosen wisely, as usual, in regard to the overseeing of these children.” He then hit the gavel twice and said, “The defended will be remanded to the custody of High Lady Elsinore for her to adjudicate.”

Elsie had heard about the case of Ouihan’s assault charge when she went to introduce herself to the children that morning. It was Sister who told her about it and expressed her extreme concern.

She got a quick rundown from the children of what had happened then she went down to the courthouse across from the palace grounds. She had arrived just as the judge was ordering Ouihan to be held over for trial by Her Eminence. It was when she decided to chime in and deal with the first problem of her new responsibilities.

As she was waiting outside the courtroom for Ouihan to be brought to her, a bookish looking gentleman approached her and asked, “Miss Carmichael?”

“Yes?”

“I’m Imperial Headmaster Warren.”

“Nice to meet you Mr. Warren.”

“That’s Headmaster Warren Miss.” He corrected curtly with a look of distaste on his face.

The switch had been thrown. Elsie felt her temper begin to boil. She had been dealing with this type her whole life. Self-important jerks who felt unless you had a noble title you were beneath them. Yet he was obviously gentry and not nobility himself. “What can I do for you Headmaster?” she said coldly.

“Well Miss, I just wanted to warn you; that child is dangerous. He belongs in prison, not on the palace grounds. He’s a hooligan and street trash, like the other Children of the Crown. I believe if you truly wish to honor Her Eminence then you would see to all their removal from the palace and back to the streets where they belong. I am sure they would be happier as well.”

As he spoke, her temper got hotter and hotter. She tried to remember the lessons she had learned watching people like Coop, who got quieter and more deliberate when they were mad. She knew the value of not revealing they got you mad, as well. Unfortunately, this one just pushed all her buttons. If there was any question about her being a natural red head, there was none now.

“So, you believe these children would be happier begging, stealing or starving?! How Marvelous! You are a real humanitarian! Really?” She gestured to the gathering crowd around her, arms wide “look at the magnanimous Headmaster Warren, the man entrusted with teaching and guiding children to become fine adults! His concepts of mercy and the betterment of children is to throw them in the streets!”

She jabbed her index finger into his chest as she continued.

“And you call yourself an educator of children?! I weep for what you might be teaching our children. Probably to become little stuck up pompous brats who turn into treasonous, backstabbing bastards like Calador. You are nothing but a self-aggrandizing bully who most certainly was bullied when you were a child, so you see no other way but to bully others. Well worry not about the supervision or education of these children. You are not to have any more dealings with them or their facilities. You sir are hereby relieved of that responsibility and authority at a minimum. Oh, and since you seem to openly question the wisdom of the Empress in her actions, in the very least in regards to these children, then I will make it my very next life goal to relieve you of your inner turmoil of having to work for someone you disagree with. You will soon be fired from teaching all the children on palace grounds once the Empress is apprised of your obvious enmity with her rule. Sir, how is your arithmetic?”

She had been alternating her gestures during speech between broad sweeps of her arms to the gathering throng and jabs into his chest with her finger. The last jab of the finger nearly knocked him off balance.

After her last question, he was quite confused. He was torn between rage and fear, and now confusion jumped in the middle of it.

“What?”

“I said, how is your arithmetic?” Her voice had turned classroom pleasant. This confused him even more.

“Most excellent, what does that have to do with anything?” A puzzled look on his face.

“I have always found most treasonous backstabbing weasels can at least count to thirteen. At least you won’t have to strain yourself on that account.”

He glared at her, infuriated with this impertinent wench making such a scene. She was just like those street trash. Better they all be lumped together and tossed out into the street. As much as he was bristling with rage, he also had a twinge of fear at the use of the implication of treason in his direction. The Empress was cutting a bloody swath through the nobility. He wasn’t sure what allies he might still have. He stormed off in a huff, with no good reply to the redhead. While storming off to his office he was furious and thinking, “Who does she think she is? Does she really think she can get me fired? Well I’ll show her!” He then got another thought. “That boy is probably thinking he got away with this. Well I’ll show him too. I still have at least one more thing I can do to get at that boy. I’ll destroy that toy he is so proud and protective of.”

Late in the day, the Imperial Headmaster’s secretary was becoming concerned because he was not answering the door to his office. He knew the Headmaster had entered the office in a huff, and he hadn’t left past the secretary, so he knocked at the door several times more. He used the spare key he kept in his desk to unlock the door. Entering the office, the first things he saw were papers and books thrown all over the place. Then he saw an octagonal box with a hammer next to it on the ink blotter of the Headmaster’s desk. Finally, he saw the Headmaster curled up in the fetal position in the corner of the office behind the desk. He was mumbling incoherently, occasionally crying out and flailing his arms at some unseen attackers. He had obviously soiled himself.

Apparently, the Headmaster wasn’t aware of the protection spell Ouihan had put on Gidget.

When Ouihan later heard about the Imperial Headmaster’s condition his only thought was, “I tried to warn him.”