"How did that all happen?" Lawrence asked, "Marie calls Joella to the stand, and all of a sudden she and Vatican appear?"
"Rosa ran to get them," Marie-Eliza sighed, "It was awhile later when Joella actually arrived with Vatican escorting her. I did not mention that earlier as having them sit around and wait for Rosa to walk to the Praying Town, inform Joella that she was called to take the stand at the witches trial, and then walk back."
"You had said earlier that Joella was told that her "mothers" died trying to make everyone happy, or something like that," Betty commented, "if she was at the trial... wouldn't she have seen the verdict?"
"No," Marie answered, "she wasn't there for the verdict. Nor for the execution. Marie knew that the end result of the case would be the witches' execution. They WERE to dangerous for them to be left alive, and her arguments were more to save their souls then anything else. But since it was clear to her that the witches did have some redeemable qualities and that Joella loved them, Marie didn't want an innocent girl to see the ones she loved hanging by the neck, gasping for breath..."
"So Joella was sent back to the Praying Town?" Lawrence asked.
"Eventually," Marie nodded.
+++++++++++++
As the day passed toward evening, those in medical wing continued to recuperate. Although, largely being bedridden, it was somewhat of a struggle for those there to remain sane. For some it fairly easy while for others it would harder. Hope, Grace, and Isabelle talked with Kaylee until she left to get her children ready for dinner. Yamato proceeded to meditate. Mal'akh found herself answering a lot of questions about Joella from either Joy or Ingrid.
But not all could maintain that. Millie had finished reading through the Pack's collection of comic books, and was largely waiting for her sisters to take them back to the library... or for them to give her company.
For others in the Pride, it was tough. Brian, Gary, and Felicity were all heavily mourning the loss of Fox and Elise, and being bed bound, it wasn't like they could do much to try focus on much other then their loss. They soon received a distraction of a different sort.
"Ninety-nine deer steaks on the wall, ninety-nine deer steaks! You take one down, you pass it around, ninety-eight deer steaks on the wall!"
Nearly everyone turned see Nick half singing half muttering the song out of boredom.
"Come on, Nick, we're all out of college," Sasha commented, "you don't need to do that."
"It's something to do," Nick sighed, "I mean there are plenty of things I'd like to do, but most of them require that no one is hurt to do them."
"Nicholas..." Nicole said in a low voice.
"...you know I'd never force myself on you, Alexandra, Beatrice, or Isabelle," Nick eventually said.
"Yes, we know, and we love you for that, but you could think about something OUTSIDE the gutter," Nicole told him.
"Sorry," Nick whimpered.
"I sent Beatrice and Anne to get some of our old televisions," Fran spoke as she came toward the area, "we'll see if we can set them up somewhere and you can watch a little television before going to bed."
"Two televisions?" lioness Megan asked.
"You'd need to set them both on the same channel in order to coordinate what you hear, but it would give you something to do to pass the time... and if not that, I'm sure one of the teen wolves wouldn't mind sharing a boom box and some CDs," Fran nodded, "although that will have to wait till tomorrow."
++++++++++++
1689
"Does the prosecution wish to cross examine the witness?" Dr. Azrael asked as Marie returned to her chair.
"Yes," Linus nodded and slowly approached Joella. The girl cringed slightly seeing his lack of hands.
"You say your mothers felt the world is unfair," Linus began.
"Yes," Joella nodded.
"And you agree with them?"
"Yes," Joella nodded again.
"And your mothers recognized that the world was "unfair"?"
"Yes...?"
"Now, I'm sure this is hard for you, but are you aware that there are those in this world that would find things to be rather "fair" for them?" Linus questioned.
"Yes, but if they oppress others with laws, they are being unfair to everyone else," Joella answered.
"So you would say that your mothers consider the laws of the land to be unfair?"
"I guess so," Joella said nervously.
"Would you say that the witches were trying to overthrow those "unfair" laws?" Linus questioned.
"Yes..." Joella said nervously.
"What about "thou shalt not kill"?" Linus asked.
"Pardon?" Joella asked, confused.
"One of the Ten Commandments, passed down to Moses by God to hand down to the Israelites after being freed from bondage in Egypt, and is a corps value to the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths," Linus spoke, "and has influenced all civil laws. Murder is a crime against all laws."
"They wouldn't have abolished those laws," Joella spoke.
"You've already said they consider the laws of the land to be unfair," Linus answered, "if you consider laws to be unfair, you throw them all out... and take the resulting consequences..."
"Meaning...?" Joella asked confused.
"Meaning that with the laws against murder now gone for being unfair, Father Draco, here could roast them alive without fear of prosecution because there is no law that says murder is wrong," Linus answered, "and that is ultimately why we have laws in this world. To insure that there is a stable functioning society that is protected from those that would do evil. To want to eradicate all laws is an invitation to chaos and disorder. Some laws may be "unfair"... but creating a lawless society would only make things worse. And such an act would be an attack against the rule of every living monarch, against whatever legislative bodies that may exist, against EVERY religion..."
Linus then walked over toward a different area.
"And you say that the people that wanted to kill you no longer exist?" Linus questioned.
"Not in the way they were," Joella commented.
"Do you understand that THAT is murder?" Linus questioned, "Self Defense maybe, but still murder."
"So it's alright for them to be bad?" Joella questioned.
"This is not a debate," Dr. Azrael spoke, "does the prosecution have any factual questions for the witness?"
"I have no further questions," Linus answered, "I merely wished to bring to the Court's attention that by her own admission, the witches had launched an attack against all forms of government by targeting the laws of the land and that by her own admission that the witches have committed murder by ending the lives of others, regardless of how misguided they may be. It was not the witches' place to make such decisions, and with all their magic, they could have defended the girl WITHOUT turning them into something else. WITHOUT ending their lives where they would be free to succeed or fail as according to God's will and plan."
Linus then returned to his table.
"You may step down, dear," Dr. Azrael said slowly.
"My mothers are good people," Joella pleaded, "please don't kill them..."
Azrael looked down to the girl who was now clutching at his sleeve.
"It is not my duty to kill anyone," Azrael told her, "You may step down."
Checking his watch, Azrael then brought his gavel down again.
"The court will take a one hour recess for lunch, and to check on those that currently asleep," Azrael spoke.
He then stood up, as everyone else did. Joella only stood by and looked to where Marie was standing at the defendants table.
++++++++++
Present Day
"It is wonderful of you to visit us, Mother Glen," Marie said to the large white lioness licking her son.
"I felt I had to, dear," Mother Glen spoke up and then nuzzled Trevor again, "to congratulate you on getting him back. You and Jacob were both saddened when he went missing."
"I was sad too," Sabrina spoke from the stairs, "but now he's back, and a hero besides!"
"So I have heard from those at the manor," Mother Glen finally let Trevor up, "but I suppose you don't fully remember me do you, Trevor?"
"You're the may...tree...arrr...kuh," Trevor said slowly and then inching forward to hug one of Mother Glen's forelegs.
"I am the matriarch, yes," Mother Glen chuckled, "You may call me Mother Glen, though."
"Can I get you anything, Mother Glen?" Marie asked.
"No, I came to offer my congratulations for the return of your son," Mother Glen answered, "though I suppose it wouldn't hurt to hear the tale of the conquering hero."
Trevor felt a little embarrassed as Mother Glen nuzzled his head again.
++++++++++
"Sounds like Linus was trying to badger Joella into accusing her "mothers"," Lawrence commented.
Marie-Eliza nodded, "Yes. But to a certain extent, he had a legitimate point. And since no one had called the witches themselves to the stand, a lot of those points could not be clarified."
"I'd think they'd end up helping both sides if one or all of the witches were called to the stand," Abbey commented.
"What about the journal?" Maddex commented, "certainly Linus must have found something in it that would have helped."
"That would depend on what happened after the recess," Marie explained.