psychic thread

[agentlenpc]

[The gentle brush against the Strangers' minds comes in early evening. It is, as all mental touches are from Fayura, soft and unassuming, much like a polite knock at a door. Once as many minds are connected as she thinks will open the door to her, she speaks.]

I am curious, Strangers, what you would do with the young man who shot and killed Councilwoman Vera.

Many of you come from worlds where there are laws against murder. While we have no such laws here, when a Blood male in a Queen's Territory kills another without cause, she may demand a price from him. Sometimes, that is his own life if he was negligent enough with his temper and sometimes, it's something less.

My trouble is this: if I execute him according to the laws of the Blood, of which he is not one, the Guilds will rouse their people into a furor and attack not only me, but the people of Draega. If I turn him over to the Ebon Council, the Guilds will do much the same, and that will incite the Council to strike back. And if I return him to the Guilds for accolades instead of punishment for taking a life, the Ebon Council will have cause to rip apart the Guilds and anyone in their way to extract from him the price for murdering one of their own.

Were you me, what course would you take? And please try not to shout over each other; this is as many of you as I could reach.

Comments

[yesterweek]

[ Don't mind Calvin as he slides in here. ]

Would there be any chance that his sentence could be lessened even a little if he was cooperative in explaining his actions?

I mean, he killed someone, so he's obviously not going to be let loose... Still, if a death sentence is hanging over his head maybe he'd be willing to spill a little more information with the promise of that being taken off the table?

[agentlenpc]

[ Verim never minds. Unless ... no best not go there.]

Yes. [ Verim says without hesitation.] The possibility exists. The most predominant issue is what will Lady Vera's family and the Ebon Council - [ saying the latter name comes with a bit of anger.] - will accept in lieu of his life and if the Guilds are willing to abide by that price.

You and others have made the interesting suggestion of a ... jury. I do not hold out hope that a panel of Blood and landen could reach a mutually acceptable solution - [ and then wryly] - but I never expected to find a Queen I wanted to serve either.

[yesterweek]

Jurors have to go through a selection process first. Most of the time people really close to the case, or with some sort of knowledge base that could potentially color their views on a case before hearing the evidence are eliminated from the final set.

I mean, it sounds like it'd be hard to get a fully unbiased jury in this case, but you could still look for people who are as neutral as possible on this issue?

[agentlenpc]

It's not impossible to find such people. [ Verim muses. ] Difficult, but not impossible. Besides, the Council and Guilds will undoubtedly make a fuss no matter what.

[yesterweek]

Probably. I mean, all things considered with what happened I don't think anyone is going to be fully happy here... a woman died.

[agentlenpc]

Believe me, [ Verim's tone turned grim. ] of the ones that could cause the most trouble, few of them care that Lady Vera is dead but they care very much about how they can use her murder to their advantage.

[yesterweek]

Wow... they sound like cool people...

[ Heavy sarcasm at that. What disgusting people. ]

[agentlenpc]

They're delusional. [ Verim doesn't bother to hide his disgust.] But, if this panel some of you have suggested works, it will put those same people on notice.

[yesterweek]

[ Delusional is certainly another word for them. ]

I hope it does... I mean, someone else might come up with something better, but it doesn't sound like there's a lot of other great alternatives right now.

[agentlenpc]

Perhaps no great alternatives, but at least there are some. But for now, I must go.

[thestewards]

For his sense of fairness, Calvin earns +1 Reputation with Verim.