Decemberland

Chapter 38: Outsider

“Interns.”

It only took that one word to send the courtroom spiraling into chaos. The audience became loud and talkative as several began to spring up from their seats and jeer at Truge, who slammed his mallet relentlessly into the podium. The next thing anyone knew, Blake found himself locked into the executioners chair without notice by the Town Guard who were also attempting to control the audience at the same time, and, to their misfortune, quite unsuccessfully attempting to control Lydia, who had just made her appearance in the courtroom with a very large gun.

“Just one clear shot!” Lydia begged with gritted teeth, “Just let me blow his brains out! That’s all I want to do!” She fired off a couple of rounds, just barely missing Trudge’s head as he ducked for cover.

“Guard!” Trudge called exasperatingly, “Arrest that woman! Quickly!” Three of the five guards within the room made their best effort at a group grapple, but unsuccessfully, as she twisted their limbs and smashed each one’s head in with deadly precision, knocking them out cold and rendering them immobile. She found yet another clear shot at Trudge’s head for a split second before Professor Methodius stepped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders.

“Please, Lydia, stop this nonsense, this is a court of law!”

“You mean you’re just gonna let this sleazy little blazing feckard have his way with Blake?” Lydia exclaimed, “Look at the poor little guy!”

She pointed at Blake who’s face desperately cried, ‘Help me,’ while adding to Lydia’s comment, “I know things are a bit chaotic right now, Professor, but I might, maybe just a tiny little bit, actually agree with her on this one.”

The jury seated  rows of confused faces, wondering if they had committed a crime at this point and about as able to follow the current happenings as the Guard was able to control Lydia. “You said this was a test trial, Chief!” exclaimed Abigail from the jury bench.

“I don’t care!” shouted Trudge, “I don’t care anymore! So what I have a jury full of inexperienced interns! I’ve already made my judgment long ago! And after her little explosion, I’m more than resolved to see you all vanish from my sight!”

“Hold on, Trudge,” Methodius argued, “You have no right to abuse or manipulate the constitutional rights of even a tiny little town like this for your own personal gain! In your retaliation to execute Blake without a proper trial, you are just as guilty, and even more so in front of all these witnesses! According to the Civility Clause in the Pierce Valley Amendments your minimum sentence can be impeachment! If you do anything to our boy, I will see to it that the Mayor sees fit to give you double the punishment you unjustly deliver.”

Trudge’s eyes shadowed over villainously. “And what power exactly do you have that you can threaten me so? If you studied our town’s law enforcement to such an extent, you might have noticed the voluntary draft that Civility Clause carries, that one man of eighteen or older is to sign up for the Town Guard in order to exempt their family from tax. And that draft was passed by none other than yours truly.” Suddenly, Trudge snapped his fingers.

The door to the court room burst open once more, as dozens of the Guard marched in lines to completely surround the room. In each of their hands they carried not the normal batons that the Guard were known to use, but handguns, rifles, automatics, and other weapons of ridiculously large caliber.

“In essence, the Guard gets paid by me, so I rule the law in this town. And if I rule the law, I rule the village. Any objections from the townsfolk?” The audience was quiet enough for you to hear the floorboards creak. Trudge smiled. “Good. Therefore I sentence the boy to death for the murder of Mr. Riverwolf, the girl to life in prison for attempted murder, and the rest of you and your associates to exile from this town forever.” Trudge snapped his fingers once more and the surrounding Guard pointed their weaponry at the Professor and Lydia all at once.