Dancing with Fire (unedited)

Chapter 26 Rebecca's Trial

The night before the trial Rebecca and Nathaniel lay in bed to restless to sleep. "I'm hoping you are pregnant"  Nathaniel said.

Rebecca held him very close smiling, "You've been trying very valiantly my husband. With my life so uncertain it would be a bad idea, Ive taken precautions."

"But, if you were they will not hang you."

"Until the babe was born and then you would be left with a baby and Gabby. No this is better." Then smiling wickedly she twirled her fingers in his hair and lay her hand on his chest, "But we could try, I can't sleep anyway."

The amphitheater was crowed as large numbers from all the colonies were attending, It took two full days to assemble a jury. Twenty were picked to sit the trial but only ten chosen by lot would vote. The Captain of the Vigilees would prosecute the case. He was respected as an honest man. The entire Cohort of Novi's Vigilees would be in attendance as well as representatives from each colony. In all two hundred armed men in the gray uniforms of the Vigilees were present in the court.

The court was called to order and Rebecca walking alone in her scarlet and green sari walked calmly to the front and took her seat to the right of the judge in the Accused Box. Her counsel sat with her. The jury sat to the left. The prosecution would go first then Rebecca would present her defense the next day.

The first witness was called, he was the man Rebecca had not shot.

"Tell us Oliver about the night in question," the prosecutor asked.

"Me and the Jameson brothers and Ralph were on patrol, there had been several brake ins and we were being careful. I spotted some suspicions activity. We stopped a young woman hiding in the alley."

"Could you point her out?"

"Yea, that's her there," he said pointing to Rebecca. "Like I said we stopped her. She tried to come on to us."

"Come on to you? Could you be more explicit for the jury."

"You she her siting there," Oliver said slowly. "The way she sits, the way she walks...well it ain't proper. Kind of loose, like a whore, she be a witch too. And look how she dresses, showing off all that...skin."

"Do you find her attractive?" the prosecutor interrupted.

"Yea her whole family is, and they're all a bunch of flirts."

"Let's get back to my question, how did she come on to you?"

"She lifted her shirt offering herself, She didn't have anything on underneath, just like you see her now. We just kind of lost track of why we stopped her and then she shot three times from a hidden gun. She done killed Jeffry and Clive with out any call, I started shouting murder and blowing my whistle. Then Ralph came running but we lost her."

"Thank you, I call my next witness Ralph Nealson. Ralph took the stand and started his testimony.

"I heard the shouts and whistles and came running. I saw a young woman running."

"Can you point her out for the jury?"

"Yes, that's her." He pointed to Rebecca. Then continuing, "I went to the Jameson brothers first but they were dead, then we chased the woman, she dropped a bag and we grabbed it but she escaped."

"Is this the bag?"

"Yes it is?"

Then looking directly at Rebecca, "Is this your bag, it has your name on it."

"Yes, it is my bag," Rebecca replied.

Then the prosecutor emptied the bag. It contained a number of gold coins and jewelery. "Are these yours too?" he asked Rebecca.