Twelve-year-old Carmen has a secret: she can talk to her cat Grim. But the powerful Brotherhood has banned pets, and the penalty is death.
Ward is the most wanted boy in the world. The only thing standing between him and the hangman's noose is maste...
Vernon Dervish stood up. "That's quite an accusation," he said, holding his arms out, as if someone might rush into them. "Murder?" He smiled, and several people laughed out loud. It was impossible to dislike him.
"It is," Grandmere went on. "And since extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence, I will elaborate."
"Don't bother," came the same sneering voice.
"Oh, but it's no trouble at all," she said. "Besides, I believe it's my duty to bring a rather interesting law to your attention." She paused and looked around. She stood barely taller than Carmen or Slops, but somehow held them all in her sway.
"I refer," she began, and that same sneering voice rose again: "Would you shut up you old -"
"I REFER," Anna said, her voice ringing out over the wind, "TO ARTICLE 316B OF THE CAPITAL CRIMES ACT OF 2543, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY DEFENCE, AND I QUOTE: NO PERSON SHALL TWICE BE PUT IN JEOPARDY OF LIFE AND LIMB FOR THE SAME OFFENCE."
The silce that followed was broken only by the whistling wind, and a pattering sound as the first big raindrops began to fall.
Tamerlane snorted. "You quote a law that is almost five hundred years old -"
"- and which has never been repealed. This man and this woman were found guilty of their crimes, yes. But I'm not here to argue their guilt or innocence. I'm not in a position to decide that. Nor is anybody here. Because when those ropes broke, the case was taken to a higher court."
A confused look passed across Grandmere's face like a cloud, as if she had momentarily forgotten where she was. But then she blinked and seemed to pick up the thread of her thoughts. When she spoke again she enunciated each word slowly and carefully. "For the breaking of a hangman's noose is considered evidence of divine intervention. The Double Jeopardy Defence was written into law for those who have received a pardon from Hatto himself."
"But that's outrageous!" Dervish cried.
"It is the law of both the State and the Brotherhood. Would you dare to defy it?" She turned to Tamerlane. "Would you, Brother?"
Tamerlane was silent. The patter of single raindrops became a steadier drumming. A premature twilight had fallen, and thunder boomed somewhere over the Old City. Nobody seemed to notice. All eyes were on the Brother. Behind that pallid face, Ward knew, Tamerlane's subtle mind was working like an engine.
Meanwhile, Snapper had risen ponderously to his feet. "With all due respect, Brother, she is right. Few know the old laws better than I," (he harrumphed and looked austerely about) "although it seems Anna Carmichael may have picked up a thing or two in her thirty years -"
"Forty," someone in the crowd corrected.
"Ha-hem, forty years in the legal profession," Snapper said.
Ward stared at the old lady.
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"It is, therefore, eminently preferable to suffer Double Jeopardy than Single Jeopardy; however, one would do best to suffer no Jeopardy at all." Kermit the Frog
