Chapter 8

 

 

Oz slid the robe over William’s shoulders and smoothed the wrinkles with his hand. “What’s the trial about, sir?”

William grumbled as he shook the sleeves to get comfortable. “It’s about stupidity, Oz. Pass me that awful necklace; I need to wear it for official stuff.” William fiddled with his robe as he checked his appearance in the large silvered mirror in his dressing room. “I look like a fool—I can never get this thing to fit right.”

“Here, let me fix that,” said Oz as he set the necklace aside and began adjusting the sash around William’s waist. He looked up at William as he worked. “Could I ever go on trial for being stupid?”

William sighed. “Why do you keep saying you’re stupid, Oz? You never lacked confidence during our school years.”

“Because I thought I knew everything I needed to,” said Oz without looking up. “School was boring, so I didn’t count that, and Kirby kept telling me how smart I was. After you sent him away, I figured out he was lying to me the whole time, that he just wanted me to be the leader, so I would get the blame for all the bad stuff we were doing. I let him turn me into a nobody. That’s how stupid I was.”

“I keep telling you Oz, you’re not stupid. A dumb person would never have figured all that out. Anyway, these men aren’t on trial, really. They’ve lodged complaints against each other for stupid things they did. Santiago says Kofi knocked over his fence, and Kofi claims Santiago poisoned his goats.”

“So, which one did it?”

“Oh, probably both. Every winter, I have the same problem. The farmers say there’s no work to be done, so they wander around the village getting into trouble, some drunker than others. Fights erupt every week or so, and I’m stuck doling out the punishment.” William looked at his reflection with surprise. “Well that’s better…I actually look half normal now. Where’d you learn to do that?”

“I dunno,” said Oz. “Maybe it’s easier for me because I’m not wearing it.”

A bell sounded from below. “You’d better answer the door,” said William. “I think I can finish dressing without too much risk of hurting myself.”

Oz returned a few moments later, out of breath, his face an ashen color, and his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. “You didn’t tell me this job is dangerous, sir!”

William gave his butler a puzzled look. “Relax, Oz. You’ve answered the door for a dragon and you weren’t half as flustered.”

Oz’s breath came in deep shudders. “Oh, this is so much worse, my lord. Please don’t ask me to go down there again!”

William grabbed him by the shoulders. “Pull yourself together, man. Who is it?”

A look of dread swept across Oz’s face as his mouth twisted to form the words. “It’s the teacher!”

William paused a moment, unsure if Oz was joking. “Miss Plevins?” he asked.

Oz simply nodded, sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Why on Esper are you afraid of her?” asked William. “She never once beat a student, or even yelled at them. And you were only there for a few years.”

“I know, but I did something bad and…and I don’t know what she’ll do to me.”

Curiosity got the better of William, and a smile spread across his face. “What did you do?”

Oz took a deep breath and dropped his head in shame. “I stole a book.”

William sighed and shook his head. “You’re a grown man, Oz; she can’t hurt you. Come downstairs and talk to her. I’m sure she’s forgotten all about it. Besides, it’s your job to answer the door.”

Resignation replaced fear, and Oz slowly trudged down the stairs into the foyer. William followed a few steps behind and waited as Oz pulled at the great door, hiding behind it as it swung open.

A slight woman of about fifty greeted him with a bright smile. “William Whitehall! Aren’t you the perfect picture of lordliness! What a splendid robe—are you holding court today, dear?” She rushed forward and gave him a generous hug, while her companion, a tall, gangly woman of about the same age stood behind her, any trace of a smile absent from her face.

“Miss Plevins, Agatha, it’s good to see you both. Please come in.”

“What a magnificent house, William,” said Miss Plevins. “I wasn’t sure what to expect after I read about you in those books, but this exceeds all expectation! And you have a pet dragon. Aren’t you adorable?” Miss Plevins fawned over Clyde, who reveled in the attention.

“Your butler vanished without showing us in,” said Agatha with a scowl. “Took one look at us and scampered away like a frightened deer. I hope you can figure out which one to punish.”

William reached behind the door and dragged Oz into the light. “Was it this fellow?”

Miss Plevins gasped. “Oz Domnall? Is that you? My, how you’ve grown. I’ve not seen you since you were nine years old. And now you’re William’s butler! How delightful. I’m glad the two of you are getting along finally.”

Oz lowered his eyes, unable to meet her gaze, despite her genuinely warm greeting. “Hello, Miss Plevins.”

“Now Oz, why don’t you seem happy to see me? I know you left school early, but so did many other children.”

Oz stammered. “It’s because of what I did…I stole a book from you.”

Miss Plevins tilted her head in surprise. “Really? I had no idea. We owned so many I couldn’t keep track. Did you enjoy it?”

“I never learned to read,” he said, his face flushing. “I hoped it would teach me, but it didn’t.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” said William. “But I need to get to the meeting hall to preside over this ridiculous farce, hopefully before they gouge each other’s eyes out. What brings you all the way out here? You must have been riding since breakfast.”

“Since dawn, actually,” said Agatha, her voice as clipped as her lips were tight. “When we were evicted from our home.”

Silence filled the foyer as William absorbed what she said. “You were…”

Agatha looked like she wanted to spit. “Expelled without so much as a day’s notice. Barely enough time to pack our things.”

“Agatha, dear, you know we were behind on the rent,” said Miss Plevins.

“Because they stole your job,” protested Agatha.

“They did what?” asked William. It was inconceivable to him that anyone but Miss Plevins might be the teacher at Marshland’s only school. “But why?”

Miss Plevins cast him a reproaching gaze, as though he was a schoolboy behind on his homework. “You must know why, William.”

“Because you and Agatha…?”

“Of course that’s why!” said Agatha, her face displaying the anger that Miss Plevins seemed to be hiding. “Why else?”

“What’s important is moving forward,” said Miss Plevins. “We frankly have no other place to go, and we hoped we might impose on you until we decide what to do.”

William fingered the gold pellets in his pocket. It occurred to him that every time fortune dropped something valuable in his lap, another expense came around the corner to negate it, and more. He cast his doubts aside and smiled at the two women. “It’s no imposition…stay as long as you want, especially since my house is practically empty. We can work out the arrangements later, though, because I really do have to go deal with this ridiculous trial, though it’s a complete waste of my time. Why these farmers can’t learn to coexist peacefully is beyond me.”

“I have experience with unruly mobs, as well you know,” said Miss Plevins with a wink. “Idle hands find trouble, no matter the age. Why do you think I kept you children busy all the time?”

William stared at the ceiling with a forlorn look. “They should already be busy, though…they claim there’s no work to be done, and yet I see fences and roofs that need mending, gardens overgrown with weeds, ruts that need filling. They have plenty to do—but they don’t want to do it.”

Miss Plevins chuckled. “That’s when I would start a game. I don’t know if it applies in your situation, William, but nothing motivates children—or adults—like competition. That’s why these men are acting like fools. It’s not because they’re enemies; it’s because they’re rivals.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a friendly smile. “I don’t think a barony operates the same way as a schoolhouse, Miss Plevins, but thank you for trying.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “May I attend the trial, William? I’m sure you’ll manage, and I won’t treat you as though you’re back in class. You’re an adult now, but maybe I can offer advice later once I’ve seen how the men behave.”

He shrugged, unwilling to reject her advice outright. “You’re more than welcome to watch. Don’t expect too much though—they can be boring.”

Clyde followed them to the meeting hall. Agatha kept her distance, but Miss Plevins walked beside him, asking William where he came from, and how one cared for a dragon. William cautioned her that Clyde was hardly typical, and described how he came to live at the manor, and in what condition. Clyde had filled out since arriving a week earlier, his scrawny wings growing into a more powerful contour, and his scales brightening from a drab olive to a brilliant emerald. Even now he enjoyed testing his wings, seeking to get airborne although not quite succeeding. He mellowed once they reached the meeting hall, for which William was grateful, and curled beside William on the dais.

William introduced Ruskin to Miss Plevins and Agatha and suggested they sit together in the front row. Oz, meanwhile, stood behind William on the dais looking uncomfortable in plain view of the crowd.

The hall soon filled with villagers, joyous with the promise of entertainment. William’s own mood soured in response. This shouldn’t be a party—this was serious business, and he intended to treat it seriously.

The two men, Kofi and Santiago, arrived together and eyed each other as they took their seats before him, on solitary chairs in front of the benches.

“Quiet everybody,” yelled Ruskin. The crowd sat in a hushed silence and waited for William to speak.

“Kofi, Santiago…you’ve both lodged complaints against each other of mischief and damage. I don’t suppose either one of you wishes to rescind your accusations?”

“Well that depends, my lord,” said Santiago.

“On what?” asked William.

Santiago stared at William with a dumbfounded look. “On what ‘rescind’ means, m’lord.” The crowd behind him burst into laughter, even Kofi. Santiago looked around, obviously pleased with the reaction.

William banged his gavel. “Revoke, repeal, cancel…do you want to take back what you said about Kofi?”

“Well yes, my lord, maybe I do. I said he’s a big, ugly oaf, but I’ve taken another look, and it turns out he ain’t big at all.” Once again the hall rang with laughter, and William noted that even Miss Plevins giggled. At least Agatha didn’t, but humor didn’t appear to come easily to her anyway.

William banged his gavel again. “Kofi, what about you?”

Kofi turned to him, startled at the mention of his name. “What about me, my lord?”

“Do you want to rescind your statement about Santiago?” asked William with a touch of impatience.

“No, sir. But I do want to say that I’m twice as big as he is.”

“Twice as ugly too,” Santiago shot back.

William smacked the gavel repeatedly as the men bickered. When he stood, the two men fell silent. “Any more of this banter and I’ll add to your sentences. I said this at the last trial, loud enough for everyone to hear: you speak to me, not to each other. No interruptions. Got it?” Both men nodded their assent, and William continued as he sat back down. “Kofi, you’ve accused Santiago of poisoning your goats. Did you see him do this?”

“No sir, but I know it was him.”

“How do you know this?”

“He told me,” said Kofi, pointing at Santiago.

“Now why would I do a fool thing like that?” asked Santiago.

“Because that’s what fools do,” spat Kofi.

“Gentlemen, I’ve warned you already,” said William. He spied Miss Plevins giving him a mild look of warning, so he forced himself to smile, though it felt unnatural. “So let’s keep the noise down, shall we? Kofi, where were you when your goats became sick?”

“Having a beer at the pub, sir.”

“And how late in the evening was this?”

“About lunchtime, sir,” said Kofi. A smattering of chuckles broke out behind him, and he grinned, encouraged by the result.

“A little early, don’t you think?” asked William. “You have nothing to do on your farm to prepare for spring?”

Kofi shrugged. “It’s too early to sow, nothing to harvest, no critters being birthed. A man likes to relax when he gets a chance.”

“And you find knocking down Santiago’s fence relaxing, do you?” He didn’t wait for Kofi to answer, but instead turned to his rival. “Santiago, did you witness Kofi breaking your fence?”

“Not exactly,” said Santiago.

“So how do you know he did it?”

“Because no one else would, my lord. It’s always him who steals my tools, or dumps leaves on my doorstep, or knocks holes in my rain barrel.”

“I never did no such thing,” shouted Kofi.

“No one believes a liar,” Santiago yelled back.

William rubbed his forehead. “The two of you are giving me a headache. Santiago, when did you first see your fence knocked over?”

“On my way back from having beers with Jimmy, sir.”

“I see. And was it lunchtime?”

Santiago hesitated. “A little after breakfast, I suppose.”

William noted with relief that the crowd did not chuckle this time. “And you had nothing to do on your farm either?”

“It’s the slow season,” said Santiago with a shrug.

“And what do you say to his accusation that you poisoned his goats?”

“I never did nothin’ to his goats,” said Santiago, the beginnings of a smirk appearing on his face. “They were probably sick from the sight of his ugly face.”

Kofi responded with a shout, and the two men traded insults as the crowd behind them howled with laughter, while William banged his gavel to no effect. The two men continued their barrage of verbal abuse, slowly approaching each other until they were close enough to come to blows.

William jumped to his feet, slamming his gavel so hard that the head flew off, arced across the hall, and landed at the far end in a clatter. The hall went from chaos to silence in a heartbeat, every eye fixed on him. He pointed the useless handle at each of the two men with a shaking hand. “I’ve had enough. Not just from the two of you, but everyone. Everywhere I go, I find a crowd of people with nothing to do, but for some reason every fence needs repair, every wall needs whitewashing, every plot needs plowing. Fights occur at least once a week, and everyone accuses everyone else of stealing, or vandalizing, or looking at them in the wrong tone of voice. There’s work to be done, and yet all I ever see is idle hands…”

A chair squeaked from the back, but no other sound reached his ears. He gazed at the faces staring back at him, reading their expressions as he’d done countless times since assuming his position, trying to determine how they regarded him. He detected fear in some, admiration in others. But it dawned on him now that one emotion was absent.

Respect. He may be the Defender of Rebel Falls, the Baron of Whitehall Manor, the Brother of the Dragon Queen, but it didn’t matter, because they knew the real William Whitehall. They might like him, fear him, even admire him. But they didn’t respect him.

He caught Miss Plevins staring at him. Turning away from her, he stood at his full height and gave each defendant an intense gaze. “I’ve made my decision,” he said. Santiago turned pale and began sweating, while Kofi swallowed hard and pleaded with his eyes. William stared them both down and continued. “I find you both guilty of mischief and disturbing the peace. Past sentences have failed to stop repeated offenses of the same nature, so I have to do something else, something you’ll remember, or we’ll have the same trial again next week with two different defendants.”

Miss Plevins caught his attention again. There was no pleading in her eyes, no doubt, no judgment. Just trust, confidence, belief, as though he were back in school giving a speech, and that she knew he would do well. He shook his head to clear it and continued. “I hereby sentence you…”

The words wouldn’t come. What punishment would prevent these two men, and others like them, from repeating the same offenses? Nothing seemed to get through to them, no matter how harshly he fined them or what labor he tasked them with. They may as well be…

Children. His old teacher’s words echoed in his mind. He understood their meaning now. The tension in his forehead released, and his eyes found hers as they shared a private smile. He faced the two men again. “I sentence you both…to have fun.”