Hi readers,

As this is the chapter most of you have waited for, I just won't go all yadda yadda yadda again.

Have fun reading! ^.^

Yours, Oxymora

.

Chapter 21: Feather of Maat's Weight

Heavy-hearted, Kowalski announced, "The pictures are real."

"What does that mean?" Marlene asked, desperate, hoping that the brainiac would come up with another explanation.

But looking down the scientist was unable to give another reason than: "He killed that boy… Marlene. That's what it means."

"NO! Skipper would never do something like that!" Private shouted. "Check them again! You must have missed something... or… or they are outstandingly good forgery!"

Private held fast to Kowalski's flipper. His huge, sad eyes looked at his superior begging for excuses, who just wanted to avoid the look by turning away. He heard Rico moaning behind him and his new-found friends dropping their weapons. After all this trouble they should face the fact that Skipper never had been the person they had thought he was? This wasn't fair… this wasn't even believable.

"Kowalski, check it again!" Marlene demanded. "You MUST have missed something."

"Kowalski didn't miss anything. That is Skipper," Freija-Solveig announced. "And yes, he killed my brother Tjark."

They all turned around and looked at her. She was approaching from the direction of the hall, and Marlene caught herself thinking that she had a majestic appearance. Guards, carrying Julien and his men, who were surprisingly calm, were following her the whole way until they reached the waiting crowd. Although Kowalski had a lot of questions, he kept quiet. Intuitively, he knew that finally, someone was telling what really happened that night. There was no doubt about Skipper's misdoing anymore; therefore the only question was why he had done it. But Freija-Solveig let them wait for her explanation until she had reached the group. She nodded in the direction of her guards, who let go of Julien, Maurice and Mort. The lemurs rushed to stand next to their penguin friends.

"I wonder why he is so calm," Kowalski said to no one particular.

"I showed him how we dance in Denmark," the head answered. There was a certain smirk around her beak which told Kowalski, that Julien had not liked it. The next moment she was more sober again.

"Sverre and your men, Kowalski and your men, Julien and your men, and Marlene. I am impressed of your faith. I want to tell you and the people of the academy and the whole of Denmark what really happened that night. I cannot look on helplessly as one of the noblest men I know is hunted down and blamed being a terrorist and traitor." She paused for a moment. It was obviously not easy for her to continue. "This picture and the accusations concerning this crime are true; Skipper killed my brother Tjark. I was present when it happened."

The prosecutor moved, but then decided to stay calm until Freija-Solveig had finished her story.

And so she continued: "But it was no cold-blooded murder. Skipper saved me. It wasn't Skipper who killed my honourable parents; it was Tjark. And then he also wanted to kill me." The memory of that night returned. It was the night of a storm tide, and she had been unable to find sleep. Her intuition had told her that something odd had been going on at the academy, but her parents had not had an open ear for her 'pipe dreams'. And then the door had opened and her brother had been standing there, with a wild countenance. Her own words sounded, for her, far away, like a narrator telling her story from her point of view, while the pictures of that night continuously proceed in front of her eyes. "But somehow, Skipper must have felt my need and came. He fought Tjark. Usually Skipper would have won easily, but that night my little brother's rage must have raised his morale. And then… it was an accident. Defending our – his and mine – lives Skipper… Skipper…" – seeing the scene in her memories, she was unable to continue for a moment – "Suddenly there was blood everywhere. And my brother was dead. The knife, with which he had killed my parents and with which he wanted to kill me too, was protruded from his body."

She paused and tried to calm herself down again.

"Why haven't you said that before?" the prosecutor asked. He tried to speak with a soft voice, but he was too used to interrogation already, and failed.

Freija-Solveig looked at him, calm and collected. "My brother would have never done something like that on his own. Yes, perhaps my parents cared more for me, because I was the one who had to assume the office of the head. I was more qualified and had a good rapport with the cadets and trainers, and my brother was jealous from time to time. But this? No… no…" – she shook her head –"Someone put that bug in his ear. And until today we have no idea who that person is. And whoever that person is seeks the aim to become head. And we feared that he might turn the affair around – after all, now I would be the only survivor – and claimed me to have killed my parents and my brother, together with Skipper, saying that we could not have waited any longer to 'rule' this place. And if you remember correctly, people were indeed pointing flippers at me. To save me and the reputation of my family and the academy, Skipper left, shouldering the blame and hatred. After all, this place was his family. My parents were his parents. My brother was his little brother. Even if people believed us, how would everyone had remembered Tjark? Although he did this awful crime, we wanted to perpetuate his memory as a well serving, caring young man." She paused again and thought of her brother and the help he had been for so many people. "But we didn't know that there was evidence. Obviously this person, who had goaded my brother, had been there that night. Years have passed since then and he is still not the head of this school. I guess he became impatient and wanted to quicken everything. I even think he planned that I would stand up and tell everyone about this matter, if Skipper was in danger. I already wanted to do that and went to see Skipper and tell him, but he argued me out of it. But I wasn't able to stay quiet any longer."

Marlene went up to her and put her arm around her.

"I thank you for telling us this. I don't know what other people might say," she looked in the direction of the prosecutor, "but we believe you."

"Yes. That is indeed something Skipper would do," Kowalski nodded.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I said it this late." Freija-Solveig smiled and hugged Marlene. "Where is Skipper, by the way? I thought he was here!"

Sverre pointed at the wall, where the secret entry was. "He lured Blue away from us."

"Do you mean to say that Skipper is alone with that revenge seeking, fighting cock? Oh sorry, I forgot my language."

"Yes."

"Oh… This is bad. This is really bad," she shook her head.

.

"A last question?" Blue asked. "I guess I know what that one is."

"Did you goad Tjark?" Skipper asked. "Are you the one destroying this honourable family?"

"Dead people cannot talk. And Tawaki and Bent know about my aims anyway. So why not tell you?" Blue was very close to Skipper's face. "Yes… yes, it was me."

"YOU!" The captain wanted to launch himself on Blue, but the African penguin was too strong. "You…"

"Be careful. Remember that the lives of your men are in my flipper," the Little Penguin warned.

To his annoyance, Skipper slugged down the words he wanted to hurl at Blue. The lives of his men had a higher value than some abuses. And in fact, he had what he wanted. The hidden 'Skipper's log' was recording the whole conversation without Blue noticing it and the pathologist would find it later.

"I have no chance to cheat death this time, but at least the real villain will be punished too," Skipper thought.

Blue looked at him, a little worried. First, Skipper feared that he might have figured out the plan, but the Little Penguin had something else in mind: "I'm curious. How did you know it was me?"

"You are the only one who benefits. And then the pictures… This is so your style," Skipper answered.

"Hmm… Well, things didn't really go as planned. Back then, you, nowadays, your men. You guys really ruined my perfect plan."

"Obviously, those were no perfect plans," Skipper only thought.

"But that is over now." Blue raised his ka-bar for the deathblow.

And stabbed out.