Bad Influence chapter 11

The Trial parte 4: The Verdict.

*Drum Roll*

Judge De Witte spoke.

"I find no evidence that convinces me that Sergeant Angua murdered Mr D'mitre, this case is dismissed."

The blow of the hammer came like thunder through a megaphone plugged into a loud speaker. 

Many, at this point, would have expected that right now the party to be shouting and crying out in joy and embracing in a way that can only be described as well… …well… sappy, but Carrot simply sheathed his sword, picked up the papers and laid them next to Angua. Zara, cursing and screaming was led away by Detritus, her legs kicking uselessly at the troll. Angua didn't even look up as she was hauled past her. She simply stayed where she was, perfectly still, savouring this victory. Vimes noticed no contact at all, except that Carrot's hand brushed Angua's as he packed away everything he used as evidence. Whether that was deliberate or not was hard to say. There was no noise from anybody for a long time, but then a quiet, but relieved murmuring broke out in the hall.

He felt Sybil sniff into her handkerchief and sigh "Well, it all turned out alright- Wait a bloody moment!"

It was not a good idea to be the object of Sybil's wrath, Sam swallowed as his eyes connected with his mother's "Oh no…" he muttered.

"Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes-Ramkin! Get your backside down here right now or I will tan your hide!" Sybil's voice echoed through the hall.

"I am in so much trouble…" Sam groaned "Mum's gonna kill me!"

"Look on the bright side," said Rex, "at least we won."

"Yeah… true, but I'm still dead."

"I do not see those feet moving lad!" He heard his Dad calling to and with a wave and nod to the twins he climbed down the stairs into the waiting arms of his mother. They both winced as she pinched his ear "Did I or did I not tell you to wait at home?!" Sybil boomed.

"Sorry mum-OW! I wanted to see what happened!"

"You're lucky I don't feed you to the dragons you little ruffian!"

"DAD!"

"She's right lad, you were told, listen to your mother," Vimes seemed somewhat distracted.

"Come on my lad, you are coming home this instant, and don't think you're going ANYWHERE for a long time!"

"But Muuuuuummmm!"

And so the conversation carried on. Vimes hung back a while starring at Carrot as he continued to pack away.

Carrot looked into Angua's face; a small smile was spreading across it.

"It's over," he whispered as he leaned down next to her "we can go home."

She nodded "After we pick up the kids."

"What? They're at home-" He stopped; his face fell as he looked up into the gallery where Rex and Elsa looked sheepishly back at him. He shook his head and motioned down with a hand. They nodded and begun to walk down to meet him. They passed Mr Withecombe on they're way out; Elsa stopped and stared as he sipped his drink again.

"Well done little missy," he said when he noticed her "Your father did well. Give him my thanks for me won't you?"

"Yes sir," she said and added "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you cover up your drink like that? People will think you ARE drinking blo-"

"Let 'em think what they like miss, but I gets left alone if I drinks like this. No one bothers me."

"But why bother with the tomato juice?"

"I like to think I'm a better person for it miss, it's a little complicated for you I suppose," he lifted his black cloak over his head "what with you bein' so young, but you will understand when you're older I have no doubt."

He disappeared down the steps ahead of her.

"Rex! Elsa! Here now please!" Carrot didn't have to raise his voice too much, they heard him and they hurried quickly downstairs.

They met him at the entrance to the hall and stared up at him, Angua, now de-cuffed and leaning on Carrot, also stared back at them. They cowered and muttered "Sorry…"

"We'll discuss this when we get home," said Carrot gravely "for now, just assume you're both under the same punishment as Sam."

"You two are not going anywhere after school for the next month," said Angua darkly, "be grateful that I didn't smell you coming in, otherwise I would have been tempted to give you both a worse punishment, since I feel much better after what's happened, you are getting off rather lightly. Understood?"

"Yes mother," they both chorused.

"Good," Angua said and tightened her grip on Carrot's arm "I am in a desperate need for a lie down."

One thing that bothered Vimes in particular now prompted him to corner Carrot in his office for an explanation. There was a small Watch booze up, with the kids sent to bed, going on downstairs and Vimes had little reason to hang around. He followed Carrot into the office and said "Captain."

Carrot looked up in surprise as he was reading a small book, "Sir?" he said.

"How the hells did you do it?"

"Sir?"

"That was silver, that test proved it was silver, I cannot understand how Angua caught that silver with no problem, but we all knew it was silver!"

"Yes sir."

"You did not lie about the silver?"

"No sir, lying in court is an offence."

"So how the hells-"

Carrot closed a book he was reading and said quietly "It always occurred to me, people often set a lot of store by gold and silver, they almost have a magical character about them don't you think? Dwarves give their lives for gold, silver is a sure guard against-"

Vimes threw up his hands "For crying out loud Captain!" He cried "Just bloody well tell me will you?!"

Carrot sighed "I didn't do anything, not me, but the Octarine solution did."

"What?" Said Vimes, puzzlement clouding his frustration for a moment.

Carrot handed the book over to Vimes on the page he was reading and indicated with him thumb to a foot note at the very bottom of the page. It read:

'* Octorine Solution, although it cannot change the physical properties, is thought to be able to change the magical properties of metal. Precious metals such as silver and gold are believed to have hidden qualities that have contributed to legend and myth over the years, so in theory, the solution could numb these properties. Although it has never been tested.'

Vimes re-read and re-read the passage and then looked at Carrot in utter astonishment.

"You put your daughter and your wife's future on an alchemist's theory?" He said faintly, nearly in hysterics.

"Yes sir."

"Why? The chances of actually succeeding must have been at least-"

He stopped.

"By Gods Carrot, to think I doubted you for even a moment," he said at last, "bloody brilliant."

"Thank you sir," said Carrot blushing.

"Zara must've known to, I could see it in her eyes when Mrs D'mitre called out for it to be tested."

"Yes sir."

 "That's why she called for the ring to be tested."

"Also true sir."

Vimes sighed with visible relief "She used a silver bomb so Angua wouldn't be able to tell what she was and even if Angua could smell her, it would have proven she was a werewolf and your case would have fallen through then and there."

Carrot nodded "Zara's motives were simple; she wanted to effectively disarm the watch by destroying faith in us and thus allowing her to smuggle weapons out of Ankh Morpork, although I doubt she originally meant to use D'mitre sir."

"Why Captain? The motive was there…"

"But he was the only means that she had to smuggle the weapons, I believe that they had a disagreement over something, Zara lost her temper and killed him. She must have had this whole scheme planned though, but never intended to use D'mitre."

"That makes sense."

"Yes sir."

Vimes stood up and stretched "Well, I'm off to scold my boy and have an early night. I expect to see your report on the desk so I can show something more official to Vetinari tomorrow."

"It's already there sir, just on top of the latest letter from the Campaign for Equal Heights."

"Good, thanks, well, I'll see you tomorrow then, glad we got this whole business behind us."

 "For now at least sir."

Rex and Elsa were both relieved they got off with little punishment and sat their curfew out with little argument. All they were concerned with was how relieved they were that it had turned out all right.

Apart from a few things.

Zara had been taken into custody, but soon Vetinari had been sent a note from her father, requesting that she be returned home immediately. Vimes expressed that he be not involved in anymore diplomacy, but Vetinari deemed it would not be necessary in this case. Zara's family were disgraced now, a failed mission and a broken revolution would soon throw them into obscurity. Hopefully at any rate.

Vimes wasn't so sure, he saw the violence in Zara; he had seen it so many times before, even in himself. He had a feeling this wasn't quite over yet and he wished he could have seen her leave the port. That would have at least made him feel a little more at ease.

But months went by and not a word was heard from her. The occasional letter came from Lord Modagambi came with a few rather nasty threats, but Vetinari sorted that out by, calmly, pointing in a reply that if he could take these complaints to the Muntab council. They would be happy to help, unfortunately that would mean talking about why Zara was found guilty of murder and what she was doing being involved with smuggled weapons when the treaty meant that if he was caught with weapons again, the council would seize his land.

It surprised Vimes how much power the council had, the Modagambis were werecats weren't they? But apparently, so were the entire council according to Vetinari. They had agreed in  the treaty to become a more 'modern' government (Vimes sighed, always a bad move) if old families would then give up their powers as rulers in exchange for being rich lordy types who sat around in the sun all day and occasionally chased peasants. The perfect natural state for a cat really, when you think about it. Most of the families had been grateful for this arrangement, but then, as Vimes pointed out, there's always one isn't there? One complete nutter who just doesn't know when to quit.

He should know.

So everything was now done and dusted, life can return to (some sort of) normality.

Except that sometimes, some people really don't know when to quit.

To Be Continued…

Phew! Glad that whole trial gig is over, I'm sorry I made such a mess of it. I tried! Honestly! But ho well.

Until next time….