The Devil and Jimmy Neutron

by Gary D. Snyder

Part 12:

Judge Bean leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table. "The plaintiff may proceed with his side of the case," he said.

Lou rose and stepped before the jurors, holding the contract Cindy had signed. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," he began. "My case is a simple one. I present for your consideration this contract, which is familiar to you all." At this the jurors looked at each other, nodding and murmuring amongst themselves. "You know the terms. An agreement was made in which the defendant, Cindy Vortex, agreed of her own free will, her own…free…will," he repeated slowly for emphasis, "to sell her soul in return for specific services. Those services I provided per the terms of the contract. Furthermore, an escape clause was provided, and each term of that clause required to enforce the contract was also fulfilled. These facts the defendant cannot deny. The decision before you this day is clear. The soul of Cindy Vortex is legally my property, and you must so rule." Lou paused for effect, letting his words sink into the minds of the jury.

After a few moments of silence the judge shifted in his chair. "Have you anything else to add?"

"No, your honor," Lou replied. "The facts speak for themselves. The contract has been fulfilled, and payment is now due. The prosecution rests." Lou walked easily back to his chair and sat down, smiling confidently at Jimmy and Cindy.

"The court will now hear the defense," Judge Bean intoned.

"What are you going to do?" Cindy whispered urgently as Jimmy rose to present her case.

"I can't beat him on the contract," Jimmy whispered back. "Our only hope is to sway the jury to our side. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," he said aloud, pacing slowly in front of the unfriendly faces, "the prosecution has presented you with facts that are, on the surface, indisputable. But there is a deeper law here that must be heeded. True, Cindy bargained with the plaintiff to sell her soul. But is this really a fair price? Losing one's soul should be the price of ultimate evil. But the defendant is clearly not evil. Should she be punished in this way for a simple mistake? She did something stupid, nothing more. But she couldn't help that. She's just a girl. That's what they do!"

The boys in the jury appeared to be impressed by that argument, and were nodding and murmuring amongst themselves. But the girls in the jury were looking hostile and one or two were actually growling menacingly. Even Cindy was angered by Jimmy's words, although she knew he was trying to save her soul. Heaven save me from my friends, she thought.

Jimmy seemed to notice his faux pas and hastened to repair the damage. "But you ladies should remember as well that plaintiff was at fault in this matter as well. Surely each of you at some time has been taken advantage of by some scheming boy and his underhanded methods. Should Cindy be punished because guys are jerks?"

This time the girls seemed to be in agreement with Jimmy, but now the boys were looking angry. Cindy hung her head. I'm doomed, she decided in despair.

Jimmy turned back to Cindy, looking lost. He had hoped he could appeal to the jurors' sympathies, but what appealed to the boys was lost on the girls and vice-versa. There had to be something that would reach both, but what? Come one, Jimmy, he thought desperately. Think. Think! Think!

It's like there's a part of me that's gone as well…

It's what's left unsaid that really matters…

All of Shakespeare's plays have something important to say…

"Brain blast!" he cried. "It's not what the contract says Lou can take. It's what he's taking that isn't his!"

At Jimmy's words Cindy looked up, daring for the first time in days to hope a little. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Trust me," Jimmy replied and turned to face the judge and jurors again. "Your honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defense concedes that the contract gives the plaintiff full claim to the soul of Cindy Vortex."

Cindy looked stunned. Lou smiled and slowly began rising to his feet. "That took less time than I thought," he said. "You honor, as the defense has just conceded the case –"

"However," Jimmy interrupted, causing Lou to slowly sit down again and look suspiciously at him, "in stipulating what the plaintiff is entitled to take, the contract also defines what he cannot claim. Vox!" he said. "Replay Goddard's memory transcript, time reference 7:34 AM local time today!"

On the large viewscreen an image of Jimmy sitting on his bed appeared. "But then there are times," he was saying, "when Cindy's gone and it's like there's a part of me that's gone as well."

"Pause transcript!" Jimmy ordered. Lou leapt to his feet.

"I object!" he called. "Immaterial and irrelevant!"

The judge's feet hit the floor with a thud. "I must admit that this is a highly unusual line of defense," he said. "Do you have something behind these arguments of yours, or are you shooting blanks?"

Jimmy took a deep breath. "It's a very critical point, your honor. I submit that if this court rules in favor of the defendant, he'll take more than just the soul of Cindy Vortex. I contend that he will be taking part of mine as well. And to that he has no right whatsoever. And I will demonstrate that to this court if I am allowed to proceed."

Judge Bean rubbed his chin, clearly intrigued. "Objection overruled," he stated. "Defense may proceed." Lou returned to his chair with a scowl.

"Thank you, you honor," Jimmy replied and went on. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, sometime in your life there must have been someone that meant so much to you that they were really part of you. Maybe it was someone in your family, or a special friend, or even a pet. Well, that's how I feel about Cindy. But no matter who they are you hope they never leave because, if they do, part of you would be gone as well. Forever." Jimmy paused, waiting to see what reaction his words might draw from his audience.

At first the jurors simply sat there, expressionless. Then, slowly, Eddie Teach began to speak as though recalling a distant memory. "Bess Tudor at the inn was like that. She always had a smile and a kind word for me. When the pox took her it was like the world ended. I hated the land that took her and swore the sea would be my home." His voice was shaking as he ended. "I'd give anything to see her again…"

That was enough. One by one the jurors began to dissolve, like sugar in a rainstorm, as each recalled someone special in their lives before their lives had changed.

"Ethan Hawkins was such a sweet lad to me…" Lizzie was saying.

"My mother always remembered to sing me to sleep…" Donny reminisced.

"My Texas Instruments SR-51 was such a great little calculator…" blubbered Myron.

Even Judge Bean had a faraway look in his eyes. "I had a dog named Buck once, loyal as a Ranger and smart as a whip. I raised that rascal from a pup. We went everywhere together. When he passed on, no one could ever quite take his place."

"Your honor!" Lou shouted. "I object!"

"Overruled!" roared the judge, slamming the table with his six-shooter. His voice softened again and he chuckled as he continued his reminiscing. "I remember the time Buck came inside the house once, tracking mud all over Maw's new-washed floor. Oh, she was fit to be tied…"

"If it please the court," Jimmy said quietly, "the defense rests." He returned to sit by Cindy.

"Do you think we won?" Cindy asked.

Without realizing it Jimmy took her hand in his, his eyes watching the judge and jurors as Lou seethed. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But whichever way it goes, I guess we'll be there together."

End of Part 12.