Chapter 26 – March 14th 2020
COMPLETE MAP OF PLANETOS: WORLD GOVERNMENTS DENY VALITIDY OF VERSION PUBLISHED BY WIKILEAKS
IPCC: CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS 'STABILISING' DUE TO ATMOSPHERIC MIXING THORUGH THE RING, DECARBONSATION OF WORLD ECONOMY 'STILL STRONGLY RECOMMENDED'
AUSTRALIA TO FORM NATIONAL CABINET, CONSIDERS CLOSING BORDERS AS CORONARIVURS SPREADS
'VIRAL GENOCIDE?' 300 SCIENTISTS SIGN LETTER DEMANDING RING BE CLOSED OFF ENTIRELY TO AVERT CATASTROPHE
DID THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX OPEN UP THE RING? ASKS GREENS SENATOR
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Brienne was escorted into the chamber by a pair of Victoria Police.
Julian Burnside followed closely, clutching a heavy looking folder of documents, along with a small squad of more junior advocates, equally burdened. Brienne blinked as bright flashes assailed her. A noisy crowd of 'reporters' took up at least two rows of the courtroom. Of more immediate interest, however, were the men who had been led in ahead of her.
She had already appeared once in a similar room, before a 'magistrate' so she could hear the charges against her and be denied something called 'bail', but today was for something called a 'committal hearing' and it was the first time she had seen her 'fellow defendants' since the act in question. They did not look an impressive lot. The Westerosi had long since been stripped of their armour and other finery. Now highborn and common men alike wore the green breeches and white shirts that marked them out here as prisoners.
She took a moment to recognise Ser Parmen Crane. One half of his face was swollen and bruised. Whether it was from their capture or some more recent fight she could not be certain. Sers Emmon Cuy and Mark Mullendore stood beside him. She wondered what had become of the chattering monkey the latter usually had perched on his shoulder. She vaguely recognized some of the men behind them. One of the older ones, a greybeard that had boarded the plane with them, was being pushed along in a cumbersome 'wheelchair'. It seemed his leg had never fully healed from the events of that day.
The men glanced at her as she was brought over to stand in the dock beside them. The three knights quickly turned away however, seeming to prefer that she was invisible. The court fell silent as the magistrate began the proceedings, inviting the prosecutor to stand.
"Your honour, the defendants, on or about the 24th of September last year, or by the Westerosi Calendar, the fourteenth day of the second moon of the year 299 after Aegeon's conquest, did aid and abet, without lawful excuse, in intentionally causing serious injury to an individual of Australian citizenship. They further aided and abetted the kidnapping of four individuals, of Australian citizenship, and did aid and abet the unlawful hijacking of an aircraft operated at the time by the Royal Australian Air Force, in the process engaging in reckless conduct endangering life which, in our submission your honour, further constitutes attempted murder in multiple counts…"
Brienne stood there and listened to it all. She thought back to those moments, when she had followed Loras Tyrell, with only the barest hesitation. Should she have done differently? Should she have remained at the Red Keep, to see what fate would befall her with Stannis as king? Should they have tried to storm Maegor's Holdfast by themselves? What else could she have done?
An unwelcome thought nagged at her. I should have turned around and headed straight back to Tarth, away from all this madness. For a moment this notion consumed her, until Renly's face swam back into her vision. Not the handsome, smiling face she knew well, but the final look she had seen. That moment of shock so complete there had not even been time for fear. No, now was not the time for regrets.
Mr. Burnside had assembled a whole team of 'lawyers' since their first meeting, and done his best to explain the workings of justice in the world of the flying men. Brienne had never been one for intellectual pursuits. She had learned her letters and numbers as a child, though never with great enthusiasm. The whole thing still baffled her. She awoke in her cell every day, wondering if her days were the dream and not the nights.
So she remained silent, listening as Mr. Burnside rose to speak for the defence.
"Your honour, it falls to me to state several things which may be obvious to a reasonable person, and I hope will eventually be recognised in the judgement of this learned court. Our submission rests on a number of grounds, your honour.
First, there is a problem of jurisdiction, indeed, the problems are multi-layered. The purpose of this court, regarding the criminal law, is to ascertain guilt and impose penalties on individuals that have broken the laws of this country. To be found guilty of breaking its laws, they must obviously have been subject to them in the first place. My learned friend opposite has said nothing on this matter, yet the individuals before you today are not Australian citizens. Indeed, they are not even from this world.
I will not do the disservice of attempting to submit to your honour that they are not human, that they are not people. One only needs to look at them to see that they are much like us. We know that, genetically speaking, they are no further removed then people who, on this world, migrated to separate continents. It is an essential part of our modern values to treat such people fairly, enforcing equality before the law. So yes, our submission will not dispute that the defendants are adults, intelligent individuals capable of understanding right from wrong and making choices accordingly. Nonetheless, they come from a world, a time and a place, so far removed from our own as to make subjecting them to our laws and values exceedingly difficult.
But the legal issues in attempting to prosecute them for a crime are myriad. Take, for instance, the status of the aircraft they are accused of hijacking, the 'Fury'. Now my learned friend opposite has simply described the aircraft in question as being operated by the 'Royal Australian Air Force'. Certainly, the personnel on board were provided by that organisation, and they were and remain Australian citizens, but there are a few key distinctions to be made. Firstly, they were not actually enlisted RAAF personnel at the time. They were contractors. Furthermore, they were not in the service of the Australian government, but were at the time employed by the Iron Throne of Westeros to fly and maintain an aircraft we had previously sold to them.
Ownership of the plane was, prior to this incident, held by King Robert Baratheon. The events in question occurred on the night of Robert's death, when there was a great deal of confusion. By the laws of the Seven Kingdoms, all property owned by the monarch immediately transfers to his heir and successor on his death. We have since recognised this ownership to pass on to King Stannis Baratheon. However, on the night in question this was disputed between supporters of Stannis and of Renly Baratheon, his brother. A younger brother yes, but nonetheless a rival claimant as king, as Robert Baratheon was previously to his cousin Rhaegar Targaryen. Had events gone differently, the plane would have been recognised as Renly's property. In which case, we can hardly accuse his supports of attempting to steal something they already owned…"
The bespectacled legal advocate spoke at length, raising half a score of additional legal points. Eventually he resumed his seat. Brienne's head was spinning, having followed little of what was said. The 'prosecutor' opposite rose to speak again. It went back and forth, for what seemed like hours.
"Of course, your honour, there are no words in the legislation that offer guidance on what to do if the individuals in question have come through a portal from another dimension, or another world. There is no case law for this, no guidance from prior judgements or a higher court. Nonetheless, in our submission, your honour, a crime is a crime…"
They recessed for lunch, and still on it went. The prosecutor was relaying the testimony of Munro - the co-pilot on that day, and submitting portraits of the bloody stump that remained of his arm, when Ser Parmen Crane jumped to his feet.
"He was our servant!" the knight cried. "He pledged to serve the king! To fly your machine! Ser Loras only asked him to do as he was bid!"
The proceedings stopped a moment. The magistrate glanced at the police sergeant present. He nodded and several of his fellows moved to seize the knight and escort him from the room. Ser Parmen tried to struggle, but with his wrists chained he could do little. "How dare you sit in judgement of us!" he screamed, his face purpling. "The shadow! Tell them of the shadow!" was the last thing they heard, as he was practically dragged from the room.
They were no further outbursts. Brienne thought her companions looked as defeated as she herself felt. It seemed late in the afternoon because the magistrate seemed ready to come to a conclusion.
"I'm afraid, Mr. Burnside, I must consider that based on the evidence before me, I cannot dismiss the charges against the defendants today. I will order that this case proceed to a full trial in the supreme court."
"As your honour pleases."
"Thank you, your honour."
Suddenly they were ordered to rise, and Brienne stood as the magistrate left the room via a rear door. The crowd of onlookers, heralds and journalists started chattering among themselves as the room emptied.
She was again loaded in the back of a 'van', separate from all the others. She was back in time for the evening meal. Not long afterwards however, a guard knocked on her cell door.
"Tarth, you have a visitor."
"Who?" she asked, curious. Only her legal team had visited her in these long months.
"A…Tyrion Lannister?"
Brienne blinked. "The imp?"
"I am not sure" the woman shrugged. "Do you wish to see him?"
Brienne hesitated, but any face from home would be a comfort at this moment. "Very well then. I will see him."
She was led down several corridors, to the same room where she received Mr. Burnside. Sure enough, the imp was seated there. All alone, the son of Lord Tywin Lannister did not seem all that scary. The door was opened for her and Brienne stepped inside.
"My lady" the dwarf said, jumping to his feet. He strolled around the table and took her hand, bending only gently to kiss it. Brienne was not sure whether to take offence or not. Was this mockery? Instead, all she replied with was "my lord."
"Your prison appears a great deal more comfortable than mine, at least" the dwarf commented, looking around at the plain surroundings.
"Then yours, my lord?" Brienne asked, for a moment puzzled.
"The Eyrie, my dear" the imp replied. "In a sky cell. Where I was, before all this unfortunate business with magic rings and flying men."
Brienne blinked. She had not had cause to cross paths with the Imp before. She tried to think of something to say. "Why did they lock you up, my lord?"
"Oh? Some nonsense about Lady Stark thinking I pushed her son out of a window, while Lady Arryn accused me of poisoning her husband. As it happens, I am innocent on both counts. The gods smiled on me." The dwarf gave a smile of his own. His teeth were fairly straight and white, at least. The only thing remotely pleasing about his appearance that Brienne could see. Not that I am one to talk she thought unhappily.
Brienne again did not know what to say, so she said nothing. Tyrion looked at her a moment, then gave a sort of shrug. "As for your innocence, my lady, that seems harder to say. You may not have swung the blade, but it seems you very much helped Ser Loras in his efforts."
Now Brienne felt anger. "Renly should have been king. He would have united the kingdoms by now."
The imp gave her a look that bordered on bemused. "My father would have Renly's head by now, mounted on a spike over the gates of Casterly Rock. Make no mistake, Lady Brienne, I wished dearly for your rebellion to succeed."
Brienne felt liked she'd been slapped. "Your father is…"
"A monster? A tyrant? A murderer of children and babies? Yes, all correct. Nonetheless, he is the only man now who could unite the kingdoms, behind my niece. Stannis will never do so, not with the faith against him."
Brienne did not reply. The dwarf cocked his head.
"You turn silence into an art form, my lady…But I am not here to mock you or insult you. I know you have no particular reason to like me, but we do share a common purpose, don't we?"
"Do we?" Brienne asked.
"Stannis, my lady" Tyrion said, rather slowly. "You may recall him? Grumpy fellow, bald of head, carries a flaming sword, keeps company with sorcerers and flying men."
"Yes, I know him" Brienne said.
"Very good" Tyrion replied. "Then you must also know that if by some good fortune you are found innocent, and walk free here, you cannot return to Westeros, can you? Not while Stannis reigns. My father, however, takes no issue with house Tarth. Swear yourself to Myrcella, and your honour can be restored."
"My loyalty is to Renly" Brienne replied automatically.
"Who is dead, rotting in the ground, or am I mistaken?" Tyrion asked. Brienne had no answer to that. She found herself looking at the floor, anywhere but the Imp's unpleasant gaze.
"My lady, all I am saying is, do you really think Renly would wish for you to despair forever? If you cannot bend the knee to Stannis, then you must choose another. Help me, and I will help you get your vengeance, the justice that you deserve."
"What help could I offer you, my lord?"
The dwarf glanced around the room a moment. No flying men or women were present, but Brienne suspected they were listening through some means. Tyrion leaned in, lowering his voice.
"Tell me about this shadow."
Brienne felt herself flinch. "We are not supposed to talk about the shadow" she said quickly.
"Oh?" Tyrion's eyebrows shot up so fast they were in danger of disappearing into his dirty blonde hair. "And who has given you this command?"
Brienne shook her head. "We are not supposed to."
"For fear of being thought mad, no doubt" Tyrion replied. "Nonetheless, you have confirmed there was one, and it killed Renly."
"It was Stannis, or…" suddenly she hesitated. "Or Robert, it had a beard, his face. But still it was Stannis."
"And what did this…shadow, do?"
"It appeared behind him, and stabbed him in the back, right through his throat. Then it vanished."
The imp was looking at her closely, as if checking to see he was not being mocked in turn. "I fear, my lady, you do not have the wits for lies. You are speaking the truth, aren't you?"
Brienne suddenly wondered if she'd said too much. She glanced over her shoulder, but no one burst into the room to interrupt them. Tyrion was stroking his ugly chin. "It is something of a mystery then. If Stannis can summon shadows to do his bidding, why do my father and brother still live?...Then again, if the flying men support him, one could ask the same question." He stopped his pondering a moment. "Thank you for your honestly, my lady. I will report this back to my father."
"Your father?" Brienne repeatedly dumbly. "Has he left Casterly Rock?"
"No, my lady. He is still there. I will be returning to him shortly."
"How, my lord?" Brienne asked, now very curious.
"Oh, it seems I have made enough of a nuisance of myself here. Stannis wishes me expelled. The flying men say their laws forbid such a thing, but I can leave of my own volition. I don't want to deliver myself to Stannis of course, but our hosts have generously offered to return me to Casterly Rock instead, so that I might join my family."
Brienne thought on the 'news' reports she had seen lately. Even in the prison, there were 'teevees' they could watch. "Has not Deep Den fallen? He will be at your Casterly Rock…"she paused a moment to work it out.
"Within a week yes, maybe ten days. Still, it is my home. It is where I wish to be right now, more than anywhere. And besides, all this talk of a plague has me spooked."
"The…coronavirus?" Brienne asked, she had been hearing the name for weeks.
"Yes, a funny thing isn't it. These people who can fly and perform such miracles, but a plague worries them? It does not sound like a thing I would wish to face, and I am told if I am to leave, it must be soon. There is even talk of sealing off the Ring entirely, for a time."
The dwarf hopped off the chair. "I wish you good fortune, my lady, against judgement and shadows and plagues, and whatever else may come your way." He stopped by the door, turned and gave her a little bow.
"Thank you, my lord" Brienne said quickly, suddenly remembering her courtesies. She stood as well. "I wish your good fortune also. Stannis…" for a moment she was lost for words again. "I am not sure there is anything that can stop Stannis."
Tyrion gave her a nasty little grin. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that my lady. I have one or two notions I would like to try."
With that the imp turned the handle and waddled out of the room.