I almost didn’t write this chapter. I didn’t know what to do with it, how it could be dramatic, especially when it’s placed as the climax of the story. But I wrote it anyway. And it’s long, and a lot of it summarizes the rest of the story. Couple of good bits, though.
It was also difficult to write because of certain political events and social feedback last week. I could get more into that, but it would be pointless navel-gazing so no.
ALSO it is late, not because of socio-political drama, but because I’ve been playing too much SW:TOR. My Warrior Akuliina is steadily harassing Quinn into admitting he likes her, but when it came to the love confession cutscene, I hit the wrong button and Fraps didn’t record it. So I had to start a new Akuliina on a different server, because I need that cutscene in my library. So… late chapter. (But hey, did you know it takes about 15 minutes to get through Nar Shaddaa if you only hit the story missions and skip through the dialogue at top speed?)
Chapter 10: Heavy Fuel
Chapter 11: Iron Hand
With all the clarity of dream
The sky so blue, the grass so green
The rank and file in navy blue
The deep and strong, the straight and true
The blue line, they got the given sign
The belts and boots marched forward in time
The wood and the leather, club and shield
Swept like a wave across the battlefield
Now with all the clarity of dream
The blood so red, the grass so green
The gleam of spur on chestnut flank
The cavalry did burst upon the ranks
Oh the iron will and the iron hand
In England’s green and pleasant land
No music for the shameful scene
That night they said it had even shocked the queen
Well alas we’ve seen it all before
Knights in armour, days of yore
The same old fears and the same old crimes
We haven’t changed since ancient times
The courtroom was full to bursting; the media gallery was crammed with journalists, all craning their necks to see everything. Howe and Mac Tyr were being led to the defendant’s desk by police. Howe’s face was haughty; Mac Tyr’s was impassive. Lanaya Kavrala sat next to them. She was a good, knowledgeable defense lawyer and a good person, and this trial would not be easy on her.
Elizabeth waited by the witness door, looking out at it all. She’d have to go back into an isolated room in a moment, or else her testimony would have no credibility. But she wanted to see what she was up against. She was jittery, and her foot kept tapping unconsciously on the ground, at least until Zevran stepped up behind her and took her hand and held it tightly. That was better. She could focus on him.
It was Howe’s career and reputation – and possibly Mac Tyr’s as well – against hers. He had all the power and she only had one small, sharp weapon. If he broke her blade of evidence, she was finished. She would be the one to go to jail. Zevran would probably receive the death penalty; he had confessed his actions to her, after all. Even the thought that Howe and Mac Tyr would not escape unscathed, that this trial was already damaging to their reputations, was poor comfort. She either had to strike them down here and now, or be forever disgraced.
“All rise,” the bailiff announced, and the judge, Brother Ferdinand Genitivi, entered. She could relax the tiniest bit – Brother Genitivi was widely known to be one of the most fair judges in Ferelden. All judges belonged to the Chantry, but not all of them were as good as Genitivi. “Mr. Guerrin, your opening statement, please.” Time to go and wait.
Teagan Guerrin stepped forward and cast a glance over at Ms. Kavrala. This was going to be the biggest trial either of them had handled. It was going to be an extremely long day. But they’d each do their jobs, there was no question of that. His only goal was to get the damning evidence in front of Genitivi. Conversely, Ms. Kavrala would be doing her best to block him from doing so.
“Your honour, I intend to prove today that Loghain Mac Tyr and Rendon Howe had the motive and means to murder Cailan Theirin, even if it was not by their own hands. Their ambition, and possibly the fear of Orlesian takeover have resulted in the death of a good man and possibly the destabilization of this country. I am here to see justice for Theirin, and for all who have died in their attempt to cover up their crimes, and for those affected by the fallout in Ferelden.”
“Ms. Kavrala?”
“Your honour, I intend to prove today that my clients, Loghain Mac Tyr and Rendon Howe, had nothing to do with the murder of Cailan Theirin. All the evidence, you will see, is circumstantial, the witnesses unreliable. I am here to seek justice on behalf of those wronged by jealous lies.”
Teagan ran down his witness list. Detective Cousland was of course the most important witness, with Zevran Arainai close behind – those two had the story, pieced together bit by bit. Many of the others, like Leliana Rossignol, Alistair Theirin, Doctor Joyce, Duncan Arrynson, he knew from their regular witnessing in court, and then there were the others: Mrs. Theirin, Celene Valmont, Morrigan Black, Oghren Kondrat, Sten Hildreth. All of them were only there to corroborate the story as told by Cousland and Arainai.
Except Nathaniel Howe. He was almost as vital as them. They’d see if he cooperated today. He’d been grim when Teagan had talked to him, and a fierce battle was going on inside that young man.
“You may call your first witness, Mr. Guerrin.”
“I would like to call Detective Elizabeth Cousland.”
When Elizabeth stepped out, the background hum in the court jumped a notch. She knew why it was. She felt the stares on her, questioning the bandages on her face. She’d foregone make-up to cover up the bruising not covered by bandages; it was no shame to her the injuries she’d received for defying power. And it could be used as evidence of Howe’s brutality and ruthlessness. But she wasn’t particularly fond of being stared at, either, not by so many people.
She took a deep breath and stepped up to the stand. She might have the most to say in this trial, but that didn’t mean she could or would say all of it. Some things were better off not known… unless they were dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light. And preferably presented in a favourable, legal fashion.
“Detective, you were assigned to this case when the police learned of the murder of Mr. Cailan Theirin, correct?” Guerrin’s confident brown eyes stared into hers.
“Yes,” Elizabeth said.
“Please tell us, in your own words, what happened with the initial investigation.”
“It was not very promising,” Elizabeth said. “Evidence was very sparse at the crime scene, and there appeared to be no witnesses initially. In further detail…” She laid out the case she’d had then, the few facts and pieces of evidence she’d scraped together with the help of Alistair and the rest of the police. Hildreth was brought forward to testify what he’d told her of the night of the assassination, how Elizabeth had found the lead that the assassin had climbed in from outside.
But all this was almost irrelevant. Foundational, certainly, but the details of the murder itself had little to do with Howe and Mac Tyr. Ms. Kavrala’s cross-examination prodded a few extra details from her memory, but nothing important.
Then she came to the interesting part, where Miss Black had given her the phone number, and she was sent back while Miss Black was brought out to testify.
“Miss Black, how did you come by this phone number?”
“I obtained it almost by chance,” Miss Black said with a cool smile. “I came across a man in the garden during that party previously established as taking place, and asked for his number.”
“Why did you ask for the number of this particular man?”
“Why not?” Miss Black said.
“Miss Black, please answer the question.”
“He was pretty,” Miss Black said. The conversation in the courtroom buzzed for a moment.
Teagan gave her a side-eye. “Please continue. And know that if you are found to have not told the truth, you will be charged with contempt of court.”
“Does anyone really tell the truth, especially in a court of law?” Miss Black asked cynically, but went on. “After the fact, I recalled that I had this phone number and went to donate it to Detective Cousland. In case it happened to be important.”
“Very well, your witness,” Teagan said, and Ms. Kavrala went to it, eyes filled with determination.
“Miss Black, was there anything different or suspicious about this man? Anything that drew your attention?”
“He was pretty. Also, he was pretty,” Miss Black said.
“Miss Black, please. In what way did his… prettiness stand out to you?”
“Hmm, finally, a good question,” Miss Black said thoughtfully. “I’d have to say… because it was unusual for such a conservative household to have on staff a man dressed like a waiter and looked like an exotic dancer.” Someone in the audience laughed outright.
“Was that all?” Ms. Kavrala stared challengingly at Miss Black.
“That’s all.” Miss Black stared elegantly back.
She let Miss Black go and Teagan called Elizabeth back.
“Detective Cousland, what did you do with the phone number which Miss Black gave you?”
“I attempted to determine who it belonged to with the resources available to me at Drakon HQ, and when that proved futile – it was an unlisted number, and there were no useful fingerprints on the paper – I phoned it.”
“And who answered the call?”
“Zevran Arainai.”
“And what was his relevance to the crime?”
Elizabeth hesitated. “That of a contracted assassin.”
The media galleries erupted in a buzz, the audience gasped, and Ms. Kavrala’s eyes narrowed. She couldn’t hesitate again. She couldn’t give the court any hint that she might have a conflict of interest where Zevran was concerned.
“You use interesting wording there, detective. Why do you say it that way?” Instead of murderer, the tension in the courtroom asked for him.
“I mean that on his own, Mr. Arainai had no reason to be anywhere near Mr. Theirin. He had no motive for the crime.”
“Objection, speculation,” Ms. Kavrala said.
“Overruled,” Judge Genitivi said. “I’m sure Detective Cousland will inform us how she came to this conclusion.”
“I’ll call Mr. Arainai himself in a moment,” Guerrin assured them all. “One more question for you first, however: what do you mean by ‘on his own’?”
“I mean that Mr. Arainai is a former member of the Crows. He was present on their behalf, and acted as he did on their behalf.”
“I see. I will now call Zevran Arainai.”
Ms. Kavrala would have liked to pin all of the guilt on Zevran if she could, Elizabeth knew – it would have been a sure way of ensuring her clients’ innocent verdict. That was too late now. Zevran might not get away, and he knew it, but Genitivi was now aware that he was not acting on his own.
Arainai was cool as ice. “What can I do for you, Mr. Guerrin?”
“Firstly, please tell us in your own words what you do for a living.”
“What I do for a living? I live. What I did for a living? I was an assassin for the Crows. A ‘cleaner’, if you will, mostly. It paid the bills.”
“And how did you become involved in this case?”
“Every once in a while, the Crows take on other jobs not directly related to their existing interests. And in this case, an external assassination job was passed to me. I never have any knowledge beyond my target and his or her location. So I went to the party and did the deed very much like how the lovely detective already described-”
“Objection,” Ms. Kavrala said. “Unless the witness was spying on earlier testimony, which is not permitted, he doesn’t know what the detective described.”
“Sustained,” Genitivi said. “Please tell us exactly how you did it, not simply passing approval on Detective Cousland’s work.”
“Very well,” Arainai said patiently, and told them exactly how he had done it. His story about Miss Black didn’t quite mesh with her own, but that was Ms. Kavrala’s job to sort out in the cross-examination. “May I continue?”
“What did you do after the job was done?”
“I went home. Thought about my life. I was becoming disatisfied with how it was proceeding. For personal reasons, I was becoming tired of it. Then the phone rang, and it was like an angel called with a way out.”
Teagan raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. And what did you do then?”
“Why, we set up a time and place to meet. She was quite desperate for information, as you can imagine.”
“I did not ask about Detective Cousland’s mental state,” Teagan said dryly. “But yes, I think we can all imagine. And when you met?”
“She brained me with a garbage can lid, and I accidentally shot her in the arm,” Arainai said, chuckling. Teagan knew if Elizabeth were there, she would be facepalming,.
“I can bring out Doctor Joyce to testify to this as well,” Teagan said to Genitivi. “However, I believe it’s a minor detail.”
“Understood; please continue, Mr. Arainai.”
“Very well, so you met,” Teagan said, amusement leaking through. “And immediately tried to murder your angel.”
“In self-defense,” Arainai protested. “She’s quite strong with a garbage can lid.” There was a ripple of amusment from the audience. He continued and told the court of the deal he and Elizabeth had worked out, and of the assault on Elizabeth’s apartment, Taliesin’s presence, the dramatic car chase through the city, the flight to Highever, and the phone calls to and from Duncan and Alistair. “The next morning, we had a disagreement, and I left the house,” Arainai said.
“What was your disagreement about?” Teagan interrupted.
Arainai hesitated. “It’s not that relevant. All that matters is the outcome…”
“I think we must decide that for ourselves.”
Arainai pressed his lips together, then took a deep breath and looked up. “It was about trust. She was still uncertain whether she truly trusted me or not, and I… was hurt by her wavering.”
“That certainly does sound a little bit important,” Teagan said.
“Considering it was mostly to do with whether she wanted to kiss me or not, maybe not as much as you think,” Arainai said sharply, and someone in the audience tittered. “May I continue?”
“Very well,” Teagan said, conceding the point for now. If Ms. Kavrala thought it was important, she’d come back to it.
So Arainai told of his meeting with Taliesin and his dying words. Ms. Kavrala tried to remove that part of his testimony due to hearsay, but Genitivi had already heard it, and the advantage was still Teagan’s for the time being. He called Elizabeth back to give her testimony on what Arainai had already said, which matched on all key points, and to continue the story from that point on.
Not that Taliesin’s dying word amounted to much in the way of evidence against Howe, but if Genitivi didn’t know about it, then nothing Elizabeth did next would make sense. Already she felt like her past actions were on thin ice due to pursuing such a flimsy lead.
Did the ends justify the means? Was committing injustice excused if it served justice? She’d never been in so deep before.
She told of the attack and Rory’s death, and Zevran’s phonecall, and returning to Denerim and meeting with Duncan, and – adjusting the truth only a little, to protect Leliana – how she’d asked Leliana for help in seeking out Nathaniel Howe.
Nathaniel Howe was next called as a witness, and he looked quite miserable, with his father glaring at him with folded arms from the defendant’s seating.
“Mr. Howe, you are in training at the Warden Academy, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And on the night in question, you met Detective Cousland and Miss Rossignol at the Theirin office, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you tell us what happened?”
“Well, sir, I don’t know what they told you, but although they may have told a few lies to get in, they really did want to see me. About the case, sir. I…” Nathaniel stopped, looking at his father, clearly uncertain how to proceed.
“Take your time, Mr. Howe.”
“Yes, sir. …Detective Cousland was investigating my father, and… well, she couldn’t look at any records without me, so…”
“So you gave her permission to do so? Did you have the authority to clear this?” Teagan said.
Nathaniel braced himself. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“No you do not!” Howe burst out, standing and slamming his hands on the table. “Those are private business documents, nothing to do with you! How dare you assume-!”
Genitivi rapped with his gavel. “Sir, please contain yourself.”
“Nothing to do with me!?” Nathaniel cried. “When my father is under suspicion of murder, should I obscure justice? Even if… as I guess now… the truth is not what I wish it to be?”
“You’re a traitor to the Howe name,” Howe growled, and Nathaniel flinched. “You’re not worthy to be called my son.”
“My client tells the truth,” Ms. Kavrala said, her fighting face on. “His son was not authorized to access business documents, certainly not of the highest levels of the company, and definitely not when his son has no intention of working for the company or inheriting his position.”
“Ah, but this isn’t exactly a business document,” Teagan answered. “It’s a contract, to be sure, but nothing to do with Theirin Inc.”
“It was stolen,” Ms. Kavrala said. “Detective Cousland had no warrant. She already testified as much. So she resorted to this cheap trick of manipulating family members to get false evidence. Nathaniel Howe is as guilty of theft as Detective Cousland is. It’s inadmissible.”
“Nathaniel Howe is an honest man in training to be a police officer,” Teagan said. “Detective Cousland specifically sought him out because as an upright family member, he might testify to the truth more easily than one of the principal suspects.”
“She ran into him by chance and used it to her advantage,” Ms. Kavrala said. “Her intent was from the beginning to steal evidence, if any such evidence could be found. Nathaniel Howe was her only hope of legitimatizing such theft by his relationship with his father.”
She wasn’t wrong, but he could make it work. “Ah, so the fact that he’s not a member of the company isn’t relevant anymore?” Teagan said, a gleam in his eye. “He could grant her access just by being a family member?”
“No!” cried Ms. Kavrala. “No, that’s not-”
“That’s what you said, is it not?”
“Your honour, I’d like to retract my last statement.”
“I think you should uphold it,” Teagan said. “After all, like I said, it’s not a business document, so being a member of the company was never relevant in the first place.”
“Nathaniel Howe, honest as he may think he is, had no business in his father’s private documents!”
“If he had no business in his father’s private documents, then how did he have the code to the safe?”
Ms. Kavrala paused and sputtered. “B-because…”
“Because he did not!” Rendon Howe burst out. “I never gave him that code! How did you get it, boy? Have you been spying on me since the beginning?”
“Maybe you should change your codes once in a while, father,” Nathaniel muttered. “It’s the same as the one at home.”
“There, you see?” Teagan seized it and ran with it, ignoring the growing look of rage and horror on Rendon Howe’s face. “He has access to private documents at home. This document is not a company document, therefore he had legitimate access to it as a family member.”
“He has nothing to do with it!” Rendon cried, past Ms. Kavrala’s look of alarm. “His name isn’t on the document, he never met with the C-”
“No!” cried Ms. Kavrala, and Mac Tyr finally moved to grab Rendon Howe’s arm to silence him.
“Never met with the who, Mr. Howe?”
Howe clammed up.
“I know it began with a C or a K. Hmm, could it be… the Crows, whom Zevran Arainai belongs to?”
“We’ll never know,” Ms. Kavrala said, attempting to recover control of the situation. “Because whatever random passionate outbursts my client makes, that document is still inadmissable as evidence.”
“I didn’t start prosecuting yesterday, Ms. Kavrala,” Teagan said. “Howe hasn’t even seen the document we’re speaking of, yet he thinks he knows what’s in it. Whether Detective Cousland obtained it through Nathaniel Howe’s legitimate or illegitimate claim to family affairs has just been rendered moot. I can prove his outburst wasn’t random, and I can do it now.”
“Nathaniel Howe wouldn’t recognize the document either,” Ms. Kavrala tried one last time. “How would he, unless he also knew what was on it?”
Teagan smiled. “I have here the evidence which Detective Cousland obtained with your assistance; Mr. Howe, would you recognize it if you saw it?”
“In other words, can I confirm this is the actual evidence and not something she made up afterwards?” Nathaniel hesitated. “I didn’t see the contents, but the envelope was very distinctive – ah! Yes, that is the one.”
Teagan held it up. “Your honour, this is the single most important piece of evidence in this trial. I daresay we need no further evidence, no further testimony, but in the pursuit of truth, we shall of course continue.”
“Objection,” Ms. Kavrala said desperately. “Mr. Howe just admitted he never saw the contents of the envelope, so how could he know Detective Cousland didn’t insert forged evidence? She could have simply stolen a distinctive envelope and put whatever she wanted inside!”
“She could have,” Teagan said thoughtfully. “But that’s a lot of trouble to go to, to steal one envelope. And besides, the contents match the container.” He drew out the contract, showing it was written on the same sort of paper as the envelope. “I present this evidence to the court.”
Genitivi took it and read it. “It does seem conclusive. But let us continue.”
“Mr. Howe, thank you for your time,” Teagan said, with a friendly smile. He didn’t dare show how relieved he was. It was well-nigh impossible for Howe and Mac Tyr to come back from this. Ms. Kavrala looked frustrated and anxious. She wanted the truth as much as Teagan did, but her version of the truth was collapsing like a house of cards.
Nathaniel nodded, looking more unhappy than ever, and left the stand.