The great bandit Trial, part 3

Writers: Eimi, Estelle, Paula
Date Posted: 4th June 2019
Series: The Great Bandit Trial

Characters: Corowal, Zandan, Tasni, Jihan, Hakob, Neliar, Terren, Tedek
Description: The great bandit trial is finally being held.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 22 of Turn 9
Notes: Part 3 of 4

Jihan chose to ignore the defendant's outburst as he pressed Tedek for
more details. Finally, he turned his attention to the last of the
accused. "How is it that these men came to be discovered in the company
of Holder Terren? What was his role in all of this?"

"He let us store the goods in an old barn at the edge of his land. We
used to leave a message in a box buried by the side of the road, and he
would open up the barn for us at night." Tedek glanced at the cotholder,
who was shaking his head in denial. "We used to stay there sometimes,
when there was Threadfall. But not very often. He didn't want his family
finding out."

"Objections, Holder Terren has asked for separate trial, his
involvement should not be brought up now," Neliar said.

"Over ruled," Corowal banged his mallet,"he will be judged separately
but I don't see any reason to hear the same testimonies twice in the
row." He gestured Jihan to proceed.

"I would like to submit as evidence said box, which was indeed found
beside the road running along Holder Terren's land in the exact spot
Holder Tedek indicated," Jihan said, bringing it up for Lord Corowal to
see. "Now Holder Tedek, are you sure that Holder Terren knew what
business your group was about? Is it possible be believed you to be
honest traders or craftsmen?"

That was a dangerous question, and Tasni decided it was about time she
intervened. She stood up before Tedek could respond. "My Lord, the
witness can't know for certain what Holder Terren thought about the
business he was engaged in. He shouldn't be asked to speculate."

Corowal considered that for a while. While he was curious to hear the
answer, it was irrelevant at this point of trial. Once the bandits
were processed, they would come back to Terren. "Accepted, irrelevant,
this witness isn't a character witness."

"Then I will rephrase the question," Jihan said, unphased. "Holder
Tedek, can you tell us if Holder Terren knew you were criminals and the
goods he was keeping for you were in fact stolen? For example, did your
group discuss their plans with him or in front of him, or caution him to
hide the goods because guards would confiscate them?"

"Uh..." Tedek glanced briefly at Zandan.

Tasni caught his look and was on her feet again. "Holder Tedek, in case
the Hold's representative didn't mention it, you are here to tell the
court the truth about what you saw. Not what Captain Zandan has told you
to say." She knew she was out of line, but she wanted to make sure Lord
Corowal noticed it too.

"Defence, wait for your turn," Corowal scowled at the harper woman.

"Well, it was obvious," Tedek said, nervously. "Honest traders would
have done business openly, in daylight. And he must have known we were
holdless. We had no knots or badges, and didn't pretend to be traders."
He tried to think back. "I'm not sure about guards, but he didn't want
the dragonriders to find out about the hidden goods. He was worried
about searchriders visiting the cothold, when we made the last delivery."

"So then, would it be fair to say that to the best of your knowledge,"
Jihan said with gentle encouragement, "that neither you nor any of your
compatriots were instructed to lie to Holder Terren about your business,

and that you did not try to deceive him about the nature of the goods he
was hiding when you interacted with him?"

"Yes, that's fair," Tedek said, relieved to have been offered an answer
that was both true and acceptable to the guard captain.

"I have no further questions for this witness at this time, my Lord,"
Jihan said, taking his seat.

"Defenses. your turn," Corowal said.

Neliar's cross examination didn't yield anything new or remarkable. He
did his best to make Tedek look like a unreliable liar, who was ready
to sell his mates to get off easier himself. Since that was pretty
much truth, it wasn't overly difficult. He then yielded the stage to
Tasni.

Tasni stood, keeping her tone polite and even. "Tedek, I'd just like to
clarify what you said about how much Holder Terren knew about the goods
stored in his barn. Did you, personally, ever tell him that they were
stolen, or that you were a thief?"

"I never spoke to him," Tedek said, with another wary glance at the guards.

"And did you hear any of the other accused tell him that?" she asked,
hoping Terren hadn't been lying when he'd said they'd never told him,
not in so many words.

The holdless man's jaw twitched, but he shook his head. "We didn't talk
to him much, except for Brugan. But like I said, it was obvious."

"Not necessarily. Honest people can be deceived, since they expect other
people to deal honestly with them," Tasni said. "Isn't it possible
that's what happened with Holder Terren? He thought that he was dealing
with honest, if eccentric traders?"

"My Lord," Jihan said, standing to his feet. "I concede that it may be
possible that Holder Terren is as thick as the Hold's walls, just like
it is _possible_ that when my son asks for his third glass of water in
the middle of the night he is truly thirsty. But may I say, my Lord,
that as Holder Tedek has explained the total lack of lengths that he and
his comrades took to hide the blatantly obvious facts from him, if
Harper Tasni is hoping to get Holder Terren off for mental incapacity, I
would like to have a mindhealer's opinion on the matter."

Corowal had to hide his smile. Yes, if his kids wanted water that many
times in middle of the night, they weren't thirsty.

***continues***

Last updated on the June 24th 2019

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The great bandit Trial, part 3