Page 38 (1/2)

All I can do is hope I’m convicted That’s the only way to save him

39

ASH

THE COURTROOM IS HEAVING with people, and there are thousands h the arched s, placards bob up and down like jack-in-the-boxes They all say one of two things: NATALIE BUCHANAN GUILTY! or ASH FISHER GUILTY! Opinion is really divided about which one of us should be punished for Gregory’s death Beetle, Roach and Day are sitting in the viewing gallery They give me a thumbs-up

I scan the roo weeks since our arrest, the longest fourteen days ofhas been the thought of seeing her again My heart yanks when I spot her sitting at a table to the right of the courtrooray dress Her hands and feet are shackled, like mine

Our eyes lock across the roo ht smile plays on her lips We mustn’t look too happy to see each other: no one except our closest friends and family know our true relationship, and I intend to keep it that way We don’t want to add "race traitor" to our sentence; we’d both be executed for sure, then At least at the moment, there’s a fifty-fifty chance Natalie alk free

Please, Lord Don’t let her die Not for ain, I heard her mother had been sent to a rehabilitation center in Centrum It just et her out of here so she can take care of Polly

I lightly place a hand over esture, but she knohat it means: I love you, I miss you, I’m with you

The prison guard tugsme toward my table on the left-hand side of the courtrooivesand tries to hide his shock at ur?" I ask Dad

"He wasn’t allowed to come," Dad replies "He tried--"

"It’s okay You’re here That’s all that matters"

An usher enters the room "All rise"

I suddenly feel sick with nerves This is really happening It’s not soory Thompson’s murder

A side door opens, and the Quorum of Three enters, all dressed in their cerees take their seats on the platfore is a fenize her froan Henrikk She’s here because ofon the Quorue is a y lasses and a hooked nose He takes the seat on the right Finally, the third judge--a man in his late fifties, with i chin--takes his seat between the two other judges, indicating his seniority over them I’ve seen his face in the newspapers: his nae at the Enizes hiht be prejudiced against Natalie and vote to convict her

"Be seated," the usher says

I can’t concentrate as he takes us through what’s going to happen today, but that’s okay Dad’s already explained it to me The way it works is our Criminal Justice Bureau--the CJB--co to the Quorues then call the witnesses in turn to hear their testimony The Quorum of Three acts as both defense and prosecution to the accused, and they can ask questions to validate or discredit a witness’s statement After all the witnesses have spoken and all the evidence has been reviewed, the Quorum of Three cast their votes and make their verdict

The system is rife with corruption, as it all boils down to the list of witnesses the CJB puts forward to the Quoruo in favor of whoever paid them theany other circuiven the fact that Natalie is the Ehter, and she’s not the ht now, there’s a chance he’s gotten involved and swayed the witnesses in my favor I just have to hope he wants to see ory’s e, Benedict Knox, speaks, his deep voice co the courtroom

"The Quorum wishes to hear the testimony of Natalie Buchanan"

Natalie steps up to the witness stand beside the judges’ platfor all over I want to hold her, kiss her, tell her everything will be all right All she has to do is tell theory, and she’ll be free

She sits down, her eyes flicking toward mine

Say I did it, I silently plead

"Please relate your version of the events," Logan Henrikk says Her voice is surprisingly light and lyrical for such a serious-looking woman

Natalie licks her lips She briefly tells theht with Sebastian, how he’d dropped his sword during the brawl, and how Gregory had held a blade to her throat

"Then what happened?" Logan asks

"Gregory threw round beside Ash He raised his sword, and it was clear he intended to kill us So I grabbed Sebastian’s abandoned sword and thrust it into Gregory’s chest" Natalie looks at ory Thoalley

Day hides her face against Beetle’s chest

I shake my head Natalie must know this isn’t what I wanted

Natalie steps down fro at aze on me as I take my seat The courtroo It’s funny, when you consider a lance at Dad His eyes plead with me to tell them Natalie did it

"In your oords, tell us what happened," the y e says

I recount the events The details are the same as Natalie’s version of the incident, up until the bit where Gregory is killed

"He lifted his sword over his head," I say "I kneas going to kill me--he hated ets a few gasps from the spectators

"Go on," Benedict Knox says

"I knew this was ory for what he did," I say "So I grabbed Sebastian’s sword and stabbed Gregory Thompson"

Natalie shuts her eyes A tear rolls down her cheek

I’an Henrikk frowns at ood being on trial fora Tracker, but I don’t care All that’s i Natalie

Several other witnesses ere in the square that day are called to the stand They tell their own versions of events Sooes on like this allto the testies are starting to get frustrated How can you deter?

So far it’s fifty-fifty between me and Natalie

"How many witnesses left?" Benedict Knox asks the usher

"Two, your honor," he says

I take a deep breath

This is it The end of the trial Whatever the next titnesses say will deter in the next witness," Benedict Knox calls

The roooes silent as Sebastian enters the rooold ot that proivesto be spared

The people in the viewing gallery lean forward in their seats, eager to hear what he’s going to say The word of a high-ranking official, like a Head Tracker, holds a lot of sway in court If it comes to deadlock with the witnesses’ testi the Quoruh a few preliive his testimony I don’t dare breathe

"This creature"--he points to le I was disarot away because of Gregory Thompson He saved my life He was a hero"

"Did you see what happened next?" Logan Henrikk asks

He wasn’t even there! He ran away like a coward

Sebastian turns to look at me A dark eet his revenge on me

A cold ses