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eBook Category: Fantasy/Science Fiction
eBook Description: In the fourth book of the Eyes of Light Series, the world of Calysia is beset with one problem after another, and a major one occurs with a student by the name of Iak-Kosk!. The dangerous and unpredictable young being, a disturbed genius striving to right historical wrongs, creates a time/space portal and introduces catastrophic events.

eBook Publisher: Twilight Times Books, Published: 2005, 2005
Fictionwise Release Date: March 2006

This eBook is part of the following series:

• Geoff Geauterre's Eyes of Light Series

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"How do you plead?"

The defendant's eyes glittered. "Not guilty."

"You have been told that it would be wise to have a defense counsel. Do you still wish to defend yourself?"

"Well, your honor, considering how everyone I've approached doesn't wish to participate in a kangaroo court, other than the ones you would appoint, I think it wiser if I defended myself."

"Well, Mr. Franklin, I've looked over your record and apparently you do possess some knowledge of the law. Just be warned of the maxim."

"That only a fool has himself for a client?" said the defendant airily. "Don't worry, your Honor, I'm aware of it. But then are you aware of what happens when the principles of an institution are used to destroy it from within?"

The judge frowned. "We are not here to debate philosophies."

The defendant smiled. "I'm sorry. You misunderstood me. I was talking about ethics."

"Being facetious will not help your case."

"Your Honor, you've offered me advice, let me offer some in return. One of us will rue the day your government sycophants dragged me into this courtroom."

The judge glared at him. "Is that a threat?"

"I think the word 'remind' is more apt. If you had studied judicial history the way you should have, you'd have avoided sitting in as if I'd had the plague."

"We've hardly begun proceedings and already you tremble on the edge of contempt of court. I hope you know where that can take you."

"Well, let's see, I spoke my mind, published what I knew to be true, enquired after the facts; and, oh yes, I remember now. I refused to be treated like a servant in my own house."

The hushed sound of talking in the background stilled. Everyone listened carefully.

"Then," the defendant added brightly, "I was kidnapped, escaped my captors, kidnapped again, beaten, starved and imprisoned for three months without even knowing with what crimes I was charged. So now I stand before you in prison garb and sandals. Would you say that was a fair assumption of what I've done, where I've been, and where I'm going?"

Reporters were scribbling down every word, and the judge bit his lip. "That will be more than enough, Mr. Franklin. I don't know how you can concoct such fantasies, but they won't be tolerated in this court."

"No? Well, in addition to those fantasies, here's another. I consider this court to be nothing more than a sham, a circus, where the only thing missing is a ringleader and a bunch of animals hopping to a melody. But I'm patient. I'm sure I'll be seeing them soon enough."

"Mr. Franklin, I have in front of me a complete file of your time in jail, and there's nothing here about any abuse. If you had a complaint, you should have made one. But in fact, you hadn't. So I will thank you to..." He stopped when the defendant pulled off his shirt, and people gasped seeing the black and blue marks all over his body.

"Yes, your Honor, by all means play the innocent. I believe the term is plausible deniability. If you don't know what happens, you can't be blamed for any of it, but guess what, that's just so much bullshit. In this kind of a conspiracy you're in as deep as you can get and that's a lot of muck to clean off."

The judge choked as he stared at the other's injuries. "Mr. Franklin, I don't..."

"I accuse you of being in collusion with individuals who are openly abusing their office. I demand a change of venue, or at the least, that you excuse yourself.

When I took my bar exam I heard about you. Judge Harold Markham, the Judge with a price tag on his collar. You're nothing but a paid gun for hire!"

The courtroom went wild.

Pens and pencils scribbled even more furiously and the prosecution jumped up.

"Your Honor, we know of no incident involving the defendant in jail, or in the prison, where he was transferred. We do know he has tried to escape twice and perhaps in the line of duty, guards may have had to restrain him."

"They tried to get me to confess to crimes I've never committed!" he shouted. "They tried to get me to name colleagues and family members as co-conspirators! They tortured me and beat me and then they said this was the price for being uncooperative!"

"Mr. Franklin, I find you in contempt of court!"

"No. Really? How could you guess?"

"I am declaring a mistrial!

The defendant looked wryly at the court reporter busily typing away. "Little late in the day, don't you think?"

The newspapers were full of the story and people started calling the State Department and demanded to know what this business was all about. Somebody panicked. A ripple of hysteria went down the chain of command and curiously enough, the mistrial ruling was set aside. Following that, the prisoner was placed in a secure housing inside the jail, and a doctor was summoned.

Subsequently, phone privileges, research facilities and even legal assistance were made available. A new court date was planned and the prisoner was informed he had three weeks to present himself. A suit of clothing was picked up from his home.

Then the doctor's report was issued, revealing a broken nose, two broken fingers and two broken ribs. The court date had to be set back further.

A month and a half later, the judge banged his gavel and set the court in motion. "Mr. Franklin, you're looking better."

"Thank you, your Honor. Aside from some cretin trying to knife me in the showers, I'm giddy with gratitude."

Judge Markham frowned. "I trust that, at least, was reported to the authorities?"

"Difficult to do, I'm afraid. The cretin was the chief of the guards with a blade taped to the end of his baton. Luckily, he slipped on a bar of soap and stabbed himself."

A bailiff hurried to the judge's side, whispered something, and Judge Markham frowned even more.

"I do hope he's all right."

"He's under arrest, Mr. Franklin. In fact, they're operating on him now for a punctured lung. I'm afraid you're in more trouble than before."

"Well, I am sorry to hear that."

"Let's get on with this."

The defendant muttered something.

"What was that?"

"I said I wished you as merry a Christmas as you're wishing me."

The gavel banged and the judge would have sent him back to jail, yet, at that precise moment, a man five rows back stood up, shaking his head, obviously having enough and made for the exit. Judge Markham looked at him a moment and swallowed a gulp. Someone took a picture of him as he was leaving, and later identified as one of the chief justices for the State of California.

"Try to behave yourself, Mr. Franklin. We are in a court of law, after all."

"Very well. First, in consideration that I was kidnapped without due process from another country, and the fact that I am a dual citizen of the United States and Portugal, I request my freedom and transportation to the Portuguese consulate."

The prosecution objected. They contended that extradition would not have worked as the defendant had a long history of evading justice. Second, they objected to the idea of bail for the same reason.

"I would have to agree with that summation," said Judge Markham. "Everything I see here," referring to the folder in front of him, "says you are a risk."

"Very well, I ask that this court set aside any charges as no evidence was given the defense in time to prepare."

The defense, offered the prosecution, had ample time to review the evidence. It was not their fault the defendant was preoccupied.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Franklin, but your argument is without substance."

"Your Honor, I challenge the prosecution to show records of my having escaped any jurisdiction after having been summoned to any court, anywhere on the planet. You would find that implication inflammatory to this court and a lie."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Franklin, court records are sealed."

"The court records you're holding in front of you, now?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for admitting they're court records. Using my own resources a while ago, I found no government papers alluding to me except intelligence reports made up by the F.B.I. What you're looking at aren't legal documents. They're fairy tales!"

"Mr. Franklin, you're getting in over your head, here and--"

"Further, I petition this court for bail, which is my right under law. If you cannot give me bail, you must explain why not, and if you refer to that folder in front of you, it is my right to demand to examine them!"

There was a moment of silence. Things were happening so quickly, it took the Judge a while to sort through it. "It is the contention of this court that you be held until the matter of your bail is investigated further."

"Getting a corrupt fraud like you indicted for corruption will be sweet."

Judge Markham opened and closed his mouth, and in a fury, he banged his gavel and told the prosecution to present its case.

They thought they had an airtight one. Identity and passport fraud. Failure to obtain proper visas. Failure to inform the state department of travel to restricted countries. The possession of undeclared sums of money for improper use and failure to apply for permission to transfer large sums of money to foreign nationals, foreign banks and ... It was a litany.

Unfortunately, it did not help that the defendant started to yawn, as did a number of jurors, and then a few people in the courtroom. To them, it was starting to look too much like a frame-up.

Then the defendant was given the opportunity to make his opening statement. Nodding, he stood up, stepped around the table, faced the jury, and said, "It's all true." Then he sat back down.

People laughed, the attorneys for the prosecution turned red in the face, and exasperated beyond the words, Judge Markham adjourned.