murder.”
“…okay.” Blaize said. “…three murders then, it really doesn’t make much difference… did he kill the three dogs?”
Shanaea sighed.
“Yes, I guess if we’re taking his word for it, he did.”
“Then he’s guilty of murder.” Blaize said. “I’m sorry Shanaea, but the law is explicitly clear on that one. Since you’re all right now the trial will be tomorrow.”
Blaize started to walk away.
“…it can’t end like this.” Shanaea thought. “I didn’t just help him through his problem to see him killed for it.”
Shanaea smiled.
“Blaize, wait up.”
Blaize stopped walking and turned to see Shanaea running up to him.
“You said the trial was tomorrow, not the sentencing, right?” She asked.
Blaize nodded.
“Yeah, we can’t sentence him ‘till the trial is over, he’ll get his day in court… though I’m afraid it’ll be fairly short.”
“I want to represent him.” Shanaea said.
“…what?” Blaize asked. “Shanaea… that’s never been done before… the dog on trial must stand for himself.”
“Does it say that anywhere in the law?” Shanaea asked.
“…no.” Blaize said. “…no it doesn’t Shanaea, that’s just the way things have always been done. The only reason that has ever been done is when the accused is unable to appear or otherwise incapable of speaking.”
“Then I want to represent him.” Shanaea said. “…due to his current mental state Tiembe is unable to do so himself. I will speak for him and act on his behalf.”
Blaize looked at her.
“Saying that he’s unable to speak for himself is a stretch Shanaea, a big one.”
“…please Blaize?” Shanaea said. “Please do this one thing for me?”
Blaize sighed.
“…very well Shanaea, but… can I ask you something?”
Shanaea nodded.
“…go for it.”
“Why are you so dedicated to this dog? I mean, he tried to kill you, and nearly succeeded… why do you care what happens to him?”
Shanaea smiled.
“…because I love him.”
Then she turned and walked back toward the shed.
The next morning the old mill was packed with dogs ready to witness Tiembe’s trial.
Shanaea walked into the old mill ahead of Tiembe.
She knew everyone expected her to testify against Tiembe… he had attacked her after all.
She could almost hear the gasp of the crowd as she sat down beside him at the front of the old mill and nuzzled him.
“It’s okay Tiembe.” She said. “I’m going to work as hard as I can to get you cleared.”
Tiembe smiled.
“I know Shay… I know… and thank you.”
Shanaea smiled.
“I love you Tiembe.”
He smiled back at him and nuzzled her.
“I love you too Shay.”
Blaize stepped up on platform at the front of the room then and everyone fell silent.
“As you all know we’re here to try Tiembe, a recent member of our community, of three counts of murder, all outside this community, and one count of attempted murder, committed within this community two days past.
The three counts of murder were not witnessed by anyone that is present today. The accused has willingly, and without coercion, admitted to these three acts. There was but one witness to the actual act of the attempted murder of Shanaea, a resident of this community, and that is Shanaea herself. However she has declined to testify against Tiembe…”
A murmur spread through the crowd at this.
“…instead she has opted to represent him in this trial.”
Blaize looked at Shanaea and nodded.
“Shanaea, if you will…”
He stepped down from the platform and Shanaea took his place.
“As Tiembe’s representative I will not debate the fact that he committed the crimes that Blaize mentioned. In fact, Tiembe himself has openly admitted to the commission of the charges brought against him. What I am here to dispute is not the question of whether the crimes were committed, but whether there were mediating circumstances present, that could mitigate the possible consequences of his actions. As you all know, murder carries the penalty of death. I do not believe that Tiembe should be killed for what he has done.
I am going to call my brother, Josh, to testify on behalf of Tiembe.
Josh stood and looked at his sister.
“…Josh if you could please?” Shanaea said.
Josh glared at his sister as he walked up to the platform.
“Josh did you witness Tiembe making threats against my life?” Shanaea asked.
“Yes I did.” Josh answered.
“…and you were the sole witness, correct?”
“…as far as I know.” Josh answered.
“…could you please describe for me what you witnessed that day?”
Josh sighed.
“I couldn’t make out much through the glass, but I heard enough to gather that he thought someone wanted him to kill you.”
“…and what exactly did he say.” Shanaea asked.
“It sounded like he said he didn’t want to kill you… that he wouldn’t.” Josh answered
“…and who was he saying this to?” Shanaea asked.
“I don’t know.” Josh answered. “There was no one else in the room.”
“What happened next Josh?” Shanaea asked.
“I turned to go warn you, and then I heard him growling and turned around…” Josh answered. “…it looked like he was attacking someone, but there was no one there.”
“…so what did you think about the situation then Josh?” Shanaea asked.
“I thought there was something seriously wrong with him.” Josh said. “…and I was very afraid for your safety.”
Shanaea smiled.
“Thank you Josh, if Blaize has no questions…”
She paused and looked at Blaize, who shook his head, then she looked back to her brother.
“…you may step down now.”
Josh walked back into the crowd.
“As Josh stated, there was something seriously wrong with Tiembe.” Shanaea said. “A past event had left him unable to exist in the real world… but I’ll not speak on that. I’d prefer you heard that straight from him… Tiembe?”
Tiembe walked up and stood beside Shanaea.
“Thank you Shay.” Tiembe said.
He cleared his throat and turned looking out at the crowd of dogs.
“…good morning.” He said. “…as you all probably know my name is Tiembe. I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. My mother…”
Tears came to Tiembe’s eyes and he paused.
“…my mother was very controlling, and I felt as if she was consuming me. I fell in love with a girl then, her name was Samm. My mother… my mother was mad at me for seeing her and told me not to see her anymore… I didn’t listen, and one night … one night my mother killed her in front of me… I… I lost it and… and I killed my mother.
After that my mother appeared to me in various situations, and told me to kill others… females I was seeing… I didn’t understand it then and still don’t…but I did what she asked… I was lost in the world before Shay found me… and rescued me. I’d blacked out the memory of my mother’s death… at my paws… but Shay helped me to remember, she rescued me from myself. With Shay’s help I think I can over come this… I wish I could take all the things I’ve done back… but I can’t… I can’t…”
Tiembe stopped, hung his head and started to cry in earnest.
“…I can’t ever… ever bring those girls back… I killed them… and that’s… that’s always going to be on my mind… always… I’ll never be able to get their faces out of my head… but I didn’t do it out of malice… I did it because… because I thought what my mother said was true… I thought they meant to hurt me… I won’t make excuses for what I’ve…. what I’ve done, but… but I do ask for a chance to recoup from this… I think, with Shay’s help, I could learn to live a normal life in this town… and that’s all I ask for… a chance.”
He turned to Shay.
“…as for you… I… I don’t know what I’d’ve done if you hadn’t helped me… I don’t know what I would have done… if I’d’ve lost you… you saved me Shay, and you have my eternal thanks and gratitude… as well as my most sincere apologies for what happened. Thank you for all you’ve done Shay… thank you.”
Tiembe turned and walked back down off the platform.
“…this is a very unusual case.” Shanaea said. “…the question you must all ask yourselves is this… can you really try someone in Tiembe’s situation for murder? Murder is a malicious act with no concern for anyone involved… though he was wrong, Tiembe felt he was in extreme peril… can you really call that murder? …does he really deserve to be killed for something he couldn’t control?”
Shanaea paused a moment to let her statement sink in.
“Tiembe and I spent most of last night talking and we have come to the conclusion that this alternate world that he was living in has collapsed. This world was created in order for him to deal with the death of his mother, which until yesterday had been blacked out from his memory. Now that he remembers his mother’s death at his own paws, that world has collapsed. Tiembe is willing to work to come to terms with what happened that night and eventually I believe he could be able to function in normal society again. “
Shanaea paused again.
“It is not our wish for Tiembe to “get away” with his crimes though. He knows he has done wrong, and has requested that he be put on permanent probation, until you, Blaize, see fit to remove it. Violation of the probation would result in the sentence of death, sans trial. This is our petition to you Blaize. That Tiembe be given one more chance… just one more chance. …thank you.”
Shanaea walked down off the platform and joined Tiembe.
“Do you think it worked?” Tiembe asked quietly.
“I don’t know.” Shanaea whispered. “I hope so.”
Tiembe nuzzled her.
“You did your best Shay… whatever happens you did your best… thank you.”
Shanaea smiled.
“I love you Tiembe.”
Tiembe returned her smile.
“I love you too Shanaea.”
Blaize took the platform again.
“Thank you Shanaea. You are correct in saying that this is definitely a unique situation… but there is also the law to consider… therefore I hereby sentence you Tiembe, for the crimes of Murder and Attempted Murder, to death to be carried out immediately…”
“No!” Shay thought.
She looked at Tiembe, tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry…” she whispered.
“I still love you.” Tiembe whispered back.
He nuzzled her.
“…however…” Blaize said. “…in light of this new information it is the
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emotion and slight sorrow. But, like all the rest, it has a great
ending. But I have to wonder about the Talbourne's future under Saba,
not to mention Josh and his extreme hatred for Tiembe. Ah, well, I'll
have to read on, something I will do gladly. Again, Amazing work!