Prince of Penance

Chapter Fourteen: In Defence Of The Gummi Way

The council chamber was stuffy and hot, and the secretary had been ordered to opened the windows of the courtroom as wide as they could possibly go to tempt forth a cool breeze.

But the only coolness present was the icy glares of the justices as they took their seats on the north wall, their burlap folders and well ironed purple robes belaying the seriousness of their task today. The seven members of the council sat in the row of chairs before them, and behind the justices sat the audience seats, of which only Gruffi was the only audience member present. At the front of the room was the seat of the throne, and the long tables of the admiral and the ranking military officers along that. Finally on the south wall stood the page, the secretary, and for some reason the Bella Twins had been chosen for the magical security reinforcement detail. Gusto was aching to know why. Maybe the council didn't consider him to be that much of a threat.

But the thing that peaked his curiosity the most was the lone curtain that ran the south wall from east to west, covering the wall in its entirety. There was no window there, there couldn't be if they were in the north east corner of the palace, and the curtain was from the very ceiling down to the floor, not an inch of wall showing. What could be behind this curtain?

Gusto swallowed hard and jumped about three feet when he realized that the judge, who had been chosen at random from the seven council members and ten justices, had addressed him.

Councillor Numa gave him a look that was both intrigued and curious, and the noise of the court room died down. It was obvious that Gusto hadn't been paying attention.

"Let me repeat myself," said Numa, the irritation in her voice quite apparent. "Fifteen years ago you plead guilty to the intentionally planned murder of Prince Jenka, and as punishment were exiled to a desert island in order to await the possibility of execution. Are you perfectly clear that this hearing is to decide whether or not your other sentence, that of execution, will also be carried out?"

"I...und-d-er-stand," Gusto said, aware that his teeth were chattering, even in the balmy warmth of the courtroom.

"And do you also understand that new charges have been laid against you, which may also ultimately shape the outcome of this court hearing?"

"I un...no...I didn't know that," Gusto said, feeling his stomach twist. "I suppose I do now."

"Very well," Numa sat back, and turned to Admiral Karse. "Admiral Karse has agreed to stand in as prosecutor, and will now announce the charges against you."

I thought it might be him... Gusto thought acridly, as Karse stepped forward at once to obey Numa's direction. What sort of scheme does the old battle axe have to ruin me now?

"The charges; that he intentionally summoned forth the sea monster that has been the cause of thousands of deaths, and has cost the people of Monteray greatly. That he has been controlling this creature for the last fifteen years in a plot to overthrow the crown and destroy the peaceful democracy of Monteray which we have so carefully tried to create. And finally, that he left the island upon which he was imprisoned before the alloted time had ended."

"Thank you prosecutor...you may begin..."

"Wait, your honour," Felli Bella stepped forward from the curtained wall, looking flushed but happy as he limped forward. "If Admiral Karse is to stand in as prosecutor, it is only democratic that Prince Augustus should have someone to stand in his defence. I volunteer."

Felli winked at Gusto, who swallowed, feeling his throat go dry.

What is this? Do I have an ally in Felli Bella of all people?

"Does the Crown approve?" Numa said vaguely, and the Prince gave a defeated sort of nod. "Very well. Admiral Karse, you may give your opening statements."

What followed from Admiral Karse could only be the most horrifically obtuse argument in the history of Gummi existance. Apparently according to Karse, Gusto somehow, without the Seal flute or any access to Monteray, was using the Kraken to try and gain the Crown, summoning it from where he had been stranded on the island to terrorise Gummies and Humans alike.

"What a load of rubbish!"

It was out before Gusto could help himself, and Numa banged her gavel.

"The chair has NOT given the defendant permission to speak," she said thickly. "Admiral, continue."

"Well of course he would deny any wrong doing," said Karse, striding around Gusto's chair like a hawk ready to strike his prey. "Do you deny that the kraken is the very sum of your own magical efforts? The personification of your own fears in physical format?"

"I don't deny anything," said Gusto. "If your arguments made any logical sense, maybe there'd be something I could refute. I am going to say it now, right now, so everyone can understand. Read my lips. I CANNOT CONTROL THE KRAKEN. I have no control. The kraken is summoned by only one thing; the Seal flute, which I do not possess."

"Are you trying to tell this fine court that after all these years, the kraken, which feeds from your magical energy, could not possibly have been summoned by you?"

"That is correct, Admiral," Gusto huffed. "I've been stranded on an island for twelve years! How could I have? Distance matters in spell casting, as a wizard adept you should know that!"

"Ah, but where have you been for the last three?" Karse demanded, jumping upon him immediately. "Weren't you supposed to remain on the island?"

"I was at Gummi Glen, and practised no magic of any kind during that time," said Gusto immediately. "My witness to that is currently sitting up in the audience...In fact he is the audience."

Gusto could almost hear Gruffi's mental chuckle, the bear had a dark smile on his face at this comment. No audience meant no witnesses; this court session was a secret carefully crafted circus really. Anything could happen here and nobody outside the courtroom would know it. The court had already decided what Gusto's fate was to be, they were just wringing him through the ropes first for the fun of it. Well not if Gusto could help it!

"Your honour, may I make a rebuttal?" said Felli haughtily, smiling from ear to ear as if he had overheard Gusto's thoughts.

"You...may..." said Numa, suspiciously.

Felli strode forward another limping step. Gusto felt the heat and exhaustion pulling over him as he observed the artful and handsome bear circle around him as if he were a mother hen protecting her chicks. Gusto wanted to get this over with, but there was no sign that this was going to happen, not from Admiral Karse, nor from Felli Bella. They were playing with him! They were having this trial for fun, for revenge!

May the Great Gummies help me if I don't get out of this mess!

The sweat was already starting to dribble down his furry chin. Even Councillor Numa had begun to fan her face with a piece of paper. Boy it was hot! But Felli Bella didn't seem to mind a bit when he finally stopped to make his rebuttal.

"Fifteen years ago, when Augustus landed upon his island prison, he was given provision to leave the island if others were willing to help him. As others apparently did help rescue him from the island, then it is clear that his leaving the island was within the legality of his exile."

"I agree. Admiral, you are trying to prove that Gusto is responsible for summoning the Kraken upon the people of Monteray. Please stick to that."

"Very well," Karse strode forward, approaching the bench. "Let me go in another direction; the last place we ever saw the Seal flute was in the hands of Augustus himself. We found the bear lying unconscious, no sign of the monster nor the Master Magician. We placed the Seal flute in a safe location while we dealt with the heartache of burying our Prince, of dealing with unravelling the mystery of his kidnapping and ultimate death. Then the flute conveniently disappeared the night Augustus escaped from Monteray. If we are in agreement that the flute is what is used for controlling the creature, then the only logical conclusion is that he must have the flute somewhere, and that he is entirely responsible for the creature's activities."

"And nobody else could have stolen the flute?" Gusto retorted, feeling his exhaustion and anger creeping up on him at last.

"That's right!" said Karse, whirling around to confront Gusto. "Because the entire magical enclave, and half the citizens of Monteray, were in the city square mourning their dead Prince!"

Gusto's eyes clashed with the Admirals and for a moment in time Gusto wasn't in his thirties, he was still a young twenty something year old bear wanting to be respected and admired, bested at every turn by a young Captain Karse who was so much more handsome, brave and beloved than he. On the right hand of Jenka, Gusto's hated brother-in-law, Karse had grown powerful, while Augustus had been shuffled away to dusty libraries and corridors to rot.

"Look at him," Karse said, his voice thick with hatred. "Fifteen years he has been gone, and he shows not a sign of remorse. Look at him, shivering from head to toe like the coward he is, afraid of taking responsibility for his own actions."

"I have so taken responsibility!" Gusto said, quite aware that he sounded like a petulant child, but he didn't care. "I came back didn't I? I didn't run and hide did I? But I cannot confess to a crime I did not commit! Yes I planned Jenka's death! He was cruel and twisted and my beloved sister the Queen was in pain from his abuse, the physical abuse which the Council had been blinded to out of their own selfishness! Jenka was powerful and the council grew powerful under him! Loath be it that they ever give that kind of power to a teenage girl instead of an evil Prince! I did what nobody else would! No I'm not sorry he's dead! I'm just sorry the kraken has caused so much pain to those who are the real innocents in this mess. The people of Monteray were never my target, nor do they deserve any of this pain that I'm responsible for! If I can fix this I can and I will, but...I don't know how."

Gusto took a deep heaving breath, quite aware that his vision was blurring and it wasn't from tears or sweat. He felt a fever breaking out all over his body, as if he were drugged. What was wrong with him?

"Ah so the truth outs," Karse said thickly. "No remorse for the murder of our Prince have you? I'll tell the court now that this man is a bleeding coward; he fainted in the very presence of his own creature. We found him unconscious. And where was the creature? We know that it will not leave once summoned unless it has been fed living victim! Who else did this pitiful wizard feed to the kraken that night? His own Master thats who, trying to bury the evidence! And if you don't believe me, well ask the people of Monteray; the craftsmen, the sailors, the artists. For fifteen years they have known and understood the truth; that the criminal Augustus must be brought back to Monteray and punished for his actions! His magic feeds the creature, allows it to grow more and more powerful, and only his death will bring about change! Our artists know of his villainy, his treachery, and lest any ever forget have forever immortalised the death of Prince Jenka forever within this very courtroom. Augustus's villainy is forever stained like blood upon the palace walls lest anybody forget!"

With a screech which was like the screaming of an agonised banshee the curtains of the south wall were flung apart by the magic from Karse's fingertips, and a horrible gasping and shouts of dismay filled the courtroom.

"By the Great Gummies!"

Gusto swayed. He felt himself grow dizzy and nauseous all at once.

Painted upon the wall could only be the worst possible horror he could ever imagine. From the deepest pits of his own despair the artist of this work had expertly, with great and poignant detail, captured the face and the very horror of the kraken, the great swirling hole of darkness in the ocean from which nothing could escape. It was a portrait of all his guilt, his pain and fear, like blood, spilling forth across the wall. Councillor Numa was pounding her gavel for order, Felli had shouted an objection, the Prince had risen from his throne, but Gusto could do nothing save stare past the little painted image of himself playing the flute into the empty darkness of that deep...empty...fathomless...darkness.

Gusto's eyes rolled back into his skull and he fell sideways, exhaustion and stress and sweat bringing him down hard to the ground. The last thing he heard before darkness overtook him was Admiral Karse's jeering voice.

"Let the record show that the defendant has fainted, at the sight of a mere painting of the monster his own psyche created. Let us all hail the fearless and responsible Prince Augustus."

-seperator-

Gruffi could barely contain his anger and disgust at this trial. It was as if he had stepped out of Gummi Glen and had walked into a human town, a human courtroom, and was being witness to a human trial.

Only it wasn't humans. The council was very much made up of Gummi Bears, but never had Gruffi had seen so many greedy, selfish and aloof Gummi bears before. The way that Admiral Karse tore into Gusto had caused his stomach to twist.

But the shock of seeing the wall painting knocked the wind out of his sails. The painting was of a wall of water, with a monster which looked like it had more in common with a sea slug than a sea serpent. It was a long fat ugly thing with a hole for a mouth that was sucking the water around it into itself like pulling the plug out of the bathtub. It wasn't a very scary looking monster, but it probably packed a powerful punch.

A loud thump suddenly brought him back to attention and he saw, with horror, that Gusto had collapsed upon the courtroom floor.

Not good! Not a good time for this at all!

"Let the record show that the defendant has fainted, at the sight of a mere painting of the monster his own psyche created. Let us all hail the fearless and responsible Prince Augustus."

Oh, Gruffi was mad. He was more than mad. His world famous temper came to the fore and he leapt over the astonished council and jury and ran to Gusto's side to check his pulse.

"The council has not given Ambassador Gruffi permission to leave the audience, get back to your seat Ambassador!"

"Yeah, I'll get back to my seat," said Gruffi, rounding on Councillor Numa, his voice carrying with all the quaking fury. "But first I have a thing or two to say in Gusto's defence against this sham of a circus that you call a trial!"

A chorus of argument broke out from the council, then suddenly a voice spoke out loudly over the mob.

"The Crown agrees with Ambassador Gruffi! Let him do what he has come to do, speak on Gusto's behalf! And somebody bring a healer at once!"

All eyes turned to look at Prince Bryton in shock. Clearly they hadn't counted upon that. The Prince was quite furious, and it was evident he hadn't known that the painting had been there on the wall. Karse seemed wide eyed with dismay that Prince Bryton had spoken out and he remained silent. As the court settled down, and a healer came in to help Gusto sit up and give him some water to drink, Gruffi stood and appraised the council.

"A fine thing this is," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "I just want to say that this has been the worst example of Gummi bear behaviour I have ever seen in all my years. Yes Gusto fainted, yes he is on trial. But there are things that this court doesn't understand that I'm going to make perfectly clear; Gusto isn't a coward, he's exhausted! Yes exhausted, and in physical and mental pain! He came all this way to take responsibility for his actions, and try to help find a solution to all this mess, and look at what you've done! You've ruined any chances of his being able to help you at all, destroyed his health! You've made a mockery of him, trying to turn him into some sort of laughing stock!"

Gruffi's famous temper still had some power, for even the Prince seemed terrified of him, and he had spoken on Gruffi's behalf. Gruffi turned from the jury to round upon Numa, who jumped back an inch as if in fear.

"Our lives were quite happy and ordinary until you and your counterpart over there came into our home, tore our family to smithereens with your unkind words, and ripped into Gusto like a storm through a sleeping village. You attacked him with magic, you've plagued him with nightmares of his dying mother that he still cannot escape, you humiliated him and you made every member of my family sick from your magical interference. Now, my family came here to Monteray to defend his goodness, the good Gummi bear that he has become, and you wouldn't even let my family be present for the trial! Well I'm going to give my defence of Gusto, because I promised I wouldn't let you goons hurt him, and I'm not going to!"

Gruffi plodded towards Karse now, standing up nose to chin to the bear who was twice his height, but at this moment must have been only a foot tall in mental stature.

"Gusto Gummi isn't a coward. He's fought more times than I can count on my hand against humans. He has defended the lives of my family and my children, more often than I can name. He fights against Duke Igthorn, against ogres, and YES against sea monsters of various sizes and descriptions every other week and he does it with a smile on his face! He is brave! But today he is exhausted and stressed and he hadn't expected anybody to go as far as to paint a picture of him and that monster just so they could use it to try and have him killed! He's facing death in this courtroom, his very life is on the line! I'll tell you that he would go out there and fight and die for Monteray if you asked him! But right now I'm not sure I would; I don't see good kind Gummi bears here who deserve that sort of respect. I only see humans, humans masquerading in Gummi Bear clothing, using human greed and human selfishness to reap revenge against their follow Gummi bears!"

Gruffi finally turned to look at jury again, and crossed his arms.

"I've read what the Great Book of Gummi says about how to carry out justice, and from what I've seen nothing of what the Great Gummies taught or practised is being displayed here in this court room. You haven't even given Gusto a chance to offer his help; your first order of business in bringing him here was to exact revenge upon him! That is not the Gummi way!"

"Neither," said Councillor Venti suddenly, being one of the the first to recover from Gruffi's attack. "Is romantic relations between two bears of the same gender!"

A loud hiccough from the Prince followed this pronouncement, and Gruffi laughed.

"So what, its not as if you people care about the Great Book of Gummi anymore. Zummi says there's dust gathering upon those poor decaying pages," Gruffi shook his head. "What I see here is a group of people who are so afraid of pirates, a monster, disease and famine they've come to believe with almost religious devotion that sacrificing the life of someone that they hate is going to solve all of their problems. Well I can tell you from first hand experience that it does not work. My parents were sacrificed to appease a hungry dragon! And that hungry dragon ravaged Dunwyn until only a few Gummies were scattered around in hiding, praying for a miracle. It was humans who eventually destroyed that dragon, not Gummi bears, and they used their brains and quick thinking to do it, not their hot air filled emotional heads!"

"Are you talking about the Dragon of Dwiffles Peak?" Numa suddenly said, looking somewhat alarmed.

"Yeah I am," said Gruffi morosely. "I was six, and I was also supposed to die. But my mother and father both dug a small hole in the ground for me to hide in, just in time to save me from the dragon. A woodcutter found me later, and I eventually came to Gummi Glen, and was fostered with Grammi to a nice couple. But...but I'll never forget watching my parents die..."

"Gruffi," Gusto suddenly said, "I didn't...know..."

Gruffi jumped at hearing the once unconscious bear suddenly speak, as did the healer and the rest of the council room. The healer recovered quickly and helped him into a chair. At once the spell Gruffi's voice had held over the room was broken. A buzz of whispers broke out; Numa half-heartedly banged her gavel for order, and people resumed their seats.

"Thank you Ambassador Gruffi for your...heartful remarks. Does the prosecution have a response?"

"Er...no, your honour," Karse coughed, and took a step back. "I believe I have made my arguments perfectly clear."

"Does the...defence?"

"Actaully, yes," Felli Bella said, stepping forward again. "I think Ambassador Gruffi is right; let Prince Augustus take responsibility for his actions and face the monster himself in combat like a true Prince."

"Say what?" Gusto said with an audible gulp.

"I didn't say that..." Gruffi complained in annoyance, but the damage was already done.

"Yes..." Karse said, looking as if he were warm to the idea. "I think that if Prince Augustus had any sort of power to create the creature, he should be able to help us destroy it. Honoured council, let Augustus come with me on my ship. The monster is long overdue to make an appearance, and we can draw the creature and whoever is controlling it out of hiding; that is, if Augustus himself is not the one controlling the creature."

"Of course I'm not controlling it," said Gusto, in alarm that they would even still think it.

"Then you would be willing to help me to destroy the creature?"

"Well, yes," said Gusto, looking more and more pale by the second. "But I..."

"Splendid!" Numa said. "I think that we can adjourn this council session. In three days, Augustus will go out to face the creature, overseen by Admiral Karse of course. If Augustus returns from battle victorious then we shall give him a full pardon and free him of all further obligations. Does the Crown wish to put forth anything further?"

"Yes, actually," Bryton stood, much to the distress of his Mother, to walk to the centre of the court room. "I say, this is an excellent chance for Prince Bryton of Monteray to put forward himself to the possibility of Knighthood. It is high time I entered into battle myself and earned my Crown. Therefore I would like to volunteer to go with my Uncle Augustus, and Admiral Karse, into battle. We will destroy this creature together! Monteray will be free of this menace once and for all!"

Applauds from the jury and council were the response, Karse bowed lowly and respectfully to the Prince and Numa pounded her gavel.

"Shall we put it to a vote?"

"Wait a moment," Gusto said in a squeak, but the council had already voted; there wasn't a hand that wasn't in the air, and the gavel pounded once more.

"Very well, let it be known that Prince Bryton, Admiral Karse, and Prince Augustus shall enter forth into battle with the kraken, wherever it may lurk. And should he return victorious, he shall be pardoned completely. This council session is adjourned!"

There was thundering applauds, and then the council broke session and the great doors opened and the trial was ended. Gruffi helped Gusto to another glass of water, and the Queen made her own weary way over to them, burdened down by the many layers of her dress.

"It's all right brother," said Thistle Rose softly, "You're going be all right..."

Gruffi could see the sheen of sweat on her own damp fur; how she could stand having to wear so many skirts in such hot weather was far beyond him.

"No its not all right," said Gusto, shrinking. "It's never going to be all right, ever again. I can't...fight that thing. I can't even look at it!"

Gruffi's heart gave a painful lurch, and he wanted nothing more than to just carry Gusto up to his room. But they were met at the door by Zummi, who had the most morose look on his face that Gruffi had ever seen.

"Is it over now? What on earth happened? Am I too late?"

"He'll be all right," Thistle Rose said, going to comfort Zummi. "My brother and my son will be going forth to do battle with the kraken and destroy it!"

"Oh my goodness!" said Zummi. "Then we'd better get to the library and the Great Book of Gummi, so I can show you both what I've discovered!"

Gusto gave Gruffi a weary look, Gruffi returned it, but they both shrugged.

It wasn't as if they'd be getting much sleep that night anyway.

--yeah, so more Gruffi/Gusto stuff will have to wait for the next chapter. This chapter was more cumbersome to write than I thought, and I didn't nearly touch everything I thought I was going to. I got the painting and fainting bit in though, that's good. :) And if people are reading, I do SO enjoy the reviews, keep it coming guys. I have the whole story planned from start to finish so it'll be fun to see what people think of each chapter, and how people guess the story will go, heheh. :)