I thought about calling Piper, but decided it wasn’t the best idea under the circumstances. I didn’t want her doing something crazy in a last-ditch effort to help me.
Thomas and Carl escorted me to the hearing. Actually, they picked me up and drove me there to assure I wouldn’t get lost on my way to the Tribunal offices, which were located in downtown Seattle. It was a very nice space, requiring a card key to access the floor from inside the elevator. I was impressed with the view from the lobby area and pointed it out to Carl, who just looked at me like I was crazy. As did the receptionist. Obviously, I was in a bit of denial for the reason I was there in the first place.
We waited quietly. The evening sky was full of stars, not a cloud was in sight. Thomas turned to speak to me. “Colby, I want you to know that I will do everything I can to assure the successful outcome of your trial.”
I smirked at him. “Define successful.”
For all I knew he could very well be telling me that he thought relieving me of my Undead status was successful. I tried not to think of his betrayal. It tied my stomach in knots and made my heart hurt.
He didn’t try to speak to me again, for which I should have been grateful, but I was not. What I really needed was a hand to hold and there wasn’t a friendly face in the house. The receptionist told us we could go in and I wondered if she had any idea who she worked for or if she was a vampire herself. She wore a gray skirt and jacket with sensible heels.
Probably an old-school bloodsucker,
I thought somberly.
She led us through a large set of double doors made of rich walnut, which were very imposing and reminded me of a judge’s chambers in television shows. The Tribunal was seated on the far side of the room behind a huge, ornate conference table. A stenotype machine was located to the rear of the room, close to the doors, and the receptionist took her place there. I sat facing the Tribunal, my back to her, in the single plain chair provided for me. I thought Thomas might have squeezed my shoulder in support when I sat down but I couldn’t be sure. He and Carl took their seats to the left of me against the wall.
There were three head vampires and I looked each over carefully. The first Prince was actually Mr. Holloway, the PSU representative who’d interviewed me for a scholarship earlier. Was I screwed or what? The second gentleman appeared to be in his mid-forties, balding, with his mouth held in a cruel slant. No lips. The man next to him was much younger, around thirty, with thick blond hair and laughing blue eyes.
I might have a shot persuading that one,
I thought.
Behind them sat five other people, two of which were female. I couldn’t help thinking how ridiculous it all looked.
These are ancient vampires who survived thousands of years of blood wars and revolutions. We should be meeting in some huge castle, not in some stuffy conference room overlooking the Puget Sound
.
I stifled a giggle.
Oh no, not now
. When faced with overwhelming situations, I tended to get the giggles. That isn’t to say I don’t take these situations seriously, but to relieve pressure or uncomfortable situations, I tend to laugh. I tried to hide the laugh by coughing and was offered some water, which I gratefully took.
“Colby Blanchard, do you know why you have been summoned to come before the Tribunal?” the receptionist asked.
I turned to answer her. “Yes, I believe so,” I said, proud my voice didn’t break.
“Kindly direct your answers to the elders in front of you.”
I frowned at her and looked back at the Tribunal leaders. Were they really going to deliver every question through the receptionist seated behind me and expect me to answer looking forward?
“Miss Blanchard, how do you plead to the crime of being Undead without a license?” she continued.
I thought about that for a moment. Thomas had told me to say not guilty and then plead my case. It had sounded like the most logical course of action until I had found out he requested to be my executioner. For all I knew, he was sharpening his stake as I spoke. I thought of poor Jill Schneider and knew it was now or never. It was either all about me or all about my people. I took a deep breath and said, “Guilty as charged.”
There were gasps among the peanut gallery behind the Tribunal and the blond Prince actually dropped his pen in surprise. I stole a glance at Thomas, who looked forward without a hint of expression. Carl, on the other hand, seemed to take on a greenish hue.
I hope he doesn’t hurl,
I thought with a pitying look at the plush cream carpet.
“Excuse me?” the receptionist said uncertainly.
“I said guilty as charged.” I didn’t hear the rat-a-tat of her typing machine so I turned around and said, “Go ahead and type that. We can wait.” She looked from me to the Tribunal, fingers poised in the air, unsure what to do next.
I was surprised when Mr. Holloway spoke up. “Miss Blanchard, you realize by admitting your guilt that we have no choice but to relieve you of your Undead status, don’t you?”
I took a moment to look him over. He wasn’t wearing his trench coat for this interview but he still had on his gloves. The guy was just odd.
He continued, “Would you like to change your answer?”
I fidgeted a bit with my belt charm before taking another deep breath. “I will not change my answer, sir. I do not recognize the power of this court to uphold or carry out any ruling against me. Therefore I have nothing to fear. You are not a court of my peers.”
This caused a scandalized buzz of whispers that demanded gavel action.
“You dare suggest the Tribunal is not in control here?” Mr. Holloway demanded.
“No sir. You have the gavel, the big table and the cool chairs. You’re in charge. I just don’t see how I apply to your rules.”
The blond vampire looked intrigued. “Explain,” he said.
“My summons was very specific when calling me to vampire court. Since receiving it, I have been told repeatedly by the Tribunal Investigators that I am not a vampire but a half-blood, a condition neither acknowledged nor recognized by the vampire community. So, based on these facts, it is clear that this court
does not
have jurisdiction over my Undead status.”
If they wanted to play by the rules, then they needed to fix the rules. They didn’t want half-bloods in their community? Well then they needed to find a place for us. No more getting all medieval on our ass.
“Intriguing argument, Miss Blanchard. What makes you think your actions are above the Tribunal?”
“You misunderstand my statement, Mr. Holloway. I don’t believe I’m above the Tribunal, only that the Tribunal does not acknowledge my people, and therefore cannot possibly have dominion over us.”
“Miss Blanchard, you are a solitary figure in court today. You have no people.”
“Exactly, so this brings me to my next point. I am here to lodge a countersuit against the Tribunal. It seems your Investigators are criminally liable for attacking my people without filing for a Blood War. According to your own rules, ‘No Undead shall attempt retribution without first filing a Blood War Sanction.’ I have paperwork citing at least eight known instances of such actions.”
I pulled out my notes from the black Marvin the Martian briefcase at my feet. It was either this or my backpack and I thought the black briefcase was better than the backpack with key chains. At least I’d worn a stylish pantsuit for the occasion.
“This is outrageous!” the older Prince declared, his eyes bulging from his jowly head. I was concerned he would give himself a stroke but no one else seemed to come to his aid so I schooled my features to reflect polite interest.
“Sir, the vampire community has been sadly lacking in responsibility for its actions for quite some time now. I am merely the messenger calling these unscrupulous actions into question. Your community cannot control its rogues, who in turn create another race, which in turn is exterminated for being the byproduct of your ineptness.”
It could hardly be considered the best course of action to practically accuse the Tribunal of genocide, but my hope was to put them on the defensive. It wasn’t fair that they’d created this situation and it wasn’t fair that innocent people suffered for it either.
“Miss Blanchard, you expect this Tribunal to entertain your frivolous lawsuit and put aside the more serious matter of your unlicensed status?” said the oldest Prince.
“Not at all, sir. I expect this Tribunal to follow the laws they put forth over two hundred years ago to govern the vampire community. As soon as my people are acknowledged as part of that community, I will accept any ruling you dictate over my unlicensed status. But unless and until I am acknowledged I can’t and won’t be held to the same rules and standards as other vampires. It’s quite a pickle, isn’t it?” I concluded smugly.
The gavel was back in play, attempting to quiet the vampires in the room. I took close note of the expressions and attitudes of all bystanders to try and guess what they were thinking. The concensus seemed unanimous: they didn’t like me but I did have a point.
Mr. Holloway stood up and said, “Miss Blanchard, your conduct and countersuit is a matter that requires deliberation. Therefore, I shall call a recess and adjourn these proceedings until tomorrow evening when we will reconvene at midnight.”
“Thank you, sir,” I replied, gathering up my paperwork to turn in to the stenographer. If they thought I was kidding, they were in for a shock. My countersuit was even notarized, though I was sure the woman at the bank was skeptical of my story about a mock trial for a high school law class.
I knew it was only a temporary reprieve, but I couldn’t help feeling a little proud of myself. In the end I might get exterminated but half-bloods would be recognized within the vampire community and have laws protecting them. Hmmm, when I thought of it that way, I wasn’t beaming with pride. Sure, it was a noble deed and all, but I would still be dead.
Carl and Thomas escorted me out of the building and into their car.
“You guys don’t need to follow me around. I’m not going to run away or anything.”
“We are not escorting you to keep you from fleeing. We are protecting you in case any vampire who disagrees with your politics decides to take matters into their own hands,” Carl said.
That certainly took the spring out of my step.
Fifteen
“
W
hat happened to the plan? You know—the one where you didn’t cause a half-blood revolution and infuriate an ancient race of sinister Undead?” Thomas asked.
“It made sense at the time.” I glanced over my shoulder to see if we were being followed. He practically flung me into the backseat of the car and then joined me. Carl drove.
“Colby, I can’t even begin to tell you what you have done. Have you any idea the repercussions of your actions in the hearing today?” Thomas was working himself into a fine fit.
“Look, Thomas, if I had done things your way I might have been granted a license. I stress the word ‘might.’ And then what? Live as an outcast in the vampire community for an eternity? Doesn’t sound like an appealing way to spend the rest of time. By forcing them to acknowledge my predicament, I’m giving other half-bloods a chance, which they don’t currently have. Sure, it means less business for you, but I’m confident you can find something else to do with your time.”
Thomas was sputtering by the time I was finished. “You silly, vapid, frivolous child!! Is that all you think you are to me? A job to be carried out and then off to the next? Bah!” He grabbed my shoulders to shake me and then just as suddenly released them. I dropped back into the seat with my mouth hanging open. I was trying to tick him off but not to the degree that he completely lost his cool.
What was I supposed to think? He’d asked to be my executioner! That hardly reassured me that he wanted me to win. We traveled the rest of the way home in silence, with Carl driving and Thomas and I sitting as far away from each other as possible.
Both my parents and Great-Aunt Chloe rushed out the front door to greet us. I was practically pulled from the car by my father, who hugged me fiercely, as did my mother and aunt, my briefcase crushed between us.
“We will return for you tomorrow at eleven P.M.,” Thomas announced, and they sped away.
“What is Thomas talking about?” my mother asked, tears flowing freely from her eyes.
“I’m not done in court yet. They called a recess until tomorrow.”
“What does that mean?” Dad demanded.
“I don’t know, Dad. Can’t be too bad, right? If they really wanted to get rid of me then they would have done it already.” I offered this lame insight to make them feel better. I hated what this hearing was doing to my family. When I left earlier they didn’t know if it would be the last time they would ever see me. Now it was stretched out to another day.
“I’m gonna go talk to Piper,” I told them.
“It’s awfully late, dear,” my mother reminded me. I looked up at her bedroom window and saw the light still on.
“She’s still up,” I assured Mom as I hurried across our driveway into her side yard. I waited until my family went back inside before picking up a small stone to throw at the window. It hit the shutter with some force so I tossed the next one gently. That one didn’t even make it to the second floor.