Strong Mystery: Murder, Mystery and Magic Books 1-3 (Steampunk Magica) (31 page)

“Well, I believe that is for us,” Owen said to his adversary.
He bowed the way towards the dining room. “Shall we go?”

“I shall win,” Hu-San warned him

“So shall I,” Owen replied with a tight smile.

Chapter 21

Owen saw that the dining room where the ill-fated
dinner between the gangs, not to mention where Huang had met his fate, had been
transformed into an opulent room filled with hanging silk drapes and fragrant
incense and candles
. There was even a pair of expensive-looking
mage lights framing the now raised seat where Lohan sat to hold Court. In
addition to the lights, a brace of constables stood with their deadly
air-rifles at port behind the human-form Dragon.

The courtiers were lounging about the walls of the room with
some seated and others standing, all attempting to affect an air of polite
boredom. Owen saw Deputy-Inspector Gregg talking nervously to a man in a
western style suit. Mike stood in one corner with Mary, and with him stood
Jimmy with a pair of cronies. A uniformed constable with a mountain of gold
braid on his shoulders bowed towards both Owen and Hu-San.

“Lord Owen Strong, Lord Hu-San Fong,” he greeted them both. “I
am charged with insuring the protocol of the Court today. My name is Bailey.
The accused will be brought out shortly.” Bailey gestured as he spoke, “Lord
Owen, as Prosecutor would you stand to Our Mighty Lord’s right, and Lord Hu-San
if you would stand to the left, I will call the Court to order.” Owen stood
where Bailey had indicated as Jinhao entered the room, gliding up next to him.
He bent to hear what she had to say.

“It appears that our deceased Fire starter had a particular
liking for the other boys,” she murmured to him.

“I know,” Owen murmured back. Was Lohan giving them a stern
eye?

“Did you also know that he had a particular passion for Jimmy
the Horse and that rumor has it that his Mother, the restaurant keeper, did not
approve?” Owen shot her a glance at this news.

‘No, I did not,” he whispered. Out of the corner of his eye he
caught the Dragon stirring on his makeshift throne, glaring at them.

“Thank you Jinhao,” Owen whispered. “I think that I had best
attend the Dragon now.”  

“Lord Owen.” Lohan suddenly spoke in a deep grumble. It sounded
like a thousand boulders crashing together. “We shall be tolerant as this is
your first time in these proceedings. Be warned, however, that
Our
patience is not inexhaustible.” Owen and Jinhao stopped talking and looked up
attentively. The Dragon gestured at the failing Bailey. “Get on with it!” He
snapped.

“Hear all! Hear all” Bailey proclaimed in flawless Mandarin.
“Let all who have business with this Court draw near to witness the mercy of
Lohan, Lord of Hong Kong!” He repeated the same in English. A pair of
Constables brought in the Austrian Deter, his hands bound in manacles in front
of him. He gave Owen a hang dog look, standing in the place where the
constables had prodded him towards with their rifles.

As Bailey stopped speaking, the Dragon stirred on his great
chair, staring down at Owen. Owen thought he detected a red glint in the
Dragon’s eyes, which could not bode well for them.

“Lord Owen,” Lohan spoke in that same gravelly voice. “You have
volunteered to show us this modern Western way of justice. How shall you
proceed?”

“Mighty Lohan!” Hu-San raised his voice theatrically. “As
Defender of the Accused, I must protest! There is no confession as is
proscribed in the Illustrious Code of Law. Therefore the Accused is innocent of
this crime, and should be released!” The Dragon looked at Owen.

“Well, Lord Owen?” Lohan inquired. “How do you respond to
this?”

“It is true Mighty Lohan that the Accused, the Austrian Deter,
had not confessed to the murder of the boy Huang. A boy who was horribly killed
right where you are sitting, I believe.” Owen said calmly. The Dragon startled
in his chair at this, and Owen was certain that he saw the red glow gleam more
strongly in the depths of the Dragons eyes.

“None the less,” Owen continued, “I feel that it is my duty to
point out that the confession my illustrious opponent refers to,” here he bowed
towards Hu-San who bowed back. “Is usually obtained by torture of the accused.
A method that is suspect at best.”

“It is allowed under the Illustrious Code of Law!” Hu-San
protested. “As such its lack should be allowed as proof of innocence. This has
been true for five hundred years!”

“Be that as it may,” Owen shot back. “The whole point of modern
jurisprudence is to gauge the truth, the innocence or guilt of the accused, by
means of fact and cross-examination. I must agree that there is not enough fact
to condemn the Austrian, Deter, of Huang’s murder. There is only enough, I
should point out, that he may be an accomplice to the crime as well as the spy
of a foreign power.”

“I must object!” Hu-San cried. “Neither of these are the crimes
we are here for! Nor has the Lord Owen offered any of his much vaunted proof!”

“The proof is that Deter is an Austrian, who by his own
admission to me, belongs to the Church of Her Light and is abroad without a
face mask,” Owen answered. “It is well known that only those who serve the
Austrian government as spies are allowed such leeway. Second, he was in
possession of an alchemical fire pistol which was the murder weapon that did
kill the youth Huang.”

“The reasons are sufficient to continue,” The Dragon allowed in
his gravelly voice Hu-San’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Owen had to admire the
voice trick. He had heard Lohan speak before and wondered how the Dragon
managed to go from dulcet tones to such a menacing grumbling, leaving the
hearer with the impression that they very likely would be eaten. He was certain
it was some application of Magia. It certainly cut down on arguments, Owen
reflected.

There was a commotion at the door, which had Bailey, the Court
protocol person, scrambling to deal with it. Bailey turned somewhat forlornly
towards the center of the room and began to speak.

“Mighty Lohan…” Bailey began, only to be shouldered aside by a
menacing figure in a black uniform with a billed cap, a face-covering cloth
mask hanging down from the cap. The soldier gave way in turn to a slender
figure wearing gold robes and a head-hugging cowl. The suggestion of a smiling
face was stitched in glittering gems across the covering of where a face would
be.

“Mighty Lohan,” the figure said in a carrying soprano tone,
“please forgive the interruption. I came as quickly as possible when I received
your note.”

“Madame Ambassador,” Lohan replied in his grumbling voice.
“Your entrance leaves much to be desired in terms of respect.” The gold figure
bowed, smooth as oil.

“When I heard that a fellow Austrian may be in peril, I came
with all due haste. Surely you will forgive me if I side-step protocol for the
safety of one of my people.” The cloth of gold covering searched about the
room, finally settling on Deter.

“Ah, there he is, the poor lamb!” the Ambassador slid forward
towards the fettered Austrian. Her passage was blocked by the rifle-bearing
constables. The black clad soldier stepped in front of the Ambassador, hand
clamped on a holstered pistol at his waist. The menace radiated by the faceless
figure was palpable even at a distance. The Ambassador turned towards Lohan.

“Chains?” The Ambassador inquired. “Why is he in chains? What
is the charge?”

“Do you admit then that this is one of your fellow countrymen?”
the Dragon asked softly. The Ambassador recoiled as if bitten. Owen could tell
she was looking at Deter askance, even through the cowl and face covering.

“I have not had a chance to speak to him,” she answered. “How
would I know? Is that what he claims?”

“He does not need to
claim
. . .
that he is what he is,” Owen said. “That he is an Austrian of
the Church of Her Radiance is beyond dispute, and his tradecraft is horrible.
He revealed himself to our entire party with his first words. That members of
the Church only are allowed to show their faces if they are spies for the
Austrian Church, excuse me, the Austrian Government, is well known. You still
maintain the fiction that you have a separate government? It does make the
unwarranted invasions and pogroms deniable does it not?” Owen asked archly.
“Furthermore, he was caught with an alchemical fire weapon. While unfortunately
common, the possession of such a device is a crime in Hong Kong. Do you still
wish to claim him as one of yours, Ambassador?” The cowled figure had stood
stock still during Owen’s speech. The black-clad soldier turned towards Owen,
hand still on his weapon.

“You
vill
address Her Radiance as
Your Radiance
infidel dog,” he
warned in his thick voice. “And you
vill
wait for leave to speak from
Her Radiance.” Owen turned towards the Dragon at this.

“Mighty Lohan, are we to tolerate threats during Court
proceedings? Owen asked guilelessly.

“Mighty Lohan,” the Austrian Ambassador demanded. “Who is this
person
?” She snarled.

The Dragon gave a rumble deep in his chest that might have been
a laugh. He looked down at the Ambassador for a long moment before replying.

“I notice that you do not deny what he says Ambassador,” Lohan
observed wryly. “As to who he is, he is the appointed Court Special Prosecutor
named Lord Owen of Strong late of the British Empire. Also, he is correct, this
is
an official Court function.” There was no mistaking the red glow in
Lohan’s eyes now.

“MY Court, Ambassador!” The Dragon snarled. “Now, as is
required by international treaty I have informed you that we may have one of
your country’s citizens in custody. Do you wish to acknowledge him?” The
Ambassador took a step back.

“Not at this time,” she said weakly. “Although the Austrian
government reserves the right to view the proceedings.”

“Then find a place against the wall, Ambassador, along with the
other members of the Court,” Lohan ordered heavily. She quickly complied,
dragging her guard with her. “And Ambassador,” the Dragon continued, “one more
threat from your lackey, and he will be next to feel my displeasure. My
patience has neared its limit.” The Dragon turned towards Owen.

“Well My Lord Owen, how will you proceed?” He demanded. Before
Owen could speak he held up a hand. “And do not say it requires that you mock
the Ambassadors to my Court. What I found humorous once I may not again,” he
warned. Owen bowed towards the Dragon.

“Mighty Lohan,” he said. “I thank you for your forbearance.” He
twisted his head towards where the Austrian Ambassador had claimed space along
a wall, “And I ask forgiveness of the Austrian Ambassador if I answered her
question too fully.” At this, some of the Court twittered. Little love was lost
between the Austrians and the citizens of Hong Kong after last summer’s attempt
at an invasion by the Austrian Navy. An attempt that had been blamed on ‘rogue
naval elements’ by the Austrian government. An excuse accepted by the other
Great Powers to avert an even more horrendous world war. Lohan frowned at Owen,
who continued quickly.

“I believe that I can render these proceedings quickly to both
to your satisfaction and to the cause of justice,” Owen said with a smile. “May
I call a few people to testify?” Lohan made a show of considering this even
though he must know this was how it was done, Owen thought.

“I see no difficulty in this do you Lord Hu-San?” Lohan asked
the Defense Councilor. Hu-San also made a great show of considering this,
stroking his magnificent mustaches.

“No, Mighty Lohan,” he said at last. “Although I also wish the
right to question these people should it seem warranted.” The Dragon turned his
head back to Owen.

“Acceptable to you Lord Owen?” Lohan asked.

“Very acceptable. I even encourage it, Mighty Lohan,” Owen
responded.

“Very well,” the Dragon said. “Call whom you will.” The Dragon
effected a bored tone which would fool no one who noticed the agitated light
smoldering beneath his eyelids.

“Thank you Mighty Lohan,” Owen replied with a bow towards the
makeshift throne. “For my first witness,” Owen pronounced, “I wish to call the
man known as Jimmy the Horse.”

The sounds of the murmuring voices of the Court rose like an
angry sea.

Chapter 22

Lohan nodded to his acting master of Protocol, the constable
Bailey, who turned at Lohan’s signal back to face the room
. His
voice rang out across the room cutting through the murmurs of the Court.

“Jimmy the Horse draw nigh! You are called to bear witness
before the Court of the Mighty Lohan, Lord of Hong Kong. Jimmy the Horse draw nigh!”
Bailey cried out. The gang leader stepped forward at this, a dazed look upon
his face. He looked between Owen and Bailey.

“I am Jimmy the Horse,” he said to both of them, “What do you
want?”

“You must stand there,” Hu-San pointed with a scowl to a spot
in front of the Dragon midway between Owen and himself. Jimmy moved to comply.
“Stand there and do not move!” The former Court Prosecutor said. Hu-San bowed
wordlessly with a smile first to Lohan and then to Owen.

“Thank you my Lord Hu-San,” Owen said dryly. The constable
Bailey quickly moved to stand in front of Jimmy.

“Do you swear by the Gods that you hold dear, that all that you
shall speak here shall only be the truth, knowing that you are bound by the
Question to answer so?” He asked the ganger. Jimmy visibly swallowed at this.
‘Bound by the Question,’ meant that any Court official that didn’t like his
answers could have him tortured until he gave answers that they did like.

“Yeah,” he replied stoutly, glaring at Owen over Bailey’s
shoulder. “I got nothing to hide.” Bailey moved smoothly aside leaving the
ganger facing Owen.

Owen stepped towards Jimmy with a smile, his cane tapping the
ground as he walked.