Chapter 5 - To the Bridge
Submitted April 1, 2009 Updated April 4, 2009 Status Incomplete | Another side to the story before and during the events of Drawn to Life.
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Chapter 5 - To the Bridge
Chapter 5 - To the Bridge
Mayor Carmichael hesitated and looked to Cricket. The watchman looked unsure. “Well...” the mayor said awkwardly.
“You see!” shouted Isaac. “He's doing it again! How can you stand here, in the middle of this mess, with these things slinking around you, and listen to him? The facts are here—do you need more proof that he isn't the immaculate Raposa he's played the part of?”
“It's true that you aren't above subjectivity,” said Carmichael slowly.
“If you can't believe me, than think about Lia!” Isaac shouted. “You've said it yourself, Mayor, she's no fool. She's a smart girl. I've heard you say it! And you're right. You're so right. She's not a fool. And if Lia's so smart, if she's such a clever Rapo, think about the choice she made! If Lia's no fool, then which one of us do you think you can trust? Me? Or him?”
The mayor opened his mouth, then sighed and hung his head. “Thank you, Isaac, that will do.” He raised his head. “Wilfre.”
“I stand by everything I said earlier, Mayor Carmichael--”
“I am not asking for a defense,” Carmichael interrupted. “I am asking you to listen to me.”
Wilfre fell silent, but fury was boiling inside him. He put his hands behind him on the desk and, surreptitiously, picked up his pen.
“For a long time, Wilfre, you have wanted the rights to draw in the Book of Life. Furthermore, you have believed that these rights should belong to every Rapo. Is this correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And do you stand by this belief?”
“Yes, sir, but I--”
“'Yes' will do, thank you, Wilfre. You wanted to conduct research on this possibility, is that right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And so you snuck into Creation Hall at night and stole the Book.”
He hung his head. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled.
“You did not think to ask permission to conduct this experiment, rather than deceitfully take and hide the Book?”
“No, sir.”
“Why was this?”
“I—based on past experiences—from the information I already had—I suppose it was just an educated guess--”
“Answer the question!” snarled Cricket.
“Cricket,” warned Carmichael.
“From my previous inquiries about the subject, I guessed—assumed--I would not be granted permission.”
“So you took the Book home.”
“Yes.”
“You attempted to hide the fact that you had it in your possession.”
“Is this a trial, sir?”
“No, this is a confirmation of charges. Please answer with yes or no.”
“Yes, sir.”
“When the Book's disappearance was discovered, you proceeded to deliberately--”
“Wilfre, does your pen leak?” interrupted Isaac.
“I don't think that has anything to do with this discussion,” he snapped.
“Answer the question, Silver!” roared Cricket.
“Cricket, calm down, or I'll have to ask you to leave,” said Carmichael severely. “Wilfre, please answer Isaac's question.”
“Yes, it does. Why--”
“Get him away from the Book!” Isaac rushed forwards and sent Wilfre sprawling across the floor for the second time. The pen went skittering away.
Mayor Carmichael looked at the half-complete drawing on the Book's open page. “How did you...?”
“His pen wasn't dripping,” Isaac panted. “His pen stopped dripping.”
“You could...hear that his pen had stopped dripping?”
“Big ears,” Isaac explained, getting up and dusting himself off.
“Cricket, I think you should run to the station and get a pair of handcuffs,” said Carmichael. Cricket saluted and bounded away. “Wilfre,” Carmichael said, “get up.”
Wilfre got slowly to his feet. The mayor looked at him. “When the book's disappearance was discovered,” he said, regaining his composure, “you deliberately misled Cricket and the rest of the villagers by allowing them to believe Zsasha had stolen the Book.”
“Yes, sir,” he said. He looked at Isaac, standing barely two feet away, still panting. His eyes darted to the book and back. Isaac was in the way, but if he was quick and took the younger Rapo by surprise...
Carmichael limped over to the window and leaned heavily on his cane. “I must say, Wilfre, I'm disappointed. Very disappointed indeed. I truly did believe you were a good Rapo, but I see I was mistaken.”
He moved.
“Owww! Owowow! Get back here, you filthy, bloody--!” Isaac shouted a few words even Wilfre hadn't heard, but he had already grabbed the book and was out the door. Isaac's shouting would get plenty of attention, but Mayor Carmichael was so slow with his limp that he wouldn't have much trouble.
He ran to the bridge.
“You see!” shouted Isaac. “He's doing it again! How can you stand here, in the middle of this mess, with these things slinking around you, and listen to him? The facts are here—do you need more proof that he isn't the immaculate Raposa he's played the part of?”
“It's true that you aren't above subjectivity,” said Carmichael slowly.
“If you can't believe me, than think about Lia!” Isaac shouted. “You've said it yourself, Mayor, she's no fool. She's a smart girl. I've heard you say it! And you're right. You're so right. She's not a fool. And if Lia's so smart, if she's such a clever Rapo, think about the choice she made! If Lia's no fool, then which one of us do you think you can trust? Me? Or him?”
The mayor opened his mouth, then sighed and hung his head. “Thank you, Isaac, that will do.” He raised his head. “Wilfre.”
“I stand by everything I said earlier, Mayor Carmichael--”
“I am not asking for a defense,” Carmichael interrupted. “I am asking you to listen to me.”
Wilfre fell silent, but fury was boiling inside him. He put his hands behind him on the desk and, surreptitiously, picked up his pen.
“For a long time, Wilfre, you have wanted the rights to draw in the Book of Life. Furthermore, you have believed that these rights should belong to every Rapo. Is this correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And do you stand by this belief?”
“Yes, sir, but I--”
“'Yes' will do, thank you, Wilfre. You wanted to conduct research on this possibility, is that right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And so you snuck into Creation Hall at night and stole the Book.”
He hung his head. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled.
“You did not think to ask permission to conduct this experiment, rather than deceitfully take and hide the Book?”
“No, sir.”
“Why was this?”
“I—based on past experiences—from the information I already had—I suppose it was just an educated guess--”
“Answer the question!” snarled Cricket.
“Cricket,” warned Carmichael.
“From my previous inquiries about the subject, I guessed—assumed--I would not be granted permission.”
“So you took the Book home.”
“Yes.”
“You attempted to hide the fact that you had it in your possession.”
“Is this a trial, sir?”
“No, this is a confirmation of charges. Please answer with yes or no.”
“Yes, sir.”
“When the Book's disappearance was discovered, you proceeded to deliberately--”
“Wilfre, does your pen leak?” interrupted Isaac.
“I don't think that has anything to do with this discussion,” he snapped.
“Answer the question, Silver!” roared Cricket.
“Cricket, calm down, or I'll have to ask you to leave,” said Carmichael severely. “Wilfre, please answer Isaac's question.”
“Yes, it does. Why--”
“Get him away from the Book!” Isaac rushed forwards and sent Wilfre sprawling across the floor for the second time. The pen went skittering away.
Mayor Carmichael looked at the half-complete drawing on the Book's open page. “How did you...?”
“His pen wasn't dripping,” Isaac panted. “His pen stopped dripping.”
“You could...hear that his pen had stopped dripping?”
“Big ears,” Isaac explained, getting up and dusting himself off.
“Cricket, I think you should run to the station and get a pair of handcuffs,” said Carmichael. Cricket saluted and bounded away. “Wilfre,” Carmichael said, “get up.”
Wilfre got slowly to his feet. The mayor looked at him. “When the book's disappearance was discovered,” he said, regaining his composure, “you deliberately misled Cricket and the rest of the villagers by allowing them to believe Zsasha had stolen the Book.”
“Yes, sir,” he said. He looked at Isaac, standing barely two feet away, still panting. His eyes darted to the book and back. Isaac was in the way, but if he was quick and took the younger Rapo by surprise...
Carmichael limped over to the window and leaned heavily on his cane. “I must say, Wilfre, I'm disappointed. Very disappointed indeed. I truly did believe you were a good Rapo, but I see I was mistaken.”
He moved.
“Owww! Owowow! Get back here, you filthy, bloody--!” Isaac shouted a few words even Wilfre hadn't heard, but he had already grabbed the book and was out the door. Isaac's shouting would get plenty of attention, but Mayor Carmichael was so slow with his limp that he wouldn't have much trouble.
He ran to the bridge.
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