Elektra Corach looked curiously around the gatehouse and said to the
gatekeeper, "Mr. Gilford told me to ask for Sheriff Armand."

[Gatekeeper]

"Yes mam, I'm ta 'ave somebody take you to his office rights away."

"Please waits here while I fetchit someone," he said as he started back
into the tower.

"Jaric!" came a yell from across the practice yard.

The keeper turned around and looked.

"Well miss that be the Sheriff there," he said pointing to the man
walking across the yard.

[Sheriff Armand & company]

"Hello Miss Corach. I am sorry for the short notice but circumstances set
a certain urgency on this matter. Let me introduce Sgt. Smithe and Pvt.
Aaric, they are to be assigned to guard the Envoy for the remainder of his
visit."

Sgt. Smithe bowed to her, his frame still carried with stiff posture
despite his apparent age. Aaric bowed also but it was obvious he had had
little practice. Both men were imposing and their uniforms immaculate,
carefully tailored.

"If you will come with me I will introduce you to the witnesses."

He turned toward his office, "This way please."

[Elektra]

Elektra carefully nodded to each man, introduced herself, and reminded
herself - since her pulse was racing - that as a lawyer's apprentice she
needed to get used to law officers; that men and women of the Tower Guard
were here to protect citizens, and not terrorize them.

"Will you be questioning the witnesses now?" she asked, "Or has the
questioning of the suspect begun?"

[Sheriff Armand]

"I have questioned the witnesses that have come forth and by now they
should haved finished the statements I asked them to write. I wanted to
give you the statements and let you question them."

[Elektra]

"I'm only here as an observer," Elektra said, "Since Mr. Gilford may
have to preside over the case he didn't feel it proper to be present. So
I'm just here to make sure that the prisoner gives his statement without
cohersion."

[Sheriff Armand]

He thought about her words, "Yes, I can see why you are here then. I
will take you to the prisoner, he should have been fed and rested long
enough to be coherent by now. This way then. Do you have quill and
parchment? Or will you be taking notes?"

[Elektra]

Elektra nodded to the hard leather case she had brought with her and said,
"I brought writing utensils with me."

As she spoke she made herself relax her tense grip on the case. Though she
knew that this questioning should be in a more civilized vein - and the
man was a murderer of a young woman - she knew that it would still be hard
to witness the questioning without flashbacks. And she mentally steeled
herself as best she could.

[Sheriff Armand]

He led her to a large barred door and nodded to the guard to open it,
"Down here," he said as the large lock was undone. The guard spoke one
word under his breath as he gave the key its final turn, then pulled the
door open.

The stair case was well lit with metal incased magical lights. No torch
to flicker or cause deep shadows. The floor was smooth and clean. Armand
led her down to a cell three doors down, "Sgt. Franks, please unlock the
door for us."

[Elektra]

Elektra felt a small shudder run through her body as she first entered the
stairway, but she made herself concentrate on the duties at hand and kept
going.

[Fillip]

The sound of the key turning and voices outside his cell door made Fillip
stir from where he huddled on his cot. His mood was abject - he couldn't
believe his magic had failed him. That he had been caught!!

That even beyond death Denlira was bringing nothing but ill-fortune on his
head - he who had loved her!!

[Sheriff Armand]

He stepped into the cell first and faced the prisoner, "It is time to
ask you a few questions." He pulled the chair from its placed and set it
in the corner away from the suspect, "Miss Corach is here to watch and
take notes; to make sure that you are treated fairly."

"Now tell me about the murder of the Envoy's secretary and then the attack
on the envoy himself?"

[Fillip]

Fillip dismissed Elektra's presence with a glance, and turned to stare up
at the Sheriff. Now that he was far from that nightmare ruin - and further
still from the knifewielder who had threatened him earlier - Fillip had
started to ponder his predictament. It took wits to use magic to good
effect - and while his magic was of no use he still could _plan_.

"Envoy?" he asked, "Secretary? I don't know what you're talking about?"

If he could play for time - he could plan better. He could claim terror -
in the face of madmen - made him babble, since he had set nothing down in
writing. And if he had really been linked to Netit's body it wouldn't have
been a ill-matched band of vigilants hunting him, but the Guard
themselves. And as for Denlira - on that his bravado failed him.

[Elektra]

Elektra accepted the chair and pulled out a small writing board, plus her
utensils, and began to take notes. The first thing she wrote down was the
condition of the prisoner's face; he had been cleaned up and the wounds to
his nose were apparent. And she knew that those had not been done in a
squirmish.

She was torn between her righteous anger at this man and her desire to
abide by the Law, which did not include the abuse of prisoners! Worm he
might be but he still had rights, and she would ask the Sheriff later
about the marks.

[Sheriff Armand]

He reach down to the small amulet around his neck, "This amulet is set
to detect lies and most of what you just said is a lie." He stood and
walked to the wall of the cell, "Did you kill the woman know as
Denlira?"

[Fillip]

Fillip straightened up where he sat and eyed the Sheriff - and the
amulet.

A slyness shown in his brown eyes and he said, "Anyone can claim a bauble
is magical."

[Sheriff Armand]

He turned slowly no expression on his face, "Unlike some people I have
no need to lie, the amulet is what I said. Now why did you attack the
man in the park?"

[Fillip]

The prisoner blinked up at the Sheriff.

In truth Fillip had no reason to doubt the man's claim - the Guard was
known for its code of honor, but he had no compunctions about using that
against them. Unlike the thugs in the ruins they wouldn't use physical
violence to gain the confession.

He leaned back against the wall and looked cockily up at the Sheriff, and
said, "I think I'm rather tired. And after I'm rested I might want to file
a complaint or two against the chit and the thugs who tussed me up."

Fillip pointed at - but didn't touch - his nostril wounds. "They did this
to me," he said.

[Elektra]

Elektra focused intently on her writing - she knew if gave herself a
moment's leeway she would cheer for whomever had caused this man some
pain. And _that_ was neither a professional attitude - or ethical.

She chewed her lip and kept writing, though the quill bent beneath her
grip.

[Fillip]

"By the way," Fillip asked, as he lounged against the wall, "Can I pay to
send a message? Unless Montfort has gone to complete rack and ruin I
should be allowed to hire representation?"

His voice remained cocky, but his stomach tightened in fear that his
father would simply toss the missive.

[Sheriff Armand]

He took a half smile as he looked at Fillip, "We will supply you with
the materials you need to send a message and ensure that it is
delivered. As for the 'thugs,' one of them was an Envoy to the King and
I consider him a representative of the King's law. While the Guard may
not hold to such practices I can use his testimony in your trial
including your confession. You will answer the questions I have posed
before I leave to let you 'rest.'"

[Elektra]

Elektra managed to keep from smiling as she saw Fillip's cocky grin become
frozen - he was obviously beginning to realize that while he might not
have to fear torture it still was going to be a long day ahead.

[Sheriff Armand]

Though he had never questioned anyone before he knew enough about body
language and eye movements to realize that the suspect was try to hide
and wanting more time to prepare for the questioning.

"Will we start on the night of the secretary's murder. Where were you?"

The questioning continued for many hours as Armand went over each
question over and over....

copyright 1998 by Cathy Mosley, Marc Washington (Dark Icon), Becca Ward, Boyd Boedeker, and Blake Sinclair