Chapter 2: TWO

She sat alone at her table, in a courtroom threatening to burst its seams. Humans occupied spaces that shouldn’t have been occupied. Fharezhan lay in front of her table, wings folded at his sides, not projecting any thoughts at the moment. Sitting at the table to her right, Aaron Farrow, the prosecutor, looking at his notes. They called him the Perry Mason of Westover, whoever he was, respected as an astute lawyer, a human who had won a lot of cases, lost only a few he measured by the number of fingers on one hand.

The main library in the city had been an excellent source of legal information. With Verdis helping her, several books caught her attention, but she couldn’t check them out because her place of residence lay to the north, too far to the north. She told the librarian she would return the books within a few days, but the human told her it was policy not to lend out books unless the borrower lived in the city or the municipality. She had told the truth, but Sendrhea felt her appearance had something to do with the librarian’s decision.

She didn’t argue, didn’t have time to argue. The trial was less than three months away, and she had to prepare her defense.

She and Verdis spent as much time as they could, reading, turning pages, taking notes. One constant item that caught her attention was the lawyer, whose job was to represent his client. One of the police officers who had arrested her had mentioned a lawyer, but at that time it ran past her ears, and disappeared. Now she thought about it a little more, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn’t appoint a lawyer, or an attorney, to give him another designation.

When the soft feminine voice announced that the library would close in ten minutes, she and Verdis waited until the last possible moment, replaced the books on the shelves. She’d come back the next day, and the next, sometimes on her own, sometimes with Verdis, sometimes with her mate and Šhedrhen, reading, learning, digesting.

A trial wasn’t that complicated, was it?

The judge glowering from the bench sat up, his chunky frame filling his chair with little room to spare. His thick mane of white hair hugged his head like a helmet. Daniel Kingsley adjusted the microphone in front of him, smiled at Farrow like an old friend, sweat caressing his forehead. He reached for a small towel, wiped his brow before settling his eyes on her.

Six male humans, six female humans, sat in the jury box, awaiting Aaron Farrow’s opening statement. They ranged from two nervvous-looking young men in their twenties, one nibbling his nails, the other probing his left ear, to several middle-aged women who might have been more confident at a quilting party. At least a few were paying attention, staring at the fox-like, auburn-furred alien and her whistling dragon.

‘The Tereskàdians’ lay to her right. The thick book, written by the humanoid species called Alharhanians, had been given, along with numerous other items, to the humans to make them aware of the complexity of an alien species.

Lana Northwood, sitting at the front of the gallery, ready to testify, would never understand what this trial meant, but if it wiped that confident smirk from her face the young alien female was prepared to go through with it. On her home planet, Tereskàdhar (Tĕ’ rĕ skay’ dahr), and the planet Alharhan (Ah’ lah rahn), where she, her mate, and their cub had lived before traveling with about fourteen dozen family members and friends, the government decreed that Tereskàdians, because of their nature, could not be prosecuted for any crimes.

But she wasn’t on either planet orbiting the sun called Orovha (ŏ’ rŏ vah). On this planet called Earth they dismissed her protests that they couldn’t arrest her, couldn’t bring her to trial. Of course they could. She had assaulted, allegedly assaulted, a college student named Lana Northwood. A jury would decide her fate.

When he stood Aaron Farrow resembled a stick with arms and legs. If he had been prey, she wouldn’t have bothered with him. Not much meat on the bones.

Humans were never on the menu, but the thought stuck in her mind.

“Good morning, my name is Aaron Farrow, and I am the prosecutor in the case of the people vs. Sendrhea... uh... On the evening of April 22^nd of this year the defendant did wilfully and maliciously attack the plaintiff, Lana Northwood, using her claws with the intent of possibly killing the plaintiff. There was no rhyme or reason for this attack. No... rhyme... or reason, ladies and gentlemen. The court will show that Miss Northwood suffered severe scratch marks to her face and arms. Almost three months later she is still under the care of a physician. The prosecution will call several witnesses who have a bearing on this case. We will call the police officers responsible for this alien’s arrest. We will also call the physician who handled Miss Northwood’s case, and we will call a friend of Miss Northwood’s who witnessed her condition on the date in question. We will also call other witnesses who had access to Miss Northwood at the college, and who noticed her wounds. Ladies and gentlemen, because of the benign nature of the... aliens, they will be quick to state that it would be impossible for this alien to initiate an attack, but why would Miss Northwood lie? Was she attacked by a dog, or some other animal? Given the nature of the wounds she received the prosecution finds such a case impossible, to say the least. When this case is concluded the prosecution asks that the defendant be found guilty. Thank you.”

Great speech. It irked her that he referred to her as ‘this alien.’ I am not ‘this alien.’ I have a name. Sendrhea. Sen... drhee... ah... Easy to pronounce. Short ‘e’, long ‘e’, and an ‘ah.’ Just three short syllables.

“Does the defense wish to make an opening remark?“ Judge Kingsley looked at Sendrhea’s table, his eyes scooting left and right, as if he had lost something somewhere in the courtroom. “Where’s your counsel?”

“Tereskàdians do not allow anyone to speak for them.”

“I find that highly irregular. I will give you twenty-four hours to find someone to represent you.”

“I can’t do that, Your Honor.”

He fiddled with his gavel, rubbing it back and forth across his bench. “You’re not on your planet now, Miss... uh... Sendrhea. We live by our rules, not yours. And there are certain rules when it comes to the legal system.”

“I will not seek anyone to represent me.”

Farrow stood up. “Your Honor, if it pleases the Court, I would be willing to allow Sendrhea to speak for herself, without representation.”

“Are you sure...?” Kingsley’s mouth remained open for a moment as the implication of Farrow’s statement sank in. “Oh, yes... if Sendrhea wishes to represent herself at this trial, I’m sure we are all in agreement. Sendrhea, you understand you must follow the legal procedures of this province. If you deviate, I will warn you, and I’m sure Mr. Farrow will raise his objections.”

“I understand, Your Honor.”

“It says here your name is Sendrhea. Sendrhea what?”

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“Just Sendrhea.”

Kingsley silenced the snickers and giggles with three quick bangs of his gavel. “What’s your last name?” he asked when the courtroom had been silenced.

“Tereskàdians don’t have last names.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you... kind of look like a fox, well, except for your fur color?”

And we all look alike, don’t we? “Many times, Your Honor. Some even ask me if I have a taste for chicken.”

“Whatever happened to the reptilians?” he muttered, but she heard him perfectly. A little louder he said, “There are stories about little aliens with big almond shaped eyes. I don’t suppose you know anything about that.”

“I’ve never seen one,” she said.

“What’s with your furry friend?”

“Fharezhan?”

“Is that his name?””

“Yes.””

“Is he your pet?”

“He is part of me. We’ve been connected since we were born. He can’t live without me, and I can’t live without him... literally.”

“Did he hatch from an egg?”

She wanted to say, ‘I guess you don’t know much about mammals,’ kept the thought in her mind. Instead, she said, “He’s not that kind of dragon. He’s a mammal, and he gives me milk.”

Kingsley shook his head. “He... gives... you... milk.” Eyebrows raised ever so slightly. He cleared his throat, raised his voice. He scanned the courtroom, his eyes resting on Verdis and the cub. “I suppose that’s why those... animals were allowed in the courtroom.” He looked back at Sendrhea. “Your... uh, mate, I presume.”

“And my cub, Your Honor.”

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

“I’ve been meaning to read some of the literature you brought with you. I’ll get around to it one of these days.” He stared at Fharezhan searching for the obvious. “I’d like to learn more about whistling dragons... about your species, but right now we have other matters to attend to.”

“I’d like to invite you to come up to Colbert’s Landing,“ she said. “Once this trial is concluded.“

“You seem to feel rather confident about the outcome.“

“Your Honor, I’m not psychic. I can’t see into the future, but the outcome of this trial will not be in doubt.“

He waved her off. “Mr. Farrow, let’s get this trial started. Call your first witness.“

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