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I’m in a bummer mood right now, so I decided to pop off a story.
It seems
to have helped a little bit. Not one of my cheerier stories,
but I like it.
The Usual Disclaimers Apply
Archive granted to fkfanfic (Mel, we really appreciate you and hope
your
life eases up), ftp, Lisa, and to whomever else I’ve given permission
previously (it’s been so long since I’ve been onlist, I’ve forgotten!).
Anyone else, just tell me where, and I’ll be glad to permiss you.
:)
Some more of my stories may be found at
http://members.fortunecity.com/marianat
(a prize may be forthcoming to the
person who guesses the reason for the name).
It was The End. There was nothingness. The world hadn’t
ended anything
like the way most of them thought it would. They’d been imprinted
well with
their cultural views of The End; indeed, most of them had been medieval
Catholics.
Tracy Vetter began the session. "Nicolas de Brabant, Nicolas Chevalier,
Nicholas Knight, whoever you may be to us, we have been convened to
pass
judgement on your immortal soul."
Fleur sat at the beginning of the long line, at the far left end of
the
table. As the others waited silently, she stood to speak.
"Nico, you were
a kind brother to me because I was at your maturity level. But
then I grew
up, _mon cher_, and you couldn’t accept that I wasn’t your _petit fille_
anymore. You continued to think of me as helpless, giving me
only
protection, not support. Nico, on behalf of the Family, I pronounce
you not
guilty by virtue of your circumstances. You were _unable_ to
be responsible
enough. We absolve you."
Francesca stood up now at the head of her small group. "Nicolas
Chevalier,
you killed me! You said I was evil; you said I caused too much
torment, but
the reason you killed me was that I rivaled your place in Lacroix’s
affections! You couldn’t accept that there was anything about
me he might
like better than in you. Oh, you may have convinced yourself
in your
holier-than-thou Crusader attitude that you destroyed me because of
my sins.
Liar!" The smaller girl next to her jumped up, screaming
an echo of
Francesca’s word. "Liar! Liar! Nicholas, you stole
my father, my son,
from me. You replaced me in his affections. On behalf of
all your Enemies,
I pronounce you guilty! May you burn in the depths of your deepest
envisioned horror!!!"
Janette followed Divia in speaking. "Nicolas. The vote among
our group
told me to speak, since I’ve known you longer. But the most *interesting*
lady just arrived. Natalie?" The late Dr. Lambert stood.
"Nick, you are a
cruel person. You treated Janette like your comfy old concubine.
Nick,
that is inappropriate! When she got your wish, you took it from
her, then
deserted her to deal with it by her lonesome. She killed herself
because of
you, Nick, and you didn’t even notice! You proclaim love, but
you won’t
care for anyone if it threatens what you want. You are a spoiled,
cruel
brat, Nick Knight. Thanks to you, we’re all dead. Even
though we care for
you, Nick, we can’t enable your unloving behavior anymore! Nick
Knight, on
behalf of all your Lovers, I pronounce you guilty."
The spokeswoman for the last cluster of people stood, anonymous-looking
except for her extraordinary beauty. "Nicolas Chevalier.
Do you remember?
No matter how you’ve changed your name over the years, you are still
that
depraved master. I know you still must feel what you were.
I could think
of you as a victim of your companions or upbringing, as your sister
does,
but most of us remember how morality worked in our times. Justification
through faith was a ridiculous idea when we were brought up.
No, Nicolas
Chevalier, there is no excuse for you and no penance great enough.
On
behalf of the women whom you held captive for your pleasure and to
satiate
your hunger, on behalf of all your Victims, I pronounce you guilty."
Tracy stood up. "The sentence is death."
* * *
"You are my closest friend."
The stake came down. Fade to black.
The End.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Feedback to piccolo_kathy@hotmail.com
Kathy Walsh
of the Many Factions
