Translate

Friday, July 20, 2012

Today's #Scifi #fantasy short story #SpellCopyright


“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
-Genghis Khan*


        Decided I would start a “quote a day” thing on my blog. I figure it would supplement me just saying I'm writing. I thought I'd do it when I remembered how much I loved hearing good quotes. Those awesome things people say either in real life or those perfect lines uttered by characters in your favorite stories. Speaking of stories, onto the flash fiction!



Spell Copyright


        The prosecutor's voice boomed throughout the courthouse. “Jury, please look at the spell components on the evident table before you. These are copies of the components used in the spells of both my client and the defendant. Surrounded by the white tape are the components used by my client. Surrounded by the black tape are the ones used by the defendant. Notice how similar they are? This is my case behind the fact that the defendant copied my client's spell.”
       “They're completely different!” I yelled back to him. Crap, I can't believe I yelled. So unprofessional. I bet the jury now thinks I look childish or like an idiot. Which is bad because its all about impressions here. This is a case of whether or not my defendant copied a spell. The only evidence is the spell components and her word. She's already testified. I'm very good at telling when people are lying, but I don't have any proof that she did or didn't. She was so shy that I didn't get details though.
        “Really?” The prosecutor said while brushing a hair off his obnoxious red suit. “Let's list them off shall we? I'll start with my clients: Rubies, imp hair, pixie dust, leprechaun gold, dragon scales, and finally pickles. The perfect ingredients for a resurrection spell. Now please Mr. Gregson, list off your clients.”
I nervously looked down. “Rubies, imp hair, pixie dust, leprechaun gold, dragon scales, and...pickles.” I clenched my fist. It was a nervous habit of mine. If I lost another case I bet nobody would ever hire me again.
       The prosecutor smiled. “Well, looks like with the spell components I've shown that the defendant, your client, copied my client's resurrection spell.”
        I clenched my fist again then I looked at him. “Wait, repeat that last part.”
       The prosecutor then asked, “What? Oh, I've shown that your client copied my client's resurrection spell?”
       I then smiled. “Yes! That's it! Jury, I might point out that his client's spell isn't Resurrection, it is a spell that results in resurrection. Resurrection is a result of a spell, not a spell itself, and your client cannot claim dominion over it!”  I straightened up my blue suit. I felt much more confident.
         The prosecutor then laughed. “Do you really have a magical law degree? Right now it seems you're trying to make this all into a public spell domain trail. Well here's some news for you. First off, the only spells that wizards and witches cannot claim legal dominion over having invented are ones granted by the gods, arch-beings such as angels and demons, summoned creatures, ancient clans, or before the year one thousand and six of the Merlin calender when intellectual property over spell ownership was granted. There are other sources for spells that cannot be owned, but those exceptions would take several hours to explain since they all involve very specific cases determined by courts.” The prosecutor smiled. “I don't care if the spell resulted in fluffy bunnies shooting lighting. Same spell components, same spell. It's basic magic. It's like a book, same words, same story.”
          “Crap!” Extra crap. I said crap aloud. I looked over to my client who was actually sinking into her chair she seemed to be using some spell to make her self less visible. I clenched my fist. It was so hard it almost hurt a little. I wish I had a more normal nervous habit like wiggling your foot.
The judge then looked me in the eyes. “Mr. Gregson, do you have any other arguments? Because from the sounds of it you do not.”
      “U-um...” I stuttered. My client wouldn't say a word. She would hardly say anything to me privately so she couldn't possibly provide anything to the court. I at least had to stall until I came up with something more solid. “W-what I was leading to was that since we're talking about spell results what proof do you have that my client cast your client's spell?”
        The Judge looked at me. “He already told you, the spell components.”
         The prosecutor laughed. “Yes, are you poor of hearing Mr. Gregson?”
        “N-no.” I responded. “It's just... you have never shown us any proof that my client ever cast your clients spell. All of you've shown us is spell components.”
       The prosecutor rolled his eyes. “This must be your idea of stalling Mr. Gregson. Don't think I'm stupid enough not to see that. Think I could actually get all this into court without having proof your client cast the spell? As you are aware original spells are hard to come up with these days so purchases by wizards and witches of spell components are monitored. If you track their spell components then you know their spells. She purchased all the components for the spell. Then the spell was cast. Resurrection spells are a big deal naturally so the wizards on duty looked into how it was performed, looked up the purchase records and found out she purchased all the components.”
       I then responded. “Were there any witnesses?”
        “Oh, trying to find a hole eh? Yes there were.” The prosecutor smiled. “It was the owners of the cat that was resurrected. The resurrection spell is a minor one, though my client insisted that not be brought up it looks like you made me. Now she looks that much weaker as a witch.”
       “B-but...” Looks like that got me nowhere.
       The prosecutor glared at me. “Your little tangent was nothing but a waste of time. We're back at square one. The spell was cast. The spell components were purchased. And because of the purchase records we have exact replicas, of the exact quantities of the components used by both parties. I have proof of everything.”
        “Wait...what you just said...” I mumbled.
        The prosecutor groaned. “Are you a fan of making me repeat myself?”
        I rushed over to the table of the components.
        The Judge said to me, “Just what are you doing?”
        I grinned. “Yes! There is a difference!”
       The prosecutor glared at me. “What is the meaning of this? Are you bluffing to stall for time again? I won't have that! And for rushing over to the table with the evidence? That's just unprofessional! You should be held in contempt of court for all your outbursts!”
       The Judge looked at the prosecutor. “Now you're the one having outbursts. Let's hear him out.”
        I then replied, “Thank you, Your Honor. Now then the prosecution may be right that all the spell component types are the same. But see, there is one crucial difference in the spell components. And thanks to the prosecutions ability to replicate the purchases perfectly I was able to see that.” I gave an arrogant smile to the prosecution. I'm a lawyer. I have to do that at least once in my life. “The amount of the components is different.”
        “What?” The prosecution came over the table with all the spell components laid out.
        I continued with my well earned defense, “At the start of this trial you gave a brief list of the components without mentioning quantities. But really the component lists should be, your client: four rubies, three strands of imp hair, two pinches of pixie dust, two coins of leprechaun gold, three dragon scales, and... four pickles. Then next it should be, my client: three rubies, four strands of imp hair, seven pinches of pixie dust, three coins of leprechaun gold, two dragon scales, and... two pickles.”
       “No!” the prosecution yelled, “You're supposed to be villains! She's supposed to be a criminal, and you're supposed to be a vile man keeping her out of jail just for a paycheck! You can't be right! I spend years at magic law school, days of investigation and preparation, to make sure I always get the villain, I'm never wrong!” He then pounded his fist on the evidence table. “No!”
       The prosecution's client then said, “It's okay, I don't care about the royalties on the spell. I just thought she was a thief, it was the principle of the thing don't worry. I'm sure you were right about everything else. You can still prosecute. Just take a chill pill. I mean where was that tough guy from earlier?”
       The prosecution then turned around and yelled, “That was an act to stress him out! That's what I always do!” He then teared up a little. “I can't handle this stress anymore! Out of the two hundred cases I've done this is the only one I've ever lost! Come on Cuddly Justice! We're getting out of here!” The prosecutor then ran over to his desk and pulled a teddy bear from beneath it and ran out bawling.
        I then said, “Well, didn't see that coming.” Then after a minute of silence of awkward silence passed in the courtroom I said, “So wait, do we have to wait for him to come back before the jury can vote? I'm not sure if that counts as the prosecution coming to rest...”

This work is copyright Langdon Kennedy you may share this(email it, print it, post it on your own website, broadcast it etc.) work unaltered as long as you credit me as the author and share a link to this blog with it and it is not for profit. If you have any questions and/or are unclear of these conditions email me at llkenne1@asu.edu

No comments:

Post a Comment