Closer to the Heart by Mercedes Lackey Read Free Book Online Page A

wall, then comes t’make sure I be all right. Next thin’ I know, Cobber’s hollerin’ fer the Watch an’ actin’ like ’e’s ’bout beat t’death, the friggin
coward.”
She shook her clenched fist at Cobber, who was looking frantically all about himself for a means of escape.
    But there was no escape; he was surrounded by two men of the Watch and one of the Guard, all of them eyeing him with extreme disfavor. It was clear that Linden had won all of them over.
    Even the judge.
    :Nonsense, it was the Truth Spell,:
Dallen pointed out.
    And in all that time, Linden’s Truth Spell aura had kept blazing a bright blue for everyone in the courtroom to see.
    â€œBailiff,” the judge said, lazily. “The Truth Spell has told the tale. Cobber Pellen did not utter a single word of truth and we are all witnesses to that.
    â€œI’d like you to place Cobber Pellen under arrest. If that suits you, Herald Mags?”
    â€œSuits me jest fine, yer Honor,” Mags replied. “I kin think of ’bout a handful of laws he’s broke, startin’ with makin’ false accusations an’ lyin’ t’the Court an’ yer Honor.”
    Bailiff Creed had happily taken the irons off the big man called “Tuck,” and now just as happily was slapping them on Cobber Pellen.
    â€œOh I can think of a great many more, Herald Mags. For instance, there is nothing illegal about a lady deciding to
peddle her wares,
as it were. And there is nothing illegal about her doing so under the auspices of someone else. But it is
highly
illegal to attempt to force a lady into such a life against her will. And there is the assault charge on her as well—” the judge turned from Mags to Linden. “May I assume you wish to press as many charges against Cobber Pellen as you are entitled to, Linden Pardorry?”
    She had shaken her sleeve and her shawls back down over her bruised arm, and looked up at the judge. “Yessir,” she said forthrightly. “Thenkee kindly sir. I ain’t gonna look down on some’un thet whoores, it’s a ’onest livin’ fer them as is ’onest ’bout it, but I ain’t no whoore m’self. I pick up stuff, belike, an’ take it t’Tuck, an’ ’e makes likely trinkets an’ I sells ’em.” As Mags removed the Truth Spell from her, and Cobber was “escorted” out of the courtroom to the gaol, she lost some of her anger. “’E’s a dab worker wi’ ’is ’ands, milord. ’e ain’t stupid. ’e ain’t right i’ head, but ’e ain’t stupid, ’e knows right from wrong, an’ ’e’s a magician at makin’. Ye’d marvel t’see what ’e kin make outa a liddle bit’ve nothin’.”
    Tuck was still shivering in the corner, and Linden made an abortive move to go to him. The judge stopped her with a word. “I should like you to come with me, Linden Pardorry, and we’ll find as many things to charge Cobber Pellen with as the two of us can prize up from your memory. And meanwhile—”
    â€œI’ll take charge’ve Tuck, yer Honor,” Mags said immediately.
    â€œAnd so, since there is nothing but driblets of civil suits to hear, I adjourn the court.” Bailiff Creed returned at just thatmoment, and the judge turned to him. “In the interest of making sure no one has to wait until tomorrow for justice, would you kindly get Judge Madows from his chamber and ask him to hear the rest of the cases?”
    â€œRight away, yer Honor,” Creed replied, and took his truncheon and knocked it three times on the nearest bench. “All rise fer the honorable Judge Bryon!”
    Everyone in the courtroom rose, and the judge offered Linden his arm quite as if she was a highborn lady. She took it with great dignity and the two of them left the courtroom, leaving Creed to fetch