It Rained Red Upon the Arena by Kenneth Champion Read Free Book Online Page A

killed a man before. He was my first. I wanted to be sure he was dead. I acted quickly, but not quickly enough to save my father. I would never kill my own father. I could never even fathom the thought of it. I only killed that man clothed in black because I feared for my life. That man had just taken the person I loved the most from this world in front of my own eyes. I wanted to be sure he was dead, but I was also acting in frustration. It all happened out of nowhere, it all happened so fast. Yes, I stabbed him numerous times, but that doesn’t make me a murderer.”
    Judge Grove looked down at a few papers on his desk. He looked back at Nick and said, “You know, I have been doing this for many years. The things you say just do not add up completely in my mind. The good news is that we have a witness from last night who has come down to the courts to explain what happened. Sir, would you please rise and state what happened last night?”
    A man seated to the back left of Nick surrounded by other civilians stood up. He stepped forward to the front of the room and Nick realized who he was. He was the waiter who was serving Nick and his dad. He was the one who also saw Nick driving a dagger into the man’s chest.
    “My name is Henry, and I am one of the waiters at The Cove Tavern. Last night I served this young man and an older gentleman at one of our corner tables. It was a normal night and everything seemed fine. I took their orders. After about fifteen minutes the food was ready and I walked out to serve them. When I went around the corner I was shocked at what I saw, two bodies lay on the ground and this man was stabbing one of them.”
    Henry pointed at Nick with disgust. “I say he killed both of them, if you ask me. I don’t know the motive behind it, but I am sure he wanted them dead. If this young man could stab someone seventeen times, then I don’t want him to walk the streets as a free man. A man that is capable of doing this is capable of doing it again and again.”
    “Enough with the opinions. Thank you for your description of the events,” replied Judge Grove. “So we have here a witness to one death that occurred last night. Mr. Bint, after reviewing your case beforehand and hearing this statement you have to understand that the evidence of your story cannot be proven. There is no way to prove that you did not kill Christopher Bint. However, there is also no way to prove that you did. The man you saw stabbing may have indeed killed Christopher, he may not have. Because there is no real evidence besides the fact that the sword fit the man’s sheath, your charges for the murder of Christopher Bint are hereby dropped.”
    The room sat in silence as Judge Grove looked down at his papers. “Mr. Bint, there is also no way to prove your intent of self defense besides your own word. We have a witness who just described what he saw, also others were questioned last night where the events occurred and many said the same things. All of it is documented and on my desk right here. We have in possession a dagger in which we believe you owned, is that true?”
    “Yes, that dagger is mine,” replied Nick.
    “That dagger was used to stab a man to death gruesomely. As I stated before, the man was stabbed seventeen times. You are 17 years old according to our records here, you are not technically an adult but you are going to be charged as one as you have the capabilities to think and act as an adult,” said judge Gove.
    Nick’s heart pounded faster and faster as the judge was speaking. His palms were sweating and his eyes were open wide.
    Judge Bryant Gove looked down at his papers once more. He flipped through them before once again looking at Nick and saying, “There is no way I can justify the death as an act of self defense. There is no way I would have you walking the streets at night. The same streets my little boy and girl walk, Mr. Bint. By the power given to me by King Dedan Hudson, king and protector