Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: The Frigid Melody

Thin Air pt. 1

This time, that toffee hammer slamming was sudden and piercing enough to send shockwaves through Phoenix's nerves.

"Court will now, for the last time today, reconvene," declared the bearded man responsible.

The gentle hand on Phoenix's arm was only barely enough to soothe his discomfort.

"Are you okay, Dad?" he heard Trucy ask.

He rubbed a hand over his face. Somehow it felt like only now that he truly understood the meaning of grim resignation.

"Do I have any choice?" he asked.

The resignation was pierced by regret as he felt his daughter's hand withdraw.

"Probably not," she said softly.

"Mr Wright," said the judge, "is your witness prepared to testify?"

Movement in the corner of Phoenix's eye made him look to the glass doors that led to the hall's foyer, through which he could see Luke apparently embroiled in a heated discussion with their witness. The debate seemed to be about whether it was better for said witness to sit on Luke's arm or his shoulder, although judging by that look on his face, Luke wasn't all too happy with either of their options.

The sight was almost enough to make Phoenix angry. At least this kid had options.

"From what we can tell," he said as he turned back to the court, "yes. Luke's going to bring him in and act as a translator for us."

"A translator?" asked the judge who should probably have already seen through those doors by now. "What in the world would we need a translator for?"

"Are we to understand that this witness of yours, Mr Wright," Michaela spoke up, "is not a person well-versed in the ways of the English language?"

Phoenix gritted his teeth and swallowed. There was no way a woman like this was going to tolerate this nonsense.

"Uh..." Well, better to rip the band-aid off now than later. "Not quite. The defence hereby calls... um..."

Crap. Mother of all truckloads of crap.

"Trucy!" He leaned down to whisper to his daughter. "What did he say his name was?"

"I don't know!" Trucy replied. "I don't speak owl!"

"Okay, okay, um..." Phoenix swallowed again and straightened up. "The defence hereby calls..." Ugh, there was nothing else for it, was there? "...its latest witness to the stand."

He saw Luke watching through the glass doors and gave him a nod.

Luke, who somehow looked even more uncomfortable than Phoenix felt right now, opened the door and slowly stepped into the courtroom.

The minute he became visible to the gallery, they started to talk again. Faint whispers of disbelief, gasps, jaws dropping in shock and amazement... it was about what Phoenix had expected, if he was going to be honest. All eyes in the courtroom were staring in shock at the brown and grey bird that sat on the teen's shoulder as he walked through the gallery to the witness stand, and it was hard to tell whether his jaw was set in determination or in pain.

The owl, for its part, simply peered around the room, its massive yellow eyes not only piercing and harsh, but a baffling contrast against the two tufts of feathers that stuck up from the top of its head like rabbit's ears.

"Good grief!" cried the judge as Luke reached the stand. "Mr Wright, what's the meaning of this?!"

"I know it's hard to believe, Your Honour," Phoenix said before anybody else could make that demand, "but what you see – perched on my co-counsel's shoulder – is our witness."