Swordplay

Part 40

This is the climax. It will go on for several postings or the part would get too long. But you won't have to wait very long since I'll be posting daily until I'm finished.

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Sabio turned back to the magiskope. "Complete scan."

Moira held her breath. Her heart beat up to her throat. Hopefully the result will exonerate Druidus. There has to be something even if I can't see it. Why else would Sabio forget about the sword all the time?

It seemed to take the gadget an eternity to finish the scan.

The voice of the magiskope crackled, sizzled, and hissed. "Saracen short sword. Inorganic life form."

Moira's jaw dropped, and she stared at the magiskope.

Sabio seemed surprised too. "Life form? Specify."

"Life form based on metal. Undetermined mode of life. Internal safety spell hinders detailed analysissssss." The magiskope hissed, and sparks shot out of the wood. Hurriedly, Sabio deactivated the gadget. His hand wandered to the recording box.

Is he going to switch it off? Moira rattled the mesh. "Sabio. Wake up."

Irritated, Sabio shook his head when he realized what he had been about to do. "What am I doing?" Pondering, he stared at the sword. "There is no doubt that this weapon can manipulate humans. We will have to find a way to show how this is done so we can prove Druidus' innocence. Does anyone have an idea?" He looked at Moira and Aparta, but both shook their heads. He scratched his chin. For a while, they thought in silence.

Moira remembered who she had accompanied Franka and Tord to a lecture about Shamanic trances. She cleared her throat. "What of the sword is using a method that isn't magical, like hypnosis, drugs, or shamanism?"

"We can test that." Sabio turned to the recording box and activated the command mode. "Keep recording but activate answer mode too," he ordered. "Did you record anything that can be picked up by human senses but cannot be heard?"

"Positive," the box said.

Moira chewed the nail of her index finger and hardly dared to breathe.

"Make audible and replay," Sabio said.

For a single breath, there was silence. Then, a semi transparent picture overlay the room, and a silvery voice whispered, "Delete the recording."

A ghost like Sabio reached out for the recording box.

Moira slapped her forehead. "That is the silvery voice that sounds like chimes. Ramasseur's nerl told me about it."

"Stop replay," Sabio ordered. His eyes sparkled, and he grinned. "You are right. Finally, we have something that indicates that Monsieur Ramasseur didn't kill his family voluntarily and that Druidus was forced to kill his father. If we can turn it into irrefutable proof, the judgment has to be revoked."

Suddenly, Moira felt light headed and happy. They would really be able to prove that Druidus wasn't guilty. She breathed deeply several times. In her happiness, she reached out to Aparta. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Aparta ignored her outstretched hand. "It's not real evidence yet. The magiskope isn't admissible to court."

"But the recording box is," Sabio said. "And we know that this unknown life form can influence humans. I've got an idea." He tapped the recording box again. "Keep recording. Move non-audible tones to the audible spectrum. When you reach maximum recording time, start the alarm and fasten to the files HnP 33/19 and HmP 1/19."