The Sound of a Siren's Call

36.) The Trial

"You don't trust us. You don't have a reason too yet. We could all fit your understandings of us for all you know. But there's the question of what if we don't?" Juniper was watching him with rapt attention, but she still managed to interpret for me.

"What if we genuinely want to help? What if we see how bad we are and want to be better? If you write us off before we can do any bad, you're also writing us off before we could have a chance to do anything good. I know we don't coexist. The only reason we live with ourselves is that we can be against you. The existence of the other is the only thing that keeps humanity together. I know we're bad. I know that humanity is terrible. I'm not going to argue with you there.

"But we are also good when we want to be. I can't prove it to you with a speech, but it's true. We can be just as bad as we are good. That's why you're afraid of us, isn't it? You have no way to tell what we're going to do. In more ways than you care to admit, most of you are just the same as me. Sure, I can't shapeshift. Or light things on fire. I don't have the bottom half of a horse, but we all have some sort of morality. We all have some beliefs that keep us going. We all have free will that makes us able to be just as good as bad.

"I've heard stories. I have no way to know if they're true or not. I heard that centaurs are inherently loyal. To each other. To their allies. But I've also heard that you've had traitors. Aeneas the Arrogant, right? So not all of you fit all the traits of your kind. If all I knew was your most famous figures, I might draw certain conclusions. I could say your traitorous and cite specific examples. You wouldn't be able to refute my evidence, and you wouldn't be able to refute me in a speech by using counter-specific examples.

"So try to think that the monster slayers in our midst are the minority. The majority of people are too focused on their own lives to care about yours. Most people don't even know how to go about killing anything, let alone an abominable snowman. There's also a portion of the population who thinks they're extinct in Regno. Or just a fable. We don't try to murder dead things, you know."

Castor had everyone's complete attention. He paused and met me and Juniper's eyes. He smiled weakly.

"I don't know how to prove anything to you. You'll see whatever you want to see in me. I do bad things, both intentionally and unintentionally. My only hope is that when it's all said and done, all the good I've caused will outweigh all the bad. I've been told I'm a bad person and I've been told the opposite. Now you have to decide what you believe about me. Am I a bad person or a good person or somewhere in between?

"Then beyond just me, are my friends, the men that I consider family good, bad, or somewhere in between? Then if we're good, does that mean you can try to trust us? I can't decide that for you. I'm not even sure I could decide it for me. Thank you."

He rushed back towards the men quickly, not even bothering to flash me or Juniper a smile.

Juniper looked worried, but we didn't have any time to dwell on anything.

"And the counter-argument?"

There was a stillness over everyone. Then Ryan stepped forth. Juniper clutched my hand, only pulling away to translate for me.

"That was a nice little speech." She sneered, clapping slowly. I glared at her before looking back at Juniper's hands. "You're right that not all of one species is one thing. Not all witches are cool as me. I'm joking. But it was compelling. I'll give you that. But I want everyone to think of it like this: imagine all of them are good, trustworthy people except one. The one liar goes, escapes, into the outside world, tells them what we've done here, and comes back with an empire at his back. We can't take that risk, can we?"

People were shaking their heads. I stood up. Ryan was watching me. "So, you'd condemn several men for the possible sins on one?"

She signed and spoke this time. It was directed at me and me alone. "Do you have a better idea?"

"You don't have to completely trust all of them, but give them a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, don't you think?"

"Why should we—" She stopped herself realizing the implications of what we were about to say. "Everyone deserves a second chance, but we can't let them destroy us. We've come too far for that."

"Fine. Then keep a watch on them if you need to. But give them a chance."

She bit her lip, as though realizing I'd handicapped her whole argument.

I sat back down. "Is that the counterargument?" The centaur asked.

Ryan's posture had slouched just slightly. She nodded and left.

"We've heard both sides of the case. All non-humans, sometime before sunset see Amara, Leta, or Sade to cast your vote. We'll have three options. They're untrustworthy, they're trustworthy and free, or unsure and we'll keep a close watch. Until sunset, we'll take shifts watching them. Shifters are up first. We'll relieve them in an hour. We'll be making more arrangements presently."

The centaur walked back down the hill, and everyone started to break apart. A female centaur climbed up to replace the centaur that had just left.

"Everyone, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Sade. Leta and Amara are to my right." Two severe women stood, where Sade pointed, their faces set into frowns. "I'll be by the shifter and undead portion of camp. Leta will remain here. Amara will be by the witches and centaurs. Any questions?"

No one offered anything. She gave a curt nod and stepped down. No one replaced her and the crowd gradually thinned until only assorted animals, humans, and the other inhabitants of the lake were left.

The animals slowly fanned out in a semi-circle, the lake forming the other barrier. Castor walked carefully over to us.

Juniper hugged him as soon as she could reach him, the momentum almost making him fall into the water.  They both laughed.

I crossed my legs.

"You were good up there."

"Really? I hate public speaking."

I looked at him. He did seem unusually pale. "I couldn't tell."

He nodded. "Thank you. Think it'll be enough?"

I didn't have an answer for him. I just shrugged.

Castor nodded before Juniper changed the subject. Castor's sign was rapidly improving, but he still couldn't keep up with me and Juniper.

"You two just talk. I'll be fine. I have something I need to deal with anyway."

Both of them started to object, but I stood up.

"You're going to talk to Ryan?" Castor's eyes filled with concern.

I nodded and turned away without another word.