Tri Ethereal Ch 02

After Lord Kennington left us, Johanna went into deep transition. She told me that her sentencing left her completely exhausted and she needed the sleep. I let her go. I then spent the remainder of the morning just reading from one of a couple of books that Lord Kennington had earlier given to me and Johanna.

The book I'm reading is a story about an adventurer who explores the ends of Tri-ethereal in search of new lands and populations. Johanna hates the story. She says that Tri-ethereal is just three large continents -- Tri-ethereal, Bi-ethereal and Ethereal -- grouped around a large inland sea, all surrounded by an even larger ocean. Except for the far eastern islands, that is all there is. She's got no imagination. She likes to read stupid love stories of dashing knights saving damsels in distress. Yecch!

About noon I heard the guard making his rounds, checking on the other prisoners. Two prisoners are here for beating up a prostitute, another one owes taxes -- to pay off his debt he works in the king's laundry room in the morning -- and a fourth prisoner is here for stealing a chicken. He's going to be beheaded next week.

Johanna and I can tell the time by the light shinning through our window. It advances across the wall as the day progresses. At noon it's in the middle of the wall.

I expected Lord Kennington to interrupt my reading to bring me to court long before the light shown in the far corner. But as the sunlight got closer to the corner, and he still hadn't arrived, I suspected something had gone wrong at the royal court. But I had no idea what.

Then as the light began to fade and the prison guard, instead of Melissa, brought me my evening meal -- minus my bucket of water -- I knew something had probably gone wrong when Lord Kennington and Lord Kartier confronted Count Strydamu and Lord Clyton. I was scared for Melissa and Melyssan.

I figured that Lord Kennington and Lord Kartier were going to try to get Melissa a pardon or something, anything to protect her from the assaults by Lord Clyton and Count Strydamu. But I did not know how they were going to do that as Lord Clyton would have to agree to a pardon, seeing that it was he who she insulted -- according to the law anyway.

It wasn't until about an hour after sunset that Lord Kennington came to visit me. He had a lantern, a table and chair from our room, another blanket, some more of my and Johanna's clothes, a pitcher of water and a drinking cup, a salami, some cheese and loaf of bread with a knife to cut it up. He also promised that the bread, cheese and salami would be replaced as soon as I and Johanna eat what we have.

The extra food is to supplement what the prison feeds us -- it isn't all that great. Lord Kennington was sorry that he couldn't get us more than a second bucket of water in the evening for washing up.

I thanked him for these few comforts. I then asked him how I and Johanna rated such luxurious treatment. He said that we should thank Lord Clyton and Count Strydamu. In their desire to keep their lawlessness and depravity unknown to the royal council they agreed to let me and Johanna live in some modest comfort before we are exiled into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal.

It seems that the Count suspected that the vote might go against him, especially since a special session was convening. So just before the council got settled he pulled Lord Kartier to the side. He implied to Lord Kartier that if he didn't use his influence to get him a seat on the royal council, then it might be revealed that Prince Lydon, the heir to the thrown, had had a sexual affair with a male commoner.

Lord Kartier was furious. But he knew that his hands were tied. He puts the welfare of the royal family first in all the affairs of state. If it became known that a member of the royal family had an affair with a male commoner, it would be an embarrassment to the king and queen. He didn't want that.

But neither did he want to let Count Strydamu get the better of him. Nor did he want to let the Count get on the royal council.

He did some fast thinking and told the Count that the council was not assembled to vote on his acceptance into the royal council. It was here to vote on whether on not to lower the taxes on the use of the royal grain storage facilities that the commoners use. The proposal had been before the royal council for several weeks already and the king's subjects needed an answer.

The Count knew that he was lying but there was nothing he could do. Lord Kartier's friend and confident, Lord Kennington as Keeper of the Records, controls what will be debated and voted upon in the royal council.

The Counts suspicions were confirmed when he saw Lord Kartier moments later whispering to Lord Kennington as the other Lords were taking their seats in the royal council. Lord Kennington glanced at Count Strydamu and became visibly upset as Lard Kartier was whispering to him. Lord Kennington also looks out for the welfare of the royal family.

When Lord Kennington called the assembly together he apologized for the misunderstanding in why they were all called together. The vote was taken on the taxes and it was decided to lower the taxes.

Lord Conwalt called for a vote on the Count's admittance. But Lord Kennington got that motion tabled, claiming that this was a special session not convened to do that. Also, there were several Lords absent and Lord Kennington didn't want to take that vote under such conditions. He wanted to wait and allow all the Lords the opportunity to vote.

Lord Kartier thus effectively postponed the vote on accepting Count Strydamu into the royal council.

After the council disbanded, Lord Kartier knew that he had the Count boxed into a corner for threatening to embarrass the king and queen. So he and Lord Kennington then privately confronted both Lord Clyton and the Count on their actions with Melissa. They demanded that they release Melissa into the care of Lord Kennington.

Lord Clyton cares only for the lavish luxury he lives in. He gave up the slave without an argument. He signed a paper exonerating Melissa of her offense and confirming her status as a normal Tri-etherealian commoner. He then gave the paper to Lord Kartier.

But Count Strydamu did not give her up without a fight. There were threats and counter threats. Lord Kartier accused the Count of hiding and abusing a Trimorph. The Count accused Lord Kartier of covering up Prince Lydon's homosexuality. Lord Kartier reminded the Count that homosexuality is not a crime and Count Strydamu pointed out to Lord Kartier that revealing Prince Lydon's affairs is not a crime either.

But eventually agreements were reached.

In the end, Lord Clyton and Count Strydamu agreed to let Melissa live in the library. She and Melyssan now live in my and Johanna's room in Lord Kennington's library. They are going to assume our duties.

Unknown to both Count Strydamu and Lord Clyton, Melissa is going to "disappear" in a couple of weeks. During that time Melyssan is going to grow a full beard and mustache; at present he only has a pencil thin mustache. Then a couple of weeks after that, Lord Kennington is going to hire Melyssan to work in the library. Melissa is going to do as Johanna did, dress like a male and remain obscure during the day.

Since Trimorphs never age, to help avoid detection over the years, the males change their facial hair; the females change their hair styles and hair color. They also move from district to district and from town to town, never staying in any one place longer than a few years.

Edgar, the Counts son, has been forbidden to go into their private living quarters. In fact, Lord Kennington is going to make their living quarters off limits to everyone except himself and Melyssan.

Lord Kartier and Lord Kennington are going to petition King Andrew to issue a complete pardon to Melissa. The king is sure to follow the recommendation of his Chief of Staff. This will probably take several weeks and, with the paper signed by Lord Clyton, will only be an academic gesture. But in the meantime Melissa will be free from assault.

Melissa and Melyssan are now beyond the reach of anyone who might want to abuse them or charge them as a Trimorph. Both Lord Kartier and Lord Kennington are happy that they have been able to save one Trimorph.

Lord Clyton also agreed to the extras for me and Johanna. But he had to draw the line at allowing a portable tub -- the cell is too small. However, he did agree to a second bucket of water for us.

Lord Kartier, for his part, promised to do what he could to persuade the royal council to admit the Count as a member. The only proviso that Lord Kartier demanded was that Count Strydamu not be found guilty of violating any other Tri-etherealian law. He told Count Strydamu that he had to have this in order to protect himself and the royal family.

But the real reason he made the prerequisite is because he is adamant in doing what he can to keep Count Strydamu out of the royal council.

He knows that Count Strydamu is blackmailing Lord Clyton over something. He is just not sure what. As soon as he finds out what it is, he is going to give that information to the Sheriff of Tri-ethereal, Lord Robert. The sheriff will arrest him and that will forever prevent him from getting a seat in the royal council.

If it is a serious enough infraction of the law, it might even force him to resign as Presiding Officer of the royal council. Lord Kartier hopes that it is serious enough.

The only bad news Lord Kennington had was that I was to be brought before the court at the earliest possible convenience tomorrow to have my verdict read to me and then make my choice for either banishment into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal or execution.

That came about when the royal council discovered that I had yet to choose between death and banishment from the kingdom.

Immediately after Lord Conwalt's motion to vote on admitting the Count into the royal council got tabled, Lord Basch called for a decision to be made on my and Johanna's banishment, as to where and when it was to take place. He was under the impression that both I and Johanna had already appeared before the court and made our choice for banishment.

But Lord Clyton informed the council that I had not made my choice and that nothing could be done officially until after I made my decision.

This caused an immediate uproar in the royal council, particularly between those who favor banishment and execution. There were accusations and denouncements from both sides. Meanwhile, those who want to see all the anti-Trimorph laws repealed sat uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. Like I said, our status as a Trimorph has become a political hot potato.

Lord Kennington next assured the royal council that I would choose banishment over execution. When asked how he was so sure, he told the council that he had had extensive talks with both of us. The council then decided they could still debate as to where and when our banishment would take place if I followed Johanna and chose exile.

But Lord Kennington said that there was even some good news in that. If I choose to be exiled into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal then it may be months before my and Johanna's sentence can be carried out.

First of all, no Trimorph has been exiled in over 75 years and no one was quite sure of all the particulars in how to go about it. The procedure must be written down somewhere among the records stored in the library.

Then Lord Quantrill -- he's the Keeper of the Treasury -- wanted to know how much it would cost. This brought up the question of where Corporeal is located and how were Johanna and I to be exiled there.

Some actually believed that banishment from the kingdom meant putting me and Johanna in a boat by ourselves and forcing us to sail to uncharted lands on the other side of the ocean. Other Lords thought it meant forcing us to go live in the unexplored interiors of either Bi-ethereal or Ethereal. From where these Lords got their information is a mystery.

But most of the Lords believed that Corporeal is a world that is parallel to Tri-ethereal; the two worlds coexist together. To go from Tri-ethereal to Corporeal one has to be at Stonebridge. To banish a Trimorph into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal the victim must drink a concoction of vinegar and crushed hemlock leaves. But that is about all most of the Lords seemed to know. No one seemed to know what it means to be banished.

What I want to know is how drinking a concoction of anything can cause someone to go from one world to another world. There must be something more involved than just drinking some horrible tasting potion. No one seems to know. Even the legends are silent on this aspect of banishment into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal.

But a bigger problem, as Lord Jefferys pointed out, is that the only time that Corporeal and Tri-ethereal come fleetingly into contact is during the two equinoxes and the two solstices. He said that from what he remembered from the legends, banishment must take place at Stonebridge precisely at sunset during the winter solstice, which is still some four and a half months away.

Lord Basch thought banishment must take place at midnight during the autumn equinox. But Lord Fiord believed that banishment must take place at sunrise during the summer solstice. This brought on another round of accusations and denouncements. Again, those who are in favor of repealing all the anti-Trimorph laws sat uncharacteristically quiet the whole time.

The council finally deferred to Lord Kennington to look the information up among the records and to inform the members at their next meeting as to the particulars of how to go about banishing a Trimorph. Lord Kennington promised the royal council that he would get to work on finding the information as soon as they adjourned their meeting.

Some of the Lords questioned Lord Kennington's ability to be objective in seeking the information, seeing that he is in favor of repealing anti-Trimorph laws and seeing that Johanna and I at one time lived in his library.

But Lord Kennington informed the Lords present that they did not have to worry about his objectivity. First, he puts the law above his own personal beliefs and wants. He reminded them of the many times he defended the law as the only thing they had protecting them from falling into barbarianism. They were all well aware of how often he did just that, sometimes even to his own detriment.

Besides, he told them that he had never met Johanna and did not know that John was a Trimorph. He pointed out how Trimorphs are particularly adept at hiding their counterparts. Had he known that John was a Trimorph he would have turned him in immediately. He believes in obeying the law -- even those laws he disagrees with.

When he mentioned to me that he told the royal council that he was going to get the required information to them as soon as possible, he shrugged his shoulders. He said that he has to give the information to the royal council but that he is going to take his good old sweet time in doing it. He knows exactly what book the information is written in and that book is going to get conveniently lost in the archives on the second floor -- at least for a few weeks anyway.

Lord Kennington also said that during the next several months he and Lord Kartier are going to do what they can to overturn the law banning Trimorphs from living in Tri-ethereal.

There are quite a number of Lords and civil aristocrats who favor repealing all the anti-Trimorph laws. They need a two/thirds majority. Right now they have just under that number of Lords who are willing to vote to overturn the laws.

He believes that he will probably have to do some political arm twisting and wheeling and dealing to get the vote of some of the Lords. But if they succeed then my and Johanna's conviction could more easily be overturned.

Failing that, they are going to try and get a permanent stay in the execution of my and Johanna's banishment -- possibly a long-term confinement under house arrest in prison. This would mean that Johanna and I could continue to work in the library but that we would have to return to the prison each evening to do our sentence. We would also have to wear the manacles and chains during the day.

For this they are going to fall on the consciences of those Lords who believe that it is wrong to discriminate against someone simply because they are "different" than other Tri-etherealians.

It is the possibility that Johanna and I will be here a long time that helped get us the luxuries, that and the fact that Lord Kennington is going to pay for the extra food. The other things came from our room in the library.

Finally, they are going to petition the king for clemency. But Lord Kartier has already said that the king will probably follow the will of most of his subjects and move to have me and Johanna exiled. So Lord Kennington didn't offer me much hope in that area.

He asked me how long Johanna had been in deep transition and when she was due to come out. I told him that she had been sleeping all day and was probably going to come out in an hour or two.

I know why he asked me. He was really asking me when I was going to go into transition. He needed to know that in order to know when I was going to come out of transition tomorrow. So that he could inform the court's clerk as to when to reconvene the royal court for my official sentencing.

While it is true that Trimorphs must go into transition about every sixteen hours, Johanna and I figured up a schedule whereby she is in transition for sixteen hours, then she is in our body for eight hours, then in transition for eight hours and finally in our body for sixteen hours. I follow an opposite schedule. That way we could both experience the daylight and nighttime every 48 hours.

Melissa told me and Johanna that she and Melyssan also followed a schedule for entering into transition. She said that she and Melyssan went through union about every twelve to fifteen hours. She also said that she knew other Trimorphs followed a pattern so as to help them avoid detection.

I felt sorry for Lord Kennington. It broke his heart when the royal court found out that I am a Trimorph. His heart was broken again yesterday when my and Johanna's verdict was handed down and again when she accepted her fate this morning. It is going to break his heart still once more when I'm sentenced tomorrow.

He looks upon both of us and his children. Johanna has been like a daughter to him. He likes to buy her presents of perfume, scented candles, bath oil and candy. He has been like a father to me. He taught me how to play chess. He and I have gotten into many long, philosophical debates. We have learned from each other.

But we only play chess or debate philosophy when Johanna is in deep transition. She doesn't like chess and she would rather talk about the latest romance story she is reading, how the library may be more efficiently managed or what books need to be repaired. She's practical like that. Me, I guess you could say that I'm more theoretical and carefree.

But I was happy for Johanna. I knew she would enjoy the few luxuries that Lord Kennington was able to procure for us. I was anxious for her to come out of deep transition so that she could see them.

Before he left, I asked Lord Kennington if he could get some writing paper for Johanna and my chess set from our room in the library. I like to study chess strategy. He told me that he didn't see it when he was there a few moments ago. He said that he would go back and look again and then have it sent to me along with some writing paper.

A few moments after he left the guard came to collect my supper dishes. He had an aide with him who was carrying two buckets of water and a wash cloth. He said that he would be back in about an hour to collect the buckets. I thanked him. He and his aide left.