Part 18: Second Trial Ending

: I’m not done yet! Let me present my evidence!


: Stop, Jayjay. Stop while you still have a little dignity. The results of whatever crackpot, pseudo-scientific experiment you performed do not constitute valid evidence. I think this trial is over, your honor.

: About bloody time. You may take your leave, your majesty.

: Very well. I am pleased that justice has been thoroughly served.

: Until the next assassination attempt, adieu, messieurs.

: I will now deliberate with the jury-



: The game punctuates startling revelations with a cymbals clash, but I can't be bothered to capture it. And youtube is really not forthcoming with properly dramatic 2-second clashes.



Trial Turnabout 2

: Sorry. I’ve always wanted to do that.

: Sparrowson! Are you okay?

: Yup. The doctor said that I have an iron stomach. Most of the poison passed straight through me. Speaking of which, I would like to testify on that poisoned chocolate issue. I even got a doctor's note. See?



: You can't be serious, your honor. The contents of that note could turn this entire trial on its head. You must allow it.

: Why are you constantly arguing with me? I thought the job of a public prosecutor was to assist the judges.

: I told you, your honor. My job isn’t to get a guilty verdict. It is to ensure that justice is served.

: I swear, you are the worst prosecutor in all of France...

: Go ahead, Sparrowson. Read the contents of the note for the court to hear.

: ~Ahem~

: “This patient, Sparrowson, was submitted to Salpétriere hospital, where he displayed a variety of symptoms. These included profuse sweating, a rapid fever, and severe nausea. The patient was diagnosed with poisoning, probably originating from the plant known as aconite, a.k.a monkshood, a.k.a wolf's bane. When we questioned the patient, he admitted to having consumed a discarded chocolate wrapper potentially carrying the poison. Examining the contents of the patient’s stomach confirmed this to be true.”



: Uh, yadda, yadda... okay, here we go. “Signed, Doctor Falret”.

: Thank you, Sparrowson. I don’t think I'll even need to question you. Between your note and the kings testimony, every angle of the chocolate wrapper business has been covered.

: Awesome! W-wait, did you say the king is here?

: You can get his autograph later.

: Right.



: To be honest, I see little to cross-examine.

: Do your damned job, prosecutor! Cross-examine that little, annoying liar of a bird! Tear his testimony to shreds!

: Your honor, he has a note, signed by a medical professional, definitively proving that the chocolate wrapper from the crime scene was poisoned. We could nitpick the details, or delve into the doctor's credentials, but I fear it would be a waste of the courts time. Nobody wants that.

: GAH! So then, what the hell do we do now?

: We do nothing, your honor. This poisoned wrapper has introduced an element of doubt into the case. The prosecution must accept that.



: Tenuous. . .

: A step above circumstantial. You have proven a link. A not-wholly-illogical link. But you haven't proved beyond doubt that Major Howl was killed by the chocolate.

: You are still making far too many assumptions. Where is the empiricism that is required by any good court of law? Where are the witnesses who can back up your claims?

: ...







Bizet - Intermezzo from Carmen Suite No.1

: You...

: Sparrowson. It's great to see you on your feet, and you have been an enormous asset to this case. But what are you trying to pull off now?

: Surprise witness!

: Surprise witness?

: Yeah! I remember you mentioning that Cocorico liked calling surprise witnesses, so I thought we would beat him at his own game! I brought the flower girl, Mademoiselle Cygne, so that she can testify about Prince Juan's character.

: You're putting me in a difficult position, Sparrowson. Just moments before you arrived, we, the court, established that Mademoiselle Cygne is a possible suspect for this case.

: What? That can’t be right!

: Sparrowson, it's okay. Monsieur Falcon, I would like to testify.

: You want to testify? Do you understand what you are agreeing to?

: I do. I have accepted my fate.

: Prosecutor, do you have any objections to me calling upon Mademoiselle Cygne as a witness?

: No, none. Bearing in mind, of course, that you are here to defend prince Juan, not to convict Mademoiselle Cygne.



: I have no objections either. Please, proceed, witness. Speak the oath.

: The oath?



: I swear, your honor. I swear to speak without hatred and without fear, to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

: Good. Very good.

: Please state your name and occupation for the court record.

: My name is Catherine-Marie Cygne, and I am a flower seller.

: Mademoiselle Cygne, tell the courtroom of your activities on the morning of the 7th of January.

: Very well. I saw the king and his entourage enter the Louvre around 9 o’clock. I followed. When they came to a stop in the Salle du Tibre, I stepped forward and offered the king a chocolate. He refused. But a guard, a big dog by the name of Major Howl, was happy to oblige. The guard died because I, personally, had previously added poison to the chocolates.





: Why did you do it, mademoiselle?

: Why. . . Monsieur, people have tried to kill the king before, and people will try again. He is a vile man who has no respect or love for the people who suffer under him. I did it to better the French people.



: I don't believe that at all!

: Falcon, say something!

: Mademoiselle, are you being coerced or threatened? Speak freely.

: No, monsieur. I’m confessing out of my own volition. It is my guilt, and nobody else’s.

: ...



: I suppose that gets your client, Prince Juan, completely off the hook. Lucky you. So, shall we wrap this court session up?





: No. Not yet. I have further questions for the witness, your honor.

: Further questions? To what end? You've already proved your client’s innocence.

: I wish to uncover the truth.

: You aren't here to uncover the truth. You're here to defend Prince Juan. And you’ve done that job with a disgusting level of diligence.

: Nonetheless, I believe the mademoiselle has omitted something of huge importance. I wish to question her further.

: Something of huge importance...

: I won't allow it.

: Fine. Can I at least show something to the witness?



: Fine. If it will shut you up, I will let you show one magical mystery item to the witness. I can't imagine you'll have anything up your sleeve to change the flow of this trial, though.

: Monsieur Falcon, save it. I have nothing more to say.



: Please take a look at these, mademoiselle.

: Train ticket stubs?

: Look at the names.

: ...Papa and maman...



: They are. The tickets were arranged courtesy of the fox.

: Then... that means the wolf has nothing to hold over me. I can speak freely.

: Indeed. Go ahead, mademoiselle.

: What are you two muttering about down there?

: I’m amending my testimony, your honor.

: Members of the court. Everything I’ve said today has been the truth. I did go to the Louvre on the 7th of January. I did present a box of poisoned chocolates to the king. Except, it was not of my volition. I was threatened I was forced to carry out the task under threat of harm. You see, my family has been struggling to get by. The Winter has been harsh, and my flower business has been struggling. One day, a man approached me. A man I assumed to be kind-hearted. This man offered me two hundred francs to get us through the cold. But I could not afford to repay the debt. When I attempted to bargain with the man, and he offered me a deal. Assist him with murder, and he would drop all debts. Refuse, and he would ruin me and my parents. I obliged, because the alternative meant death for those I love. The name of the man who did this...



: ...

: ...

: ...

: HA! What a creative story. This is obviously a last-minute, desperate attempt at passing the buck. The sheer laziness of this girl to accuse a man she's never met before.... she's blatantly floundering!

: Indeed. I've heard dozens of these self-pitying yarns during my time as a prosecutor. Although admittedly, this is the first time I’ve seen a witness directly accuse a judge. Quite a brazen gambit. But in any case, these sorts of stories never turn out to be true. They are always proven to be fabrications born of desperation.

: I’ve never been more honest, monsieur.

: Listen, Mademoiselle Cygne. I would like to believe your story. But accusing a man - a judge, no less - of conspiring to murder the king is a hugely serious accusation. Do you have any proof to support your story?

: Proof?



: That contract would suffice as proof.

: The contracts were all verbal. He... he said the money was a gift, at first. And only later said that I had to repay him...

: Heh. How convenient. Of course this supposed contract doesn’t exist. The mademoiselle has no proof because her story is a blatant lie.

: Falcon, you have to do something! Do we have anything to link Judge Romulus to Mademoiselle Cygne?



: Members of the court, I know for certain that the mademoiselle's story is true. I can say, with certainty, that Judge Romulus has made contact with Mademoiselle Cygne in the past. I know this because, at this very moment, I am holding a key piece of evidence that links Judge Romulus directly to the crime scene!



: I think you should take a look at this, Séverin.

: Hmm? Me? You don't trust it in the judge’s hands?

: What? What is that?

: What does that piece of paper say?!

: This is a receipt for a box of chocolates... from “Lander Hagelslak’s Chocolate Emporium”... on the 6th of January... Made out to...





: The writing upon the receipt is clear. A man named Romulus bought chocolates on the day before the murder.

: And we've got Lander's own testimony to back it up.

: These chocolates happened to have been of the same brand and flavor as the ones that were used in the royal assassination attempt. By itself, this evidence would not be definitive. It would only suggest that the judge has something of a sweet tooth. But taken in conjunction with the mademoiselle's updated testimony...

: ...That would imply that the judge was directly involved in the assassination attempt!

: Judge Romulus! Do you have anything to say about this?

: Yep. That receipt’s not mine. I haven't stepped foot in a chocolate shop in years.

: You cannot be serious. The receipt is indisputable proof of your purchase.

: And even if you could dispute the receipt, we can just summon Lander to testify.



: What you have there is a scrap of paper with the word “Romulus” scrawled on it. Is it a forgery? Are there simply two men named Romulus living in Paris? I don't have a clue. What I do know, is that you have nothing to prove that I was the one who signed that receipt.

: Does Paris have two wolfy-judges called Romulus? Because an eye-witness explicitly identified you.

: This is absurd. Do you want me to dig up court documents with your signature so we can undertake a handwriting analysis?

: Or, we could- (you get the point. This is dumb)

:That wouldn't be possible. I believe his honor uses a rubber stamp for signing off on official court documents.

: Heh. That would be correct.

: Well, it's no matter. I don't need the judge's signature. I already have, in my possession, proof that the signature on the receipt belongs to Judge Romulus



: Oh, but first things first. I believe you dropped your pen, your honor.

: Oh yeah, that's literally the only way this bit of evidence would actually work. By having every single character act PW-levels stupid.

: Hmm? Oh, yeah, that's mine. Thanks, I've been looking for that thing everywhere.

: I thought as much. Madames and messieurs. Last night, I was assaulted outside Salpétriére Hospital.



: Oh, so that’s why you smell of fish. I wanted to say something, but I thought it might be rude.

: This fountain pen is the very item I grabbed.



: D-did I say that this pen was mine? On closer inspection, I see I must have been mistaken.

: Save it, your honor. I am not here to press assault charges. What interests me most about this pen is the ink it contains. It is emerald green in color.

: And as we all know, only baddies write in green.

: Well, yes, but more importantly, it's a rare and unusual choice of ink color. I would venture that only a dozen people in all of Paris are arrogant enough to write in green. And I would venture that only one of those arrogant people is named Romulus.

: So Judge Romulus lacks respect for classic penmanship. What of it?

: Take another look at the chocolate receipt, Séverin. That receipt was signed...



: ...It certainly is quite a coincidence.

Trial Turnabout 2

: No! There is no more room for coincidence! There is no more doubt! There is only one narrative that can tie this ridiculous string of evidence together. On the 6th of January, you, Judge Romulus, bought a box of chocolates with a custom filling. That custom filling contained poison, originating from the flowers of Mademoiselle Cygne, a street seller who owed you a debt. On the 7th of January, you, Judge Romulus, leveraged that debt to force the girl to present the poisoned chocolates to the king. Then, an idiot of a man by the name of Juan framed himself as the murderer in order to take the fall in Mademoiselle Cygne’s stead. You pushed for Juan's guilt by priming a witness, Monsieur Toussaint Kingly. And when that failed, you pressured Mademoiselle Cygne to take full responsibility for the crime.



: Fine! I do admit it! I did it! I purchased the chocolates! I added the poison! I put a peasant girl in debt just so I could force her to take the fall! I was the one who wanted the king murdered! But there is not a damn thing any of you can do about it! I am the one who holds the gavel! I am the one who passes the sentences! With a snap of my fingers, I could have each and every one of you guillotined at the Place d’Austerlitz before nightfall!





: Attempting to murder a king... corrupting the Cour d'Assises...

: What an utterly repulsive individual.

: Don't touch me, you dirty pig! You have no authority over me!



: I'm not done!

: I'm not done with any of you!

: You’re all guilty! You'll see!

: A revolution is coming! The rebels will overrun Paris! The king and government will fall! The bourgeois will be slaughtered!

: We shall have a glorious Second Republic! A republic free of class! Where everyone is free and equal!



: Just another ranting lunatic, your majesty. Ignore him.



: ...

: ...

: ...

: What... what happens now?

:

: Uh...

: I... I guess I'm supposed to take over the president judge's duties? Well, given the surprising series of revelations that just took place, we believe that the results are clear.



: Not Guilty!

Victory Fanfare





: What... what happens to me now?

: Mademoiselle. It is clear that you were coerced. However, you still played a significant role in the king's assassination attempt. By all rights, you must be tried for your crimes.

: I see. I cannot argue.



: Consequently, I believe that most of the testimonies given during this trial session would not be seen as valid in a court of law.

: What does that mean?

: He’s saying you're free to go!

: Correct. As a prosecutor, I see no crime to prosecute.

: R-really? Thank you so much, monsieur!



: So... are my parents really in Vienna?

: I think so, but you would have to ask the fox for details. I don't know exactly what he arranged. Although, now that Judge Romulus poses no threat, I suppose your parents would be free to move back to Paris.

: Actually... I may follow them. To Vienna.

: You need a holiday after all this drama?

: Well, yes, but also I want to get away from here before... you know. Before the fighting starts.

: You mean the revolution Judge Romulus mentioned? He doesn't seem mentally stable, Pay him no mind.

: It's not just him, monsieur. In the streets, everyone talks of an uprising. If you were smart, you would clear out of here too.

: Thanks for the concern, mademoiselle.



: I see. Then, good luck, messieurs. And farewell. Maybe we can meet again when this has all blown over.

: Wait, mademoiselle! Don't you want to have a quick celebratory drink?



: So I guess it's just you, me, and the fox. Right, Falcon?

: That sounds good, Sparrowson. Take Prince Juan back to the Aviary office. I need to sort out some paperwork with Séverin.

: Okie dokie.



: Everything went far better than I could have hoped But you surprised me at the end with that little lie of yours.

: Lie?

: "This trial’s testimonies are completely invalid”? Bullcock. You and I both know that this trial has produced ample valid evidence for Mademoiselle Cygne to be detained and tried. Even with the coercion accounted for, I bet she would still be found guilty of conspiracy or accessory to murder. So, why are you holding back?

: Hmm. You know, ten, maybe even five years ago, I probably would have prosecuted Mademoiselle Cygne. When I was fresh out of law school, I thought my role as a prosecutor was to condemn every potential criminal that came my way. I thought, “if the guilty person ends up behind bars or on the hanging dock, then justice has been served.” But as I gained experience, I started noticing the details.

: The details?

: The extenuating circumstances. The personal considerations.



: I hated it. So I changed my role. I decided that I should not strive to secure a guilty verdict, but to ensure that justice is served. I could prosecute Mademoiselle Cygne, and she would definitely be convicted. But that would not serve justice.



: You’re a good lawyer, Cocorico.

: You... Well, you’re not terrible, Falcon.





: Heh. What am I doing, still using that old accent? I of course meant, congratulations, Monsieur Falcon and Monsieur Sparrowson.

: It's no big deal. We were just doing our jobs.

: No, no. Your job ended when you proved my innocence. Everything after that was you going above and beyond your duties. Of course, I was counting on you to do so. A lesser lawyer would surely have stumbled or caved in. Oh, but before I forget. Your payment.



: Wait! Monsieur Vulpes. Before you go, something's been bothering me. Why did you come to us in the first place? Surely there are much more reputable lawyers out there who could have done a better job.

: Oh? More reputable than the falcon that stands before me?

: Uhh, yeah. Falcon's got a sucky track record.

: True, he does have a. mixed record, but his family name is hugely respected in the lawyering world. I chose Monsieur Falcon as my lawyer for that reason alone.

: Huh? Really? I’ve never heard of another lawyer named Falcon.

: Let’s not go down this road, Monsieur Vulpes. I don’t go by my old name for a reason.

: That is fair. We shouldn't be fixated on the past, should we? After all, it's already been and gone.



: You mean the revolution that the crooked judge mentioned?

: Indeed. I dare say that the wolf is right. A rebellion is coming, one way or the other. Listen, Monsieur Falcon. You’ll probably have a surge of work over the coming days. If you want me to dig up the dirt on anyone, please feel free to drop by my office at any time.

: Dig up the dirt?

: I am a private investigator. It's what I do.

: We'll bear it in mind. Thank you, Monsieur Vulpes.

: Good day, messieurs.



: Seriously, Falcon?

: What? I was just going to ask if you wanted tea or coffee.