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Shooting The Messenger

Grace heard the whooshing sound and small clink as the little vessel reached her portal. She checked the pneumatic tube and found a letter in an unfamiliar hand. She turned and sat at her desk before unrolling it slowly.

Miss Toussaint.

In further correspondence, please use term “person” in place of “human being,” unless you actually wish to define a person who is a member of of the genus and species homo sapiens.

Your oversight is apalling. Your presumption has nearly caused an international incident and caused difficulties for our commerce interests abroad. Need I remind you of how fast news travels in the modern world?

Shame on you.

-Mosseveno Tenk

Clockwinder

P.s In the meanwhile, Mr. Mr. Underby may be released to house arrest. I trust a militia member will take up watch at the Bucket of Blood to ensure compliance.

Grace’s face first drained of color, then red blood rushed to her cheeks as her anger rose. How dare he lay this at her feet? Was she not merely following the letter of the law as her solemn oath required?

She ripped open a desk drawer and withdrew a fresh sheet of paper. She took a moment to compose her thoughts and steady her hand, then put pen to paper.

Clockwinder,

I am appalled at your misguided and tardy response to the current situation. If there is any blame to be laid, other than on the killer of Pip Steamer, it must be at your feet. A statement from you may have settled the populace, and diplomatic issues are your concern, not mine.

I am simply an officer of the court. I must represent my client’s interests to the best of my abilities. I read the law, in black and white, and applied the words there to the facts at hand. If people object to such a classification of “human beings” vs. “persons” it is not for me to bow to public opinion. It must be up to the civic leaders and lawmakers to improve the laws and protect all of our fair City’s citizens.

Personally, I would like to see Pip’s killer brought to justice. I have no doubt that all beings, be they human, clockwork, or other should be given rights and a safe harbour in the law. Should you or any other citizen of Babbage propose a law to that end I would be happy to lend my support.

I remain your humble servant of justice,

Grace Toussaint, Esq.

By the time she had poured her ire out on the paper Grace’s angry tears had dried on her cheeks. She stood slowly, straightening her skirts and pulling on her gloves. She folded the letter carefully and slipped it into her bodice and strode to the door. She slowly crossed the street and warily looked both ways before hopping quickly over the trolley tracks. She was headed to the gilded City Hall, and then perhaps to see for herself that her client was indeed going to be released.

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23 Comments

  1. Grace Toussaint Grace Toussaint September 17, 2010

    ((OOC:  I had no idea Steelhead was getting involved in this!  Nothing like REALLY opening a can of worms I guess.  Keep the philosophical debate going!))

  2. Sky Netizen Sky Netizen September 17, 2010

    Sky picks up the canister that just arrived in the inbox at Militia HQ and reads the note. After a low whistle she calls to the other side of the room, “Hey Jed…”

    Walking over, she hands the note to Jed and gives her a frustrated look before beginning to fish in her pockets for the keys to the cell.

    Underby looks up from his focused meditation to watch the commotion which he had been patiently waiting for, a small grin forming on his lips.

    As Sky finally locates the keys, Jed nods to her, turns toward the cell and in a sarcastic tone states, “Underby. Get your hat.”

    Raising, he snaps back, “I believe I’ll simply carry it with me… it somehow became a tad… stomped.”

  3. Avariel Falcon Avariel Falcon September 17, 2010

    [Good stuff. When New-Babbage opens a worm can it goes Boom! Like a worm can should. ^_^]

    [Steelhead embargoes and clockwork industrial action! Oh My!]

  4. Mr Underby Mr Underby September 17, 2010

    This is how Darth Sidious started the Empire.  Just saying.

  5. Mara Razor Mara Razor September 17, 2010

    ((Some rabble rouser cross posted to the Steelhead Ning and there’s a travel advisory for non-humans traveling from Steelhead to Babbage. 

    Commerce Interests of Babbage?  I thought the trade embargo involved on of Steelhead Shanghai’s organized crime families?  Isn’t legal trade between Babbage and Steelhead going on as always?))

    • Cadmus Lupindo Cadmus Lupindo September 17, 2010

      ((Would that rabble rouser be you?))

      • Mara Razor Mara Razor September 17, 2010

        ((You know I do love to rouse the rabble))

        • Alana Steamweaver Alana Steamweaver September 19, 2010

          ((Rabble rabble.

           

          Yes, the “embargo” is from the Yakuza, one of the crime families and not official Steelhead policy.  Of course, the Yakuza charge “docking fees” for roughly a third of the docks in Shanghai…))

  6. Avariel Falcon Avariel Falcon September 17, 2010

    [I guess with no ships making the journey and the aetheric portal closed down due to the clockwork strike trade will be just a tad stunted at the moment…]

  7. Grendel Footman Grendel Footman September 17, 2010

    Dr. Dinosaur:  BAH! You’re all just mammals anyway! It’s hardly murder, it’s pest control!

    wait, Pip wasn’t even a mammal?  Fine, then Pottery too!  damn mammals arguing semantics….

    • Kristos Sonnerstein Kristos Sonnerstein September 17, 2010

      Pottery… :taps his chin in thought: Wouldn’t he make quite an interesting planter?

  8. Cadmus Lupindo Cadmus Lupindo September 17, 2010

    Steelhead can go suck a lemon.

  9. Edward Pearse Edward Pearse September 18, 2010

    ((I still want to know how one can be an officer of the court in a city that has no court))

    • Cyan Icewolf Cyan Icewolf September 18, 2010

      ((There will be one once I get textures for it XD ))

      • Edward Pearse Edward Pearse September 18, 2010

        ((That would be a recent innovation though. Just as Babbage has no official police, nor do we have a courthouse. Not wanting to be too much of a wet blanket but it’s one thing to backdate fictional history, it’s another to change it entirely.))

        • Arconus Arkright Arconus Arkright September 18, 2010

          ((Think of it like the show “Cheers.” You knew there was more to Cheers-land than just a big bar, but you never saw any of it until the story demanded it. The rest of the time, you just assumed it was there and didn’t think about it too much. How many seasons went by before they finally showed the seafood restaurant upstairs?))

          • Edward Pearse Edward Pearse September 18, 2010

            ((Not quite. If for say the first few years of the show it had established there was no restaurant above the Cheers bar and then later they claimed it had always been there. Sort of like Richie Cunningham’s older brother in Happy Days.))

        • Mosseveno Tenk Mosseveno Tenk September 18, 2010

          there used to be a courthouse near city hall. big one.

          • Edward Pearse Edward Pearse September 18, 2010

            Nope. There was a building that was *going* to be a courthouse but was never finished.

        • Grace Toussaint Grace Toussaint September 18, 2010

          ((Grace considers herself an officer of the court regardless of her location.  Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.  She will fight for justice whether or not the bureaucracy is present.))

      • Zaida Gearbox Zaida Gearbox September 18, 2010

        I’m going to take the pictures today after I take my niece to her ballet glass.  I wish there was a way I could get up on the roof of the building across the street, so I could look straight on at the clocktower.

  10. Queer Hermit Queer Hermit September 18, 2010

    Bravo Miss Toussaint !!  Once again you have shown how Babbage women will refuse to be bowed by men!  Imagine, you were to fold up like a faded day lily based on the Clockwinder’s note. However you have shown the steely purpose of your reason to be in Babbage by your most logical and irrefutable response to his lame accusations.

    Well done, the LLL salute you !

  11. DoctorDinosaur Runner DoctorDinosaur Runner September 19, 2010

    Bah! courts are just a foolish mammal concept, just throw the accused off a cliff!!!!

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