fiction - brigits_flame - surrender
Jul. 31st, 2011 04:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hwangoCeleste knew that she’d probably regret it eventually, but she couldn’t stop herself from grinning hugely as they led her into the courtroom. When her name had been announced a moment ago she’d heard a mixture of despairing moans and excited gasps. Ah, fame.
She took her place in the circle reserved for the accused and noted that someone had gone to the trouble of reinforcing the security runes, even going so far as to include her name in the chain. She tapped her fingertips together in a semblance of applause, the most her shackles would allow. It was fine work.
Celeste glanced over to the magistrate’s podium and noted that it was old Barl again. He was already shaking his head in dismay. Celeste would have blown him a kiss if she’d been able to raise her arms.
“And what charge do we have against the accused today?” the magistrate asked the clerk. “As if I can’t guess for myself.”
“It is alleged that the accused did wantonly violate the ban on displays of supernatural power among the mundane populace,” said the clerk.
“Shocking,” Barl said with almost tangible irony. “And the nature of today’s offense?”
“The accused is reported to have…ah…” the clerk trailed off. He was staring at the piece of paper in front of him in open disbelief. He turned to Celeste and said “Really?” Celeste winked at him.
“Percival!” shouted the Magistrate at the clerk, who jumped in his seat, mumbled an apology, and then started reading again.
“…reported to have enchanted a straw broom so as to create an aerial conveyance, and then to have ridden said conveyance openly in the skies over the state of Kansas in full view of a substantial mundane population, and furthermore to have…conjured a smoke trail whilst doing so, so as to spell out the message ‘Surrender Dorothy’ in letters several hundred feet high.”
Barl’s expression was unreadable. He turned slowly from the clerk to Celeste.
“And did you also paint yourself green and wear a pointy black hat for this little outing of yours?” he asked.
“I’ve never much cared for green, but I felt the hat was absolutely essential,” Celeste said.
The magistrate shot an inquiring glance at the clerk, who nodded and said “It’s evidence exhibit B.”
“Damn, I’ve fallen for your little trap and confessed, haven’t I?” said Celeste with mock despair “You clever, clever man.”
“Celeste, do you perhaps not understand the concept of ‘secrecy?’” asked the magistrate.
Celeste shrugged. “I guess I just don’t see the point. People are so overdosed on CGI in the movies that I bet half of the people who saw me turned to the guy next to them and said ‘dude, that totally looks fake’ even though it was happening right in front of them. I certainly didn’t cause a panic or stir up an angry mob looking to burn someone at the stake for consorting with the Devil. He says ‘hi,’ by the way.”
Sadly, the rest of the trial was pretty boring by comparison, and Celeste found herself wishing they could just do it without her. She even considered suggesting it once, but that might be going a bit too far, even for her.
In the end, she had to pay some outrageous fines and perform hundreds of hours of community service. She could tell that Barl would love to throw her in prison for a while, but secrecy violations just weren’t that serious a crime anymore. Technology was advancing so quickly these days that it wouldn’t be long before sufficiently advanced technology was no longer indistinguishable from magic - it would overshadow it.
Celeste suspected that no one really understand that that was the point of her little displays - that they may as well show off while people would still be impressed. One day soon, there would come a time when magic wouldn't be able to make anyone point and say "wow" anymore. And then, really, what would be the point?
She took her place in the circle reserved for the accused and noted that someone had gone to the trouble of reinforcing the security runes, even going so far as to include her name in the chain. She tapped her fingertips together in a semblance of applause, the most her shackles would allow. It was fine work.
Celeste glanced over to the magistrate’s podium and noted that it was old Barl again. He was already shaking his head in dismay. Celeste would have blown him a kiss if she’d been able to raise her arms.
“And what charge do we have against the accused today?” the magistrate asked the clerk. “As if I can’t guess for myself.”
“It is alleged that the accused did wantonly violate the ban on displays of supernatural power among the mundane populace,” said the clerk.
“Shocking,” Barl said with almost tangible irony. “And the nature of today’s offense?”
“The accused is reported to have…ah…” the clerk trailed off. He was staring at the piece of paper in front of him in open disbelief. He turned to Celeste and said “Really?” Celeste winked at him.
“Percival!” shouted the Magistrate at the clerk, who jumped in his seat, mumbled an apology, and then started reading again.
“…reported to have enchanted a straw broom so as to create an aerial conveyance, and then to have ridden said conveyance openly in the skies over the state of Kansas in full view of a substantial mundane population, and furthermore to have…conjured a smoke trail whilst doing so, so as to spell out the message ‘Surrender Dorothy’ in letters several hundred feet high.”
Barl’s expression was unreadable. He turned slowly from the clerk to Celeste.
“And did you also paint yourself green and wear a pointy black hat for this little outing of yours?” he asked.
“I’ve never much cared for green, but I felt the hat was absolutely essential,” Celeste said.
The magistrate shot an inquiring glance at the clerk, who nodded and said “It’s evidence exhibit B.”
“Damn, I’ve fallen for your little trap and confessed, haven’t I?” said Celeste with mock despair “You clever, clever man.”
“Celeste, do you perhaps not understand the concept of ‘secrecy?’” asked the magistrate.
Celeste shrugged. “I guess I just don’t see the point. People are so overdosed on CGI in the movies that I bet half of the people who saw me turned to the guy next to them and said ‘dude, that totally looks fake’ even though it was happening right in front of them. I certainly didn’t cause a panic or stir up an angry mob looking to burn someone at the stake for consorting with the Devil. He says ‘hi,’ by the way.”
Sadly, the rest of the trial was pretty boring by comparison, and Celeste found herself wishing they could just do it without her. She even considered suggesting it once, but that might be going a bit too far, even for her.
In the end, she had to pay some outrageous fines and perform hundreds of hours of community service. She could tell that Barl would love to throw her in prison for a while, but secrecy violations just weren’t that serious a crime anymore. Technology was advancing so quickly these days that it wouldn’t be long before sufficiently advanced technology was no longer indistinguishable from magic - it would overshadow it.
Celeste suspected that no one really understand that that was the point of her little displays - that they may as well show off while people would still be impressed. One day soon, there would come a time when magic wouldn't be able to make anyone point and say "wow" anymore. And then, really, what would be the point?
