the human woman be granted her freedom and be taken away from the island on which I found her, where she had been held prisoner.”
Doremus looked back at his colleagues. Mykonos frowned, his expression one of unyielding disappointment in his younger son. The third elder, Niros, seemed sympathetic. He consulted a portable data chip reader that he held in his hand and Tiran hoped he might be reading the Articles of Autonomy for himself.
Doremus stepped back. “It seems we have two different matters to decide here. One is whether your congress with the human is a punishable offense. You don’t deny that you spoke with her, and told her of our existence, and you had a sexual liaison with her that may have resulted in conception?”
Tiran felt a surge of pride. If Mara had conceived, there was an even greater argument to allow her to remain in the city with him. He nodded. “I don’t deny any of that.”
“The second matter is the one regarding your interpretation of the Articles. You say this human is oppressed, and that she asked you to free her from her captivity?”
“That’s correct.”
“Did you also broach the subject with Mykonos and continue on your course of action against his advice?”
Tiran glanced at his father and saw no sympathy in his dark eyes. “Yes. That is correct.”
“I must ask, did you do this with the knowledge and assistance of your brother, Poseidon?”
At that question, Poseidon’s hand dropped from the glass. The satisfied expression on his face dissolved. Tiran would not have had to implicate Poseidon in the events that had taken place. The Triumvirate had the right to search his thoughts for signs of guilt. Lying was pointless.
“Poseidon was aware of my intent to become involved with the human. Yes.”
“And Poseidon has also had congress with this human?”
“I have not!” Poseidon spoke out of turn, and all eyes in the Hearing Room turned to him. “I have not.”
“Only because I stopped you,” Tiran countered. “But Poseidon’s guilt is not the issue at hand. I ask that you decide my fate and hers before you pursue his involvement.”
Doremus nodded. “In that, I concur. One problem at a time. Have you anything else to say, Tiran, before we deliberate?”
“Only that I ask you to review the Articles and decide if I should have ignored a request for help.”
“A request the human could not have made, if you obeyed our laws and stayed away from her.”
“Regardless of the circumstances, a request she made without knowledge that I possessed the power to help her. Her need was so great that she asked a stranger for help, and so immediate that she also relied on Poseidon, believing he would give her aid as well.”
Doremus turned to the others. “I believe we are ready to discuss this matter in private.”
With that, a wall of water solidified between Tiran and the members of the Triumvirate. Though he could hear nothing, he could see them discussing the matter. He kept his eyes on Niros, who gestured to the data chip reader in his hand. That gave Tiran hope that perhaps he might have a champion among the three, even if it wasn’t his own father.
On a cool current, Poseidon swirled over to Tiran. “You should not have interfered, brother. I would have taken the female away and no one would have been wiser.”
“You were using her, Poseidon.”
“But she’d have been well used—and completely satisfied. Now, because of you, she may end up nothing more than a decoration in the Gemstone Caves.”
Tiran raged inside. The thought of Mara remaining forever encased in her glass prison, no more than a curiosity among the other ancient creatures that had been similarly captured and put on display in the caves, incensed him. But he didn’t dare fight with his brother in the Hearing Room in view of the Triumvirate.
“I will not allow that to happen,” he said, his voice even.
Poseidon laughed. “Don’t you think she would make a fine addition to the
Doremus looked back at his colleagues. Mykonos frowned, his expression one of unyielding disappointment in his younger son. The third elder, Niros, seemed sympathetic. He consulted a portable data chip reader that he held in his hand and Tiran hoped he might be reading the Articles of Autonomy for himself.
Doremus stepped back. “It seems we have two different matters to decide here. One is whether your congress with the human is a punishable offense. You don’t deny that you spoke with her, and told her of our existence, and you had a sexual liaison with her that may have resulted in conception?”
Tiran felt a surge of pride. If Mara had conceived, there was an even greater argument to allow her to remain in the city with him. He nodded. “I don’t deny any of that.”
“The second matter is the one regarding your interpretation of the Articles. You say this human is oppressed, and that she asked you to free her from her captivity?”
“That’s correct.”
“Did you also broach the subject with Mykonos and continue on your course of action against his advice?”
Tiran glanced at his father and saw no sympathy in his dark eyes. “Yes. That is correct.”
“I must ask, did you do this with the knowledge and assistance of your brother, Poseidon?”
At that question, Poseidon’s hand dropped from the glass. The satisfied expression on his face dissolved. Tiran would not have had to implicate Poseidon in the events that had taken place. The Triumvirate had the right to search his thoughts for signs of guilt. Lying was pointless.
“Poseidon was aware of my intent to become involved with the human. Yes.”
“And Poseidon has also had congress with this human?”
“I have not!” Poseidon spoke out of turn, and all eyes in the Hearing Room turned to him. “I have not.”
“Only because I stopped you,” Tiran countered. “But Poseidon’s guilt is not the issue at hand. I ask that you decide my fate and hers before you pursue his involvement.”
Doremus nodded. “In that, I concur. One problem at a time. Have you anything else to say, Tiran, before we deliberate?”
“Only that I ask you to review the Articles and decide if I should have ignored a request for help.”
“A request the human could not have made, if you obeyed our laws and stayed away from her.”
“Regardless of the circumstances, a request she made without knowledge that I possessed the power to help her. Her need was so great that she asked a stranger for help, and so immediate that she also relied on Poseidon, believing he would give her aid as well.”
Doremus turned to the others. “I believe we are ready to discuss this matter in private.”
With that, a wall of water solidified between Tiran and the members of the Triumvirate. Though he could hear nothing, he could see them discussing the matter. He kept his eyes on Niros, who gestured to the data chip reader in his hand. That gave Tiran hope that perhaps he might have a champion among the three, even if it wasn’t his own father.
On a cool current, Poseidon swirled over to Tiran. “You should not have interfered, brother. I would have taken the female away and no one would have been wiser.”
“You were using her, Poseidon.”
“But she’d have been well used—and completely satisfied. Now, because of you, she may end up nothing more than a decoration in the Gemstone Caves.”
Tiran raged inside. The thought of Mara remaining forever encased in her glass prison, no more than a curiosity among the other ancient creatures that had been similarly captured and put on display in the caves, incensed him. But he didn’t dare fight with his brother in the Hearing Room in view of the Triumvirate.
“I will not allow that to happen,” he said, his voice even.
Poseidon laughed. “Don’t you think she would make a fine addition to the
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