found it, then left.”
I nodded. “It sounds like this vampire saved you from another fifty or so years, um, human years, of being lost.”
Ekrem nodded gravely.
Bulent said, “We were very grateful for Ekrem’s return and tried to reward the vampire. He accepted our thanks, but not payment.” Glancing at a leaded glass window, the chieftain said, “He lives nearby.”
“Lives nearby?” I said. “What’s his name?”
“John David Weir.”
I looked at Keir, who said, “Small world.”
To the gargoyle on my desk, I said, “Ekrem. Your uncle suggested stranding the duchess for an equal amount of time. Would you feel like justice had been done if that was my conclusion?” Ekrem flapped his wings, glanced at his uncle, and lowered his head. “What just happened?”
“Ekrem doesn’t see the point of punishing the duchess. He says it won’t change anything.”
“So the idea of forcing the lady to endure a similar experience was your idea?” I asked Bulent.
“Yes. The peur is too young and inexperienced to decide such things,” he said in the superior way of authorities who are certain of their position.
“The fact that he’s young isn’t up for argument, but the experience was his. Tell me, I want to know more on the subject of making pets of gargoyles. Is this a commonplace practice?”
Bulent cleared his throat. “Perhaps ‘pet’ is not the right word.”
“The currency of the court is words, Chieftain. Let’s find the right one so I can fully grasp the circumstance. Stop me when I get to it. Slave. Prisoner. Captive.”
“Yes.”
“Captive?” He nodded. “And do the fae typically treat gargoyle captives like humans do pet birds?”
“There’s no standard.”
“Why do the fae want to take gargoyles captive?”
I could see that Bulent was at a loss. “I… don’t know.”
To Lochlan I said, “Is there any reason why I can’t ban the practice?”
“Yes,” Lochlan replied. “You don’t have the authority to ban anything. Your authority relates to the court. You do, however, have the authority to discourage things that displease the court by imposing a penalty no one wants to pay.”
The wheels were turning.
“Ekrem, thank you for sharing your story. There’s wisdom in your belief that punishing the duchess won’t change what happened to you. We can’t use your experience to change the past, but we might use your experience to change the future so that making gargoyles captives isn’t a stylish thing to do. What if your story could make that difference?”
“That would be nice,” he said quietly.
“I agree.” To Bulent, I said, “I have half a mind to punish Ekrem’s dad while I’m at it.”
Bulent’s face pulled into a smile that I will remember in nightmares. “No need, Magistrate. Ekrem’s father has already been punished.”
I believed him.
Within another minute or two, Bulent and I had come to an understanding and I was ready to hand down my ruling.
Upon reconvening, I happened to look up and notice a certain tall, good-looking vampire slip into a seat on the far aisle of the mezzanine overhang.
“Thank you for your patience. I believe I have a clear picture of what has transpired. Before rendering my decision, I want to give a shout out to the vampire who rescued Ekrem and saw him safely home. Acts of kindness such as this are heroic and should be recognized. Ekrem’s rescuer demonstrated more care for the young gargoyle than his own father did. Let us all learn from this example.
“Now as to my conclusion regarding this case. What happened to Ekrem was shameful. I’m told that I don’t have the authority to ban the practice of making pets of creatures who should not be pets. But I can discourage the practice through rulings, a series of them if necessary, and I intend to do exactly that.
“This case will set an example of what can be expected from me in the future. Let it be known, far and near, that I will increase the severity of sentence with each and every such case that comes before me.”
I turned to the defendant’s table. “Get to your feet, Anne.” I could see that she fumed at being called Anne. I didn’t care.
Bogdan stood with her.
“Duchess Annemione, for the neglect and resulting abuse of the gargoyle, Ekrem, you are sentenced to spend a period of thirteen days, days meaning revolutions of Earth, as the pet of Chieftain Bulent and his wife.”
A near-deafening din of conversation threatened to plunge the proceeding into chaos. Hengest repeatedly struck the stone with his stick and called for order. When that failed, Keir sprang into his sephalian form