Fox smells his own hole

Wednesday morning came way too soon for me; If you can imagine the nerve-wracking feeling of waiting outside the principal's office, just knowing you're doomed, but uncertain of the punishment.

 

Quadruple that feeling and you will start to understand my condition.  Benny, Dad and me were facing the biggest principal of all, Los Angeles County District Judge Inez and my nerves were approaching a full-blown breakdown. 

"I think you should wear the blue one," Benny advised me while we waited for Dad's driver.  "I've seen you look pretty messed up but never this bad." 

 

He was right.  I hadn't planned to wear any part of the necklace to the hearing.  I didn't want any unexplainable outbursts that might convict me.  Of all colors though, I could count on the blue to keep me calm and in control.  So I took Benny's advice and just like before, my heart stopped surfing around in my gut. By the time the car came, I was ready to set the record straight.

The car was no car at all.  Instead Dad's driver picked us up in a huge black S.U.V.  I felt like I was entering a part of the Presidential motorcade.  Had I not been calmed down I'd have never felt so cool and important.  We all fit comfortably, Mom, Benny, Dad and me.  Sam was going to drive Dad's Mercedes ahead of us as a decoy for the photographers.  He made arrangements for us to go the delivery entrance at the back of the courthouse.  Once inside, it was no big deal; the halls were almost like a library, only noisy.  Business people hustled everywhere, like ants on a march, each one with a briefcase or file in their hands.

"Courtroom seven is this way," Dad directed (obviously he knew his way around)

We all followed like he was giving us a guided tour at the most boring museum in Southern California.  I'm sure the four of us were the only ones with nothing important to carry.  Our hands and arms hung by our sides and for that reason we stuck out in the crowd.  Half way to courtroom seven, the rushing crowd began to slow and watch us.  Dad had been made.  It wasn't long before the swarm of ants became a gawking mess.

"R. J., would you care to comment on why you're in court today?" some blonde asked, shoving a microphone in Dad's face.  Sam was coming at us fast and pushed her away.  He shielded Benny and me with his briefcase in one hand and a file in the other.   Dad put his arm around Mom and we all rushed into courtroom seven.

 

Once inside, it no longer looked like a library.  Long dark wooden benches lined the path from the door to the where the judge's seat was.  I'd seen similar rooms in movies a billion times but when you're actually in one of these rooms you feel the authority seep into your skin along with the smell of Lemon Pledge.  Most of the benches were empty except for a few on both sides up front.  Sam ushered us to our seats behind a big table on the left of the aisle.  Four men in suits already took the table to the right.  I didn't recognize any of them. I was half expecting to see Connor.  When I glanced behind us I saw the kid from the copy center with a couple of other guys in suits.

"Which one is Mr. Faldrane?" I whispered to Dad while everyone got settled.

"Second one in on this side," he whispered back.

I was trying to secretly check him out when I was commanded to attention by the cop in front of us.  "All rise…"

"Mr. Faldrane," after about an hour of listening to Sam and another guy tell each side's story Judge Inez spoke to Connor's dad.  "Why are you suing Mr. Robert O'Shea?  The only connection he has to this story is that he's the father of one of the creators."

"Judge," Faldrane's lawyer stood up.  "If I may answer that question?"

"No, if I wanted you to answer Mr. Cochran, I would have asked you."

Mr. Faldrane stood up.  He was much shorter than I expected.  In fact he looked pretty funny, like a carnival's ringmaster. I think he may have been nervous at the thought of having to speak for himself because his cheeks were pepperoni red and so was the tip of his ski slope nose.  I had to stop myself from giggling when I noticed three hairs sprouting from the tip of his chili-pepper honker. 

 

 

"Judge sir, I have reason to believe that the boy's father is behind this." Mr. Faldrane answered and began to sit back down when the judge spoke again.

"Do you have proof of this?"

"No Sir, but," he remained standing this time.

A voice erupted from the back of the courtroom, "These boys also lit fire to a newsstand -- tried to sabotage the paper."  I couldn't believe my eyes, the Jester was in his best suit and siding with Faldrane.

The judge was in shock too, "What the… who?  Bailiff, get this man out of here before I have him locked up for contempt.   As I was saying, today's your lucky day Mr. Faldrane," the judge re-focused and shuffled some papers in his file.

"I was hoping you'd see it my way," Faldrane wiped the sweat from a couple of his chins.  And Dad whispered to Sam.

"If you'd let me finish Mr. Faldrane.  It's your lucky day because I have a strong respect for copyright laws."

Faldrane smirked like only a fat, pepperoni cheeked, watermelon seed, eyed, circus weasel can.

"It's because of my respect for copyright law, that I am not throwing this ridiculous case out altogether.  It is a ridiculous case because it appears to me that you are suing a man for spite and dragging unsuspecting children along for the dirty ride -- not to mention I think you planted that, disruption.  I give you two weeks to come up with evidence enough for a legitimate lawsuit, and then we will decide if this is a worthy case," the judge banged his wooden hammer on the desk.  "Oh, and Mr. Faldrane, I would suggest you don't waste any more of this courts time or you will pay the consequences."

 

"Did we win?" Benny asked standing up.  "We didn't even get to talk."

"What does all this mean Dad?"

After snarling at Mr. Faldrane Dad answered, loudly.  "It means they don't have a case, but if by some miracle they dig up something we'll do this again in two weeks."

"So it's good?" I had to be sure we weren't busted.

"Anything I need to know?" Dad asked.  He was onto us, I guess it's true that you can't con a con.  But you can keep quiet, which is what I did.  "It's all good for now," Dad put his arms around Mom me and part of Benny.

           

            We had to break apart to exit and there in front of me was the Jester.  Though I knew he was the scum, a visual of Simon's quote popped on my screen and made me feel like a famous murderer.  I knew it wasn't all good.  I also knew I had to get to the meaning of the masks before it could ever be good again.