SIXTH TRIAL

[splitaseam]

[The whole trial thing must feel like the norm to everyone right now, and one can't help but wonder if this will keep happening until everyone has died.

There are three new epitaphs for Star Butterfly, Maui, and Fiddleford.

Here lies Star Butterfly
One of our most toughest girls
Went out with a pretty twirl

Here lies Maui
Claimed to be a great demigod
But it turns out he was a fraud

Here lies Fiddleford McGucket
He tried to wipe his mind
And ended up getting left behind

Well you all know what to do by now, huh?]

Don't spare any of the gory details.

Comments

[outsidethecircle]

[She glowers but:]

Out of all of us, aren't you and him the only ones who would know how to make it?

[sixfingeredstan]

And? What exactly is that supposed to mean? I'd like you to back up your statement if you're going to sling accusations against myself and my deceased husband!

[whistlenotchirp]

For god's sake, Ford.

[sixfingeredstan]

What? Do you have a problem with two men marrying each other?

[Sorry, Jiminy, he's a little hot under the collar.]

[whistlenotchirp]

I have a problem with you yelling at an innocent girl! You're the one who told people we need to go down every avenue last week!

[sixfingeredstan]

My husband wasn't dead last week!

[whistlenotchirp]

I understand you're upset, but that's no reason to behave like...

Like a goddamn hypocrite!

[Old man swears!]

[sixfingeredstan]

I'm not trying to be a hypocrite. I'm really not. But how...how would you feel if someone implied that your Blue Fairy friend was really some kind of cold-blooded, scheming murderer? You'd be upset too, wouldn't you?

[kindaruledatit]

Whoa! Whoa! Time out!

[She gestures to BOTH of them.]

We're not just gonna accuse someone without any proof!

[toogoodforhim]

Ford, stop it!

[He's going to grab you now if you're not answering to the hand. You look at him right now mister..]

Take a deep breath. We're all just trying to figure out what happened.

[sixfingeredstan]

[It's Lefou that snaps Ford out of his furor; he takes several seething, heaving breaths, his face flushed red. He's just so completely outraged that Anna would imply that either him or Fiddleford had anything to do with this, when Fiddleford was just murdered. It's downright disrespectful.]

I—I'm sorry. I just...it's damn disrespectful to throw around accusations like that. To imply I'd do anything to hurt Fiddleford. Or that he'd want to hurt anyone else here. He was trying to get us all out. And I don't want a single one of you to forget that.

[toogoodforhim]

[He manages a weak smile when Ford comes down from his anger.]

I know.

[Ford you just implied that HIS boyfriend hit your husband with an oar or jar]

[sixfingeredstan]

[Hey pal, you're the one who said he'd hit first, ask questions later.]

[outsidethecircle]

It's obvious! You two were the only ones with knowledge in chemistry! Julia, Namine, Wendy and I wouldn't know how to do it! We're kids--Mike, too. Lefou and Maui probably don't even know what chloroform is and Jimminy would suffocate himself making it!

I'm sorry but it's the truth!

[toogoodforhim]

Anna, calm down!

[outsidethecircle]

I'm sorry that I have to tell everyone that those two are the only ones who possibly could make chloroform on purpose! But it's true and we should know that.

[kindaruledatit]

Yeah, the only possible two that we know! You know how these trials always like to turn things on their head?

[Wendy keeps an even look, even though she's not happy about any of this.]

Just. Chill. For a moment, okay? We need to go over evidence.

[outsidethecircle]

I was asking a question and he got mad at me!

[He probably thinks I did it.]

[kindaruledatit]

Of course he did! The guy he's been in love with all this time is dead!

If someone you loved was dead, and you were accused of killing them, wouldn't you be mad?

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford is trying his hardest to calm down; he's taking big lungfuls of air. When he answers her, his voice is a little calmer, at least.]

How...could you know what the truth is? If you weren't there, just like the rest of us, there's no way you could know what's true and what isn't. So please. Don't disrespect Fiddleford's memory with baseless conjecture unless you have actual proof that that's the case.

[chainbroke]

[ She doesn't know what to say at all. It breaks her heart to consider that anyone here did anything to hurt anyone else. She has to believe that it was all an accident and unintentional, and honestly... she really does.

But she's not going to add to the situation. So she just reaches over and squeezes Ford's hand. ]

[outsidethecircle]

I didn't even say it was true. All I was asking was if hecould have done it. I don't want to think that--you just want to blame me because my fingerprint fits!

[sixfingeredstan]

Yes, you did. [He shakes his head. His voice is surprisingly calm.] Not a moment ago. You said, "I'm sorry, but it's the truth." You don't get to backtrack, not when we were all here and heard what you said. I'm not even blaming you. I dropped it. I was willing to look past that.

[outsidethecircle]

It is true that you two probably the only ones who know how to do it!

[sixfingeredstan]

Is it? Can you verify that? Truly?