The Sentence

he jury sat quietly as they listened to the attorney make his final plea to find his defendant not guilty. Finished, he ran his hand through his hair, straightened his tie and walked back to the defense table and sat down next to his client, who looked detached from the proceedings. Moonlight streamed through the half-opened window of the dimly lit courtroom. Behind him sat the spectators who waited with bated breath as the judge gave final directives to the jury and they filed out of the courtroom to decide the final verdict. On one side sat curious people who had stood in line all day to secure a seat in the courtroom on this, the last day of the case.

Each person was laden with a cross or garlic strand and cut nervous glances to the other side of the room, covertly thrilled and frightened at the silent pale observers who sat there, all with a distinct and personal interest in the outcome of this case. Around their area was an assortment of fans which whirred away the nauseating odor of garlic. The defense attorney leaned and whispered to his client, who gave no acknowledgment. The lawyer sported a large heavy brass crucifix, plus a strand of whole garlic. His client wore black from head to toe, as was his way and wore no crosses or garlic. His only adornment was a large signet ring in which a strange jewel called a "Sunstone" flashed brightly.

In the courtroom windows the shades had been drawn halfway down and large wooden crosses placed in each window facing outward, but blocked from sight within. On the outer doors leading in were painted crosses, blessed by a member of the priesthood for added strength. By the bailiffs sat huge tubs of holy water and each packed a supersoaker ZX-2000 painted silver and black, equipped with two one gallon tanks filled with more holy water. These were strapped to their backs and connected by a hose to a pump nozzle with a 30 yard range. Belted to their waists were a handgun and seven sharpened wood stakes. Outside, on the roof of the court building an enormous 50 foot iron cross had been erected, and floodlights brightened it to make it visible for miles by air.

The judge sat quietly and eyed the prosecutor. This case had gone on for months and finally they completed the closing arguments. He sighed as he looked around the packed courtroom and rested momentarily on the vampires who sat quietly in their area, every red eye connected to his in that moment. He quickly looked away. The creatures unnerved him. They were quiet and well-mannered, all shapes and sizes, all pale skinned, black haired and red-eyed. The females were strange and sexual creatures and he had erotic dreams the first few nights of hearings until he placed a bible under his pillow.

When the case first began in earnest he was aware of a concentrated effort to control his will. He had read up on the habits of vampires and quickly interrupted the proceedings to admonish the vampires not to try to exercise any mind control on himself , members of the court or the jury.

He touched the cross concealed under his robe for reassurance then once again rested his eyes on the prosecutor. His thought wandered back to the very beginning of the case when both the prosecutor and defense attorney had joined him in the chambers to discuss the case. All three had known each other for a good many years and had gotten together on numerous occasions to chew the fat. The comments made in the chambers were off the record and considered a little warm up sparring for the case to come. The judge had brought out a nip of bourbon and they all had a small one as the two lawyers faced off.

"Come on, Joe."

The defense attorney said plaintively.

"How can you charge my client with murder 1? You can't kill something that's already dead."

The prosecutor paced back and forth and gestured at each word he spoke.

"Frank. He didn't kill something, he killed someone. And he wasn't dead. The proper term is undead. The deceased was an undead member of our society."

Frank took a sip of his drink, cleared his throat, set it down on the table and said, "But he was a blood sucking vampire....he killed people."

Joe downed his glass.

"How can you say he killed people when they're up every night on the town. They eat, sleep. The dead don't walk. Pure heresay."

The defense attorney shook his finger at the prosecutor.

"Yeah, but living people don't turn into bats and fly. They eat? They drink you mean. And what do they drink? Blood. HUMAN blood. And he made them that way!"

"But they are not dead. No matter what the deceased was or what he did, it's irrelevant. He was up, walking around, living the life her had to live. The only thing that matters is HE's dead. And your client confessed to killing him so that makes HIM a murderer! Drive a stake into anyone's heart and they'll die. It was not his place nor his right to pass judgment and carry out sentence on another hu----, um person. We have laws, courts and judges for that....."

The prosecutor looked at the judge meaningfully.

"But where's the body, the corpse?? You've got to have a corpse, Joe. You know that!" The defense attorney demanded.

"We have witnesses, the stake with your clients fingerprints all over it and the dust of the deceased. Dust which has been identified consisting mainly of transylvanian soil. That's not your everyday dirt."

"All circumstantial! Your witnesses are biased vampires who have expressed their hatred of my client, and would do or say anything to discredit him. That confession was not made in the presence of an attorney."

The judge had sighed and took another drink. Six months later here they were, the case was finally ended. Both argued a good case and only the verdict and sentence were left. The door opened and the twelve jurors entered the room. One by one they returned to the jury box, sidled to their seats and sat down. The courtroom was hushed as the head juror stood.

"Have you made your decision?" The judge asked the foreman.

"Yes....yes we have your honor." The man hesitated.

"Well, out with it."

The foreman looked at the defendant and swallowed. "We find the defendant, Baron Von Howzwitz guilty of murder in the first degree."

The Baron closed his eyes and dropped his head. A low exultant hiss filled the room as the vampires all levitated in joy and glee.

"Justisssssss! Justissss at lassssssst!"

They hissed happily as they dangled and do-see-doed in the air and grinned horribly at the humans that watched them in horror as they softly mumbled their anger at the decision. The judged rapped his gavel angrily at this display.

"I will have order in my courtroom! Sit down all of you, now!!"

The bailiffs moved forward and hefted the nozzles of the ZX-2000s. The vampires milled about in the air and bumped into each other as they located their seats, hovered then descended into silence. Hideous smiles flashed fang at the judge.

"That's better." The judge said and leaned back in his chair. He poured a glass of water from the pitcher of ice water that sat there. The bailiffs moved back into their normal positions. The judge continued.

"What we have seen here is that despite age old feuds, in this country no man is above the law. Life is held to be sacred, no matter the origin or history of that life. The sanctity of the Law must be held as the highest authority and as the judge of these proceedings it is my place to see that the laws are carried out. The people have seen fit to declare Baron Von Howzwitz guilty of murder in the first degree, punishable by life imprisonment without parole."

He looked at Baron Von Howzwitz who sat immobile, eyes cast downward.

"Would you like to say anything, Baron, before I pass sentence?"

The Baron looked up, his green eyes flashed darkly in his tanned and leathered face. "Yes, I would, sir." He answered in a deep baritone.

"Then rise and make your statement."

The Baron stood his full six foot four height, and turned slowly to look back at the vampires who hissed and cringed at his gaze. He stared at them with black hatred on his face, then turned to face the judge and the jury and brought his hands before him. He addressed the court.

"For six hundred years I have traveled the world, commissioned by Heaven itself, in search of these foul creatures of Hell. Anywhere I found them, I killed them. I have suffered grievous wound at their hands and seen my loved ones, friends and strangers preyed upon and transformed into these abominations. I never dreamed that one day I would be brought before humanity and proclaimed a murderer for trying to rid the world of these fiends. And if this is such a world where good and decent human life is held in so little esteem, where righteous deeds are condemned and God-fearing men imprisoned, then I have no more desire to be part of it and pray that when I am gone you will see the error of your ways."

Von Howzwitz clasped the flashing ring on his finger.

"I commend my spirit to the Father, and may He have mercy on a world where vampires reign free."

He pulled the ring from his finger and was enveloped in a burst of flaming light that made the humans cover their eyes and the vampires screech in agony. With a crash of earth-shaking thunder, he was gone. His ring fell to the floor, the jewel flickered, dulled and went out.

The judge uncovered his eyes and looked about the courtroom. The Baron was no where to be seen. The vampires moaned as they recovered from the shock of the Sunstone's light. One by one they smiled at each other then evilly at the judge. The judge's heart grew cold and afraid as he met their gaze and he thought to himself as a grip of fear strengthened it's hold on him, "A sentence was passed here.......but passed for whom?"