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Saturday 25 August 2012

day forty-nine to fifty and Benny's plea


“Fred!” cried Ron.
Of course it was Fred the spider who landed on the spoon - not a talking snowflake. The cloud he had travelled northwards on had finally turned to snow, and Fred had drifted down on a snowflake, luckily landing on the spoon Ron had stuck out of the window of the dungeon.
“Flying fishguts!” said Benny. 

The next morning, after Ron had explained to Fred everything that had happened during the trial, Ron and Benny were taken back to the courtroom and Fred hid himself in Ron’s slightly messy hair. No-one noticed he was there, and from his vantage point on top of Ron’s head he had a bird’s-eye-view of the courtroom and everyone in it.
“How do you plead?”
“Not guilty!” said Benny emphatically. The audience gave a low whistle, “Pheeoooo..”
The Emperor’s uncle flapped his flippers and awkwardly shuffled his thick pile of papers. He thought Benny was surely going to plead guilty as he had advised him to do.
“You do know what “Not guilty” means, don’t you?” asked the judge.
“Yes, I’m innocent!” said Benny defiantly. “Why should I say I’m guilty when I’m not?! I haven’t done anything wrong, your lordy.”
The judge whispered something to one of her court officials. Some of the generals and admirals started to fidget, wondering if this was a good time to go to the bathroom. The Emperor adjusted his eye patch and stroked his moustache. The Empress thought about her chickhood back in the Frosty Forests, before she had any inkling that she would marry an Emperor. The bird-ladies-in-waiting stole glances at Ron - he was still a hero in their hearts. The stenographer continued scratchily writing, trying to catch up again. The Empror’s uncle flapped his flippers and awkwardly shuffled his thick pile of papers. He had thought Benny was surely going to plead guilty as he had advised him to do. The butler, Shortstaff looked anxiously at the judge, waiting for her to speak.

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