"Miss Dechangy might you describe, the exact events leading up to the murder of Mr. Smith."

Clara's brow furrowed, "It wasn't murder." 

Eli looked at her pleadingly. 

"It wasn't no matter what he tells you." she stated firmly to the judge. "He wants to punish himself for God knows what. But in this instance, he is innocent."

She turned and faced the boy with pity. How beautiful he looked, like the summer she had spent when they were innocent and happy. Before that dreaded mask had come apart and everything she thought she knew of him was ripped away with it.

Still, looking at him now, he seemed so normal, so human. 

Eli had recovered his prosthetic mask, and Clara had to admit, with the deformity removed he looked normal as could be...handsome even. 

But she had misjudged him before. 

Doubt, as much as she hated it was slipping into her mind. 

"The man took me by gunpoint into his carriage and drugged me with what I believe was chloroform. When I awoke, I was at the bay, It is my belief the man intended to drown me in the river." 

"And when you awoke Miss who was the first person you saw?"The man inquired as the jury listened intently. 

"It was Eli but-"

"Was there any other man in sight?"

"No not right then-"

"And what was Eli Destler doing?"

Clara thought hard back into her groggy memory, "He was holding onto the ropes that had bound my hands behind my back." 

"And miss, do you recall if he was tightening those bonds or removing them."

"I-I don't recall," Clara said frowning, "I was so tired." 

"Is it possible that Eli Destler was your captor that day in any way shape or form?" 

Clara looked to Fred who was violently shaking his head and turning red. 

"Leading the witness," Fred exclaimed angrily. 

"Let the girl answer the question," The judge stated turning to Clara. 

No.

No, it wasn't possible. 

How she yearned to lie.

"I suppose," Clara stammered. 

Fred collapsed in defeat into his chair. Hope, any hope of freedom was fading fast. He could plead insanity now, but that was all. All seemed lost. 

"That's all I need ask your honor," The man said smugly making his way back to his seat. 

"Continue Miss." 

Clara could barely retrieve words as Elis' eyes turned up into her own. 

They said nothing, told her nothing but pierced her soul with a pain she never thought possible to experience. 

Her mind flashed back to yesterday.

-------

"Eli you have to stay," She pleaded through tears, "You can't go to court what if you lose?!"

"Claraice I have to, I owe it to that man." Eli had stated resolutely, his voice dark and tired. 

"Eli I've lost so many people." Erik stated firmly, "I can't lose you too." 

"Why can't you all see that I don't have a choice!" Eli shouted, "There's a man dead tonight who was not dead yesterday because of me! I intend to come forward, serve whatever they ask." 

"You'd break your Mothers heart for the sake of doing the right thing?!" Erik spat bitterly. 

"Yes!" Eli exclaimed breathlessly, "And I will every time."

He put a hand to his mouth and wiped away tears, "Because that's how I was raised." 

"I didn't raise you to become this," Erik said through tears, "I never asked for this." 

"What's done is done," Eli said firmly. "And I intend to own to my actions." 

He turned to leave and Erik grabbed his wrist.

"Eli." He sobbed desperately, "Eli I can't let go of you. I can't lose you again."

"Clara," Eli said deep and low, his voice trembling, "Take care of him? Eh?"

He pried his hand away from Erik and went to retrieve his coat and facial prosthetic that would make his deformity unseen. 

She now, sitting on that bench remembered her promise. Erik, she knew hid somewhere in the shadows, or perhaps nowhere. Perhaps he hadn't the heart to come. Either way, she owed it to this family to tell the whole truth. She had believed that the Justice would choose right.

Right? 

"When you awoke after seeing Eli what happened?" 

"There was a man on the dock, he called out to me, he said 'Stop, get away from her.'" Clara frowned as the memory resurfaced.  

The judge too frowned, "What did he say?"

"Stop, get away from her."

"Your honor," Fred stated rising, "My client would wish to take the stand to explain further the events."

The judge turned to Clara, "Are you finished?"

Clara nodded desperately and darted from the stand, running from the courthouse and collapsing into tears outside. 

"Eli Destler would you continue the narrative."

Eli nodded timidly. "I followed her to the bank. I knew someone had been following her. I waited until the man put her in the water and left before I went to retrieve her. I was undoing her ties when the man appeared. He tackled me,"

Here he shut his eyes and tears streamed out, "He tackled me and I punched him to the ground, he pulled a gun on me and I grabbed my blade from my pocket. I got the gun out of his hand and-"

The judge looked at him severely, the boy was almost delusional, his eyes bloodshot and black from lack of sleep. He barely looked a boy at all he was so skinny and alien. 

"I jumped on him, he took the blade and I don't know somehow there he was, that horrid thing sticking out of his heart." 

"He fell on his own knife." Someone called out, "Any nimwit could see that." 

"He stabbed him! Murderer!"

"Accident!"

"Grotesque!"

"Order!" The judge commanded banging his gavel. "Mr. Destler, when was Mr. Smith stabbed? During the conflict or after you struck him down." 

"I don't know sir." 

"Then why do you plead guilty?"

Eli cleared his voice and looked up to the judge with youthful honesty and zeal, "It was my knife sir, and there's a good chance that in the conflict I may have-" 

A glance to his Mother and her pale face broke his heart and he was unable to continue. 

"And where was Miss Dechangy?"

"I had helped her to the sands and cut her lose, she claims to had seen nothing." 

"So we are to take your word?"

"It's all I have to give sir." Eli stated firmly. 

Fred covered his face in his hands shaking his head. 

No good. 

No good. 

"May we have some facts inspector?!" The judge asked with irritation, "Seeing as the guilty isn't sure if he is indeed guilty."

"All we know sir is we discovered the man dead, this boy above his body, hands covered in blood."

"I was trying to save him!" Eli exclaimed rising to his feet, "He needed pressure applied to the wound, had your men been there three minutes earlier we could have saved him!"

"You stay out of this convict," The policeman snarled. 

Again the gavel slammed. 

The case continued for many hours every detail being run over and over. 

Clara made her way to the steps outside, breathing deeply in the fresh air and trying to steady her nerves. 

She spotted the white mask in the shadows and ran to it in a hurry, "Mr. Destler," She sobbed. 

Erik turned and led her deeper into the shadows. "How is he?"

"The case it's not going very well-"

Erik took her violently by the shoulders, "I don't care about the darn Case. How is my son?!"

Clara bit her tongue and shook her head, "He's doing as well as can be expected." 

The two stared at each other in silence, "My wife?"

"Making do. She can give you a more precise report than I."

Clara paused and felt her throat growing closed, "And my sister? And Wade? Has Wade woken yet?"

Erik shook his head, "Nadir is with him. He isn't looking well today. None of us are. Your sister still won't speak a word." 

"She won't testify?!" Clara asked nervously, "But she's all Fred has left." 

"She won't speak a word to me," Erik sighed.

"I'll come," Clara nodded, "I'll try to explain." 

Erik nodded and gestured for the young girl to follow him through the passage into the sewers.

Together they trekked onward. 

For Eli. 

For music.

For justice.