Standing room only. The long awaited day had arrived, and the public were cramming into the courtroom to learn what would become of the Circle. Looking out from the judge's bench was the citizen chosen by acclamation to manage the proceedings. A casting director couldn't have improved on his thick fringe of snowy hair, the matching moustache, and the rimless glasses.

Below the bench were two long tables separated by a small gap. Cassidy and a few other citizens occupied one; Simon and his warder, the other. In the prisoner's dock, the members of the Circle clumped together behind and beside the Inquisitor, whose face was a mask of violent creases and dark glares.

The gavel banged and the room fell silent.

"Mr. Cassidy." The judge intoned and then sat back, relaxing.

Reagan stood and faced the attendees. His speech ran for forty minutes, listing the history of the Precinct and all that had taken place in the interim. He finished with a harsh condemnation of the prisoners, in particular, their so-called leader, Inquisitor.

The gavel came down again to silence the disruption in the audience.

"Mr. Charles." This time he leaned forward, watching intently.

Simon stood, staying behind the table and relying on its support as he tried to speak.

"Louder, sir." The judge commanded.

"I said, as responsible members of the Precinct government—" Loud boos and cursing drowned him out, and the gavel crashed again, accompanied by a stern warning.

"Continue."

"The prisoners were only trying to- to . . ." He stooped forward, head down and shaking side to side. "I can't. I can't defend any longer what we did to this city. I plead guilty." He sank back onto his chair and held his face in his hands.

"You treacherous, lying scum!" Inquisitor gripped the rail with white knuckles.

The gavel crashed again, but this time with no result. The prisoners were all yelling and screaming at Simon, and the audience returned fire on the prisoners. Cassidy jumped up, waving his arms and yelling for silence. The crowd stopped, but the Circle continued, raving about injustice and kangaroo courts, and any other example they could think of.

Rebels entered the prisoner dock and roughly subdued them with gags. When things had settled, the judge made a small speech to the court that had everyone shuffling their feet and looking sheepish.

"Mr. Cassidy, I understand the prosecution has unanimously adopted a punishment for the prisoners. Am I correct?"

"We have, sir. It was a democratic poll taken among all the citizens who cared to participate. I should add, it was overwhelmingly received."

"Very well. Prisoners, your gags will be removed for the reading of the sentence. Any outburst and they will be restored, posthaste." He looked sternly over his glasses. "Mr. Cassidy?"

Reagan handed a sheet of paper up to the judge and returned to stand at his table.

The room seemed to breathe for the occupants as they waited.

"It is the judgment of the citizens of this Precinct that the prisoners known as the Circle, including defence member, Simon Charles, be sentenced to 20 Days of Freedom for each member – cumulative. None may return until the total of days has been reached, and only then."

"NO! That's impossible. That's 120 days! This is a farce!" Inquisitor nearly leaped from the box but was wrestled back down, and the gag jammed back in his mouth.

Ignoring the protest, the judge addressed the court. "Is this the unanimous decision of the citizens of this precinct?"

The roar of unanimity was deafening.

******

"How are you going to do this?" Veronica asked after they were home from the trial.

"Same as them. A bottle of water and a dry bun each. Plus, as a group, they can select three items. That should be entertaining."

"You're really loving this, aren't you, Reagan."

"Damn straight. I spent nearly two years out there because of threats to you, and this is payback – big time."

"So are you going to tell everyone about your deal with Dabny now?"

He smiled grimly and nodded. "But after they have left tomorrow."

"No sneak preview for your wife?"

"Oh, I can arrange one of those." The smile widened, and he began laughing at her increasingly rosy expression.

****** 20,215 words

"Are you happy it's all over?" Leslie stood by the window of Brian's small room in the Precinct's only hotel.

"Actually it's kind of hard to believe. Seems like nothing has changed."

"Well, you're wrong there. A lot has changed. The women I was with have reunited with their families. The cook and his wife are back at their own business. The Circle has been brought down . . ."

"I know, I just- I feel a bit empty now. That storehouse of material will soon all be in the public domain - there's no more need for Kilroy."

"I wouldn't say that exactly." She teased, drifting back from the window and plopping onto his lap before he could react, and for the next few minutes he felt Kilroy still had some purpose.

"She may be the beauty or the beast
may be the famine or the feast
may turn each day into a heaven or  a hell"

His words whispered past her ear as he held her tightly.

****** 

Morning arrived and the prisoners were hustled up to the Precinct terrace where the table of food sat, tantalizing. Protests were cut off abruptly with grave threats, and each Circle member accepted his water bottle and bun with dismay. When the time came to choose the three items, there was another outbreak of disagreement and arguing. In the end, they were given one sealed pack with items for all of them.

Cassidy faced the group and spoke aloud the familiar words. "You will leave the Precinct by the south road. You will pass through the Gates of Admission, and if you survive 120 days in the land beyond those gates and manage to return . . . you will be granted your freedom." He finished with an evil smirk, and a wink at the Inquisitor. "The sealed pack contains an alternative, should any of you decide it's too much."

The gates closed behind the group and many of the town watched from rooftops, as the group straggled out into the heat of the rising sun. Cassidy sat at the large table of food along with the main members of the rebel group. Jason hadn't made it to court, but he was seated in his wheelchair at one end, grinning ear to ear.

Veronica stood and called for attention. "Friends – good friends. My husband has an announcement to make."

All eyes locked on Cassidy, who remained seated, looking down at his plate.

"I'm not sure how to start this, but I'm sure one of you will, say, the beginning, so bear with me."

"After Brian returned and was taken inside here, I was behind him, having his back just in case. Before coming back myself, I paid a visit to Dabny."

Around the table, heads were turning and glances exchanged.

"First I have a bit of a story to tell." He wet his lips and launched into the theory he had told to Veronica, watching as jaws fell and eyes grew. "Our old friend, The Wizard of Odd, is Dabny V'gage. He was the first sentenced to 20 Days of Freedom. As the ousted leader in the precinct, he was allowed the right to take a selection of personal things. The painting of the sailing ship was by George Philip Reinagle. He was an ancestor of V'gage, back in the early 1800s. It was something he treasured . . . nothing more."

"That's some tale, Reagan," Jason said. "But what's that about some deal you made?"

"Aah, the deal. Right. Well I told you all about the Curtilage of Nance and how it was just a big – well, like a film set. The drugging and scaring of anyone they happened to catch was simply for their own amusement. Some decided to join them, others didn't – they just kept attempting to survive on their own."

"The deal, Cassidy, please?"

"Okay." For the next fifteen minutes he revealed what he and Dabny had agreed upon. The surprise and laughter around the table even brought tears to some. Cassidy was toasted, and they all added their own visions of what could happen. The meal continued with a feeling of having come through very bad times to a budding new future for the Precinct.

******

The Circle members stumbled out of the heat into the forest and sighed with relief. Most of them had drunk all the water and had tried eating, or discarded the buns. When the pool of water was discovered, they fought and pushed their way for access, and when they were all sated, they collapsed on the forest floor in a drug induced sleep.

Upon awakening in the strange courtyard, they struggled to orient themselves, stunned by their surroundings. A strange figure appeared in the courtyard, face concealed and arms outstretched to the side. It spoke and the words echoed hollowly.

"For your crimes against the citizens of the precinct, you will spend your days here in the Curtilage of Nance, and will begin mandatory indoctrination into your new lives - service to the God KIB."

"I'll do no such thing!" Inquisitor roared. "I demand to speak to someone in authority."

The figure moved closer, and was joined by several others. They stood silently, letting the prisoner rant. When the protest stopped, the first figure spoke.

"For you, Inquisitor, we have a different consequence."

Two men appeared carrying a silver suit. They stopped in front of Inquisitor and just waited. The speaker stepped down in front of Inquisitor, slowly lifting the cowl covering his head. When his face was revealed, Inquisitor gasped.

"Dabny!"

"Yes, the man you first sentenced to die out here. We have a display here you will become a part of." He signalled the men with the suit and Inquisitor was led away, screaming and pleading.

"As for the rest of you, heed the words of KIB, and burn them into your hearts." He raised his arms and recited,
"Ab alio expectes alteri quod feceris."*  "Chattel, behold your new lifelong master – the God KIB!"

A large image rose behind the figures, shining ominously in a silver light.

END

1697 words

Total to this point - 21,221

*Expect from another what you have done to another. A Latin Golden Rule.