Mox looked around the city hall. He looked at the faces of the people and tried to get a glimpse of their feelings. Some give him scorned looks, some looked at him as a hero. But nobody could save him today.
He looked toward the twelve people that were there to make the judgement. He didn’t knew them. As the sheriff said, they went to great lengths to gather people from other parts, so the jury could be as impartial as it can be. But Mox knew that the long hand of Monero could reach everywhere. This trial was just a formality. They would hang by sundown.
The deputies lined them up on the defendant's bench. The accuser was none other than the Silver Guard Major, that arrived a few days ago. He looked at them with scorn in the eye, and his lips rose in a mocking smirk. Behind him, James stood silent as a stone.
The people in the crowd were all mumbling and talking with each other. Mox and his fellows were quite popular in the town and the surrounding area. Everyone was trying to guess what their sentence will be. They will be punished, that was no doubt in everyone’s minds. But will they hang or get prison time? This is what this trial was about.
“All rise!” the bailor voice was heard.
The judge entered the room. He gave a cold look toward the defendant's bench. As many people in this town, he was familiar with them. He shared a couple of drinks and laughs with Mox and Bass quite often. He cared for them. So the job he had to do today was not a pleasant one. Not at all.
“Good day, everyone!” the judge’s voice was heard. “Let’s get this started. I know that many emotions are involved in here, but I would like to remind the people and the jury that the law is blind. We need to judge the facts and carry our judgement. That is our mission today. Major, you can begin.”
The Major stood up from his place and entered in the small open area in front of the jury. He cleared his thought as started his speech:.
“Monero conglomerate purpose is to make people’s life better. Our business is to improve people's lives, to give them access to resources, resources that they couldn’t see in their lives. As we expand in every corner of our continent, we connect people from all over the place. This is our business. Making lives, your lives better!”
This bold statement made the crowd to whisper and make noises, some angry shouts were heard. The judge immediately called for order.
“But even with all our good intentions, people are still trying to hurt us. They call us evil and try to slander us with all their might.” The major pointed toward Mox. “But never in our existence, there was a group so vicious as these men in front of us. Never in Monero’s history there was a group that took arms and started to attack us. But they did. They say that they are warriors of justice, but ladies and gentlemen, they are nothing than mere thieves. Bandits that kill people and hurt a business that only wants you to grow.”
“Look at this town. How much it has grown since Monero has arrived here. We gave the people of this town the possibility to live a good life. Even in the hard conditions of the prairie. The people from the Eastern Lands are leaving their homes and come here, because they now this is a land of opportunity. And we agree as well. This is why he invested so much in it.”
“But, in the last year, rumors of a vicious gang started to spread fear in people’s hearts. They attacked caravans, transports. They attacked Monero employes and burned our buildings. And, last week, they attacked a train, killing many people and hurting much more. Since I’ve arrived in this town, I heard that some see them as heroes. But I tell you that they stand only for their gain.”
“We managed to find out about their plan, from one of their own. You probably know Mike and his brother Alan. They couldn’t stand the viciousness of their leader and come to us, the Silver Guard, telling us about the plan of robbing the train. When he heard about this, this man” he said, pointing toward Mox “killed them in cold blood. Without any remorse. Only because they wanted him to stop with this madness."
“This man, arrived in this town a year ago with one purpose only. To become a bandit. To disrupt the happiness of this town. And to bring only fear and chaos. Because of this we ask for him and his clique to be hanged.This is the only sentence that they deserve.”
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