22nd February
13:19 GMT +3
I reappear on the Senate building, almost exactly where I left. The debate has carried on without me, but it comes to a halt as they notice me.
"Sorry about that.
"
Menalippe smiles indulgently down at me. "You show an impressive dedication to duty. Were you able to find our missing Muse?"
"Yes. She's… Diana's.. looking after her in the embassy at the moment.
"
"I do hope she didn't cause you too much trouble."
"That's not… I wouldn't, um…
" My eyes drop to the floor for a moment.
"The police will want a statement.. but under the circumstances I don't think they'll actually need her to testify.
"
Hippolyta's face hardens. "What happened?"
"It turns out... Muses can be... Compelled, to provide inspiration. Her original abductor has.. died, and her most recent… Her most recent captor is in police custody.
" I feel a slight impulse to apologise on behalf of all men. I know that not all rapists are men and not all victims are females, but by far the majority are. And of the women I'm looking at, any who weren't born on the island would most likely have been on the receiving end when Herakles overran the old city.
"What will happen to him now?"
"He will be detained until a trial can be convened… Given Diana's interest I imagine it will be held sooner rather than later. There's no realistic prospect of him being acquitted… Under the
California Penal Code rape is punishable by between three and eight years imprisonment per.. incident. Given the… Situation.. she was in, I don't imagine he'll ever be released.
"
She showed surprising resilience, actually. When we went into the.. dungeon, I made a point of keeping back, but Diana had me remove the collar and clean… Clean her, with the ring. She recognised Diana and she didn't.. shy away from me. I know from the thing with the League of Shadows that power ring scans
are admissible as evidence, and no jury would listen to anyone questioning a sworn statement from Wonder Woman. The CSI people can make do with pictures of her cell. She even came to watch Mister Mudoc being taken into police custody, though she clearly wasn't in any state to speak to anyone.
Though that might have been because of the sheer number of people around. I got the exact level of attention that I wanted. It turns out that when someone affiliated with the Justice League requests police assistance they come in loaded for supervillain. I got to meet San Francisco's Special Response Team, a whole chunk of the city got cordoned off and there's no way anyone missed who was being taken away. A few journalists followed the police, which also gave me the opportunity to explain why he was being arrested. Or, 'it is my understanding that he will questioned regarding', but they spotted Diana leading Calliope away from his house. Doubt it'll make the morning papers but it will probably be… Are there still afternoon additions? And on their websites as soon as they can wake a journalist up to write the article.
This really isn't something I… No, it would have been terrible whenever it came to light, but I hope that Clyemne isn't going to try to-. "
And what else?"
No, she is.
"I'm sorry, but with Calliope free and the perpetrator arrested and being held awaiting trial, my.. involvement is over. If you are interested in how the American legal system works, I'm sure that Diana-.
"
"
Princess Diana."
I pause for a moment.
"I'm sorry. Of course. I'm sure that she would be happy to explain it to you.
"
"Imprisonment for the remainder of his life? Is that
all?"
"Rapists tend to be extremely unpopular with other inmates, but that is the extent of the court-mandated punishment, yes.
"
"He will not be executed? Or gelded?"
"In the United States, some areas execute murderers, and I believe that treason can be punished by execution in some cases. Rapists are not executed. Removing body parts would be considered 'cruel and unusual' and thus prohibited by their constitution for any offence, regardless of the severity. I'm… Really not the best person to ask about this.
"
"How long was Calliope subject to assaults from these
brutes?"
"The only one able to answer that question would be
her, and I didn't think.. putting her to question
immediately was the right course of action. But… Most likely, on and off for the entirety of her disappearance.
"
There's a collective intake of breath. Menalippe blinks as she tries to get her head around the idea. "There are people who would dare to treat a goddess such?"
"There is no deed so foul that someone somewhere won't commit it. And we're going to try to avoid telling people that she is a Muse.
" Menalipps shakes her head in incomprehension.
"If it became public knowledge that raping a Muse gives you supernatural inspiration, I'm concerned that other people-.
"
Clyemne jumps to her feet. "
And this is the nation that you wish us to have further contact with? One where such men-."
"Are punished for the crimes they have committed. No one other than the two people who were holding her knew that she was there. I don't know how they got her
into the country, but that will be investigated. She was held in either an isolated place, or in a cell designed to prevent sound from escaping. There are procedures for hunting for kidnap victims but no one knew to look for her. Once
I did, she was free inside ten minutes. When information of what happened spreads, everyone who hears about what happened will condemn the perpetrators. What more do you want?
"
Clyemne glances along the row of her fellow Senators and then back to me. "
I want their names."
I blink and shake my head.
"Okay... Erasmus Fry and-.
"
"No!" Menalippe is staring at Clyemne, her eyes wide. "Do not answer her!"
Clyemne glares right back. "It would only be
just. Do you truly not believe that the gods would have an interest?"
"I'm sorry, I seem to be missing something?
"
Menalippe keeps staring Clyemne down. "The senator wishes to call the Furies down upon them."
I squeeze my eyes shut.
"Oh, no, don't do that."
"You see! This-!"
"Don't do something that would make me feel obliged to protect that bastard. I don't know what the exact right punishment for his crime is, I doubt there
is one. But life imprisonment seems to be… At least not
completely unreasonable.
"
Clyemne break eye contact with Menalippe to look down at me with distaste. "You would
protect this man?"
"Yes.
That's my job. There is no.. grave injustice, no colossal and overwhelming need which requires us to throw out every existing law of civil society! You don't get to call in arcane life forms to murder a man because you're unhappy with the sentence the courts pass!
"
Hippolyta stands. "And you will not discuss committing murder against a foreign citizen in this chamber. You are overstepping your bounds, senator."
Clyemne's mouth tightens as she gets her anger under control. A moment passes before she nods in acquiescence. "I apologise, my Queen. My disgust got the better of me."
Queen Hippolyta nods, then turns to me. "Under the circumstances, I think a break in proceedings is appropriate. Paul, you have our thanks for liberating Calliope." I bow. "For better or worse, you have given us a great deal to think about. We will reconvene in one hour."
