A common thing shared by the majority of the court systems around the world is that a judge, jury, and a defendant is always present. Most of the time there are spectators. From a Spartan courtroom in the Midwestern United States to the ornate opulance of a judicial chamber in the Vatican City, the crimes of the accused range from petty thievery to premeditated murder, but the method of punishment vary drastically from nation to nation.

None of this mattered to one Lucan Mattiste, reknowned art thief. The gathering in the main court of the Vatican City was merely for posterity. His crime was abetted with inside help from some of the very people who would judge him.

The Cardinal Andreas Fallini, who acted as his prosecutor. The keeper of the painting he was on trial for stealing--a priceless Botticelli, Birth of Venus. The bishops Varian and Sylvanus, witnesses for the prosecution, were co-conspirators. He had even forced them to give him a bigger share of the profits.

The judge, resplendid in his robes of office, said, "Approach the bench, Lucan Mattiste." He and his defender, a church flunky, stood and walked to the towering bench.

"You have been found guilty of the theft of valuable church property, for which I sentence you to 15 years. Take the prisoner away."

No problem, Lucan thought. I won't have to spend a single night there. He smiled as the bailiff approached.

Lucan was handcuffed and led outside to a waiting car where an officer got out and took custody of him. Once the bailiff returned inside, the officer immediate uncuffed Lucan and handed him his gun.

"Make it look good, Mattiste," he said.

Lucan smiled and promptly put him out with a blow to the back of the head. He got into the car and drove off.

"First thing's first," Lucan said to himself. "Get the painting, then rendezvous with Cardinal Fallini in Venice. Ah, Venezia. I've always wanted to go there."

It was a full ten minutes before Lucan Mattiste realized he was being followed. He stepped on the gas, swerving around a car, and turned a corner. He quickly parked, got out and stood in a doorway.

The other car, a Volvo, sped by. Lucan stepped out of the doorway and headed across the street towards a pay phone. About halfway there, he spotted the Volvo barrelling down on him. His moment of shocked immobility cost him his life. The Volvo ran him over with a sickening series of crunches, leaving a trail of blood and a broken body. It turned a corner and was gone.

 

I N D I S C R E T I O N S

plot/story: james c jones II

art/story: t. le roy birdine