Deposition of Venas the Butcher (Unabridged)
This is the deposition of Venas the Butcher as taken by Advocate Savan. This version has not been submitted to court due to the fact that it is inadmissible. It is recorded here for posterity only.
Q: Please state your name and occupation for the record.
A: I am Venas the Butcher. Of meats.
Q: Mr. Venas, you have been accused of murdering Thallos the Binder. Is that true?
A: That I’ve been accused or that I murdered him?
Q: The former.
A: Then yes.
Q: And the latter then?
A: Also yes.
Q: In that case, what... Wait, did you just admit your guilt?
A: I did not.
Q: But you admitted that you murdered Thallos, did you not?
A: I did murder him. But I’m not guilty.
Q: I’m afraid I don’t understand.
A: That’s not a question.
Q: All right, let’s start at the beginning. In your own words, tell me what happened between you and Thallos on the night you were found with his body.
A: Like I told them before, I was waiting for my friend at the library when Thallos gets up in my face about some nonsense. We had words. I pulled my cleaver, and he backed off, but he didn’t back off, if you know what I mean.
Q: For the sake of this deposition, assume that I don’t know what you mean.
A: What I mean is he took a fright and backed away, hands up and all, but he wouldn’t stop trying to control me.
Q: And how did he do that, Mr. Venas? What did he want you to do?
A: To silence me!
Q: You mean he wanted you to be quiet?
A: Exactly!
Q: In the library?
A: You trying to mean something by that?
Q: So...you brandished your weapon. He backed away, and then you killed him. Is that accurate?
A: Because he wouldn’t stop telling me what to do, yeah.
Q: Yet you believe you are not guilty—that you are justified in his murder. Why is that?
A: The Fae are free, aren’t they, Advocate? What’s freedom for if I can’t take up arms when someone’s up in my face?
Q: And what about Thallos’s freedom?
A: What about it?
Q: Well, you are alive, and he is dead. You took his freedom away.
A: Oh, isn’t that a statist way of looking at it? Listen, he could’ve drawn a weapon the same as me. He could’ve defended himself. Anyone in that room could’ve defended him! But none did. Their freedom, their choice.
Q: So, for the record, you believe it is your right to draw a weapon and take someone’s life—knowing that murder is against the law—and yet you believe you are not guilty of breaking that law. Is that correct?
A: Let me ask you something, Advocate.
Q: This is a deposition, Mr. Venas. I must ask the questions.
A: Off the record then.
Q: Fine. This portion of the deposition will not be submitted to court.
A: Who made the law you say I broke?
Q: The One True King and the Council.
A: And what gives them the right?
Q: The...the law gives them that right.
A: So. The law gives lawmakers the right to make laws. You see how that turns on its own head?
Q: But without law, we cannot have a functioning society. We have only chaos and anarchy.
A: And what good is a functioning society if the people in it aren’t free?
Q: We are free, Mr. Venas. That’s the whole point. Those who follow the law—
A: “Those who follow the law,” you see? And what if I don’t agree with it? Where’s my freedom then? No, if the Fae can’t take up arms when they want, then only King and Council are free.
Q: The Fae can do as they will, Mr. Venas, but without consequences—
A: Damn the king’s consequences! The bastard’s nothing more than a tyrant!
Q: (Sighs) We’re off the record, Mr. Venas, so I will ask you plainly. We both know you belong to a terrorist—
A: Ha!
Q: A group devoted to overthrowing the One True King. It is clear you don’t agree with his policies or rule, but for my sake.. Do you truly believe there should be no consequences for murder? You believe Fae should be allowed to kill Fae without consequence?
A: Oh, there’s a consequence—the weak die, and the strong survive. Listen, the only true freedom is absolute. Anything less makes us slaves.
Q: Then, if I choose to serve the One True King...
A: You make yourself a slave.
Q: Well. I have to admit, Mr. Venas, you are persuasive. I believed all Fae to be basically the same—that all valued life equally, even if we sometimes disagreed on what “value” meant. But I am convinced.
A: Good! Won’t be long before everyone sees that the king—
Q: The king believes we are monsters. I had thought him entirely misguided, but you have convinced me otherwise. And if we do not allow ourselves to be ruled by law, then we submit to be ruled by monsters like yourself. I’m afraid I can no longer defend you, Mr. Venas. You are on your own.
END DEPOSITION
Addendum: While awaiting his trial, Venas’s body was found in his cell, hanging from the ceiling with a note that read, “Freedom or deth! [sic]” This deposition was, therefore, never submitted to court.
[Off the record] Surely you don't believe there should be consequences. You're just doing your job because you're afraid of what the One True King will do to you.
"I believe life is sacred and that everyone sees that."
Sure, life's sacred, especially mine.
"I have to admit, you're changing my opinion. I had thought all Fae worthy of defending, but you're going to hang."
This is the deposition of Venas the Butcher as taken by Advocate Savan. This version has not been submitted to court due to the fact that it is inadmissible. It is recorded here for posterity only.
Q: Please state your name and occupation for the record.
A: I am Venas the Butcher. Of meats.
Q: Mr. Venas, you have been accused of murdering Thallos the Binder. Is that true?
A: That I’ve been accused or that I murdered him?
Q: The former.
A: Then yes.
Q: And the latter then?
A: Also yes.
Q: In that case, what... Wait, did you just admit your guilt?
A: I did not.
Q: But you admitted that you murdered Thallos, did you not?
A: I did murder him. But I’m not guilty.
Q: I’m afraid I don’t understand.
A: That’s not a question.
Q: All right, let’s start at the beginning. In your own words, tell me what happened between you and Thallos on the night you were found with his body.
A: Like I told them before, I was waiting for my friend at the library when Thallos gets up in my face about some nonsense. We had words. I pulled my cleaver, and he backed off, but he didn’t back off, if you know what I mean.
Q: For the sake of this deposition, assume that I don’t know what you mean.
A: What I mean is he took a fright and backed away, hands up and all, but he wouldn’t stop trying to control me.
Q: And how did he do that, Mr. Venas? What did he want you to do?
A: To silence me!
Q: You mean he wanted you to be quiet?
A: Exactly!
Q: In the library?
A: You trying to mean something by that?
Q: So...you brandished your weapon. He backed away, and then you killed him. Is that accurate?
A: Because he wouldn’t stop telling me what to do, yeah.
Q: Yet you believe you are not guilty—that you are justified in his murder. Why is that?
A: The Fae are free, aren’t they, Advocate? What’s freedom for if I can’t take up arms when someone’s up in my face?
Q: And what about Thallos’s freedom?
A: What about it?
Q: Well, you are alive, and he is dead. You took his freedom away.
A: Oh, isn’t that a statist way of looking at it? Listen, he could’ve drawn a weapon the same as me. He could’ve defended himself. Anyone in that room could’ve defended him! But none did. Their freedom, their choice.
Q: So, for the record, you believe it is your right to draw a weapon and take someone’s life—knowing that murder is against the law—and yet you believe you are not guilty of breaking that law. Is that correct?
A: Let me ask you something, Advocate.
Q: This is a deposition, Mr. Venas. I must ask the questions.
A: Off the record then.
Q: Fine. This portion of the deposition will not be submitted to court.
A: Who made the law you say I broke?
Q: The One True King and the Council.
A: And what gives them the right?
Q: The...the law gives them that right.
A: So. The law gives lawmakers the right to make laws. You see how that turns on its own head?
Q: But without law, we cannot have a functioning society. We have only chaos and anarchy.
A: And what good is a functioning society if the people in it aren’t free?
Q: We are free, Mr. Venas. That’s the whole point. Those who follow the law—
A: “Those who follow the law,” you see? And what if I don’t agree with it? Where’s my freedom then? No, if the Fae can’t take up arms when they want, then only King and Council are free.
Q: The Fae can do as they will, Mr. Venas, but without consequences—
A: Damn the king’s consequences! The bastard’s nothing more than a tyrant!
Q: (Sighs) We’re off the record, Mr. Venas, so I will ask you plainly. We both know you belong to a terrorist—
A: Ha!
Q: A group devoted to overthrowing the One True King. It is clear you don’t agree with his policies or rule, but for my sake.. Do you truly believe there should be no consequences for murder? You believe Fae should be allowed to kill Fae without consequence?
A: Oh, there’s a consequence—the weak die, and the strong survive. Listen, the only true freedom is absolute. Anything less makes us slaves.
Q: Then, if I choose to serve the One True King...
A: You make yourself a slave.
Q: Well. I have to admit, Mr. Venas, you are persuasive. I believed all Fae to be basically the same—that all valued life equally, even if we sometimes disagreed on what “value” meant. But I am convinced.
A: Good! Won’t be long before everyone sees that the king—
Q: The king believes we are monsters. I had thought him entirely misguided, but you have convinced me otherwise. And if we do not allow ourselves to be ruled by law, then we submit to be ruled by monsters like yourself. I’m afraid I can no longer defend you, Mr. Venas. You are on your own.
END DEPOSITION
Addendum: While awaiting his trial, Venas’s body was found in his cell, hanging from the ceiling with a note that read, “Freedom or deth! [sic]” This deposition was, therefore, never submitted to court.
[Off the record] Surely you don't believe there should be consequences. You're just doing your job because you're afraid of what the One True King will do to you.
"I believe life is sacred and that everyone sees that."
Sure, life's sacred, especially mine.
"I have to admit, you're changing my opinion. I had thought all Fae worthy of defending, but you're going to hang."