… solipsubmissive …

This is a continuation.  You might want to begin here:  one

“Thou shalt not steal.”

“You’re not going to be tried for the 8th.”  Sera stood in the doorway, a smile on her face.

“Is Jason?”  Olivia wouldn’t be happy until she knew he was also safe from prosecution.  With three Commandments left, Lucifer only needed one more guilty verdict to force a stalemate of sorts:  five for Heaven and five for Hell.  Which brought up another question.  “And what happens if there are five guilty verdicts and five not guilty?” 

“The decisions are reviewed and assessed.  Some Commandments carry more weight than others.”

Olivia nodded thoughtfully.  “And Jason?”

“Will stand trial for the 8th.  Any time now.”

Olivia stood.  “Then let’s go.”  She brushed past Sera and started walking down the corridor.

“Wait.  Olivia!”  The Life Defense Counselor hurried after her client.  “We can’t both be in there.  Being present will indicate we are ready for your trial on the 9th Commandment and we’d be called immediately after Jason’s is over.”

“So?”

Sera gave her a look of astonishment.  “So I’m not prepared.”

“Well, what’s the 9th about?”

“Bearing false witness.”

Olivia looked unimpressed.  “i’m pretty sure i haven’t done much of that.”

“No?”

“No.  i’m not a big false witness proponent.  Ask anyone.”

“Do you even know what it means?”

Olivia gave an impatient snort.  “i don’t make up stuff about people and spread it around.  Pretty simple.”

“No.  Not simple.”  Sera grasped Olivia’s hand.  “It has as much to do with promoting truth as it does with deliberate defamation of character.  I’ve not done my research.  Things could go badly if I’m not thorough.  The 9th is tough, Olivia.  Nearly everyone is found guilty.”

That brought Olivia up short.  She bit her lip.  “I have to go, Sera.  Lucifer will twist things all around.  i can go by myself, so we’re not both in there at the same time.”

Sera fidgeted a moment.  Olivia gave her an imploring look until she sighed.  “Okay.  But let Micah handle things, please.   Don’t interrupt.”

Olivia hugged her.  “i promise.  Not a word.”  She hurried off down the corridor.  Sera shook her head, beginning to understand a little why Jason might have had his hands full with her.  Sweet, yes.  Submissive, certainly.  But obstinate.  Damn obstinate.

The courtroom was empty when Olivia slipped inside, the first time she’d ever seen it thus.  She walked slowly down the steps and settled into a seat directly behind the table Micah and Jason would soon occupy, wondering how long it would be before things began.

“You’d be amazed how quickly this place populates once the summons goes out.”

Startled, Olivia looked over her shoulder to see Lucifer lounging casually in the row behind her, his long legs stretched out into the aisle.  “How did you get here?” she asked.

“A little leftover angelic skill, Olivia.  I can be anywhere in an instant.”

She scowled at him in irritation.  “Well, go be somewhere else.  Instantly.”

He smiled and shook his head.  “I begin to wonder what Jason saw in you.  You’re almost more trouble than you’re worth.”

Olivia turned to face the front of the courtroom again, intending to ignore him.  Lucifer was having none of that.  He moved to the chair directly behind her, leaned forward and whispered in her ear.  “He’s Catholic, Olivia.  This one and the 9th always get the Catholics.”

The doors opened then, and people began filing noisily into the room.  Lucifer chuckled and stood, moving to a seat near the aisle, leaving Olivia clutching the arms of her chair nervously.  Within moments, the gallery was full.  Micah and Jason entered and walked down the stairs, deep in conversation.  Jason glanced her way and gave her a slight nod as he took his seat.  She relaxed a little.  Just being this near him made her feel a little better.  He was always so strong, so capable.

So flawed.

The Host filed in and took their seats as a hush fell over the courtroom.  Micah stood.  “I bring the case of Jason, a human requesting entry into Heaven.  The Commandment in question today is the 8th, ‘Thou shalt not steal.’”  He smiled.  “My client, while perhaps not leading an exemplary life in all ways, is a man of great integrity.  He holds dear that which he owns, and respects the property of others.  I could not find a single example of Jason breaking this commandment.  We plead not guilty.”

The angel to the far left spoke.  “We were prepared for this, and conducted our own research.”  He glowered at Jason.  “While you leave much to be desired in some of your actions, Micah is correct.  Your integrity is beyond contesting.”

“That which he owns.” 

Lucifer’s voice rang out into the courtroom followed by a low murmur from the gallery.  “Interesting choice of words, Micah.”  He stood.  “I wasn’t sure where I was going to find evidence of Jason’s violation of this Commandment.  And then our esteemed Life Defense Counselor here simply handed it to me.”

Micah raised his brows and watched Lucifer descend the three shallow steps to the courtroom floor.

“Stealing,” the fallen angel continued.  “I contend that Jason has kept to the letter of the law, but has perhaps violated the spirit of the law.  In fact, if we define stealing as getting a reward without paying a price, we might even find that Jason’s theft has been from God Himself.”

Olivia looked at Jason.  He was sitting in his chair with his arms crossed, an expression of patient disdain on his face.  “I’d imagine you have a point, Lucifer,” he drawled.

Lucifer walked to the table, placed both hands on it and leaned toward Jason.  “You’re Catholic.  How well do you remember your Catechism?”

Jason didn’t reply. 

Lucifer straightened and pointed over Jason’s shoulder at Olivia.  “That which he owns,” he repeated.  “Evidence has been presented in these trials which displays his ownership of this rather intriguing young lady.  He admits it.  She does not deny it.”

“His Catholicism is not a determining factor in whether or not he has broken this Commandment, Lucifer,” said one of the angels in a dampening tone.  “We cannot judge him guilty simply because he was not Baptist or United Methodist instead of Catholic.”

“Oh, but it has to be a determining factor,” Lucifer argued.  “He was taught Catholic Catechism, and thus knowingly violated this Commandment, regardless of the fact that other Christian religions do not teach it.  It is not the fact that he is Catholic.  It is the fact that he ignored what he was taught.”

Micah interrupted.  “Olivia was a willing participant in the relationship.  This is ridiculous.”

“No,” said Jason.  He gave Lucifer an amused smirk.  “Let him go on.  I’d like to see where he’s taking this.”

“Simple Catholic Catechism.”  The pleasant expression left Lucifer’s face and his eyes flashed.  He quoted, ”‘The seventh commandment forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason - selfish or ideological, commercial, or totalitarian - lead to the enslavement of human beings, to their being bought, sold and exchanged like merchandise, in disregard for their personal dignity. It is a sin against the dignity of persons and their fundamental rights to reduce them by violence to their productive value or to a source of profit. St. Paul directed a Christian master to treat his Christian slave ‘no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, . . . both in the flesh and in the Lord.’”  Lucifer looked back at the Host in triumph.

“I have no argument with Lucifer’s evidence,” said Jason.  “I do, however, find his attention to detail sorely lacking.”  Olivia held her breath as Jason stood.  “Since you’ve made the fact that I am Catholic the point upon which my guilt hinges, you’ve wasted your time.  The Catholic Church recognizes the Commandments in a slightly different way than most Christian religions.  It is the seventh that deals with theft, demon.  And it is the seventh for which I’ve already been found not guilty in this court.”

One of the angels laughed softly, and Lucifer spun around in fury.  “A loophole,” the angel stated.  “I find I’m rather inclined to allow it, if only for the joy of seeing Lucifer thwarted.”

“I agree,” said another.  “We find the human, Jason, not guilty of breaking the 8th Commandment.”  With that, all four angels disappeared, their laughter lingering in the silent courtroom.

For once, nobody in the gallery moved.  Lucifer’s anger was tangible and terrible.  He stared at Jason, who remained unimpressed.  “Always too impulsive, Lucifer.  Patience.  You need to learn patience.”  He turned to Olivia.  “And you shouldn’t have been here.  Go find Sera.”  His eyes were warm, despite his words.

“Yes, Sir,” said Olivia quietly, and left the room.

nine