Chapter 9a

“You're useless. I knew I should have approached the jail first.” Kore backed towards the door, still watching Creed.

“You'd be a fool if you did that.” Creed shrugged casually. “The arena champion's twin brother in the cells? Don't you think the guards might consider your appearance as possible? They'll be on the lookout for you, probably other gladiators too and the guard will almost certainly be doubled.”

“They arrested my brother to bait me?!” Kore exploded.

“I used a similar tactic myself.” Creed said. “Who would you rather take on? A trained fighter with the support of other fighters or a solitary bookworm? You already know my reasons for doing that, it's a past issue. The reasons for this latest shit is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. Believe me or don't, I can't help how you think.”

“They're trying to provoke me ...”

“Succeeded in provoking you.”

“Trying to provoke me into causing a scene, alone if necessary, with the other gladiators would be better. Why would you idiots want a hoard of pissed off gladiators on your doorsteps?” Kore said.

“To prove what a load of riff-raff you all really are and to show the citizens of Azoria that you're all violent criminals and don't deserve to be at large. That's theoretical, by the way, not a personal opinion.” Creed eyed Kore's sword warily.

“Well that's just tough luck. They won't get the scene they're after and I won't be the cause for their bloodshed. Arseholes.” Kore spat.

“So your brother just stays where he is? I suppose you could give him a wave when you pass the jail-house on your way to the arena.” Creed looked at Kore. “He's been arrested remember? Charged with a criminal offence? Whether you believe it to be fabricated or not doesn't matter Kore because it isn't your opinion that counts in a Courtroom. Depending on what he's done ... been charged with ... you needn't expect him to be released just because you refuse to play whatever game it is they're playing.”

“I need to ... to ...” Kore frowned in thought.”

“Go and kill someone?”

“Are you trying to aggravate me on purpose?” Kore snapped. “Believe me, that wouldn't be difficult, or wise.”

“My apologies.” Creed said graciously. “I meant your mood is understandably a tad stressful right now and an automatic reaction, especially for someone in your profession, is to retaliate in the only way you know how. That wasn't meant as an insult, it was an educated observation. You need to find out the charges that have brought against your brother, then those charges need to be undermined, if possible.” He mused, looking at the floor, deep in thought. Whatever Marx and Pape were up to couldn't possibly bode well. The very fact that they appeared to be risking a gladiator revolt demonstrated the violent rashness they preferred to use to address a situation. It certainly seemed that Marx, Pape, or maybe both, had some sort of particular dislike to these twins. Maybe because Kore was the arena champion and therefore 'the chief' of the gladiators? That didn't really fit seeing as everyone knew that the trainer, Blacklock, had all but ran the place for years. Creed could quite well believe that a pair of arrogant bigots like Marx and Pape would let a personal grudge heavily influence a full scale Military manoeuvre. This could quite well be the start of a reinstatement of the old Loram DeGaise days. “Don't blow your top here Kore, but are you one hundred percent, completely and utterly certain that your brother is above the propagation of dissident literature?”

“I warned you ...”

“Oh for buggery's sake girl! Think, will you? That is the only serious crime that I can think of that a librarian would be actually capable of. He'd have neither the means nor the opportunity to perpetrate anything else. If we can satisfy ourselves totally that it's impossible for him to be arrested for that, then any other charge is more than likely untrue.” Creed explained patiently.

“That is the most bizarre thought process I've ever heard.” Kore laughed and Creed felt vastly relieved that she had.

“Do you think so?” Creed asked. “It must be the major difference between gladiators and soldiers. The way we think.”

“That's true, hence my wondering who this 'we' is you're referring to, and why you're sitting here plotting ways to discredit your own Military. Wouldn't that be classed as treason?” Kore asked suspiciously.

“My Military is the one sworn to protect Azoria from tyranny and dictatorship.” Creed answered flatly. “Rash and prejudiced arrests like this one are guaranteed to cause unrest and quite probably a bloody riot. It's not my Military I'm concerned about, it's who's going to conveniently step in to quash this riot at the expense of a section of our population, the gladiators. Like you lot or not, you're still a recognised part of our society.”

“And do you 'like us lot?” Kore asked with an amused smile.

“I respect all sections of our people, from whatever walk of life and I certainly don't hound this generation as a continuation of a past generation.” Creed deflected.