Monday, February 6, 2012

Civilisation, laws and all... he just doesn't get it.

CONAN gets aboard a ship and "insists" that it immediately departs, so he can escape his pursuers. After they set sail, the captain asks him why he is being chased.
"By CROM though, I've spent considerable time among you civilised peoples, your ways are still beyond my comprehension. Well last night in a tavern, a captain in the kings guard offered violence to the sweetheart of a young soldier, who naturally ran him through. But it seems there is some cursed law against killing guardsmen, and the boy and his girl fled away. It was bruited about that I was seen with them, and so today I was haled into court, and a judge asked me where the lad had gone. I replied that since he was a friend of mine, I could not betray him. Then the court waxed wrath, and the judge talked about my duty to the state, and society, and other things I did not understand, and bade me tell where my friend had flown. By this time I was becoming wrathful myself, for I had explained my position.
But I choked my ire and held my peace, and the judge squalled that I had shown contempt for court, and that I should be hurled into a dungeon to rot until I betrayed my friend. So then seeing they were all mad, I drew my sword and cleft the judge's skull; then cut my my way out of court..."
From "Queen of the Black Coast"
Page 237-8. The Complete Chronicles of CONAN.

 "By this time I was becoming wrathful myself, for I had explained my position."
:-)
look out for tell tale signs like this and minimise courtroom homicide!

No comments:

Post a Comment