Subject: Chapter XV part 1
Author: Marta I (152.163.197.61)
Date: 09-11-1999 21:02
XV (first half)
Juan is allowed to speak in his defense. After beginning with a
sarcastic question
'you REALLY want me to DEFEND MISELF????' he proceeds with one
charge at a time.
First, illegal transportation of goods and their sale elsewhere
below market prices.
Juan claims that he had the permission of the original owners of the
farms/businesses of Guadalupe, who were stripped by the unfair
system of banking and loans maintained by the rich and allowed by
the government. Those goods were from farms that these farmers
worked with their own sweat and blood. The robbers were those people
who bought the farms at a quarter of their value and those that made
the original owners sign loan agreements for three times the lended
amount. Juan also transported people who were trying to escape a
slavery-like life due to inhuman labor contracts and conditions.
Then Juan asks about Colibri's whereabouts.
Noone answers. Then... out of nowhere... in the audience...
'Aqui esta Colibri!! y esta tambien otro testigo que este tribunal
se olvido de citar:
!Esta tambien la Esposa de Juan del Diablo!!!'
Renato tries to avoid her testimony, but Juan asks for her as a
witness of the defense. She will testify, says the President, but
will have to wait her turn to be called.
Monica feels the urge to run to Juan's arms but backs off because
she thinks about the Juan/Aimee issue. Juan is also staring at her
with a defiant stare, and gets mad when Renato takes her away and
sits by her. Monica is very determined to testify. Juan is her
husband and nothing Renato will do will stop her. Her duty is to be
by Juan's side. Renato tells her he'll rescue her even from herself.
He will not stop until she is free from her marriage to Juan, then
she can decide for herself whether she will go back to Juan.
Officer Britton testifies that Juan saved the ship and then brought
the ship to Martinique, since Juan wanted to show up at the trial
and prove his innocence even though he had all kinds of chances to
just flee with the ship and kill the guards, officers and navymen
aboard. He said Juan never tried to take over the ship, or to
escape. On the contrary, everyone who was aboard that ship owes him
their life. Renato asks the officer who had warned them that Juan
was a dangerous criminal and should be kept in close custody. Renato
wants to show that Juan is not always so generous and gentle with
his enemy. The officer limits to say that it was circulated as such
around Jamaica.
At this Juan gets furiouss. He assures Renato that he CAN be as
dangerous as it is stated, that he CAN return an eye for an eye, a
blow for a blow, infamy for infamy, and swears to Renato that's how
it will be... (watch out, Renato.... Juan's evil twin is
loose!!!)...
Officer Britton notices the commotion and quickly gives Juan the
note from Aimee. Juan hopes it is from Monica, but does not want to
read it in front of everyone.
Benjamin Duval (the man Juan had stabbed in the hand at the gambling
brawl) is called but does not show up. (Aimee had bought his
withdrawal with the money she sent with Britton).
Renato still states in court that Juan owes him the baill money and
the money paid to get back the Luzbel for him. Juan jumps angry,
stating that he had tried to pay the debt and Renato did not accept
the payment. WHY!!???? Why SO MUCH HIPOCRISY???!!!
Colibri is called to testify. Colibri states that this is the name
Juan and his crew know him by, His former 'family' would only call
him names like dirty negro, sick dog, etc. They also used to hit
him, yell at him, and kick him if he did not work fast or hard
enough. he had to carry unbearable loads of wood for the mill ovens.
The Secretary reads the charges associated with the kidnapping of
Colibri. States that he was so ungrateful to his 'custodians' and
cooperated with his own kidnapping. That Juan punched out those who
tried to climb on board the Luzbel to get him back and that Juan
shot at several barrels of rum which were property of the
plaintiffs. Colibri states that he went with Juan voluntarily, he
had ASKED Juan to take him because he had caused them to loose a
barrel of rum and they were going to kill him. He was scared to
death.
Juan says he doesn't need to defend himself on this charge. The kid
was going to pay with his life for the loss of a barrel of rum. He
wasted 100 barrels of rum and would not allow intruders aboard his
ship. At the Lancaster's (Colibri's family) Colibri was nothing but
a slave. Renato states that Juan could have notified the authorities
and helped Colibri the 'legal' way. Juan states it would have been
useless. These people don't do anything for themselves. They have
peons (like Bautista) to do the dirty work for them and administer
their 'slave farms'. The Lancasters are rich, have friends in high
places and the accusations of the captain of a ship who has the
reputation of being a pirate and contraband agent would not have
gone far at all. The Lancasters are as high in Jamaica as Renato
D'Autremont is in Martinique. Only an IMBECILE (there's that word
again...) would have wasted his time accusing them to the
authorities. Colibri might not even be their 'relative'. It is
common practice for someone to show up with some kids and say they
are his/her 'relatives' and the owners of the land would not look
twice to bring them in as their 'administrators'.
Then Renato gives a long speech about asking for Juan to be
convicted, even though he might have had sentimental and even morall
reasons for his actions, to make an example that noone is ABOVE THE
LAW and can take justice in their own hands just because they do not
believe that justice will be made if they
go by the 'system'. As Renato is going to suggest a veredict, out
comes Monica again...
She does not want Renato to request a conviction for Juan himself..
The Presidente asks Monica if she has anything to say about the
accused...
'He is the most generous man on Earth!! If you all represent
justice, you must not convict him!!!' She walks toward Renato and
Juan. Here comes her speech... She begs the jury and officers not to
convict Juan for being generous, for feeling pity, for defending
those less fortunate, for supporting those who are helpless.For
helping others to trick oppressors who lack a conscience, for
sheltering a runaway kid, for wounding a mad man in self-defense...
Be less cruel than destiny has been with him since his childhood.
Most of the charges that have been brought up here were committed in
other countries which have other laws.
Furthermore, the way in which he was arrested, totally
incommunicated. Even I have been prohibited form seeing him or
talking to him, to tell him that I still have my 'dote' with which I
guarantee the repayment of the debt. I solemly promise to pay every
penny. And that should be enough to remove the 'breach of trust'
charge.
They also ask Monica whether she actually had asked Dr. Faber to
write to her mother, asking for help and support, to escape from the
ship 'Luzbel'. Monica swears that she never asked Dr. Faber to state
that. She only asked
him to tell her mother that she was alive. Only that was her
request.
She feels only grattitude for Juan for what happened on that trip.
She knowingly accepted his poverty, and noone can judge him if she
does not accuse him. Renato interrupts her. He insists in requesting
the maximum penalty under the law for Juan. Monica feels too weak to
counter him again. She is near Juan now,
but cannot get herself to look at him. She feels as lost and
confusde as when Juan first dragged her away on the trip.
Juan does not want to say anything in his defense. He won't deny the
facts of his actions. He despises money. He hates it with all his
soul. At least hated it until now. He never asked about her 'dote'
because men like him marry the women, not the money. He states that
if this whole court process has the single objective of
taking his legal wife away ('arrebatarme a la mujer que legalmente
me pertenence' - kind of jealous macho statement) his response is
that (Renato) will not accomplish it, unless he pays someone to
murder him (Juan).
The president asks for a 20 minute recess. Juan looks around for
Monica but he is dragged away.
He reads the note while he is being led out of the courtroom. He
cannot recall the handwriting, but the scent tells him who the
author is. If feels like a sudden thunder of memory. Juan gets mad
and wrinkles the note, dropping it on the floor as they move on.
Monica, who had been following Juan and his escorts, had hoped to be
able to catch up with them, but the door is shut in front of her.
She noticed the note on the floor and hoped for a moment that it
might be from him for her. She had seen Juan drop it. She reads. At
first Monica cannot understand.
Then she recalls the handwriting and the scent too well. From Aimee
for Juan!! For Juan!! She is devastated.