Subject: Chapter XIV !!! Author: Marta I (198.232.250.51) Date: 09-09-1999 13:02 Trial begins. Everyone and their ____ who is someone in Martinique is there. Important people, French celebrities, politicians, doctors, lawyers, businessmen, everyone wants to nose in on the spicy scandal involving the island's biggest, wealthiest name (Renato's family). Everyone is gossipping but they all stop cold when Juan walks in. Then everyone is very quiet. 'Juan ha sonreido con su sonrisa amarga... Todos los ojos estan fijos en el... y de repente siente que es un simbolo de su vida... !el Mundo contra EL y EL contra todo!' ... 'No me ha oido, acusado? Su nombre, su apellido, su edad, su profesion... -Excuse su Excelencia si me tome un momento para pensar. En realidad, no es facil dar respuesta a sus cuatro preguntas. No creo que nadie se haya tomado el trabajo de bautizarme: no tengo nombre. Ningun hombre reconocio jamas ser mi padre: no tengo apellido. Que yo sepa, no existe ningun testigo de mi nacimiento: la fecha es indeterminada: no tengo edad. Mi profesion? Cada uno la llama como le conviene llamarla... soy Juan del Diablo, el contrabandista, el pirata... -Su respuesta es absolutamente insolente, acusado! No le ayudara esa actitud frente a este tribunal. -Ninguna actitud que yo tome ha de ayudarme... (Juan keeps this me against the world attitude throughout most of the trial...) (Guess what!! Juan is taller than Renato in the book... Metro ochenta vs metro setenta!!) The charges that Renato has raised against Juan are 'abuso de confianza', deudas y cohecho. which boils down to Renato getting the excuse of wanting his bail money back from Juan from when he bailed him out. He also mentions that Juan has wounded a man and left him crippled, kidnapped a boy known as Colibri, and commited other felonies line contraband, robbery, assault and illegal transport of passengers. Renato has demanded that the Luzbel be taken from Juan, and Juan be sentenced to jail time as required by the law for the felonies he has committed. After the officer is done reading the claims, Juan looks around the room again, stopping at the sight of Renato and his glance changes to one of anger and sarcasm, even disgust. Renato begins speaking by noting that his reason for bringing Juan to court is not money, but his responsibility as a citizen and as head of a family. He admits publicly that Juan is his brother in order to avoid rumors and gossip. Renato says that Juan is an undesirable individual to society. He is violent, disrespectful for any law, incapable of submitting to any rules and regulation, and overall lacking in moral quality. Aimee arrives with Ana outside the courtroom. Aimee is desperately looking for someone to bribe so that they will not hurt Juan's chances with their testimony. She walks into Charles Britton, the second officer of the ship that Juan saved from the storm. The officer tells Aimee that he cannot give her any details of his testimony, but that he has nothing bad to say and his words will, if anything, help Juan in the trial. Aimee has to work her influencing skills out but she manages to get Britton to take some money to the man Juan had stabbed in the hand during that gambling ramble. She also writes a love/encouragement note for Juan and asks Britton to give it to Juan when he has a chance. Britton is captivated by Aimee's beauty. SHe tells him to think of her as someone 'who will give her blood for Juan'.