Justice

An excerpt from Justice by Attades

The magistrate Xerotes called last to the dais Dytoclanes himself, and he stood before the Dreamers who sat in judgment.

Xerotes the magistrate asked:  You do declare before the assembly that you are Dytoclanes the Scribe, a scholar of Joranne?

Dytoclanes:  Yes, I am Dytoclanes the Scribe.  I do not call myself a scholar, but others do say it of me.

Xerotes:  You have heard the testimony before the assembly.  You have been accused of poisoning the thoughts of your students with rabble-rousing nonsense, and of questioning the authority of the Tyrant Elza Narades, and of jeopardizing the security of the state.  Do you deny these charges?

Dytoclanes:  I do, and I do not.

Xerotes:  Explain to the assembly your position, for it makes no sense.

Dytoclanes:  I do concede that I did teach my students of the nature of Truth and Goodness, as has already been described; that I do not deny.  That some in this assembly do call it poisoning the minds of students, I also do not deny.  That some call it rabble-rousing nonsense, I do not deny.  Whether one is the other, it is not for me to say.

Xerotes:  Explain.  Confine your answer to the facts and do not speak nonsense.

Dytoclanes:  I teach my students that to arrive at the Truth, one must see it from all sides.  I see Truth from my own side, and you see Truth from your own side.  In your hand, magistrate, there is a scroll from which you read.  I see the scroll is blank.  Do you see that the scroll is blank?

Xerotes:  This is the scroll on which your crimes are writ.

Dytoclanes:  Ah, but does not a scroll have two sides?  I see no charges; I see a blank parchment.  Is that not an aspect of the truth?

Xerotes:  It is part of the truth, but it is more right to say that the scroll has writing.

Dytoclanes:  Your scroll, then, only has one side?

Xerotoes:  It has two sides.

Dytoclanes:  But you have told me only of one side, therefore in some way you are concealing the truth.

Xerotes:  The side without instruction is not important.

Dytoclanes:  Ah, but into a scroll without writing, anything may be written or read.  Is that not more useful than a scroll into which only one thing has been written?  A scroll with writing can be used for only one purpose, its own.

Xerotes:  There is a purpose for a scroll without writing, but I am using this scroll only for this purpose.

Dytoclanes:  And what is your purpose for that scroll?

Xerotes:  I am here to determine your guilt before the assembly.  The scroll I bear lists the crimes you have committed against the state.

Dytoclanes:  And how do you determine my guilt?

Xerotes:  I determine your guilt by asking questions of you before the assembly, as well you know, Dytoclanes.  You are not here to ask questions, you are here to answer them.  You have been accused of questioning the authority of the Tyrant.  Do you deny this, yes or no?

Dytoclanes:  I never questioned the authority of the Tyrant.  He has authority by law to decide what he feels is best for Joranne.  I only questioned the truth of the Tyrant’s decisions.

Xerotoes:  In so doing, you caused others to question the authority of the Tyrant.

Dytoclanes:  Do you question the authority of the Tyrant?

Xerotes:  I do not, nor does anybody present.

Dytoclanes:  Then, magistrate, I do deny the charge.  If questioning the authority of the Tyrant is a crime, I did not do so.  Let he who questions the Tyrant be brought forth instead.  If I caused others to question the Tyrant, again let him be brought forth.  I asked questions to learn the truth.

Xerotes:  That is your crime, then.  Do you deny it?

Dytoclanes:  I do not, magistrate who asks questions to determine the truth.  Do you?