Kynwric rose as to give the Prosecution closing statement, it wasn't going to take long. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this case is simple. It doesn't come down to whether or not the defendant is guilty or not, it doesn't even come down to whether the defendant knows they did wrong. That has all been established, I would say over-established. What it does come down to is punishment, the law says that Murderers, or in this case, Murderesses should be put to death. The defense would have you believe that there is some mercy in allowing a Murderess clemency, that we should study the defendant to see if it healable. My only remaining question is why would we want to have a Murderess amongst us? One who has already been shown capable of killing Warders without compunction? Would this be so if this woman had killed an Aes Sedai? Would the cries for justice be muted because they could 'study' her? I doubt it, I have little doubt that Cari would have been summarily put to death without so much of the benefit of a trial. The woman murdered several of our brethren; she has shown no remorse, feigned or otherwise; she has provided instances of her being caught up with other nefarious goings on. She is quite obviously in league with the Dark One, if not a direct servant of him herself." Kyn took a moment for a long pause, "So far as I can tell justice and the law should be carried out by the most harsh and expedient means necessary lest we revisit this issue again. Thank you."

Jasine didn't rise for a moment after Kynwric took his seat. He had to fight to suppress the sigh that wanted so badly to be released. When he did rise, he left his gaze focused on the table in front of him for a long moment.

 

"Master Kynwric would have the court forget testimony that he himself called into evidence. The penalty for murder is to be one of two things: Death or life imprisonment. The Yellow Ajah Aes Sedai have expressed an interest in studying Cari Namere and hoping to learn, through her, more to advance their cause. I am a Tower Guard. It is not my place to question that which an Aes Sedai wants. And as the court-appointed defendant for Miss Namere, it is only my duty to see that she be given a fair trial. One free from the savage and hatred-based responses that her actions have wrought in our community."

 

He lifted his gaze to Kynwric and a chill tone darkened his words. "As servants of the Light would will it, she has received a fair trial, as she would have no matter who she had killed, for we are not beasts nor shadowspawn to kill those who displease us out of hand." He turned to address the rest of the court. "Cari Namere, or at least the one she calls The Shadow, has been honest and forthright with us. She has not deceived nor tried to paint her picture in shades of rose to leave a more favorable impression upon us. She has been... brutally honest. There is nothing more that we can ask of her that she has not given. She does not speak with relish or glee at the deaths of our men at arms. She is clearly a very disturbed woman."

 

He stepped from around the desk and paced as he finished what he had to say. "I would not envy her a life of study and examination by the Aes Sedai. They are an unyielding bunch and harsh taskmistresses. Death could very well be the kinder option. But whether you choose to give Miss Namere to the yellows out of a misplaced notion of revenge against her in wanting her to study, or out of the more noble motivation of hoping that some good, in the form of the knowledge needed to heal, should come from her study, it is clear that imprisonment with the Yellow Ajah is the only way that any good could come of this unhappy series of events.

 

"If Cair Namere is killed, all of this will be over, and all we will have is one more body to show for it." He retook his seat and folded his hands neatly atop his stacked papers. He kept his eyes focused on them, still as stone now that his part in this was done.