<hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/65/Judgehawkins.png)</div><br/><strong>Name:</strong>Judge Warwick<br/><strong>Date:</strong>May 4, 1876<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>Morning<br/><strong>Location:</strong>The Courthouse: Judge Warwick's office<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Marguerite Tuerny, Closed<br/><hr/>He leaned back in his chair, giving a soft, ironic kind of laugh.<strong> “Do I ever get the feeling I'm being watched?”</strong>He leaned into his chin, thoughtful, and after a moment rose and opened the Judge door and pointed to the skull sitting on the Judge's desk.  He gestured to the skull that sat on the desk, and his head dipped for a moment.<strong> “That belonged to Bailiff Adams.  Blue's predecessor.  The third case I tried, the miner drew a pistol and shot him through the head, then aimed at me.  Coleman had insisted I take a double-barreled shotgun under the desk.”</strong>He closed the door.<strong>“I took a man's life that day, with my own hands.  The first time I haven't done so with a gavel.  And that... rather morbid addition provides a constant reminder to be on my guard.” </strong>He looked back to her, walking slowly back around his desk.<strong>“So... yes, Mrs. Landry.  I feel watched.  I feel hunted.  And I very much doubt that feeling will go away while you're in Gomorra.”</strong><br/><br/>He settled back in the chair, and spread his hands about her husband's affairs.<strong>“I'm just considering the possibility he may appear in Gomorra and expect a... stake in the mine you own.  Stranger things have happened in this town.”  He gave a light smile at the last.  “But... certainly.  It's not a pressing matter, now.”</strong><br/><br/>He leaned forward and listened as she told her story, running a hand over his bald pate.  There was a great deal of sympathy in his eyes, a softness, but it didn't elicit the same willingness to bend backwards for her, to turn his life upside down it might have from a certain Senior Deputy.<br/><br/><strong>“Well, I can't say I cared for him before knowing of his … various hubris.  I suspected he was a weasel from the moment he came into court.  If it weren't for Nathan's sincerity that he was a good man on hard times, I wouldn't have allowed him to operate the mine at all.”</strong>His brow furrowed.<strong> “But Nathan has a weakness for East Coast manners, and presumes an honorable nature by virtue of them.  Certainly, however, if you can convince a court that he attempted to murder you, or that he simply sought to take advantage of your loss by fraudulence, we can see due punishment enacted.  Regardless, he will be found guilty of perjury.  If nothing else, the time can be perhaps used to find some evidence of his theft – I suspect he sold a number of appropriated effects to stores in town.  They can be used as physical evidence before the court.”</strong><br/><br/>He leaned forward, reaching into his vest and producing a kerchief, to at least allow her to daub at her eyes.<strong>“I have no doubt,” </strong>he promised.<strong>“I am truly sorry for whatever troubles you have endured.”</strong>He let her take it, then waved away any attempt to return it, leaning back in the chair.<br/><br/><strong>“I'll admit a certain self-interest,” </strong>he frowned.<strong> “Bankum and Bankum only represent the interest of those firmly in the pocket of Sweetrock, and Davidson is an excellent, overworked lawyer.”</strong>He paused.<strong>“He also refuses on some sort of principle not to represent any woman in need of legal services.  Soiled doves, ladies who own business interests, or even widows or daughters.”</strong>He paused.<strong>“Then again, I'm sure you've seen first hand how little men care to fairly represent a woman, given your own... history.”</strong><br/><br/>He gave her another thoughtful glance.<strong> “There are two matters before us.  The criminal matter, regarding Mr. Eklain, and the civil matter regarding the mine.  There's a rather slim window wherein you'll have to provide proof that the mine has fundament, and hasn't been tapped out.  Your first order of business should be chartering a vessel to have someone inspect the mine.  Then I <em>strongly</em> encourage you to accompany the inspector – we've had a run of inspectors retiring from their duties and buying 'tapped out mines' only to repurchase the rights weeks later and discover a new source of fundament they somehow missed on their first inspection.”</strong>He waved a hand.<strong>“If you have a bodyman you trust to deal you squarely, send him in your stead, but if not I'd make the trip myself.  And I'd bring along a hired gun, or two, as the Maze isn't precisely safe.”</strong><br/><br/>He went to the file cabinet, drawing out two pieces of paper.<strong>“I'll just need two petitions filed from you.  First, for the charges you intend to levy against Alfred Eklain, and second for injunction to have the mine's deed transferred to your sole custody.”</strong><br/><br/>As he set the papers down, there was a knock at the door.  He turned to collect the tea, and a pair of poundcakes.  He offered one magnanimously to Margeurite, and once again defied Victorian etiquette by pouring tea for the both of them, serving it while she worked upon the legal papers necessary to begin claiming her birthright as her own.