//------------------------------// // Chapter XLIII // Story: Lessons in quirks // by Mike84 //------------------------------// It was Featherscribe's turn to present evidence for the persecution. Twilight had expected he would start by referring to the part of the booty found in Frank's sleeping bag, but instead he began by referring to Twilight's previous statements. "Princess Twilight...", he began, "...you have made a very convincing case that the theft could not have been committed without the use of magic. I don't know a lot about magic myself, but aren't there some items which allow for magic to be used by ponies who would not usually be capable of this?" "What do you mean?" Twilight asked, but she asked mostly to gain a little more time to prepare a response, for she had a good idea of what Featherscribe had in mind. "For example, there was the wandering magician Trixie whose recent visit to Ponyville everypony here will remember. She was using an amulet giving her magic powers she would not have been able to use normally." "Yes, but Trixie is a unicorn who is generally able to use magic and whose abilities were just enhanced by the amulet." "So any such magical items would be useless to anypony who isn't a unicorn and capable of using magic anyway?" "No...", Twilight admitted hesitantly. The Elements of Harmony were of course one rather unusual example of magical items allowing her non-unicorn friends to act a kind of magic that even Twilight herself didn't understand to the last detail. However, she had heard of other examples which were probably more of the kind that Featherscribe was thinking of. "Like I said, I don't know very much about magic myself, but the levitation spell that would be necessary to lift the bags of money and do so without making the coins clink is a very basic form of magic that can be practiced by almost every unicorn and that doesn't take as much practice as some other spells, isn't it?" "It depends a bit on what is levitated, how heavy it is, how large it is and how far it is from the pony using the spell; but yes, levitation is usually considered basic magic among unicorns." Featherscribe nodded with a grim smile. "Is it not hypothetically possible then, that a magic item, amulet, whatever could have been used to allow the thief the temporary use of magic the thief doesn't usually possess?" "That is very unlikely", Twilight said. "True, there are such items and yes, an item allowing for the temporary use of a levitation spell would be possible. However, such items are extremely rare, and therefore extremely expensive. It is very difficult to transfer magic powers to lifeless objects. Usually such powers would wear off quickly or at least vanish after such an item is being used. The effort to transfer such magic would by far exceed the effort necessary to cast the respective spell many more times. Moreover, only very few materials absorb magic sufficiently to sort of 'store' magic powers or spells. Somepony without at least some magic training would also probably be unable to use such an item. If this wasn't so, they would certainly be far spread and commonly used. There are, but very few of them." "Unlikely, but not impossible then?" Featherscribe asked. Twilight gave him a disapproving look but said: "Hypothetically." "Thank you, Princess Twilight." Featherscribe turned towards Frank who seemed to shrink a little. "Mr. Blanket, you studied in Fillydelphia?" "Yes." "And aren't some basic theories on the use of magic part of the obligatory curriculum for all students at the Academy there?" "That's true, Mr. Featherscribe, but rest assured that students there don't tend to earn enough bits to acquire any such rare magical items. Had I enough bits to afford such an invaluable item, I might be living in a larger tent!" Frank responded with a scathing tone. "Thank you, Mr. Blanket." Featherscribe now turned towards the assembled ponies. "So far we have only talked about the original reasons for Mr. Blanket's detainment. However, since he was detained, further evidence has substantiated the suspicion against him. One of the money bags stolen from Mr. Rich's house has been found. And it has been found in the sleeping bag inside Mr. Blanket's tent!" The murmur setting in at this revelation from Featherscribe made Twilight regret that she hadn't brought up this point herself. Before Featherscribe could continue, there was an angry call from the audience: "What? When was it found? And when did you ever plan to let me know that part of my property has been found again?" Mr. Rich craned his neck and frowned at Mayor Mare, whom he apparently held responsible. "I only learned about this when I came to Town Hall this morning", Mayor Mare said defensively. "I was under the impression that you had been informed, Mr. Rich." "Inkhorn said she was going to write to you about this, Mr. Rich", Twilight said. "I asked her to do so when I brought the money bag here yesterday afternoon." "You did?" Mr. Rich asked perplexed. "It was Rainbow Dash and I who found the money bag wrapped up in a sleeping bag in Mr. Blanket's tent." "But what is all this still about then?" Mr. Rich shouted. "My money found hidden in the defendant's tent! How much more evidence short of a confession do you need?" Frank took a step forward, but before he could say anything, Rainbow Dash flung herself up into the air, spun around and hovered in front of the stage, facing Mr. Rich. "He had asked me himself to strike his tent after he was locked up here! A thief wouldn't send anypony straight to the hiding place of the booty! And if Daring Do taught me one thing, it is that a thief who wants to remain unknown wouldn't hide booty anywhere where it would be traced back to him immediately! This is so obviously an attempt to frame Mr. Blanket!" "Come down here, Miss Dash!" It was Lady Justice who had given the order. She had not raised her voice, but there was such an authority in her command that Rainbow Dash complied immediately. "You say that you think the money bag which you found was placed in Mr. Blanket's sleeping bag as an attempt to frame him?" "Yes!" Rainbow Dash confirmed with a nod. "Isn't that obvious?" "Who do you think placed it there?" Lady Justice inquired. "Uhm, the real thief of course. Of course I don't know who that is." Rainbow Dash was looking uncomfortable. She had clearly not expected to be subjected to an interrogation. "When and where did Mr. Blanket ask you to strike his tent?" "It was yesterday in the afternoon. He was sitting under the cupola of the town hall and I flew by for a visit." "And you flew from the cupola of the town hall straight to Mr. Blanket's tent where you found the money?" "No, first I went to the library where I met up with Twilight and the others—" "The others?" "Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. We were... discussing all this." "And after you were done discussing all this you went to strike Mr. Blanket's tent?" "Uhm no, Twilight and I were flying. I gave her some flying lessons and then we flew to Everfree Forest." "To Everfree Forest? What in Celestia's name were you doing in Everfree Forest?" Featherscribe called. "We were visiting Zecora there", Twilight came to the aid of Rainbow Dash who was looking rather uneasy by now. "We were hoping that she could tell us something concerning the kind of magic that might be responsible for the loss of Mr. Rich's memory." "And when you were done talking to Zecora, Miss Dash, what did you do next?" Lady Justice inquired her look fixed on Rainbow Dash. "We were heading back to the library and on the way I remembered Frank's request. So we stopped on the green and that was when we found the money." "What time was it?" Lady Justice asked. "I don't know exactly. Late afternoon. Dusk was beginning." "And between the time Mr. Blanket asked you to strike his tent and the time you found the money, whom did you tell about Mr. Blanket's request?" Lady Justice demanded to know. "Nopony at all", Rainbow Dash said after a moment. "Come to think of it, I only remembered when we were heading back from Zecora's place and told Twilight. I hadn't told anypony else." "Mr. Blanket...", Lady Justice was looking at Frank now, "...did you tell anypony about your request to Miss Dash to strike your tent?" Frank shook his head. "No, I didn't." He thought for a moment. "Inkhorn came up to the cupola while Rainbow Dash was there with me, but she left before Rainbow and before I asked her about my tent." "If nopony but Rainbow Dash knew about the request for her to strike the tent, I'm afraid this is not quite so obvious a framing attempt as you are making it out to be", Featherscribe said. "Unless of course you yourself were the framer—" "Whoa!" Rainbow Dash shouted, but Featherscribe immediately made a calming gesture, "...which, in spite of your criminal record as a book snatcher, nopony would seriously consider." Rainbow Dash's face nearly took on the color of the red part of her mane at this exposure, but before she could say anything, Twilight spoke up again: "Even without knowing about this, the thief may have expected that Mr. Blanket's tent could be checked after he had been detained. His detainment was not exactly a secret, especially not after this public hearing was announced." "Speaking of checking things...", Featherscribe said, "...given what was found in his tent I think it may be a sensible idea to check out the contents of these saddle-bags which Mr. Blanket is always carrying with him. Maybe they contain anything that would give us any more clarity." "What now, do you expect to find five bags of bits in my saddle-bags, Mr. Featherscribe? I'm afraid you are overestimating my strength!" Frank said sourly, provoking some laughter from the audience. "This is just a hearing...", Lady Justice said sternly, "...and unlike in case of an actual trial in Canterlot, the laws don't give us the right to search the defendant's bags without his agreement." Frank stepped towards Lady Justice. "If lack of substantial amounts of bits or other discriminating items in my bags will help the establishment of the truth, you have my agreement to search these bags. I don't have much to hide in there." Frank began to take off the saddle bags and Twilight quickly came to his assistance with a levitation spell, hovering the bags towards Lady Justice. Lady Justice had some difficulties to fumble open the lid of the first bag that also worked as the hinged desk of the escritoire. When she had opened it, she drew up a few books, an assortment of stationeries and folders into which stacks of densely written pages were squeezed as well as some loose sheets of paper. Lady Justice scanned a few pages with her eyes and unfolded one piece of paper which she eyed for a few moments. "Is this your map of Ponyville?" she asked Frank. "Oh, is it there?" Frank asked. "I thought I had it here in my pocket..." He checked out a pocket of his shirt but then shrugged. "I bought that map at the station in Canterlot so I would find my way to Golden Oak Library." "I see", Lady Justice said and looked at the sheets of paper in one of the folders. Tapping it with one hoof she asked: "Your mouthwriting is remarkably small, almost like a unicorn's." Frank nodded: "It is actually not mouthwritten, your honor. I modified one of my horseshoes a little so I can hold a quill with it. I found this to be faster and easier than mouthwriting and, as you already pointed out, the script is smaller and also clearer than most mouthwritten scripts. Let me demonstrate..." Frank quickly reached for a quill that had been lying on the table, attached it to his left hoof, dipped the quill in a little inkwell on the table and started writing something on a sheet of paper. Murmuring started again in the hall and by the sound of it Twilight thought that it confirmed the assumptions that more than a few earth ponies and pegasi would find a modified horseshoe like Frank's useful. "Remarkable", Lady Justice said as she looked at the words Frank had just written. "You have written all of that yourself?" Lady Justice asked, pointing at the different folders. Frank nodded and a proud smile flickered across his face. "Scientific work in progress. I am still gathering more material. Of course I cannot use all of this in one book, but I think that perhaps once the main act is finished, I may publish a volume or several of other cutie mark related stories. Especially young fillies still waiting for their cutie marks may find them educational, entertaining and perhaps even encouraging." Frank gave the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were standing not far from the stage, a smile. Talking about his work seemed to exhilarate Frank to the point that he was forgetting the situation. The stage was suddenly his and he was talking to a surprised audience who hadn't seen this lecture coming. "Isn't it amazing how little research has been done, how little has been written on cutie marks, seeing what a crucial role they play in the lives of ponies. I am sure everypony here could tell a tale about the own cutie mark or that of others. But apart from such tales there is also the aspect of how they influence—" "Mr. Blanket", Lady Justice called. "What is your cutie mark?" a voice from the audience called. Once again it was the filly for whom Frank had toned down his earlier explanation and who had brought up Miss Cheerilee in this hearing. "For the moment I would rather keep my cutie mark to myself so it will not influence any answers in case more ponies here in Ponyville agree to be interviewed for my research project. My cutie mark does refer to my studies however. When—" Lady Justice struck the pedestal with her gavel. "Mr. Blanket, need I remind you that you are standing a hearing? This is not your lecture auditorium!" Frank looked very crestfallen. "Of course. I'm sorry. I sometimes get carried away with my enthusiasm for my field of studies." "Mr. Blanket, there is a question here that has nothing to do with cutie mark lore. You don't know where Mr. Rich's house is?" "That's true. If I wanted to raid Mr. Rich's house now I'd first have to ask you for the way." The little talk about cutie marks had apparently reawakened the more humorous part of Frank's spirit and his remark provoked some laughter from the audience. "How then do you explain this?" Lady Justice asked, holding up the map. Both Frank and Twilight took a step closer to see what Lady Justice was referring to. At first Twilight didn't see anything unusual about the map. It was a simple map of the kind that was offered to travelers for little money at stations or travel bureaus. It marked some of the important landmarks, public buildings and important shops and service providers of Ponyville. But then it struck Twilight and a moment later she heard a gasp from Frank. Mr. Rich's house was circled and beside it stood: Rich Mansion "Didn't you just say you had no idea where Mr. Rich's house was?" Featherscribe asked; he too had stepped closer. "I didn't! I didn't know, I mean. I did say it, that I didn't know. But I really didn't!" "Then how come you marked it onto your map?" Featherscribe demanded to know. "I didn't mark this! I didn't write this!" Frank called. "This looks exactly like your very distinctive hoofwriting from the other pages!" Lady Justice said, tapping the words written on the map with one of her hooves. "It does", Frank said. "Then how do you explain this?" Featherscribe asked angrily. "I don't! I don't explain this! I cannot explain this! I don't know! This is my hoofwriting, but I didn't write this! I really had no idea where Mr. Rich's house was. And I don't have any idea how a map with the place being marked in my hoofwriting could end up in my saddle-bags!" Frank was sounding rather desperate now while Twilight's mind was racing to get her thoughts in order. "Maybe this is another attempt of the real thief to frame you", Rainbow Dash who hadn't left the stage suggested cautiously. Featherscribe opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Frank himself said: "Yes, but how? This looks exactly like my hoofwriting and nopony but me had access to my bags or pockets or was even aware that I had this map. I do not see how anypony but me could have done this and at the same time I know that I did not do it myself!" "Frank, I'm trying to help you!" Rainbow Dash said, apparently trying to be quiet enough not to be heard, but with the total silence from the audience everyone could hear her. "I know", Frank said. "But I really don't understand how all this is even possible." There was an awkward moment during which nobody said anything. At last Featherscribe turned to Lady Justice: "Your honor, shall we proceed with the second bag? Perhaps its contents may help finding the answers the defendant is looking for." Twilight gave Featherscribe a grim look, but she helped with a spell to open the lid that would prop up the desk when the saddle-bags were used as an escritoire. Lady Justice brought forth a few more books. One of them was looking particularly old and worn and Lady Justice gave it a closer look. "The tales of the merry adventures of Robing Hooves?" she asked. Frank nodded. "This is the first book I ever had. My mother got it for me from a book flea market and read it to me and I then read it to my dad when he was around. He couldn't read it himself, but he was so happy to hear me read it." Somehow these words from Frank made Twilight feel like she had a lump in her throat. She realized how little she knew about the hobo student colt from Fillydelphia. "The highway pony who stole from the rich to give to the poor?" Featherscribe asked. Frank put on a defiant face: "You will not hold that against me now, will you? How many ponies present here have not been told the tales of Robbing Hooves? Does that make all who have suspicious?" "Of course not", Featherscribe said. "But stealing from the rich and giving to the poor... one might see some parallel there. The robbing of Mr. Rich and you yourself being—" Frank snorted angrily: "Poor, yes! You want to keep in mind that a pony ready to commit theft may not need having read Robing Hooves to realize that stealing from a rich pony may be more economic than stealing from a poor one! No offense to Mr. Rich or anypony present." There was some laughter from the audience. "Now really...", Twilight said, "...if owning a book about a famous outlaw or a crime story was an indicator for the owner being a criminal, I myself would probably be one of Equestria's worst crooks!" "Twilight!" Pinkie Pie shouted from the audience. "You can tell that to us, but not here! You may end up arrested!" It seemed like the idea of Twilight getting arrested was a real possibility in the mind of Pinkie Pie, but everyone else now burst with laughter and even Lady Justice granted herself a chuckle before she ordered silence with several strikes of her gavel. The laughter had lessened the tense atmosphere considerably. Lady Justice proceeded searching the bag. She brought forth some more writing and drawing materials as well as Frank's harmonica and its holder and also a somewhat noble looking portfolio. "My certificates and credentials from the Academy", Frank said as Lady Justice opened the portfolio and studied some of the pages. "Impressive", she said with an appreciative nod. Next she lifted the jute sack out of the bag which Twilight and Rainbow Dash recognized as the one from of which Frank had produced the pretzels during the picnic the previous morning. Lady Justice cast a somewhat skeptical look into it and Frank immediately blushed. "Just something to eat on the way... these are rather durable." Lady Justice closed the jute sack without saying anything and lifted a folded bundle of cloth out of the bag. Apparently it was a second set of clothing, another turtlenecked shirt and another wraparound, much like those which Frank was wearing. As she lifted the bundle on the table onto which she had put the other contents of Frank's bags, something dropped out of it and landed on the floor with an audible metal clinking. It was a small burlap bag closed with a loop of string. "What is this?" Lady Justice asked as she picked up the bag and placed it onto the table. "That's my money. I'm pretty sure that a single pony would be sufficient to carry away six of those money bags or even a few more and without any necessity for a levitation spell", Frank said sarcastically, but nobody was laughing this time. Lady Justice was looking into the saddle-bags again, but Frank said: "I think that should be everything you will find in there." She nodded and let her look wander once again about the assortment of books, writing and drawing materials, the harmonica and the other items now on the table. "I think we are done with this. Uhm, Princess Twilight, could you please levitate the possessions of Mr. Blanket back to where they belong? It would be a great convenience rather than packing them up again by hoof." "Certainly", Twilight agreed and prepared the levitation spell to restore the items when suddenly Featherscribe stepped forward. "One moment! We haven't taken a look into the money bag of Mr. Blanket!"