VRTs Time in Jail

Sean/prion: Re your assertions following: "It's unknown how much time passed after that and when the case was photocopied and assembled. When it was finished, it was a year before the junior officr receives it (who knows what has been done with it in the meantime). This gives him at least around three years to obtain this position..." We differ a whole lot on how much time has passed since VRT has been arrested. Note the cover letter that accompanies VRT's case file--it's dated almost a year past. Note as well the following from p.240, which quotes from the same cover letter: "The prisoner, who states his identity as John V. Marsch, arrived here April 2nd last year and was arrested June 5th of the current year in connection with the murder of a GSPB Class AA Correspondent Espion in this city." This figures at a maximum to be a year-and-a-half (although I grant you Annese years are longer). The "current" year mentioned means it's still somewhere between June 5th and December 31st, and if the letter is dated "almost a year past" (i.e., almost a year after whatever date it is between 6-5 and 12-31), the time span we're talking about could be anywhere from as little as a year to just over a year-and-a-half. How long do you think Jeannine and David searched for Maitre's money before David went to Port Mimizon--surely, a house as big as the Maison du Chien would take a while. To say nothing of the court actions and reading of the will that deprived David of any inheritance. So then he goes to the capital, enlists and becomes a junior officer with the authority to judge criminal cases in, what, maybe a year or less? Clearly, this is not the military I remember. And thus at least this aspect of your argument I don't buy. Robert Borski

This is Sean Whalen (prion).

You're completely right, of course. I was going on memory in the letter. I still think that this would be enough time for him to get to that position. It's possible he just blackmails someone in Port Mimizon to get the job. Also, he may have left as soon as no evidence could be provided to show that he was the legal beneficiary of Maitre, rather than waiting for Jeannine to finish looking for the money. The Cave Canem still would have been providing money at this point, and the expenses of his journey could be provided for. The case may not have really taken that much time, the Ste. Croix political philosophy doesn't seem to take difference of opinion in stride, and they were quite efficient in arresting VRT. It also seems that about any government worker is empowered to decide a criminal case, even a very new one. Remember that all the government employees have similar powers and do different jobs. The group that is empowered to arrest VRT is a fairly motely crew who one would not think would be given that kind of power. The fate of prisoners doesn't seem to be taken that seriously, either. The brother officer suggests that [David] should save time by just telling them to kill the prisoner instead of reading the case all night. Also, any idiot who owns a slave can decide exactly what to do with him/her. The government doesn't seem to feel differently about it's people. prion