Ch 2, reg 8: The Rule of Law

_______________________________

Chapter 2 - The Legislature

Regulation 8: The Rule of Law

All laws made under the statute-making powers of the legislative body of the Other Side shall be binding on the Council, Court, Senators, and denizens of each domain. In this manner, all occupants of the Other Side are of equal standing before the eyes of the law, and are to be treated equally and punished evenly for transgressions.

________________________________

“Explain yourself.” The attendant demanded.

“This is an illegal Contest.” Gemma said, staring him down.

“On what grounds?”

“The fourteenth amendment to the Law of Contest, section two-hundred-and-thirty-four, as signed by the Council.” She flicked the page that he was holding. “Read it and weep.”

He scrutinised the page before him, squinting his button-like eyes. “What language is this written in?”

“Ah. That’s a good point. Basically, all challengers in a Contest must be approved by at least two signatories of equivalent standing, or one signatory of superior standing.”

“And? We had both participants of the Contest approve through verbal confirmation. Surely you’re not trying to argue they needed it in writing?” He raised a twisted eyebrow. “Because I can give you plenty of precedent for a verbal agreement, when witnessed, being taken in place of written confirmation.”

“Not quite the angle I’m going for.” She let out a sigh of relief that she hadn’t gone all in on that approach. “Rather, a signatory cannot sign on their self-called Contest.”

“As per?”

“As per a holistic interpretation of the effects of section four of the Soul Trading Act, which outlines that definition clearly in stipulating a terms of trading contract may not be brought by one of the approving signatories.”

The attendant took a moment to ponder over her statement, interrogating it within his mind. Gemma dabbed at a patch of sweat upon her brow, having now realised that the heat was not simply her exertion but also the raging flames spouting from open fissures in the earth about them. She took a step away from an ominous crack in the soil by her feet.

“That is a broad interpretation of a highly specific law.” He eventually said.

“And yet, it remains illustrative of the intention of the legislature when it drafted these statutes; a signatory is intended as a party external to the parties signing the contract.”

“In the delusional world where that makes any sense and your evidence would hold any weight in the Court, our Contest would still stand on the basis that Madame S’s acknowledgement was as a signatory of superior standing, being a Senator herself.”

“In all possible meanings of the word, that assertion is misguided.”

The attendant stared at her, eyes alight with fury. Gemma flicked her hand against the page he held.

“Firstly, the interpretation of this section would imply an agent of superior standing relative to the participants in the Contest, meaning somebody superior to our Senators, not just in a general sense. However, even if that was the case, in comes Regulation Eight. All occupants of the Other Side are of equal standing before the eyes of the law, and are to be treated equally and punished evenly for its transgressions.”
“Oh, come on.” The attendant exclaimed, throwing his arms up. Madame S and He watched on. Eve kneeled over Midari, cautiously examining his left side. “Really? You’re bringing up reg eight?”

“The legislation networks, in their interwoven nature, make consistent reference to the Regulations, evidencing them to be one of the most substantial pieces of legislation in the Other Side.” Gemma pointed out, as a way of explanation.

“And yet, reg eight is so clearly and utterly contrary to the establishment of so many other statutes, including even internally to the Regulations which evidences Senators as constituting greater beings relative to the denizens of the Other Side. What about reg six?” He prodded her arm with his stretched finger. She considered biting it off. “The powers of the Senators are granted upon them to ‘maintain good governance’. Ergo, they are inherently of superior standing, being placed at an echelon above the common populace which relies upon their guidance.”

Gemma shook her head, cogs of her mind whirring into a blurring whiz.

“Not to any greater standard than a custodial government would maintain peace and order for their population. Would you argue that being a leader of a people disqualifies that leader from being considered one of those people?”

“That is a completely moot argument.” The attendant scoffed. “It doesn’t take into account any of the properties that differentiate our entire existence from theirs.”

“Such as?”

“Their powers being tied to the transformation of their domain, their physical resistance to soul entropy and voidance, their acclimatisation to travelling the veil.” As he counted out the points on his pudgy fingers, Gemma elected not to mention that she didn't understand any of them.

“And yet, would there be anything preventing a regular person such as you or myself from becoming a Senator through the appropriate election methods, as per regulation five?” She asked.

“Well, no, but that would be entirely unprecedented.”

“And should that person be elected to Senator, would they, too, be granted with the relevant powers to enable the oversight and maintenance of good governance?”

“That is a completely pointless hypothetical-”

“I think you know that they would, just as you know that they would remain bound by the black and white letter of the law, which maintains that they are of equivocal standing as Senator or not before its processes.”

“This is ridiculous.” He gritted his teeth.

“As such, the point stands that this Contest was not approved by the appropriate parties prior to its issuance, and has, therefore, been conducted illegally.”

“You’re twisting the wording.”

“I trust you would be well-practiced enough to recognise it. Feel free to take me to court, if that exists here, but accept that continuing to conduct this Contest without consideration of our objections is untenable.”

“But, you’re-”

“Adam.” The booming voice came from behind the pair. Gemma jumped, startled from their impassioned discussion to remember the circumstances of their surroundings.

“My Lord, this is a mistake. She is intentionally obfuscating the word of the law.” He pleaded.

“For your sake, you should hope so.” He stared at Gemma intently, with an implacable expression. “However, I will not have the heralding of my crusade be derailed by a technicality.” A tear in the reality of the domain formed by His side, into which he sheathed His blade. He patted his hands together and brushed the specks of dirt and earth that had spattered onto His pants. He straightened His jacket and gave a curt nod to them all, acknowledging His thoroughly beaten opponents on the ground.

“We shall return.” He promised. With that, He turned and strode back to the station, minor quakes reverberating from each thudding footstep. His attendant hurried behind Him, shooting poisonous glances back at Gemma as he went. She stuck out her tongue. They stepped into the train. As its doors came to a closing shudder, a short exclamation could be heard from within, but was lost in the hissing of the train's wheels against the steel tracks. It returned back from where it had come; sliding into the darkness of the veiled tunnel.

If any had paid attention, they would have heard that, contained within the oppressive folds of the ensuing silence, there emerged a gentle whisper of a sound. They might have remarked on how it sounded like a scritching of pen upon paper, and how the dim lights in the darkness looked awfully like eyes - and one of them just blinked - watching their domain from beyond the veil. A number of mumbles echoed in the abyss, a litany of odd pitches and tenors. The muffled echo of a disagreement began; bickering and bargaining, which endured for a moment. A voice spoke out above the rest - not louder but firmer. It lifted each utterance like a question. There was a general murmur of assent, then the slam of a stamp against its target. If somebody had paid attention, they would have heard the shuffle of feet as the unseen collective retreated from their vantage point. However, nobody did, and when the silence returned, none were the wiser that they had ever been observed.

“Good riddance to you both.” Gemma said as she watched the veil where the train had departed. She felt a fluttering sense of light-headedness bloom from within her. She looked about the domain that she had so recently been invited into; that she had hoped for an escape within. The crops were crushed and burnt to a thin ash that layered upon the soil like snow. The platform's concrete was cracked into two great pieces. A wellspring of steaming water spurted from the centre of its depression, as well as from several other pits spotted about the field. A split in the earth spread up the central path towards the inn, gaping at points where molten rock had oozed into and cooled to a shining volcanic glaze. The licks of flame that had threatened to spread wildly about the domain had ceased, leaving glowing embers on gravel as the evidence of its passing. As if the land itself sensed the danger abating, it calmed its own tremors and stilled its quivering outbursts. Gemma tried to focus her eyes on the scarred land, but it remained blurry in her bleary vision, as if she had only half-awoken. She turned - slowly, for fear that the effort of her pivot would undo her tenuous grasp upon her stability - and faced the others. Madame S and Eve were both crowded about the receptionist, speaking to him in hushed whispers. Strangers - the man from before, and a woman in a long gown wielding a bulky bag - had run out from the inn and dashed down the path towards them. She fussed over the receptionist, pulling out tools from her bag as the others stepped out of her way. Madame S limped, her arm about the burly man's shoulders as he gingerly aided her back to the path. Eve walked by their side, expression overcast by the shadow of a dark gloom.

“Are they okay?” Gemma heard herself ask, as if her voice was in another room, muffled by distance and delayed in time. She couldn't place this feeling, a mixture of exhaustion and elation; despair and delight. It overwhelmed her in waves, each one staggering her as she tried to focus her mind. She tried to walk in step with the others as they began to return to the inn. Her chest coughed in a painful stab. The breath that she didn’t realise had been held within her begged for its release. The adrenaline sapped from her, and she was left deflated. She felt the world spinning. As the clouds parted and light pierced through their cover, darkness closed into her vision. Her sight was gone before she felt herself fall into the loam of the soil, a soft impact which caught her in a full embrace as she lost consciousness.