VIII

THE VILLAGE OF THE MALEFACTORS

Making our way southward in the direction of The Capital we halt awhile outside a Village whose residents pursue a most singular mode of occupation.

THE TRAVELLER. Driving along a minor highway where traffic was less congested than on other routes, we made a steady pace towards our eventual destination, The Capital of Herttach.

Just before noon Albert directed my attention towards a small town located about a quarter league to the south east of the road. The terrain was flat and unremarkable, few trees, the waters of a small lake grey in the morning light. Looking at the outline of the town against the sky its architecture appeared to have little if any merit, a few church steeples pushing upwards, striking in their likeness to an array of jagged and decaying teeth. No publick buildings with architecture of importance could be seen. Observing from my vantage-point the town seemed to consist of nothing more than an amorphous mass of small undistinguished private and public buildings none with beauty of form or other features noteworthy of attention. I was on the point of asking Albert why we had stopped on the small road that led off the highway, thus breaking smooth passage of our journey for the purpose of looking on such a dull place, when of a sudden large Solar Cart rumbled past our stationary position. Painted black with barred-windows and of extreme robust construction, this was a vehicle the like of which I had not observed elsewhere during our recent travels. Controlling the steering-bar was a man garbed in black livery, matching in both costume and demeanour a second person who sat beside him on the driving bench. Both were large men, if not unkept, threatening and surly appearance. Both stared ahead directly as they sped by leaving the town behind them, driving towards the main highway at an urgent pace to enter the main carriageway in the direction of The Capital.

ALBERT. “Runners,” he told me by way of explanation “Members of the corps whose duty it is to safeguard life, limb and property from the rapacity of the criminal classes.”

THE TRAVELLER. Could their function be similar to The Watchmen who fulfilled similar duties within the countries of The Great Continent. Had some awful crime been recently perpetuated in this district I wondered.

ALBERT. “Crime? Why no Sir. I can vouch upon my honour that such is not the case.”

THE TRAVELLER. Curious as to his certainty pronouncing on this matter, I proffered the observation that surely the presence of The Runners conveyed by a stoutly built Solar Cart must indicate a contrary explanation.

ALBERT. Laughing heartily and taking a pinch of snuff, his invariable punctuation to any short break in our travels or verbal exchanges “I know what I say to be true Sir. I would wager a thousand Herttach Crowns safe on this certain knowledge. This town is The Borough of Malefactors. No safer district of abode exists within the realm.”

THE TRAVELLER. Not usually a man unduly worried by the notion that a jest might be perpetuated to my discomfiture, on this occasion I felt my bile rise rather more than was comfortable.

ALBERT. Seeing the sudden redness of my cheeks “Hold hard Sir. I do no amuse myself at your expense. Hear me out I beg of you. Consider if you will acts of criminality and those who perpetuate them. I have no doubt you would be in agreement that, in an idea state, whosoever committed an act of transgression should after proper judicial procedure be punished in a manner fitted to reflect the nature of the particular misdeeds.”

THE TRAVELLER. Even as he spoke second and even larger black-liveried Solar Cart rumbled past, this time in the direction of the town, giving me unease and the thought that this might not be a savoury place to tarry. Unconcerned Albert continued his discourse.

ALBERT. “Your own wide experience of the world must have taught you - The Ideal - is rarely if ever met with. If there were an unlimited number of Runners employed to apprehend those who break our laws there is little doubt most criminals would be in due time arraigned. But the resources that can be devoted towards the maintenance of the law is not without limits and it is therefore in the nature of things that many crimes cannot be matched to their perpetrators. This is the reason for me stopping here at this otherwise undistinguished place. Tis not the town that is of interest, but the unique activities of the persons who dwell therein. Most of its inhabitants gain their livelihood by being malefactors by profession.”

THE TRAVELLER. “All the crimes within these islands are committed by the persons who live in this borough?” Amazed at the improbability of this proposition.

ALBERT. “Why no Sir! that would be a self-evident absurdity. They only confess to having transgressed the law,” He paused for a moment taking a second pinch of snuff. “I can discern your wonderment regarding this intelligence. Permit me to illustrate with an example the neat perfection of the procedure. For example, one moonless night in The Capital, a house is sacked, persons abed, servants and masters, are injured or unharmed as the case may be. When hailed with urgency to attend, The Runners arrive, and note all the details of the incident, listen to accounts verbatim, from all who witnessed or were party to the affair. But after due investigation over a period of time they are unable to apprehend the person or persons responsible for this outrage against private persons and property. Knowing well the futility of a prolonged investigation they come at once to this borough, here to select someone who in the absence of the actual criminals, will be held responsible by proxy for their crimes. Charged with the offences, this person or persons are taken, incarcerated, and after duly appearing before our courts of law and there will have meted out a penalty appropriate to the gravity of the offence.”

THE TRAVELLER. Reiterating the gist of his explanation I re-examined the proposition. “If I understand you well, there operates a system of jurisprudence within these islands which arrests persons known not to have committed any specific criminal act, but nevertheless takes them into custody, and following a trial before judges, imprisons them.” I stated this convinced in my own mind that I must have misheard the exposition some salient and remitting feature.

ALBERT. “You truly state Sir what is the essence of the system.”

THE TRAVELLER. “This cannot be.” I protested “If it is indeed a true account of the case, it is without doubt the greatest outrage against the laws of natural justice.”

ALBERT. “Consider Sir, the advantage of such a system,” he replied calmly. “The font of your indignation rests on the assumption that The Publick demands to be held to account, the specific person, who commits a specific crime. I must in all honesty dissent with this opinion. All The Publick demands is that someone must be seen to pay the price the law demands. It is symbolic in the pure sense. If someone is seen to be punished that is sufficient unto itself. What need to get deep into a mire of individual guilt or innocence. Our custom and practice in these matters ensures no crime is ever left unsolved.”

THE TRAVELLER. Much distressed by what Albert had imparted to me the following words stumbled from my lips “Meanwhile knowingly innocent people languish in dungeons. What must be the effect on them of unjustifiable deprivation of their personal liberty?”

ALBERT. “Sir! You fail to appreciate the nub of the argument if I might make bold enough to say as such. All know well the rules of this game. It is the means by which those who dwell here within The Borough of the Malefactors earn their daily bread. After sentence is passed, a period of confinement, the length of which depends on the gravity of the crime they purge, a panel of High Judges meet in secret and after due consideration of the documents relating to the particular case direct the imprisoned individual be released at the conclusion of an agreed length of time, the imprisoned being given a goodly sum in recompense, paid from the coffers of the exchequer. See how the jog comes full circle. Crime is committed, The Publick can see someone held responsible and punished. The chosen scapegoat mildly suffers incarceration for a predetermined period of time and then is released with sufficient money to live on in ease and comfort until the next occasion The Runners are in need of his services.”

THE TRAVELLER. “The next time!” I exclaimed with disbelief. “This torturous procedure sweeps up its victims more than once?” my usual clarity of thought chilled by what had been imparted to me.

ALBERT. “For some more than six incarcerations within ten years, the maximum permitted by act of law. Come now my good Sir! why the look of disbelief? If we had time to call and ask for their opinion, I have no doubt they would without reservation express approval of the system and the role they are called on to play.

The Rule of Law is the truth that separates order from anarchy.

The Mnikin Blue Book. Saw IXXX

THE TRAVELLER. Albert set the Solar Cart to forward-motion and we rejoined the highway again, en route for The Capital, trailing close in behind for some miles that now familiar marque of black-painted Solar Cart, the uses of which I had so recently become familiar. Bereft of speech I stared through the iron-barred windows at those chained within.