From: chrismg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (christian gadeken)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Miyu/Frame (Part 5)
Date: 29 Sep 92 19:24:11 GMT
Reply-To: chrismg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (christian gadeken)
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
Originator: chrismg@sleepy.cc.utexas.edu


		      Who Framed Vampire Princess Miyu?
				  Part 5

	Rob was waiting inside, with a rather peculiar expression
on his face.  "You do know the most interesting people."
	Matthew grinned.  "Rob, this is Pai, one of the best lawyers
to come out of Dessin-Machi in years."
	Rob just shook his head.  "I must be getting used to this. 
The only thing I'm thinking is 'I'd hate to be cross-examined by
someone with three eyes.'"  
	Pai smiled as she sat down.  "That won't be a factor here,
unfortunately, since all I can do is try to convince the judge that
this circumstancial evidence is insufficient for a conviction.
Unfortunately, given the pressure being put on the system, a conviction
is the most likely outcome."
	Matthew nodded.  "That's what the police said too...  Waitasec.
Are you actually defending Miyu?  Not just advising or something?"
	Pai looked him in the eyes.  (She had the advantage that way.)
"If she's convicted, animates are going to be cracked down on like hell.
I think what the Lieutenant told me you said was right:  Someone's
framing her and if we can get the bastard, we'll push back the attitude
that people like her and me aren't really people."
	Matthew looked up at Larva.  "I'm getting all this help, and
it's not doing me any good-"  He looked back down at Pai.  "-because
the other side of what you said is, if we *don't* find the murderer,
you won't be able to do a thing."
	Pai got up.  "If you don't let me down, I won't let you-or her-
down."  She vanished.
	Matthew sat down heavily.  "Great."
	Rob sat opposite him.  "What is it with you and these... these..."
He struggled for a word.
	"Bishoujou youkai?"  Matthew suggested.
	"What?"
	"Cute-girl monsters, sort of."
	"Yeah, what is it with you, anyway?"
	"Never mind.  You have to get back to America, and I have to
start looking for a murderer.  How long do you think you'll be?"
	"Less than two weeks.  Much less if I can convince my boss
this Miyu business won't affect your ability to do good work."
	"Well, I'm going to have to cut back on work... Do just enough
to stay employed.  If Miyu gets erased, I *won't* be able to do good
work."
	Rob looked puzzled.  "Erased?"
	Matthew glared at the floor. "Yeah.  They stick her in front
of a big arclamp with a special filter over it and blaze away until
she's... gone... (deep breath)  It's a lot more efficient than Dip.  If
she's convicted there's no way she'll get a lighter sentence."  He
looked up.  "All packed?"
	"Uh... yeah."
	Matthew nodded at Larva.  "Take him to the airport bathroom,
would you?  Don't want him strangled by that mob outside."
	"Why the bathroo-"  Matthew was alone.
	A minute later, Larva reappeared.  Matthew looked up, then
jumped to his feet.  "Whaddayoumean he didn't throw up!?"  He shook
his head.  "Never mind.  Let's get going."  He peeked out a window at
the mob of reporters.  "Just fly me over their heads, okay."

		THIRTEEN DAYS GO BY MUCH TOO FAST.

	Matthew in the house, with the lights off, staring at the floor.
Answers a doorbell and Rob enters.  
	"You look terrible."
	"Thirteen days of pounding pavement, worrying, and not getting
much sleep will do that.  Did you come back just to say that?"
	"No, I brought you a contract, too."
	"This isn't a very good..."
	"I also came to lend moral support.  The hearing's today?"
	"Yeah, in an hour or so.  Let me get cleaned up."  He went into
the bathroom and ran some water.
	Rob frowned.  "Umm... I was thinking...  Are you sure you should
be trying this hard?"
	"What?"
	"Is there any chance she, um, did it?"
	"What are you-  Oh. (Pause)  Yes, I'm sure.  The police report
said all the blood was drained from the body.  If Miyu did it, she
wouldn't have drunk from me the way she did when she was arrested."
	"Could she have faked it to fool you?"
	"After eighteen months of her drinking my blood, I can tell when
she needs it, and when she's just drinking because I'll be unavailable
later.  She *needed* it that day, and she wouldn't have if she'd gorged
herself a few days earlier."  He came out, looking halfway decent.  "And
if she can fake that, she can fake anything and I might as well give up."
	Rob nodded.  "But you haven't had any luck?"
	Matthew made a face as he pulled on his coat.  "Thirteen days
of bugging people, searching for clues, and tramping all over Tokyo,
down the tubes."
	Rob looked at him as he locked the door behind them.  "So this is
it, huh?"
	Matthew looked back bleakly.  "Yep.  This is it."  He glanced at
the street.  "Taxi!"

			T S U Z U K U . . .

 
-- 
			C h r i s t i a n  G a d e k e n

Yakumo: "But I really did destroy a monster in Hong Kong!"
Saru  : "Ahem, ahem"
Yakumo: "Saru, do you believe me?"
Saru  : "Where's my Hong Kong souvenir?"