Chapter X

**Chapter X** is the tenth chapter of *The Case of the Golden Idol*. The date of the occurrence for this chapter is March 14, 1795, at around 3:35 PM. The preceding chapter is Chapter IX and the succeeding chapter is Chapter XI.

## Main Plot

• It has been three years since the Order Party has seized power. Prime Minister turned Lord High Arbiter Lazarus Herst has seized power and enforced the four Maxims of Virtue. This is in order to have an ideal republic; a utopia with order and structure.

• If you go above and beyond the standard of virtues, you will receive positive credit, if you break the virtues, you will receive negative credit.

• The first virtue is moderation; excessive lust, emotions, and indulgence will be punished. The second virtue is diligence; excessive untidiness, sloth and mistakes will be punished. The third virtue is beauty; vulgar art, fashion, and music will be punished. The fourth virtue is truth; all literature, lies, and secrets will be punished.

• During a tribunal, six culprits were brought to the tribunal. One of the culprits, Duke Gideon Bell, 20 years old, was judged to have the largest merit deduction in all tribunal history. To execute his punishment, Lazarus used the idol on Gideon, and he lost 88 years of his life, making him 108 years old, and died.

## Extras

• Mr Fangor Quinn was born in 1760. He has -17 merit. He lied that he doesn’t have a wife (-1), has a painting depicting a naked person in his house (-2), he broke his wife’s favourite teapot in anger (-7), and was observed spending a night with neighbour’s wife (-7). It’s very likely that the guy with glasses is Fangor. He’s likely referring to his neighbour’s wife, and the painting of a naked person.

• Mr. Walter Keene, has born in 1758. He has -32 merit. He flirted 3 times with different married women during the Party convention (-7 x 3 = -21), he wore ridiculous headgear at 5 public events (-2 x 5 = -10), and lied about not betraying Lazarus during his ritual of ascendence (-1). This is probably in reference to Walter giving information about the idol to Angus McBain. He was expelled from the Order. It’s almost certain that he was one of the first two culprits tried in the tribunal, hence why he’s not seen.

• Lord Lothar Richards, who was last mentioned in chapter V, was born in 1735 and has +1 merit. He held a dinner party a few years ago where he offered large amounts of wine to his guests (-7), and he got angry during the questioning and shouted at the High Arbiter (-7). For revealing the whereabouts of his hiding fugitive dissident daughter Mary Battley and her husband Peter Battley (evaluated as +15 merit). It’s almost certain that he was one of the first two culprits tried in the tribunal, hence why he's not seen.

• Mr. Josh Bailey was born in 1755 and has -28 merit. He left his work at tannery early (-3), he drank excessive amounts of gin at the “Scrawny Cat” (-7), he drank excessive amounts of rum at the “Old Oak” (-7), he approached a married woman with an indecent offer (-7), and he denied 4 times during questioning that he had done these acts (-1 x 4 = -4). It’s very likely that Josh is part of the Order Party based on his uniform and comparing it to other members. He’s likely referring to the incidents of him heavily drinking.

• Count Horace Webb was born in 1750, and has +4 merit. He has not held down a job since the new regime (evaluated as 60 instances of non-work. (-3 x 60 = -180), he liked about working in his castle, helping his servants clean it (-1), he possesses 15 books, kept in his private library (-1 x 15 = -15), and he expressed willingness to donate his castle to the Party (evaluated as +200 merit).

• Gideon was born in 1775 and has -88 merit. He wears an outrageous hair style (-2), he broke down in tears 10 times during questioning (-7 x 10 = -70), has refused to start working (evaluated as 5 instances of job-skipping. -3 x 5 = -15), and rejected Lazarus’s request that he share information of a secret entrance to the castle of his cousin the Sovereign (-1). A portrait of him is found in the beauty confiscated storage box, painted by Jasmine Nightwings in 1794. Based on his clothing, and that he doesn’t look too worried or disturbed, he is most likely the man in the red jacket.

• Arbiter Dr. James Turner was born in 1747. He is in a high-ranking position in the Party. He has at least two assistants; senior assistant Daniel and junior assistant Toby. Toby dobbed in Daniel to James for untidiness. James has +12 credit (+20 for loyal service in high-ranking position, -7 for drinking a full bottle of brandy at a picnic, and -1 for keeping the book “Legacy of the Rose Dynasty” in his study.

• Arbiter, and General, Lord Alistair Koch was born in 1745. He received a note that the regiment’s colonel was seen with another wife in the potentially intimate situation. Alistair has +11 credit (+20 for loyal service in high-ranking position, -7 for slapping a sergeant in anger, and -2 for listening to marching music in his manor)

• Record Keeper, Mr. Nicolas Maker was born in 1757, and has +4 merit. He labelled a protocol as being on Thursday, even though it was Wednesday (-3), he took a double-length lunch break in the office (-3), and is awarded for loyal service in low-ranking position (+10 merit). He is also being threatened by someone in the Party for lying about being unable to lend money to this individual when he saw Nicolas spend more than 3 shillings on new clothes.

• Enforcer, Mr. David Gorran was born in 1752, and has +8 merit. He had a secret compartment in his office locker (-1), he denied the existence of the secret compartment (-1), and he has been awarded for loyal service in low-ranking position (+10 merit). He feels sorry for Gideon to die like that.

• Little Pip is not one of the child workers, despite similar looks, and that this unnamed child worker and Little Pip seemingly have a fondness of tobacco and literature.

• In a newspaper article dated March 13, 1795, Lazarus and his Party “will participate in a peaceful march to the King’s current residence to demonstrate their virtue of moderation.”

• Assuming that this world has at least some realism, the king of Great Britain and of Ireland was George III.