fourth trial

[stagemanagers]

[For a fourth time, the doors of the trial room unlock with a loud, echoing click and creak of the doors opening.

The time has come for your fourth trial.

The courtroom looks as it always does, with Hook and Javert's podiums are have been decorated just as the other dead performers are. The added lights cast even more shadows across the room and the chandelier above glitters and hangs ominously overhead. The Balladeer is nowhere to be seen again, presumably waiting behind the curtain to be needed. Once everyone is in position, his voice rings out across the courtroom.]

You guys know what to do. Let's get this over with.

Comments

[inforapenny]

No, the bruises went like this-

[he indicates by holding his thumb and forefinger up along his jaw like a rope was pulling him up.]

If someone had choked him with the rope from behind, the bruises would go straight across.

We should probably check for rope burns, just in case.

[dieformymusic]

[Well that makes it slightly complicated doesn't it.

"You can start with me here."

Go ahead check his hands.]

[inforapenny]

Here.

[Leaning over Hook's empty podium]

You can check mine too.

[His hands are dry, but clear of rope burns.]

[dieformymusic]

[He moves over from his podium so that he can see that indeed Billy's hands are clear.

Winslow removes shows his hands, giving no sign of rope burn.

"Neither of use used the rope then."

That's something at least.]

[inforapenny]

Well, I didn't use it to string up somebody who wasn't capable of assisting.

[He rubs his hands together. They're not burned because he didn't have to do anything more than tie the rope and tug on it.]

I want to be honest in case it comes up, I did tie a knot in the rope to test the tensile strength and make sure that both the rope and the support were actually strong enough to support a grown man being hung and not just dangled. Hans can attest, he was the test subject for the experiment.

[dieformymusic]

[Shame you don't put yourself in more deadly experiments Hans.

"So the killer would have to be strong to hang Javert. Right?"]

[inforapenny]

Strong enough to overpower him or smart enough to incapacitate him.

[dontfeedplants]

... But wouldn't that apply to almost everyone here?

[dieformymusic]

[Crud, he's right.

"Almost everyone.

I don't think you could."

Or would.]

[dontfeedplants]

Thanks, I'm not exactly the strongest person here, anyway.

[He would laugh so bitterly if he heard the "would" comment.]

[trettende]

It's true, he did.

[ Hans looks particularly sour about it, but at least they learned something from it. ]

I don't have rope burn either, and my gloves are thin, I couldn't possibly get enough traction to pull someone up like that.

[sunshineprincess]

[This is what you left your girlfriend unattended for.]

But would they have any if they had gloves on?

[inforapenny]

Probably not. I know if they had thick gloves like the safety ones in the wood shop room, they wouldn't, but I don't know about thinner gloves.

[sunshineprincess]

Right.

[Just going to hold her hands up because boy no one has seen how strong this girl is yet. Her hands have no marks on them.]

I didn't see any of those lying around.

[dechagny]

Ah, yes, we should check. I have not taken to making a habit of wearing gloves here myself.

[He willingly holds out his hands. No rope burn.]