Loopholes - Part 4

“Moira is unscrupulous.”

“Moira is not your concern. You must tell your beloved friend that in less than two weeks’ time, he is to be executed and you are the one who will do it. That is your concern.”

“I … I … I-I don’t understand.”

Jean-Pierre explained that when Leda turned Sebastian and chose to mentor him, he became her responsibility. Several Council members had warned Jean-Pierre not to allow Leda to mentor Sebastian because she was too lenient with him. Jean-Pierre didn’t listen. Sebastian’s lack of discipline had gotten him into trouble with the Council before but nothing as serious as murder. Each time, Leda helped Sebastian understand where he went wrong and got him under control. He had never matured, and never truly accepted the Council’s authority.

“Sebastian’s crime cannot be excused, Leda. It will not.”

As she rose to leave, Jean-Pierre gave her one last piece of advice. “Read the Council rules on vampire executions. You’ve never performed one before. They are very enlightening,” he added with a wink.

Suppressing a smile, Leda made a beeline to the Council library to retrieve the book she needed. She took it home with her and spent most of the day reading and re-reading the section on vampire executions to make sure she fully understood it. Assured that she’d fully comprehended what she’d read, Leda scheduled Sebastian’s execution date. Afterward, she called Tariq.

Leda told Tariq about her conversation with Jean-Pierre. Tariq was sympathetic but they both knew he couldn’t do anything to help Sebastian. Once the matter went to the Council, human influence ceased.

“When is he scheduled to be executed?” Tariq asked.

“Next Friday,” Leda replied.

“That’s awfully fast.”

“I know. I have no choice. Jean-Pierre had me read the Council rules on vampire executions. Based on what I read, it’s next Friday or never.”

“Why?” Tariq pressed. “Even humans have thirty days to try to clear their names or appeal.”

“Tariq, you know as well as I do that Sebastian’s guilty.”

Tariq remained silent on the other end of the line.

“Listen, I’ll see you tomorrow after work, same as always. OK?”

“OK,” he agreed.

That night, Leda paid a visit to Sebastian in the vampire wing of the prison. She told him that he was to be executed a week from Friday and that she would be the one to perform it. Sebastian studied the ceiling of his cell as Leda explained the process to him.

“I’ll bring you a nice suit to wear,” she told him.

“Yeah,” he snorted, a vamp’s gotta look good when he burns to death.”

“Don’t be a jerk, Sebastian.”

“Why can’t I just be naked?”

“Just do as I say.”

Leda turned and walked away before Sebastian had a chance to respond. She had a human execution to perform at midnight. Besides, she didn’t have the patience to argue with Sebastian in his current state of mind.

Usually when Leda executed a man, he thought she was a last gift before he died. Too late, he would realize the truth. That night’s execution was no different. By the time the man realized that Leda was the bringer of death, she had him in her grasp. His strength couldn’t match hers even a little. Leda had the strength of ten men.

She took no pleasure in draining him dry, though he had taken great pleasure in denying his victims their right to life. His blood told Leda everything she needed to know about him, all the way back to his earliest childhood memories. She drained him quickly, eager to stop seeing that overindulgence, not abuse, led this man to make the heinous decisions that brought him before her. The moment she had drained enough blood from the man to make death inevitable, Leda released her grip. The man sank to the floor in a heap. When his heart gave its final beat, Leda informed the warden. She left immediately, wiping her mouth on a towel. She threw the towel into the trash as she entered her office to complete the necessary paperwork associated with her grim task.

Time seemed to accelerate exponentially as the date of Sebastian’s execution approached. Leda resisted the urge to visit him again. She feared she might betray her secret to him. She hadn’t even told Tariq. On the morning of Sebastian’s execution, she took him a nice suit and pair of dress shoes to wear.

“Put these on,” she commanded. Before Sebastian could give a flippant reply, Leda had disappeared.

In the execution room, she checked to make sure that the drapes hanging over the east facing windows would easily pull loose exposing all but the area directly beneath them to bright sunlight. The distant rumble of thunder alerted Leda of an approaching storm. She had to get this execution over with as quickly as possible.

Sebastian was led into the execution room, flanked by two vampire guards, a 7:25 a.m. At 7:30, Leda pulled the black drapes from the windows. Sebastian’s escorts had joined Leda in the shaded area directly beneath the windows. They would push Sebastian back into the center of the room, should he try to get away from the sun’s burning rays.

Sebastian winced when Leda pulled the first curtain down. He braced himself for the pain and stench of burning vampire flesh as each curtain fell to the floor with a loud whoosh. The burning and pain never came. As he stared down at his hands and touched his face in disbelief, a flash of lightning brightened the execution room. Sebastian flinched instinctively, before realizing that it wasn’t sunlight. He looked up at the windows in disbelief. Steel grey clouds filled the sky as huge raindrops pummeled the earth. He looked at Leda, wondering what would happen next. Her smile caught him by surprise.

“Failed executions result in the immediate release of the prisoner, with the stipulation that he vacate the area where he committed his crime for no less than 200 years,” Leda quoted, still smiling.

“You mean … I can… I can go?”

“Gotta love loopholes,” Leda smiled.

Sebastian hugged her so fiercely, Leda feared he might crack one of her ribs. “Make sure you keep in touch,” she said, breaking Sebastian’s hold.

“Promise,” he vowed.

Sebastian couldn’t get out of the jail fast enough. He gave Leda one last hug before climbing into a cab that had been called to take him home. Sebastian had until sunrise the following day to leave town. If he remained, he would be recaptured and a new execution date set.

Latest Twilight Installment Doesn't Eclipse the First Two

It was easy for me to like this movie because I'm into the horror genre, particularly vampires and werewolves, and because I'm a pretty undemanding moviegoer. What I can honestly say I didn't like about this movie was the lack of vampires doing vampire stuff, i.e. baring their fangs, hissing and sucking blood.

The book may have given more detail in scenes like those where Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) described how they became vampires but in the movie Rosalie's initiation was more verbal than visual and Jasper's was literally over in a flash.

Rosalie's story, like Edward's (Robert Pattinson), is a sad tale of someone receiving a "gift" that she can't return, courtesy of Carlisle (Peter Facinelli), a well-intentioned menace with a heart of gold. Apparently being a vampire isn't as much of a burden to him as it seems to be to Edward and Rosalie -- especially Rosalie. Unless I've forgotten, than leaves Emmet (Kellan Lutz) and Esme (Elizabeth Reaser) as the only two who haven't told Bella (Kristen Stewart) how they came to be vampires. Continue reading ...