Second Harvest

"Mr. Folsom, did you leave the room when instructed by the sergeant?

"Yes, I did."

"So, you were following the sergeant's command?"

"That is correct, but he wasn't in his proper uniform."

The translator finished and immediately the room erupted into laughter. "Order, please, order," said the general, as he lightly tapped the gavel several times.

"Then please explain to us why you then chose to disobey his instructions?"

"You mean before or after the sergeant fired a pistol at my head?"

The general interrupted the prosecutor's questions. "Did the sergeant threaten you before discharging his weapon?"

"Yes sir, General."

"Did he point the weapon at you or just brandish it in a threatening way?"

"General Sir, the end of the barrel was inches from my face. At one point, after threatening me, the sergeant pulled the hammer back. I backed away slowly but paused when I looked down and saw Michelle, I mean Madame Dubois lying there in an awful state. The sergeant had repeatedly struck the woman in the face with his fist, and she was a bloody mess. I think I didn't move fast enough for the sergeant because a pistol round suddenly whizzed past my head."

Once the translator finished speaking, the villagers chattered noisily. The general waited for them to quiet again.

"You cleared the room after that, soldier?"

"That's correct sir."

The general then nodded at the prosecutor, indicating he should continue with his examination.

"So, Mr. Folsom, what made you decide to disobey his instructions and become Sergeant Fassbender's judge and executioner?"

Roy sat upright in his seat. "Sir, it is one thing to kill the enemy fighting you on the battlefield. But this was a soldier who stripped an innocent woman of her clothing. He tied her to the bed by all fours, like an animal, and then raped and savagely beat her to a pulp with his fists. To me sir, that is not a soldier. It is a sick monster and not even human. Back home, when wild animals attack like that, we kill it before it can destroy anything else."

Following the translator's interpretation, the room vigorously applauded Roy's statement. Again, the general waited until the room settled on its own, before allowing the prosecutor to proceed.

"Why didn't you get help or find your immediate supervisor?

"Sergeant Fassbender was my immediate supervisor, sir."

The judges at their table scrawled quick notes throughout Roy's testimony.

"The point I'm making Mr. Folsom, is you decided to disobey a direct command, you then attacked the sergeant making you his judge and executioner."

"No sir. I saw an innocent woman being savagely beaten by a fellow soldier when our orders were to make the village safe. I feared the woman would die if I hadn't taken immediate action. I wanted to protect her and feared for her life."