The Presiding One

( nobody told me there'd be days like these )

( only people know just how to talk to people )

To please the boss, I took on some new clients : rather high-flying people in the business world, who had unfortunately fallen prey to a fine piece of federal legislation. In other words, numerous charges of tax fraud.

Their case is - to put this nicely - rather hopeless, and I suspect any good criminal judge worth his salt would convict them of the charges. But everyone deserves a chance for legal representation, so I take them on. Lennon is pleased, because the case will no doubt drag on for a while in the court system, and they pay us well to boot.

We're part of the way through our fourth or fifth meeting, when I propose a couple of options in preparing a somewhat adequate defense. They in turn propose an alternative option. Apparently in the high-flying corporate world, offering to bribe the judge and the IRS to make tax fraud charges go away is a legitimate option.

I kindly let them know they would be needing to look elsewhere for their legal representation.

But don't worry - I am sure a firm like, shall we say, Valefar & Nock will welcome them with open arms.

So. Head of Lennon & Harding's newly created Criminal Law Division, huh?

Well, I suppose that's one way of cutting down on pro bono cases. I tip my proverbial hat to you, Boss. the old bastard

[ filtered private to all Norse ]
If any of you still inhabit this city, please let me know. I need to know how our numbers fare.

I -- what?

This just isn't possible. Who in Odin's name could have got my....

Miri?!

I'm going to kill her right after I kiss her.

( To Absinthe )

Here's a question. How do you get rid of a ghost?

Our dead generally seem to stay dead, once they reach Valhalla - or at least, I have never heard of any wanting to leave.

Why of course, Lennon. By all means, accept a new case where we need to sue the Department of Defense. Oy. It's going to take all your skills as an advocate (and then some) to get out of this one.

I could do with a drink right about now.

[ private to the Norse ]
I haven't seen Baldr - Father - around for a while now. Usually I don't worry, since we have such different working hours. But I have this feeling, and I need some confirmation from someone other than myself.

And on this occasion, I am setting aside all feuds to ask but one question.

Have any of you seen him lately?

[ private to Frigg ]
Greetings, Grandmother. I know I have been somewhat lapse about keeping in touch with family, but I hope to correct that error. Would you be free to meet up sometime?

In all my years as a trial lawyer, I have never stepped over the border. Well, you can cross that one off my list.

( Lennon & Forsythe take Mexico )

Note to self: tequila is not the same as mead. Stick to Corona next time, for everybody's sanity.

[strikes unreadable]

My boss has been positively giddy all day. And knowing what I know...well, that may not be exactly such a good thing.

Help me out here. Anything big going on, legal-wise, lately? Large class action suits, major negligence cases? Criminal charges? Personal injury? Anything?

I seem to be coming up blank, at the moment, and Lennon hasn't exactly been most forthcoming. Last time I asked, he just looked at me funny, and giggled. Saw something mentioned on the journals, about contract law. Anyone want to enlighten me about that?

[note: strikeouts are unreadable]

Just arrived in New York today, and was greeted by the most almighty storm you could imagine. The forecasters kept going on about the ‘freak weather’, but I suspect otherwise. Smells like one of the family. Thor? That you?

I’m not quite sure what possessed me to accept Lennon’s offer of a job – particularly after the man single-handedly defeated that case of mine in the US Supreme Court last week. Maybe that had partly something to do with it – I was impressed with his litigation skills. And considering what I know now, that really isn’t all that surprising.

Then again, you would think I would have enough experience with this gig, considering. Maybe I’m losing my touch? I’m not exactly the most well known out of our kind, after all. Not like Odin, or Thor, or Loki or…most people, actually. Damn.

Maybe I need this fresh start. DC is fun, but it’s good to have a change of scenery on occasions. Recharge the batteries, so to speak. See if my father is out there somewhere.