Page 126 - The Grotesque Children's Book

“Well, and the birds, too. And the insects and all the animals. We all
just, you know, yawned together, and before you know it we were all asleep.
The wind started it, yes, I blame Her.”

“But it’s where you fell asleep, defendant. In the Healing Grotto!”

“Near the Healing Grotto.”

“Where you're forbidden to trespass.”

“I just explained. I wasn't trespassing. I fell asleep.”

“If your defense is merely that you fell asleep, the prosecution rests, and
you'll be sentenced to Transmutation tomorrow.”

Ernozio's defense was stronger than that. He'd been healing his fellow
centaurs. But that, for a centaur who was not licensed in the Art of Healing,
was punishable by death. No matter the laws should themselves have been on
trial, his sentence was a foregone conclusion, and he would be transmuted to
death tomorrow.

It's true he hadn't meant to fall asleep. But sleeping wasn't the crime.
The crime was waking up...to overhear the Centaur Healers whispering inside
the Healing Grotto. He could hear them, but their chanting didn't make much
sense to him: (“Sal armoniac one pound, Arinat one half pound, Sal niter one
and a half pound, Sal gemmae one pound, Alumen crudum one half pound.
Black, white, yellow, red.”)

I can't let them find me here! I should run. No, I should stay, but
announce my presence. I should say, sorry, gents, I fell asleep outside. I just
woke up. But I didn't hear anything, honest! I know no one's supposed to
listen in on your meetings, and honest, I wasn't, I wasn't, I didn't hear a thing.
I'll be going now. I didn't mean to interrupt. Carry on!

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