Alas, this debate is unendingly tiresome. I am alarmed, indeed, by the
vehemance and small-sightedness of the accusations against those of us
at the second chest, and the lack of anger, or, in fact, fault, placed
against those at the first. As has been stated, both chests were
inscripted with dire warnings, but we could in no way, none of us being
divine, interpret the meaning of the words written there. We had no idea
whatsoever the damage that the second box would hold for Hashan, nor did
we even percieve with any certainty that it would be an entirely
destructive process. Furthermore, I am not sure that Charlotte ever even
read the inscription on the second box, since she was delivered into the
location and opened the box almost immediately upon arrival. Indeed I,
myself, who much like Muaxl had been pushing for the opening of the box,
was, again like my fellow church member, looking at the box and in
actuallity re-reading the inscription, pondering if I should voice my
change of heart, and did not notice the presence of Charlotte until it
was too late. Because she probably never read it, (althought, as I said,
I am in no way certain of this...but, if she did read it, how could she
percieve what would happen), Charlotte can certainly not be held at
fault, and because none of the rest of us opened the box, indeed many of
us never noticing that Charlotte was present, we cannot be held in full
account.
Do not forget, in your scrabble to avenge your deaths and the fires
started by the flaming vortex, that we were hit even more hard by the
destruction of the Basilica, as for those of us in the church, our
honoured teacher and valued choir director were not given back life by
the grace of the gods. Do not forget, either, that all of us present
were thereby killed immediately, indeed vaporized, upon the opening of
the box. we felt the brunt of the error of our ways, long before you
did, for nothing can deal a more true blow than the sudden and
instantaneos death of a room full of people. Accusing us of actively
killing you all is much like unto accusing Thakren of actively killing
ou because he gathered many of your city at the crossroads while the
vortex was approaching. Like our company at the box, Thakren cold not
know what was about to happen, but under your faulty reasoning he
'should have known because there was fire in the sky heading toward
Hashan'. *shake*
I in no way hold Thakren responsible, of course, but on the same token I
am forced to accept the innocence of those of us at the box. What is the
most rediculous part of the whole deal is that none of our accusers seem
to realize that the bos would've been opened eventually by Ashtanites
regardless...they were indeed sent out in force, as a city, after the
same box, as they were after the first, and if we had not opened it, the
chances of them eventually getting to it were 100%. That you must surely
see, for many of Shallam's (and the church's) most talented failed in
defending the Mhunna against the determined Ashtanite force, and
eventually they would have laid hands on the key and opened the second
box as they did the first. We all know that is true. If Ashtanites had
opened the box, would you throw up various moral arguments to get them
to pay up? Would you even impose a fine? I think not, because for all
your talk you see the church for the moral, justified body that it is,
has been, and will continue to be. You know that Ashtanites would not
think twice about it, at least on the majority, and would not give a
second thought to your vehement words.
While those of them who refused may have refused because of their
selfish nature of because of their lack of respect for others, or, even,
because of their appreciation only for their own city, my personal
reason to decline, and no doubt that of some of my peers', is entirely
different. Indeed, the various claims about the 'lack of honour' we are
exhibiting could not be more wrong. I am refusing to pay BECAUSE of my
honour...it is not an unreasonable or horrendous fine that is placed
against us, indeed it would be quite generous had we played a direct and
alterable part in killing the citizens of your lovely city, but we did
not. We did not play a part that could somehow have been avoided by our
abscence or by our leaving the room or trying to hide the key, or any
circumstance, and by code of my supposedly lacking honour, I'll not pay
the price for a nonexistant crime. I believe we payed any dues we owed
for our actions on the spot, as our bodies instantaneously became one
with the air around us, and our souls were viciously thrust into limbo
without adieu. Convince me otherwise and I'll gladly and immediately
pay, but so far all I've seen is blind accusations and incognitive
retaliation for your untimely deaths. We died the same as you all died.
We saw the error in our ways. We reaped what we sowed. This is as it
should be.
If we had survived without a scratch, or had been merely moved or
injured after the opening, a fine would indeed be in order, but we paid
with our lives. I am sorry indeed for the damage caused to your city,
and the deaths you suffered, but, unlike the damage our glorious church
recieved, none of that what was done to your beautiful city cannot be
undone. I am sorry for your collective loss of life, and every day
regret ever nearing the box or opening my mouth to encourage its
opening, but what's done is done, and we cannot go back and change it. I
will no doubt at a later date pay some tribute to Hashan in honour of
your loss, but it will be after the Basilica is rebuilt and it will NOT
be in payment for my crimes. We have paid for our actions. Leave it at
that and allow us to get back to our lives, as you all should do, and
allow us of the church to focus on the daunting task of replacing the
building that personnafied the church and two of the most valued members
in our history, the lovely Marhisa and the good-hearted Handel.

God speed to you all, and good luck in recouperating and revitalizing
your city after the trajic events of recent months. Good day to you all.

Penned by my hand on the 18th of Chronos, in the year 288 AF.