Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal | Page 25

I must remind the prosecution to keep his opening statement civil.
AMERICAN LAWYER
Yes, your honor.
(He turns back to the jury.)
Ladies and gentlemen, Charles Kinbote is no great man. The defense will
try to convince you otherwise. They will tell you that
he is the regent this absurd commentary is about -
that this trash is required to understand John
Shade’s true intentions for the poem. That a proper
understanding of Shade’s poem requires - and I
quote -
(He flips open the book.)
- "the reality of its author and his surroundings, attachment and so forth, a
reality that only [Kinbote’s] notes can provide." This
lie is declared on page 28 of his foreword.
(He shuts the book loudly.)
ZEMBLAN LAWYER
Not a lie!
AMERICAN LAWYER
Yes, a lie! Kinbote suggests that his knowledge is the key to Shade’s work
- however, the contents of the commentary are often
completely unrelated to the topics presented in Pale
Fire. They were not close confidants. Ladies and
gentlemen, I can prove these statements regarding
Charles Kinbote. I have here selections from his pub-
lication of Pale Fire, in which he practically builds a
case against himself!
(The American Lawyer pulls out from behind his table a series of stacked
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