Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal Judgement Day Pale Fire Journal | Page 45

only a deeply misunderstood man, but that he actually is the King of Zem-
bla, and these reported events of ‘stalking’ are merely two dear friends,
who are deeply scrutinized by the society around them, trying to enjoy the
time they spend together. While, from an outsider’s point of view, the inter-
actions between Kinbote and Shade may have seemed heavily weighted
in Kinbote’s favor, in actuality, the two were in a mutual friendship. I have
expressed evidence from both witnesses and documents that will cement
this claim. We will also come to learn that, the reason they had a friend-
ship with a bond so strong, was because Kinbote felt he could be himself
around Shade, even though he had a terrible secret to hide; a secret that,
even when uncovered, never changed how Shade felt about Kinbote. I am
confident that throughout the course of this trial, I will be able to tell you all
the tale of true friendship that will relate to all in the jury and prove his in-
nocence.
The Court: Very well. The prosecution may now call its first witness to the
stand.
District Attorney: The Region of Appalachia calls Sybil Shade to the stand.
Now, Sybil, you were the wife of the late John Shade. Can you tell me the
date that John Shade and Charles Kinbote met?
Sybil Shade: Yes, they met on February 16 th , 1959(20). They were intro-
duced through the university that both John and Charles worked at.
District Attorney: Seeing as your husband passed on July 21st (13), this
means that your husband and Charles Kinbote only knew each other for
about five months. You confided in me that in the past couple of months,
there were multiple instances if disturbances between Shade and Kinbote,
did you not?
Sybil Shade: This is certainly true. I knew my husband more than anyone,
and I can say that he absolutely abhorred Charles. He never directly told
me this, but I could tell based on his reactions to Charles that he was not
fond of him. Knowing this, I tried to keep Charles as far away from John as
I could. However, Charles had a habit of constantly inviting himself around
when he was clearly not wanted.
District Attorney: Can you name any specific circumstances that corre-
spond with that claim?
Sybil Shade: Yes, many come to mind. Charles had a nasty habit of
watching us through our windows as we were trying to enjoy some peace
and quiet together. As he was watching us, he would occasionally call on
the telephone, and then hang up a soon as I answered. (23). Every time I
45