Beppin listened with attention to what the woman told him, in accented, but mostly correct Venetian. The boys could hear her words too.

"Is this what you have seen too? Or what else?" he asked Paolo and Faxio.

For her, he had other words, accompanied by a sigh:

"I figured up something like this. Or worse. I knew Paolo and Faxio wouldn't do this, and I suspected they had been framed. Otter should be praised, not mistreated for his deed. Otherwise, how do we teach our youngsters to not encourage crime? Hopefully the court would understand and believe them."

@Lily, @Quoth, @Swashbuckler

Paolo decided not to tease Otter with questions. He presumed the boy did not understand even French well enough.

As their cell door was opened, they heard what "Otter's mother" spoke. They had been framed, Otter had been framed. Thinking back now, both of the boys understood that this had happened like she had said. Otter had tried to stop a robbery, not to commit one. This made sense, as Paolo remember the boy shouting something to alert the others, perhaps "no" in French or so, which a thief would not do.

As they were released both of them felt temporal joy of freedom. Faxio, especially, would have liked to run to their ship, their home, right away, but on the other hand, they needed to stay here a bit longer. Paolo wanted to talk with Otter still, but they would likely soon part ways until the court.