[ WP ] In this world , everyone gets one wish granted a year

'The action of my client does not violate any statement in RAA-II, and is therefore not subject to sanction, as granted by BHA-IV s.2 ( c ).' 
 
'Her action constitutes the making of a ***meta-wish***, the prohibition of which is strongly supported by numerous Immutable Laws. I am sure you are aware, my learned friend, of the reason for such laws to exist. The Joseph Case clearly demonstrates that the public cost for meta-wishes are unacceptably high *regardless* of the nature of their direct consequences.' 
 
'The supposed insights gained from the Joseph Case is valid only *in context*; our system of public administration had significantly advanced since then, and there are now meta-wishes that *can* be processed without incidence.' 
 
 I look down. Terry is not doing well - the aura of the jury is in sync with the prosecution. 
 
 There is a piece of dried leaf on the floor, so I stare at it, trying very hard to drown out my own thoughts so Terry would n't get distracted by them. 
 
 I did n't like school very much when I was growing up, and I still do n't. I mean, I get it - when everyone gets a free wish a year, the children need to be controlled, otherwise we have Godzillas roaming about and candy castles everywhere. But that's pretty hard for those who actually need to take control of their own lives - sometimes you do n't need your mandatory end-of-school-year wish, you just need your stepfather *gone*, you need it to *stop hurting*. 
 
 I guess I paid for skipping the last year of high school, though. That's when everyone graduated and got their standard privacy wish. Normal people do n't see a beautiful aura around me like everyone else. They see my naked soul, and the rude ones reach in and prod at it. That's the price of being such a failure, my mother says. I just have to live with it. 
 
'My client did not wish for wishes, or wish to undo, prevent, or modify wishes, or even ask *about* wishes. *Those* are the kind of meta-wishing that causes problems to the structural integrity of the wishing system, and *those* are the sort of meta-wishes the amendments were meant to protect against.' 
 
 He makes sense. That's a thing I really like about Terry - he worked in wish administration for the longest time before becoming a barrister, but he managed to retain his common sense. 
 
'Any wish to not partake in wishing is *strictly* and *explicitly* forbidden by the amendments in question.' The other barrister spat,'imagine the *chaos* that would ensue if someone had said: `` I wish that this wish was not granted!''' 
 
 Before Terry could respond, the judge had slammed the hammer. 
 
 Terry turned to face me for the first time since we entered the courtroom. There is fear in his eyes - and sadness, and anger. I look down again. It hurts to see him like that. 
 
 [ to be continued? ]
