Chronicle 31
Responsibility v. Forman: Preliminary Hearings, Part 1
By the time Joanna and the children reached the public
gallery...
The hearing room was already overflowing.
Every public seat had been filled.
Late arrivals clustered near the doors, hoping someone would
leave before proceedings began.
A courthouse employee raised both hands apologetically.
"I'm sorry."
"We're at capacity."
Several disappointed spectators protested.
"You should have expected this!"
"We came from another province!"
"I took the day off work!"
The employee sighed.
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
Behind Joanna, another member of the courthouse staff
approached.
"Ms. Goldsmith?"
Joanna turned.
"Yes?"
"We have reserved seating for you and the
children."
A man farther back in the crowd immediately objected.
"Reserved?"
"I've been here forty minutes!"
"They're accompanying witnesses," the employee
explained.
"They've been authorized priority seating."
Several people muttered under their breath.
Someone farther back called out,
"Then they should've booked a bigger courtroom!"
Even one of the courthouse attendants quietly replied,
"...You're probably right."
Joanna almost felt guilty accepting the seats.
Almost.
She knew Zas would never ask for special treatment.
She also knew the last thing anyone needed was his family
wandering around the courthouse while the hearing began.
The usher led the four of them to the front of the public
gallery.
—
On the courtroom floor, everyone was already in position.
Olivia sat with Christopher, Aaron, Gao and Jabulile at the
prosecution table.
Across from them sat Wiseman Banda.
Beside him, Alexandra Nikolaou quietly reviewed her notes.
Forman sat between them.
Expressionless.
The room buzzed with quiet conversation.
Journalists organized notebooks.
Observers whispered to one another.
Law clerks moved stacks of documents between counsel tables.
Then the courtroom doors closed.
The court clerk stood.
"All rise."
Every conversation stopped instantly.
Judge Victoria Caron entered without ceremony.
She carried a single folder beneath one arm.
No smile.
No dramatic entrance.
She acknowledged no one as she took her seat.
The room remained standing until she looked up.
"You may be seated."
Hundreds of chairs moved almost simultaneously.
Judge Caron opened her file.
"Good morning."
Without another word she turned to the matter before her.
"We are continuing the preliminary hearing in the
matter of Responsibility versus Forman."
"The Court will now resume hearing evidence concerning
the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the accused by members of the Order
of the Blue Shield."
Azamat leaned ever so slightly toward Zas.
"...Continuing?"
He kept his voice barely above a whisper.
"I thought this was the first day."
Zas frowned slightly.
"So did I."
Before either could wonder further, Christopher quietly
leaned back from the prosecution table just enough for the Blue Shield to hear.
"It is your first day."
"Yesterday's hearing was limited to Princess Elara and
Eldred."
Understanding crossed both men's faces.
Azamat nodded once.
He hadn't realized the witnesses would testify on different
days.
Across the room, Wiseman Banda calmly organized his files.
Olivia happened to glance in his direction.
Their eyes met.
Neither smiled.
Neither frowned.
Wiseman gave the slightest nod.
Professional.
Respectful.
Olivia returned it just as subtly.
Then both lawyers looked back toward the bench.
Whatever respect existed between them...
It would remain outside the argument.
Judge Caron continued.
"Counsel."
"My understanding is that the prosecution intends to
call witnesses from the Order of the Blue Shield."
Olivia stood.
"Yes, Your Honour."
"We do."
Judge Caron nodded once.
"Very well."
"Call your first witness."
Olivia glanced briefly toward the witness room doors.
This was the moment.
Yesterday's hearing had not gone as smoothly as the
prosecution had hoped.
Princess Elara and Eldred had both identified Forman as one
of the men threatening and attacking them in the square.
...but under Alexandra Nikolaou's careful cross-examination,
both had also honestly admitted the limits of their memories.
The day had been chaotic.
Terrifying.
Painful.
Neither could swear with certainty which individual had
issued every order or committed every specific act.
Alexandra had never accused them of lying.
She didn't need to.
She had simply asked careful, patient questions until
uncertainty revealed itself.
Today...
Olivia intended to begin with witnesses whose memories had
been formed under very different circumstances.
People who had arrived as rescuers rather than victims.
People who had observed the scene without the same crushing
trauma.
She took a quiet breath.
"The prosecution calls..."
"...Azamat of the Order of the Blue Shield."
The side door opened.
The side door closed behind Azamat.
Almost immediately, a Responsibility officer turned toward
the remaining witnesses.
"Gentlemen."
"If you'll come with me."
Zas looked toward the courtroom one last time before
following.
They were led down a quiet corridor away from the hearing
room.
Another officer opened four identical doors.
"These will be your waiting rooms."
"You'll each remain separately until you're
called."
Ravi looked around.
"So..."
"...this is the sequestering."
"It is."
The officer smiled.
"If you need anything, press the assistance
button."
"We'll be nearby."
The rooms were far more comfortable than any of them had
expected.
Each contained a sofa.
A comfortable chair.
A desk.
Fresh water.
Several newspapers.
A stack of magazines.
A tablet already logged into Responsibility's internal
network.
The internet had been disabled, but local news, legal
information and educational articles remained available.
A television.
...and, somewhat surprisingly...
A video game console.
Rahim blinked.
"...Really?"
The officer smiled.
"Witnesses sometimes wait several hours."
"We try not to make it unpleasant."
"If you become hungry..."
"...press the assistance button."
"We'll bring food."
"If you'd like fresh air..."
"...we'll escort you to the designated courtyard."
"Unfortunately..."
He held out a small basket.
"...we'll also need your phones."
Everyone surrendered them without complaint.
The officer nodded appreciatively.
"We'll return them once you're released."
The doors quietly closed one by one.
—
Zas looked around his room.
He picked up one newspaper.
Put it back down.
Browsed the tablet for a minute.
Then noticed the game console.
Curious, he picked up the controller.
"...Candy Crush?"
He laughed quietly to himself.
The game loaded.
A message appeared.
Offline Mode. Scores will not be uploaded.
"...A shame."
He smiled anyway.
"It will do."
Outside...
The hearing continued without him.
—
Inside the courtroom, Azamat stood waiting near the witness
box.
He looked toward the crowded gallery.
Then toward Joanna.
She smiled encouragingly.
He inhaled deeply.
"...Alright."
He started walking toward the witness stand.
Then, almost involuntarily...
His shoulders began moving.
A tiny shuffle.
A playful little shimmy.
One step.
Another.
Almost dancing.
Several people in the gallery smiled.
Phoebe covered her mouth.
Arel-Sin looked delighted.
Judge Caron did not.
"Mr. Azamat."
Her voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
The entire courtroom froze.
"This is a courtroom."
Azamat immediately stopped.
"...Yes, Your Honour."
"My apologies."
"Thank you."
Nothing more needed to be said.
He climbed the steps properly.
Sat down carefully.
Folded his hands neatly in front of him.
For just a moment...
He was tempted to greet the packed courtroom as though he
were about to perform on stage.
Fortunately...
Common sense prevailed.
The clerk administered the oath.
Azamat swore to tell the truth.
The whole truth.
...and nothing but the truth.
Judge Caron nodded toward the prosecution.
"Mrs. Stabler."
"You may proceed."
Olivia remained seated.
She turned slightly.
"Mr. Yang."
Gao stood.
Unlike Christopher's measured precision or Olivia's
commanding presence...
Gao radiated warmth.
He approached the witness stand with an easy smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Azamat."
"Good morning."
"Nervous?"
Azamat considered the question.
"...More than I expected."
A ripple of gentle laughter spread through the gallery.
Even Judge Caron's expression softened by perhaps half a
degree.
Gao smiled.
"That's alright."
"I'd be worried if you weren't."
Another small laugh.
Immediately the tension eased.
"We're just going to have a conversation."
"If at any point you don't understand one of my
questions..."
"...please tell me."
"I will."
"If you don't remember something..."
"...say so."
"I will."
Gao nodded.
"Excellent."
He glanced briefly at his notes before looking back up.
"Mr. Azamat..."
"...would you please tell the Court why you and Mr.
Zasaramel were in the Western Square that afternoon?"
Azamat sat a little straighter.
"Yes."
"The main fighting had already ended."
"Our Land Rover's battery had died."
"So Zas and I went looking for another one."
He smiled faintly.
"It was not a very exciting mission."
The gallery chuckled.
Gao did not interrupt.
"So why did you enter the square?"
"We heard screaming."
"What kind of screaming?"
"The kind that makes you run."
His expression became serious.
"I distinctly remember hearing a woman shout..."
"'No!'"
"...and..."
"'Stop!'"
The courtroom became completely silent.
Gao nodded.
"What happened next?"
"Zas opened the door."
"...and?"
"He immediately ran forward."
"I followed him."
"What did you see?"
Azamat didn't rush.
"I saw Princess Elara."
"She was chained to wooden posts."
"Eldred was draped across her."
"Protecting her."
He swallowed.
"Mr. Forman was standing nearby."
"What happened then?"
"The next thing I knew..."
"...Mr. Forman was on the ground clutching his
wrist."
"The knife was lying several feet away."
Gao nodded.
"Did Mr. Forman say anything?"
"Yes."
"He challenged the arrest."
"He argued with Zas."
"What happened after that?"
"Zas showed him his diplomatic credentials."
"The card issued under the Treaty of Ctesiphon."
"...and then?"
"He stopped arguing that Zas could arrest him."
"What did Mr. Zasaramel do next?"
"He asked Mr. Forman whether he wished to surrender
peacefully."
"...and did he?"
"No."
Azamat answered immediately.
"Before Mr. Forman could answer..."
"...his soldiers attacked us."
The courtroom grew still once again.
"We defended ourselves."
"We restrained the attackers."
"When the fighting finally stopped..."
"...we requested Peace assistance."
Gao nodded.
"Did Peace arrive?"
"A drone arrived first."
"What did it do?"
"It observed."
"It remained overhead."
"...and then?"
Azamat's face became serious again.
"One soldier who had not yet been restrained suddenly
charged toward us."
"What happened?"
"The drone fired."
"What happened to the soldier?"
"He went down immediately."
Silence.
"...and after that?"
"The Peace officers arrived."
"They took custody of Mr. Forman."
"...and the other prisoners."
Gao nodded once.
"No further questions at this time, Your Honour."
Across the courtroom...
Alexandra Nikolaou slowly rose to her feet.
Alexandra Nikolaou rose without a single sheet of paper in
her hands.
Unlike Gao, she didn't approach the witness stand
immediately.
Instead she smiled.
"Good morning, Mr. Azamat."
Azamat smiled back.
"Good morning."
"I hope Mr. Yang wasn't too rough on you."
A few people laughed quietly.
"He was very kind."
"I'm relieved."
She walked toward the witness box at an unhurried pace.
"I've heard wonderful things about the Order of the
Blue Shield."
"We do our best."
"I can see that."
She stopped beside the witness stand.
"May I say..."
"...that's a very handsome tie."
Azamat instinctively straightened it.
"Thank you."
"I chose it."
Alexandra laughed.
"Then you have excellent taste."
Azamat smiled.
"Why thank you. That is also a lovely bracelet you
have."
She looked at her wrist and lifted it slightly.
"My husband bought me this bracelet."
Azamat noticed it immediately.
"It is beautiful."
"Thank you."
"My husband insists I should wear it whenever I have an
important case."
"He is a wise man."
"I tell him that every day."
The gallery chuckled.
Even Judge Caron allowed the exchange to continue.
Alexandra's smile never faded.
"Now..."
"...let's talk about that afternoon."
"You told Mr. Yang that Mr. Zasaramel entered the room
first."
"Yes."
"You followed behind him."
"I did."
"Would it be fair to say he was standing between you
and Mr. Forman?"
Azamat thought.
"Yes."
"So..."
She spoke gently.
"...your view of Mr. Forman was at least partially
blocked."
"It was."
"You couldn't actually see everything Mr. Forman was
doing."
"No."
"You couldn't see where his hands were every
second."
"No."
"You couldn't see exactly where the knife was
pointed."
"No."
"You couldn't even see precisely how Mr. Zasaramel
struck his wrist."
"No."
She nodded.
"Thank you."
Not an ounce of triumph entered her voice.
She simply moved on.
"You described the fighting that followed."
"Yes."
"You called it a blur."
"I believe it was."
"So let me ask you this."
"During that blur..."
"...did you personally see Mr. Forman throw a
punch?"
Azamat frowned.
"I..."
He searched his memory.
"I don't know."
"That's perfectly alright."
She smiled reassuringly.
"I wasn't there either."
Another quiet laugh.
"So your answer is..."
"I do not remember."
"Did you personally see Mr. Forman strike anyone?"
"I do not remember."
"Did you personally see him order his soldiers to
attack you?"
Azamat hesitated.
"No."
"You never heard such an order?"
"No."
"Thank you."
She walked a few slow steps.
"You testified that Eldred was protecting Princess
Elara."
"Yes."
"How did you know that?"
"He was lying over her."
"Could he have been comforting her?"
"Perhaps."
"Could he have been shielding her from someone
else?"
"I suppose."
"Can you tell this Court..."
"...from your own observations..."
"...who exactly he was protecting her from?"
Azamat opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
"I cannot."
"Thank you."
She nodded again.
Never once changing her pleasant tone.
"You also testified that you heard screaming."
"I did."
"You specifically recalled the words..."
"'No.'"
"...and..."
"'Stop.'"
"Yes."
"You couldn't actually see the person who was screaming
at that point."
"No."
"So how did you know it was Princess Elara?"
Azamat looked genuinely puzzled.
"...Who else would it have been?"
Alexandra smiled warmly.
"I understand why you reached that conclusion."
"My question is a little different."
"Did you actually see the speaker?"
"No."
"So..."
"...you inferred it was Princess Elara."
"I..."
Azamat thought carefully.
"...Yes."
"I believed it was her."
"Thank you."
She paused.
"You've been very fair today."
Then came the question she had been quietly building toward.
"You told Mr. Yang that you believed Mr. Zasaramel
stopped Mr. Forman from committing a crime."
"Yes."
"If Mr. Zasaramel was standing between you and Mr.
Forman..."
"...and your view of Mr. Forman was partially
blocked..."
"...how could you personally know what Mr. Forman was
about to do?"
The courtroom became silent.
Azamat looked toward the ceiling.
Then back to Alexandra.
"...I couldn't."
"I believed that was what was happening."
"...but I did not actually see everything."
Alexandra nodded slowly.
"That's all I wanted to clarify."
"No further questions."
She returned to counsel table.
The silence that followed felt much louder than the
questions themselves.
Azamat stepped down from the witness stand several minutes
later.
The Responsibility officer quietly escorted him back toward
the witness rooms.
He replayed every answer in his head.
Every hesitation.
Every admission.
Every "I don't know."
By the time the witness room door closed behind him...
His shoulders had slumped.
"...I ruined it."
He sat heavily on the sofa.
"I ruined everything."
Outside the room...
The hearing continued without him.
As soon as Judge Caron excused him, Azamat stepped down from
the witness stand.
A Responsibility officer returned his witness badge.
"You're free to return to the public gallery, Mr.
Azamat."
"Thank you."
He glanced once toward the witness corridor.
Part of him wanted to disappear back into the waiting rooms.
Instead, he climbed the gallery steps.
Joanna noticed him immediately.
"There he is."
She shifted over, making room beside her.
Azamat sat down heavily.
He didn't look at anyone.
He simply stared at the floor.
Joanna tilted her head.
"...Az?"
He slowly shook his head.
"I think she carved me up."
Joanna frowned.
"Alexandra?"
He nodded.
"I thought I was doing well."
"Then every answer became..."
He searched for the right word.
"...smaller."
"I kept saying..."
"'I don't know.'"
"'I didn't see.'"
"'I couldn't tell.'"
He sighed.
"I sounded useless."
Joanna rested a hand on his shoulder.
"You sounded honest."
"I don't know if that's enough."
Phoebe leaned forward.
"You answered what she asked."
"I suppose."
Arel-Sin looked confused.
"I thought you did great."
Azamat smiled weakly.
"I appreciate that."
"...but I also appreciate that you're twelve."
"Fourteen."
"Even wiser."
That finally earned a laugh.
—
Down at counsel table, the prosecution quietly gathered
around Gao.
Christopher had already begun making notes.
Aaron silently organized exhibits for the next witness.
Gao lowered his voice.
"She got what she wanted."
Christopher nodded.
"Some of it."
"The blocked view."
"The uncertainty."
"The command question."
He tapped his pen thoughtfully.
"...but she didn't get him to exaggerate."
"No."
"He stayed honest."
Olivia calmly closed one folder and opened another.
"Cross-examinations are supposed to feel
uncomfortable."
"They're designed that way."
She looked toward the witness room door.
"The important question isn't how Mr. Azamat
feels."
"It's how Judge Caron feels."
Christopher nodded slowly.
"...and we don't know that yet."
"No."
Olivia gathered the next witness file.
"This hearing is far from over."
—
Several corridors away...
Zas smiled to himself.
"Five hundred."
He watched brightly coloured candies explode across the
screen.
"...Excellent."
The next level appeared almost instantly.
He barely noticed.
Outside his room, footsteps approached.
A gentle knock sounded on the door.
Zas didn't hear it.
Another knock.
Slightly louder.
Still nothing.
The Responsibility officer smiled to himself.
He opened the door just enough to peek inside.
"Mr. Zasaramel?"
No response.
The familiar sound of candies bursting echoed through the
room.
"...Mr. Zasaramel?"
Zas looked up.
"Oh."
He blinked.
"I am terribly sorry."
The officer couldn't quite suppress a smile.
"It's your turn."
Zas looked back at the television.
"...Already?"
He glanced at the level counter.
"...How long have I been here?"
"Just over three hours."
Zas stared in disbelief.
"...Three?"
He sighed as he set the controller down.
"I was doing rather well."
The officer chuckled.
"I noticed."
Zas stood, straightened his jacket and adjusted his tie.
Duty first.
Candy Crush later.
He gave the television one last wistful look before
following the officer into the corridor.
The game would wait.
Judge Caron would not.
The courtroom doors opened once more.
Zasaramel entered quietly.
Unlike Azamat, he walked directly toward the witness stand
without theatrics.
He took the oath.
Judge Caron nodded toward the prosecution.
"Mrs. Stabler."
Olivia rose this time.
She approached the witness stand with a reassuring smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Zasaramel."
"Good morning."
"How are you today?"
Zas thought about it for a moment.
"I was doing very well."
Olivia blinked.
"Oh?"
"I had just reached level five hundred on Candy
Crush."
There was a moment of complete silence.
Then Joanna laughed.
Phoebe joined in.
Arel-Sin couldn't help himself.
Even Azamat smiled.
The laughter spread naturally through the public gallery.
Judge Caron waited patiently for it to subside.
Even the corners of her mouth threatened to move.
Olivia shook her head with a smile.
"I suppose we'll have to interrupt your winning
streak."
"Duty comes first."
"It usually does."
The smiles faded.
Olivia's tone became more deliberate.
"Mr. Zasaramel..."
"...I'd like to return to the afternoon of your
encounter with Mr. Forman."
"Certainly."
"You entered the room first."
"I did."
"What did you hear?"
Zas didn't hesitate.
"I heard Mr. Forman threaten to..."
He paused only briefly.
"...carve Eldred off of Princess Elara."
The courtroom became silent.
"What did you see?"
"Mr. Forman was standing over them."
"Knife in hand."
"Princess Elara was chained."
"Eldred was covering her."
"Neither appeared capable of defending
themselves."
"Describe Mr. Forman's posture."
"He looked..."
Zas searched carefully for the right words.
"...threatening."
"In what way?"
"He was standing over two helpless people."
"The knife was raised."
"There was no hesitation."
"No uncertainty."
"What did you believe was about to happen?"
Zas looked directly at Olivia.
"I believed I was witnessing the beginning of an
execution."
Not a murmur escaped the gallery.
Olivia nodded.
"You made a decision very quickly."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because there was no time."
He spoke calmly.
"I have spent years patrolling dangerous places."
"I've responded to assaults."
"Kidnappings."
"Ambushes."
"I've learned that hesitation sometimes costs
lives."
He looked briefly toward Forman.
"I believed Princess Elara and Eldred were in immediate
danger."
"So I acted."
"What did you do?"
"I struck Mr. Forman's wrist."
"Why the wrist?"
"So he would release the knife."
"Nothing more."
"Nothing less."
Olivia walked a few slow steps.
"How did Princess Elara and Eldred appear to you?"
The answer came immediately.
"Terrified."
"How can you be so certain?"
"I still remember their faces."
"They're..."
He swallowed.
"...seared into my memory."
"They looked at me the way frightened people look at
someone they hope can help them."
He paused.
"I have never forgotten that."
Olivia allowed a moment of silence before continuing.
"After you identified yourself as a diplomat acting
under the Treaty of Ctesiphon..."
"...did Mr. Forman tell you he was President of the
Khotan Valley?"
"No."
"Did he claim governmental immunity?"
"No."
"Did he challenge your authority after you presented
your diplomatic credentials?"
"No."
"What happened instead?"
"I asked whether he wished to surrender
peacefully."
"...and?"
"He did not answer."
"What happened?"
"He looked toward one of his soldiers."
"What did you observe?"
"He gave a small nod."
"Could you demonstrate?"
Without speaking, Zas turned his head slightly and gave a
short, deliberate nod.
"Like that."
"...and what happened immediately afterward?"
"The soldiers attacked."
"Why do you believe that nod was significant?"
"Because the attack began immediately."
"It was unmistakable."
"You believe Mr. Forman ordered the assault?"
"I do."
Olivia nodded.
"There was a second incident involving a Peace
drone."
"Yes."
"Did you believe that second soldier was acting under a
fresh order from Mr. Forman?"
"No."
"I think he acted on his own initiative."
"...but?"
"I also believe he remained loyal to Mr. Forman."
"Why?"
"Because by then every action those soldiers had taken
had been in furtherance of Mr. Forman's objectives."
Olivia accepted the answer.
"After Peace arrived..."
"...did you have an opportunity to speak with Princess
Elara and Eldred?"
"I did."
"What did they say?"
"They thanked me."
"For rescuing them."
"They did not thank Mr. Forman."
"They thanked us."
"How did they treat you?"
"As rescuers."
"As people they believed had come to help."
"Did you overhear anything else?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"I overheard Princess Elara speaking with one of the
Peace officers."
"What did she say?"
Zas looked toward the judge before answering.
"I heard her ask..."
"...'Will Forman pay for what he did?'"
Silence settled over the courtroom.
Olivia let it linger.
Then she nodded once.
"Thank you."
"No further questions, Your Honour."
Across the courtroom...
Wiseman Banda slowly rose once again.
Unlike before...
There was no uncertainty about who carried the burden now.
The prosecution had answered nearly every gap Alexandra had
opened during Azamat's cross-examination.
Now it was Wiseman's turn to test the witness who had seen
the events unfold from the front of the room.
Wiseman Banda stood slowly.
He buttoned his jacket.
Walked toward the witness stand.
...and smiled.
Not smugly.
Not mockingly.
Simply with quiet confidence.
"Good morning, Mr. Zasaramel."
"Good morning."
For just a moment, the two men studied one another.
Zas saw it almost immediately.
Conviction.
Discipline.
Courage.
Different battlefield.
Same spirit.
Had they met under different circumstances...
Had Wiseman been standing beside him instead of opposite
him...
Zas would have trusted him without hesitation.
Unfortunately...
Today Wiseman was fighting for Forman.
"I have to begin," Wiseman said, "by thanking
you for your service."
"You've clearly spent many years protecting
people."
"I have."
"...and I don't question your courage."
"Thank you."
"I also don't question that you believed you were doing
the right thing."
"I did."
Wiseman nodded.
"Now my task becomes a little more difficult."
A faint smile crossed Zas' face.
"I expected as much."
Several members of the gallery smiled.
Wiseman opened no notes.
He spoke as though two thoughtful men were simply discussing
an event.
"You testified that Mr. Forman gave one of his soldiers
a nod."
"Yes."
"You described it as unmistakable."
"I did."
"What made it unmistakable?"
"The attack began immediately afterward."
"I understand."
Wiseman clasped his hands.
"...but a nod can mean many things."
"It can."
"It can acknowledge."
"It can agree."
"It can disagree."
"It can mean 'yes.'"
"It can mean 'no.'"
"It can even simply mean someone has been heard."
"That's true."
"So..."
"...how can you exclude the possibility that Mr. Forman
was telling his soldier not to attack..."
"...and the soldier ignored him?"
Zas paused.
"I cannot exclude every possibility."
"No one can."
"...but?"
"I know what I believed I saw."
"...and that belief remains unchanged."
Wiseman nodded respectfully.
"Fair answer."
He continued.
"You also testified that Princess Elara and Eldred
appeared terrified."
"They did."
"You believed they feared Mr. Forman."
"I did."
"Could they have feared everyone in that room?"
"They may have."
"Could they have feared the soldiers generally?"
"They may have."
"Could they have feared dying?"
"Certainly."
Wiseman smiled slightly.
"So what allows you to isolate Mr. Forman
specifically?"
Zas answered without hesitation.
"The direction of their attention."
"Explain."
"They weren't looking toward the door."
"They weren't looking toward me."
"They were looking at Mr. Forman."
"They reacted to him."
"They flinched because of him."
"I cannot forget that."
Wiseman nodded.
"I appreciate that."
He began walking slowly again.
"You testified that you believed an execution was about
to occur."
"I did."
"That's a very strong conclusion."
"It is."
"You had only seconds."
"Yes."
"Can people make mistakes in seconds?"
"They can."
"Can experienced people make mistakes?"
"They can."
"So..."
"...is it possible you misunderstood what you were
seeing?"
Zas looked directly at him.
"It is possible."
The gallery became very still.
Wiseman waited.
"...but I do not believe I did."
"Why not?"
"Because I have seen rescues."
"I have seen murders."
"I have seen assaults."
"I have seen kidnappings."
"I have also seen moments where people arrived too
late."
His voice remained calm.
"I have spent many years learning the difference."
"I believed I recognized it."
"I still do."
Wiseman inclined his head slightly.
"I understand."
He changed direction.
"You testified that Mr. Forman never identified himself
as President."
"He did not."
"Could he simply have forgotten?"
"In that moment?"
"Anything is possible."
"So yes?"
Zas considered it.
"Yes."
"It is possible."
"...but he did not say it."
"No."
"He did not."
Wiseman nodded.
"No disagreement there."
Another pause.
"You also spoke with Princess Elara and Eldred
afterward."
"I did."
"They thanked you."
"They did."
"They regarded you as their rescuer."
"Yes."
"I don't dispute that."
Wiseman folded his hands behind his back.
"My question is different."
"Is it possible..."
"...that they regarded you as one rescuer..."
"...without realizing Mr. Forman was also attempting to
rescue them?"
The courtroom was silent.
Zas frowned for the first time.
"I do not believe so."
"I understand you don't believe so."
"My question is narrower."
"Is it possible?"
A long pause followed.
Finally...
Zas answered.
"...I suppose it is possible."
"Thank you."
Wiseman's tone never changed.
He had never once raised his voice.
Never once suggested Zas was dishonest.
Never once accused him of lying.
...and somehow...
Every answer had become just a little less certain.
For the first time that morning...
A flicker of irritation crossed Zas' face.
Not anger.
Frustration.
He knew what he had seen.
He knew it as surely as he knew the mountains of Daral Lake.
Yet every answer seemed to end with the same word.
"Possible."
Wiseman noticed.
He smiled almost sympathetically.
"One final question."
"If the evidence eventually demonstrates that Mr.
Forman was trying to protect Princess Elara..."
"...would you want to know that?"
The question surprised everyone.
Especially Zas.
He answered immediately.
"Yes."
Wiseman raised an eyebrow.
"Even if it meant you were mistaken?"
"Especially then."
Zas' voice was steady.
"My duty has never been to be right."
"It has always been to protect people."
"If I misunderstood..."
"...then I would want to know."
He met Wiseman's eyes.
"...but I do not believe I misunderstood."
For the first time...
Wiseman smiled with unmistakable respect.
"I didn't think you would."
He returned to counsel table.
"No further questions."
As Zas stepped down from the witness stand several minutes
later...
His expression remained composed.
His stride remained steady.
Only those who knew him well-
Joanna.
Phoebe.
Azamat.
Would have noticed the slight tightening of his jaw.
Wiseman had never accused him of lying.
Somehow...
That had made the questioning even harder.