Murmurs began to arise throughout the crowd at that.
“Before we bring out the accused,” Nascha said loudly, “we will have a reminder of the event itself and the charges laid before him. Harlowe?”
“Thank you, Madam Nascha,” Jude said as he stood. “On the morning of the Culling, the Patriarch of House Viper was present when, as one, the Culled refused to step through the arch and go to their fate. When the priests began discussing amongst themselves what to do about the rebellion, Cosmo took it upon himself to pull his daughter Myrine’s sword from her belt and drag one of the Culled’s brothers across the Deck to stand before them. He demanded they enter the arch as called by the gods.When they did not react, he decapitated the boy in front of the Culled, their families, and several other witnesses.”
Jude looked up from the sheet of paper he’d been reading from and took his time folding it back up before glancing to Raghnall.
“Bring in the accused,” the Patriarch of House Lynx commanded in a booming voice.
Whispers and murmurs broke out across the crowd as Cosmo stepped into the square from a line of guardians he’d been held behind. They parted and allowed him to pass. He made his way to the small box in the center of the area in front of the twelfth tunnel, several yards away from the assembled Tribunal who all sat, watching him. He was unchained and walked freely to the defense stand on his own. Myrine pushed through the Guardians a moment later to stand behind him, hand hovering over the hilt of her sword as if she thought she’d have use for it here.
“Cosmo of House Viper, you stand accused of murder as well as blasphemy as you befouled one of the gods’ most holy days,” Nascha announced in a cool tone as she looked down her nose at him. “What do you have to say for your charges?”
“I say being accused of blasphemy by a heretic like you is a joke even the gods wouldn’t find funny, Nascha,” Cosmo drawled in response.
The uproar was immediate. Members of House Avus and Lynx both exploded with outrage, pointing fingers at the Patriarch of House Viper and hurling insults back at him in turn. At the Tribunal table, Raghnall turned as red as his ceremonial suit while the leaders of the minor houses glanced warily between the major house leaders. Nascha, for her part, remained as serene and unaffected as ever. The only sign of her displeasure was the slight lift of her chin and a partial sneer.
I glanced at the Guardians whose hands twitched around the weapons slung at their hips. Their eyes darted from Cosmo to the table and back again, clearly weighing their options, alreadyconsidering stepping in to circumvent justice. What had he told him before this trial? What orders had they been given? Would they declare martial law and use a show of force against the crowd to bully the Tribunal into deciding upon a fate that suited the head of the snakes? Or would they enforce whatever justice the Tribunal doled out without regard to whomever was on the receiving end of it? Looking into their suspicious expressions, I thought I might know the answer.
“Call the witnesses, Madam Avus,” Jude’s calm voice somehow rang out above the crowd.
All eyes turned to find him seated patiently in his chair, having not moved an inch during the commotion. His eyes were narrowed and set firmly upon Cosmo and he had one leg crossed over the other in a posture which, in any other setting, might be called casual. His composure brought a hush over the throng once more so that Nascha could speak again.
“Bernard Wagner,” Nascha announced with a dip of her chin, “please step forward.”
A shaking Decker moved out from the line of witnesses arranged on the outer wall, close to the tunnel. His eyes were as round as saucers as they landed on the Viper Patriarch and suffered a lazy examination. Cosmo looked him over once, curled his lip in disgust, and glanced away as if the boy were no more than a speck of dust on his mantle. As if the witness didn’t have the power to see him executed on this Deck the same way he’d executed the Culled’s brother only weeks ago.
“Please inform the council of your experiences the morning of the Culling up to and during the event in question,” Nascha spoke gently, her ancient lips pulling up into a warm, matronly smile.
But Bernard glanced once at Cosmo and I knew what he would do before he did it.
“I wasn’t there, Madam Avus,” he announced, his voice far sturdier than his hands which shook violently at his sides. “I had a shift up on the Third that morning in the smelter.”
Nascha’s smile slid from her lips as her gaze darted to Cosmo. The Viper Patriarch didn’t move a muscle but the corners of his lips twitched upward in the barest hint of a grin.
“He’s gotten to them,” I muttered under my breath.
“Son of a bitch,” Milo hissed beside me.
“Thank you, Bernard,” Nascha replied, tone strained. “That will be all.”
“Arrest him for perjury,” Paxon snapped quietly. “He just lied to the Tribunal.”
“Arrest him with what enforcement?” Milo grumbled back. “No, we’ve gone about this all wrong. We’ve underestimated him again.”
Nascha called forward the next witness; Hanna Meyer. To no one’s surprise, it was soon discovered that Hanna hadn’t been at the Culling that morning. She’d been asleep, having stayed up too late the night before with a friend.
On and on it went. Each of Nascha and Raghnall’s witnesses stepped forward to announce they hadn’t been at the Culling after all, nor did they have any knowledge of the events which allegedly took place there. They all glanced nervously at Cosmo and fled from the Tribunal the moment they were dismissed. By the time we were halfway through the list of witnesses, the crowd began to understand what was happening. Their whispers grew to murmurs as the accusations passed between each and every one of them. Cosmo was bribing or intimidating witnesses. Cosmo was destroying the case against him without saying a word. Cosmo was stronger than the whole gathered Tribunal, cleverer, more powerful.
“Harrison Fletcher,” Nascha’s voice rang out once more and my eyes snapped up to lock on Harrison as he stepped forwardout of the line of witnesses who remained. Only three of them left. The other two kept their eyes on their feet as Harrison strode up to face the council.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Harrison Fletcher, Third Ringer, have you come to tell us you were nowhere near the Culling that day or have any recollection of the atrocities this council has accused the Patriarch of House Viper of committing?”
“Unfortunately, Madam Avus, it appears I have a backbone,” Harrison replied in a flat tone.
A few gasps arose from around us. Paxon’s lips parted in surprise as Milo raised a hand to cover his mouth and watched on, intent. Cosmo’s gaze snapped to Harrison and narrowed into a glare of pure hatred as Myrine and the Guardians tensed at his back.
