‘Here is my head,’ shouted Alterith Shaddler, touching his brow, ‘and here is my belly. I doubt you have the courage to strike either while witnesses are present, you vile cur! You are a disgrace to the armour you wear. You are abhorrent to me – and to every Varlish who entertains notions of honour.’
‘Be silent!’ raged the bishop. ‘One more outburst, Master Shaddler, and I shall have you removed from the court.’
Alterith, white-faced and trembling, took several deep breaths. Then he bowed to the bishop. ‘The affidavit of Gillam Pearce is hereby offered in evidence according to the law.’
The bishop gestured to Arlin Bedver. The pot-bellied cleric rose and bowed. ‘Do you have any objection to the affidavit being presented?’ asked the bishop.
‘No, my lord. The law is the law. However, the observation I would make is that since there will be no opportunity to question Master Pearce, there is no way to tell whether the affidavit was made while under the bewitchment of the accused.’
‘True,’ said the bishop. ‘Let it be recorded then.’
Alterith stepped forward and placed the scroll on the Judgement Table. The bishop glared at him balefully. ‘Tell me, Master Shaddler,’ he said, ‘why there are two clerics scribbling at your table.’
‘They are documenting all that is said, my lord.’
‘We already have clerics attending to that task. Are you suggesting they are not to be trusted?’
‘Not at all, my lord. It would be churlish in the extreme to suggest that this panel was so corrupt that it would doctor the evidence to see an innocent woman convicted. It would be unseemly of me to even hint at such a grotesque perversion of justice.’
‘Then why do you have clerics at your table?’ asked the bishop, ignoring the heavy sarcasm of Alterith’s comments.
Alterith Shaddler returned to his table and lifted a heavy tome.
Finding the marker he opened the pages. ‘According to chapter seven, clause twenty-six of the Articles of Holy Law, an advocate may hire up to three clerics to record the evidence. This is, apparently, to offset any – honest – mistake made by court-appointed scribes. It is my intention to send all documents to Varingas so that the events of these proceedings achieve a far wider audience.’
Maev Ring stood quietly during the discussions, her wrists chained, her lungs burning with the smoke from the incense pot carried by the priests alongside her.
‘May it please the court,’ said Arlin Bedver, ‘I wish at this time to present a petition from Sir Gayan Kay, of the Holy Order of the Sacrifice.’
‘Do so,’ said the bishop.
Alterith surged to his feet. ‘I object, my lord,’ he said.
‘How can you object when you haven’t heard the nature of the petition?’ asked the bishop.
‘These knights have no knowledge of Maev Ring, and are strangers to Eldacre. What then can they bring to this trial?’
‘Let us hear the petition and find out,’ replied the bishop.
‘Thank you, my lord,’ said Arlin Bedver. ‘Sir Gayan offers to use his considerable expertise and experience to test Maev Ring. He has, in the past, elicited confessions from witches, bringing a speedy conclusion to such affairs, thus saving the courts both time and expense.’
Alterith’s laughter pealed out. ‘Are you now suggesting that these . . . monsters … be allowed to torture Madam Ring into confession? Have you no shame, Master Bedver?’
‘That comment will not be recorded!’ stormed the bishop.
‘All comments are recorded, my lord,’ said Alterith. ‘I would have thought that the mountain of lies already gathered to support this trial would be enough for Master Bedver. Such, it seems, is not the case.’
His face crimson, the bishop rose to his feet. ‘I find your comments discourteous to this court,’ he said. ‘And I sentence you to twenty lashes, this sentence to be carried out when the trial is over. Any more outbursts and I will add to that sentence. Do you understand that, Master Shaddler?’
‘I do, my lord.’ Alterith sat down, and began to leaf through the Articles of Holy Law. Arlin Bedver continued with his petition, bringing forward Sir Gayan Kay to explain the nature of the tests he would use to persuade the truth from Maev Ring. Alterith made no move to interrupt, but continued to study the tome before him.