One by one the three accused took the stand and swore under oath that they had been acting selflessly. As they did so their unshielded minds radiated sincerity, along with a modicum of injured innocence that their good deed had been so misinterpreted. Master Cherix shook his head in sympathy, woebegone that the constables had acted so wrongly. 'A sign of the times, he told the judges. 'These constables are well meaning young folk, rushed through their training by a city desperate to make up staffing targets for the sake of politics. But in truth they were far out of their depth on that sad day. They too need to make arrests to prove themselves to their notoriously harsh station captain. In such circumstances it is only understandable why they chose to interpret events in the way they did.

Edeard met Arminel's stare. He tried to kill me, and his lawyer's making out it was all a misunderstanding? That we're in the wrong. It was so outrageous he almost laughed. Then Arminel's expression twitched, just for an instant. That condescending sneer burned itself into Edeard's memory. He knew then that this was not the end. Nowhere near.

After two hours of listening to the defendants, Edeard was finally called to the stand. About time, I can soon set this straight.

'Constable Edeard, Cherix smiled warmly. He was nothing like Master Solarin. He was a young man who dressed like the son of a trading family. 'You're not from the city, are you?

'What's that got to do with this?

Master Cherix put on a pained expression, and turned to the judges. 'My Lords?

'Answer the questions directly, the Mayor's Counsel instructed.

'Sir, Edeard reddened. 'No. I was born in the Rulan province.

'And you've been here for what? Half a year?

'A little over that, yes.

'So it would be fair to say that you're not entirely familiar with the city.

'I know my way around.

'I was thinking more in terms of the way our citizens behave. So why don't you tell me what you believe happened?

Edeard launched into his rehearsed explanation. How Arminel tried to avoid the ge-eagle. The squad tracking them along Sonral Street. Arranging themselves in an encircling formation, whilst standing back and observing through farsight. Sensing Arminel picking the locks.

'At which point we closed in, and I witnessed the accused stealing gold wire from the storeroom.

'I'm curious about this aspect, Master Cherix said. 'You told your squad to wait in Sonral Street by the entrance to the alley. Yet you went down into the storeroom. But I thought you said Harri had been left "on guard duty" in the alley. How did you get past him?

'I was lucky, I found another entrance through the shop which backed onto the jewellers.

Master Cherix nodded in admiration. 'So it was hardly a secure storeroom then? If you could just walk in.

'It was difficult, Edeard admitted, praying to the Lady to help him rein in his guilt. But this wasn't a lie, just a slight rearrangement of his true route into the storeroom. 'I just managed to get there in time.

'In time for what?

'To see Arminel stealing the gold wire. He was doing that before he flung flaming acid at me.

'Indeed. I'd like you to clarify another point, Constable. When you emerged after this alleged event to join up with your squad, did Arminel have any of this supposed "gold wire" on him.

'Well no, he dumped it when I challenged him.

'I see. And your squadmates can confirm that, can they?

'They know… yes.

'Yes, what? Constable.

'We caught them doing it. I saw him!

'By your own statement, you were deep underground in the poorly illuminated storeroom at the time of the alleged theft. Which of your squadmates can farsight through fifteen yards of solid city fabric?

'Kanseen. She knew I was there.

'Thank you, Constable. Defence would like to call Constable Kanseen.

Kanseen passed Edeard on her way to the stand. They both had meticulously blank expressions, but he could tell how worried she was. When he sat down next to Dinlay the others all smiled sympathetically. 'Good job, Chae whispered. Edeard wasn't convinced.

'You have a farsight almost as good as your squad leader? Master Cherix asked.

'We came out about equal in our tests.

'So you could sense what went on in the storeroom from your position in Sonral Street?

'Yes.

Edeard winced, she sounded so uncertain.

'How much gold wire was in there?

'I… er, I'm not sure.

'An ounce? A ton?

'A few boxes.

'Constable Kanseen, Master Cherix smiled winningly. 'Was that a guess?

'Not enough gold to be obvious to a casual farsight sweep.

'I'll let that go for the moment. Constable Edeard claims you perceived him in there.

'I did, she replied confidently. 'I sensed him appear in the back. We'd been worried when we lost track of him.

'You sensed his mind. There's a big difference between a radiant source of thoughts, and inert material is there not?

'Yes, of course.

Master Cherix patted the jacket he wore under his black robe. 'In one pocket I have a length of gold wire. In another pocket I have an equal length of steel wire. Which is which, Constable?

Edeard concentrated his farsight on the lawyer. Sure enough, there was some kind of dense line of matter in his pockets, but there was no way to tell the nature of either.

Kanseen looked straight ahead. 'I don't know.

'You don't know. Yet there is only five feet of clear air between us. So can you really say with certainty you perceived my client picking up gold wire when he was on the other side of fifteen yards of solid mass?

'No.

'Thank you, Constable, no more questions.

It came down to an argument between two lawyers. Edeard found himself grinding his teeth together as it was presented as his word against Arminel's.

'Acting suspiciously, Master Vosbol ticked off on his fingers. 'Gaining entry to a storeroom behind two locked doors. Seen by a constable of impeccable character stealing gold wire. Attacking that same constable. My Lords, the evidence is overwhelming. They came to the storeroom with the express intent of theft. A theft which was valiantly thwarted by these fine constables at great personal danger to themselves.

'Circumstantial evidence only, Master Cherix pronounced. 'Facts twisted by the prosecution to support a speculated sequence of events. A country boy alone in an underground city storeroom full of smoke and flame. Confused by the strange environment and regrettably unreliable; his claims unsupported by his own squadmates and friends. My clients do not deny being in the storeroom, responding to the fire as any responsible citizen would. The prosecution has offered no proof whatsoever that they ever touched the gold wire. I would draw my Lords' attention to the precedent of Makkathran versus Leaney, hearsay is inadmissible.

'Objection, Master Vosbol barked. 'This is testimony by a city official, not hearsay.

'Unsubstantiated testimony, Master Cherix countered. 'Must be accepted as having equal weight to my clients' account of events.

The judges deliberated for eight minutes. 'Insufficient evidence, the Mayor's Counsel announced. 'Case dismissed. He banged his gavel on the bench.

Edeard's head dropped into his hands. He absolutely could not believe what he'd just heard. 'Lady no, he gasped.

The defendants were cheering, slapping each other jubilantly. Edeard was disgusted to see Masters Vosbol and Cherix shake hands.

'It happens, Captain Ronark said gravely. 'You did a perfect job, nobody could do better. I'm proud of you. But this is the way it is in Makkathran these days.

'Thank you sir, Dinlay and Macsen murmured sullenly.

Ronark flashed them all an anxious expression, debating with himself if he should say more. 'This will be useful to you, he said. 'I can imagine what you think of that right now, but next time you'll know what to do, how to be extra careful gathering evidence, and we'll nail that little bastard good and proper. He nodded at Chae, and walked down to talk with Master Vosbol.