was at the dock, looking back with vague, hollow eyes. When he saw Lara his face crumpled in a sad, relieved smile. Anna gave him a brisk, business-like nod.
She led Lara like a doddering old woman down to the front row, where they'd prepared a second chair for her beside Amo, counterpart to Feargal's alongside Alan's. Plaintiff, defendant and councils.
"He's here," Lara said quietly, smiling. "Good. Anna, you will win this. I know it."
Anna kissed her cheek then settled her down in the audience, alongside Ravi who gave Anna a brave smile and took Lara's hand.
"You can do it," Ravi said.
She nodded, then turned and took her seat beside Amo, who seemed too calm. He was floating, that was clear, like he had been since they'd busted Maine open, but this was worse. This was denial, or even worse than that, acceptance.
Anna leaned in toward him. "Things are going to change after this."
Amo smiled weakly. He was too broken to care. "I know."
"You don't," Anna said. "But you'll see. I'm going to crush that bitch to dust."
This did not seem to move him. He stood up.
Witzgenstein was coming in, walking in from the bunker's interior. Of course, that was good optics, it gave a sense of ownership. Anna rose along with everybody.
Witzgenstein took her seat, banged her gavel and so it began.
"It is with the greatest regret that I call this hearing to order. I intend for it to be as truthful, peaceful and honest as I am able to ensure. Shocking charges have been made, and today we are gathered to hear the full extent of those charges, in full view of all. But let me be clear, what we do here today is not a trial. The Council met and determined speed was of the greatest importance in holding this hearing, lest the charges be exaggerated, blown out of proportion or suppressed."
She paused and cast a meaningful look between Alan and Amo.
"However, a vote may be called. Not on guilt, but on admissibility. Will the testimony we hear today be admitted, therefore altering the nature of the trial begun yesterday? That is a decision only you, the people of New LA, can decide. So I stand down with the reminder, repeated a second time so as to leave no doubt; this is not a trial. Any trial would come in weeks or months, affording all parties the time to prepare their cases. This is merely a preliminary hearing."
She banged her gavel, and Anna barely prevented herself from snorting. It plainly was a trial, if one of public opinion. The results of it would be very real, even if Amo was not yet indicted. The whole affair was a recipe for chaos and disquiet; all surely part of Witzgenstein's plan. She would come out of this looking magisterial, above the fray, like the only impartial adult in the room, while everyone else would be sullied.
Feargal began, as previously agreed. He called Alan back to the stand, to continue his deposition, and Alan walked up there slowly, sensitively, as though he were very brave and carrying a great weight on his shoulders. Anna bit her tongue and listened along with all forty-six of them in the hall.
"Yesterday you told us Amo wanted Masako dead," Feargal began, speaking clearly and loud. "What the people in this room don't understand, and what they want to understand, is why he would want that? He was already mayor, newly elected. Was it purely a grudge? We know Amo has not acted on grudges before; Julio is a case in point. So why would he do so now?"
It was a fair question. It was leading the witness, or supposition, Anna knew as much from watching old legal TV shows, but it would stand up in this court. People wanted to know, and calling out 'Objection' now would reduce the impact of what she had planned for later, so she held her tongue.
"I believe he was afraid," Alan said. He looked stronger today; in keeping with his story, perhaps. No longer so afraid of Amo. He raised his gaze to look out over the congregation. If anything he seemed angry. "Of what she knew. She was in New LA at the start, before
She led Lara like a doddering old woman down to the front row, where they'd prepared a second chair for her beside Amo, counterpart to Feargal's alongside Alan's. Plaintiff, defendant and councils.
"He's here," Lara said quietly, smiling. "Good. Anna, you will win this. I know it."
Anna kissed her cheek then settled her down in the audience, alongside Ravi who gave Anna a brave smile and took Lara's hand.
"You can do it," Ravi said.
She nodded, then turned and took her seat beside Amo, who seemed too calm. He was floating, that was clear, like he had been since they'd busted Maine open, but this was worse. This was denial, or even worse than that, acceptance.
Anna leaned in toward him. "Things are going to change after this."
Amo smiled weakly. He was too broken to care. "I know."
"You don't," Anna said. "But you'll see. I'm going to crush that bitch to dust."
This did not seem to move him. He stood up.
Witzgenstein was coming in, walking in from the bunker's interior. Of course, that was good optics, it gave a sense of ownership. Anna rose along with everybody.
Witzgenstein took her seat, banged her gavel and so it began.
"It is with the greatest regret that I call this hearing to order. I intend for it to be as truthful, peaceful and honest as I am able to ensure. Shocking charges have been made, and today we are gathered to hear the full extent of those charges, in full view of all. But let me be clear, what we do here today is not a trial. The Council met and determined speed was of the greatest importance in holding this hearing, lest the charges be exaggerated, blown out of proportion or suppressed."
She paused and cast a meaningful look between Alan and Amo.
"However, a vote may be called. Not on guilt, but on admissibility. Will the testimony we hear today be admitted, therefore altering the nature of the trial begun yesterday? That is a decision only you, the people of New LA, can decide. So I stand down with the reminder, repeated a second time so as to leave no doubt; this is not a trial. Any trial would come in weeks or months, affording all parties the time to prepare their cases. This is merely a preliminary hearing."
She banged her gavel, and Anna barely prevented herself from snorting. It plainly was a trial, if one of public opinion. The results of it would be very real, even if Amo was not yet indicted. The whole affair was a recipe for chaos and disquiet; all surely part of Witzgenstein's plan. She would come out of this looking magisterial, above the fray, like the only impartial adult in the room, while everyone else would be sullied.
Feargal began, as previously agreed. He called Alan back to the stand, to continue his deposition, and Alan walked up there slowly, sensitively, as though he were very brave and carrying a great weight on his shoulders. Anna bit her tongue and listened along with all forty-six of them in the hall.
"Yesterday you told us Amo wanted Masako dead," Feargal began, speaking clearly and loud. "What the people in this room don't understand, and what they want to understand, is why he would want that? He was already mayor, newly elected. Was it purely a grudge? We know Amo has not acted on grudges before; Julio is a case in point. So why would he do so now?"
It was a fair question. It was leading the witness, or supposition, Anna knew as much from watching old legal TV shows, but it would stand up in this court. People wanted to know, and calling out 'Objection' now would reduce the impact of what she had planned for later, so she held her tongue.
"I believe he was afraid," Alan said. He looked stronger today; in keeping with his story, perhaps. No longer so afraid of Amo. He raised his gaze to look out over the congregation. If anything he seemed angry. "Of what she knew. She was in New LA at the start, before
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