Then the Primordial Court's preparation area doors slammed open.
They stormed out.
Five of them, senior officials by their robes, moving onto the lower walkway with the kind of energy that didn't belong to people following procedure and belonged entirely to people who were furious and had procedure available as a weapon.
The first one didn't wait to reach the walkway railing.
"YOU KILLED HIM!"
His voice cracked through the silent arena like something breaking, pointing directly at me on the platform with his entire arm shaking from the force of the accusation.
"YOU KILLED A HIGH OFFICIAL OF THE PRIMORDIAL COURT!!!"
"IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!!!" a second one, a woman, her voice climbing, hands gripping the railing in front of her so hard the knuckles had gone pale.
"HE WAS ALIVE WHEN HE WALKED OUT THERE! HE WAS ALIVE AND YOU!!!"
She stopped and pressed both hands over her mouth, as if trying to calm herself down.
Her shoulders shook once.
