Through a mob of nobles and soldiers who mocked us as we went, we were hustled into the large hall of judgment that was already full to overflowing.
Up the centre of it we marched to a clear space reserved for the parties to a cause, or prisoners and their advocates, beyond which, against the wall, were seats for the judges.

These were five members of the Council, one of whom was Joshua, while in the centre as President of the Court, and wearing her veil and beautiful robes of ceremony, sat Maqueda herself.
"Thank God, she's safe!" muttered Oliver with a gasp of relief.
"Yes," answered Higgs, "but what's she doing there?
She ought to be in the dock, too, not on the Bench." We reached the open space, and were thrust by soldiers armed with swords to where we must stand, and although each of us bowed to her, I observed that Maqueda took not the slightest notice of our salutations.

She only turned her head and said something to Joshua on her right, which caused him to laugh.
Then with startling suddenness the case began.

A kind of public prosecutor stood forward and droned out the charge against us.

It was that we, who were in the employ of the Abati, had traitorously taken advantage of our position as mercenary captains to stir up a civil war, in which many people had lost their lives, and some been actually murdered by ourselves and our companion who was dead.