(A singular response is left on a public notice board in Crookback, an ink sketch of a moth left near the top as a denoting its author.)
Count Valloaan, your accusations confound me to no end, and your accusations against me in particular do nothing but betray your ignorance. You claim the decision as to the accused was made already preemptive to the inquest itself, and that the inquest itself is nothing theatrics. This is false. I myself took all of the facts spoken as well as my own research into the matter into my account. We deliberated. That time left outside of the court was not just for decoration. We argued. We compared our thoughts. A conclusion was reached. Of course, to someone like yourself who seems dead set on our bad faith in the matter and will not be convinced otherwise (if our exchange in the Willow that evening was any evidence of), it would look like all of this was for show.
This ignores the slap to the face that this inquest was really about. I did not take this matter as the playful theatrics you, and every crow and call and jeer from the peanut gallery that was the non-Unionist people clearly did. I am friends with Count Norrin. I still am, if he would allow for it. I married Lady Constance Norrin and Lord Alfarin Norrin together just weeks ago. Count Norrin asked me in particular for counsel regarding this inquest. He has even done a huge favor for me that he did not at all have to follow, but he did, and I am grateful. One of my first secular jobs when arriving in this city was acting as a personal advisor to Lady Bronwyn Norrin. I am close to this family. This has done harm to that relationship, regardless of the verdict we reached, and I am regretful it even came to this. I have no reason to do any of this over light matters. Do you really think I would waste my time with such decorum? No. To the loudest people in that hall however (who were overwhelmingly non-Unionist) this was just entertainment and a pretentious corrupt court. To this I have to say: Why did any of you show at all if you didn't understand what was at stake?
And as a final matter, I did not call Count Norrin a "voidling". Ailred did. And in fact, he did so to mock a direct threat to my life made just one month ago. I said the slur to someone that I probably shouldn't have, but I haven't apologized for this. Why is that? Because four of my colleagues were found dead that very same night, and there is overwhelming evidence that it is connected to the fact I said this word. I will not apologize to murderers, only to the victims, whom I have mourned. If this fact is just as "entertaining" to you as this inquest was, then you are about as worth speaking to as the Draconist Contrarian Extraordinaire himself. A contrarian who, need I remind you, is a non-Unionist chiming in with their opinions on Unionist issues, and does so while making light of my fear, and the suffering of those four in a manner I expect from EVOLISTS, not a Draconist.
As usual, if you, or anyone else wants to discuss things in good faith with open minds, I am willing. For those that just want entertainment, and to interpret every word I say in the worst possible ways: I am tired, and you will have to seek amusement elsewhere.
Celate Myka