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"since the accused can be called to give testimony against themselves in witch trials."

"You're favoring him," said Quill.

"You're testing my patience," said John. "Put your hand on the Bible and take your oath."

Quill complied, and the questioning began. Quill answered scornfully, denying that he had deceived anyone. "She's the one who talked of Satan. I had to stop my ears, she spoke of him so lovingly. She wanted carnal knowledge of him. She even told me that Satan had instructed her to lie and say I made up the story, but I was not afraid because I knew that in lawful courts, my testimony would have greater trust than hers."

John listened to Quill calmly enough, as his testimony grew nastier and nastier. "These professors behave exactly as one would expect a conclave of wizards to behave," said Quill. "I wouldn't have questioned them if the girl hadn't denounced them. She thought better of it at once, of course, and tried to deny it, but I knew what she had told me, and it was enough. They deny that they confessed, but several of them did, as my depositions to the court affirm."

John picked up a pile of affidavits from the bench. "I do have those depositions and I've read them all."

"So you know the truth, and this whole hearing is a travesty."

"If it is," said John, "it follows the script you wrote."

"I wrote no script for this," said Quill. "I expected this court to function like a proper witch trial."

"But Mr. Quill, this is not a witch trial. This is a hearing on a motion. You seem unable to grasp that. This proceeding has been entirely proper. And I am ready now with my ruling on the motion."

"But you haven't questioned Alvin Smith!"

"All right," said John. "Mr. Smith, how are you today?"

"Tired of being in chains, Your Honor," said Alvin, "but otherwise in good condition."

"You ever have any dealings with Satan?"

"I'm not sure who you're referring to," said Alvin.

John was surprised. He was expecting a simple 'no.' "Satan," he said. "The enemy of God."

"Why, if Satan means an enemy of God, I've had dealings with a fair number in my time, including Mr. Quill here."

"Your Honor!" cried Quill.

"Sit down, Mr. Quill," said John. "Mr. Smith, you seem to be deliberately misunderstanding my question. Don't try my patience, please. Satan, as generally conceived, is a supernatural being. You've been accused of getting powers from him and obeying his commands. Did you get any hidden powers from Satan, or obey him?"

"No sir," said Alvin.

"More to the point," said John, "did you ever tell Purity Orphan that you had dealings with Satan, or could she ever have seen you in the presence of Satan?"

"If you mean the bright red fellow with the claws of a bear and cloven hooves and horns on his head," said Alvin, "I've never seen him or heard from him. He's never even sent me a note. I have smelled him, but only when I was alone with Quill."

John shook his head. "I don't think you're taking this proceeding seriously."

"No sir," said Alvin, "I admit that I am not."

"And why is that? Don't you understand that your life may hinge upon the outcome of this hearing?"

"It doesn't," said Alvin.

Cooper tried to shush him.

"And why do you believe that you're safe, regardless of the outcome of this hearing?"

Alvin rose to his feet and pulled the manacles off his wrists as easily as he might have pulled off mittens. He shook his feet and the ankle braces clanked on the floor. "Because I got the knack I was born with. As far as I know, it's God, not Satan, who creates us, and so whatever knack I have came from God. I try to use it kindly and decently. One thing I never do is try to use my knack to force someone else to do something against their will. But you and my lawyer here, you seem determined to force the people of New England to get rid of their witchery laws whether they want to or not. Mr. Quill is a lying snake, but you don't strike down all the laws just to catch a few liars."

Verily Cooper rested his head on the desk. John, who was trembling at the sight of such obvious supernatural powers, could see that to Verily Cooper this was old news.

Alvin was still talking. "I was willing to stick it out and see how you two twisted up the laws without actually breaking too