The judge exited the courtroom without speaking further, departing through the side door to the right of her raised stand. Melatron was still standing in front of the judge’s desk, patiently looking sideways at Lucifer’s unmoving profile. Most of the spectators in the gallery had remained seated. They had fought, kicked, and bitten others to get their precious seats, and they had no desire to risk losing their places for a mere five-minute recess. The cameramen double-checked their equipment, and the anchors could be heard whispering updates to their worldwide viewers. Meri was one of the only members of the audience who left with the judge. She had sprung up out of her seat and was out of the door as soon as the judge had slammed the gavel down. With a puzzled look on his face, Max, her c
