"Your Instincts are Creditable, as I have said; the Lawyer's Art of Answering Narrowly is one Difficult to Impart. You need not Restrict your Speech to Simple Facts with me, but in Court speak Shortly and Bloodlessly; I will endeavor to Teach what I can of this."

"Of the Committee on Matters Pertaining to the Judiciary which you Chair I can confirm that you are Alive, I am Alive, Alonso called the Grey-Eye is Alive, Victòria Ferrer is Alive, Taldaris Ventura is Alive, and Remei Petit is Alive; to the others I cannot speak. I met Recently with those Delegates and saw them Alive in Person, though there was Doubt regarding your Survival until this Morning."

"I plan to speak to the Paladin Feliu, and to Laia Solandra, and to at least Attempt to speak to the Archmage and Archduchess, and even to Alexeara Cansellarion. I expect these last to be Fruitless but will at least make the Attempt; Laia Solandra I expect to find, and expect to make Greatly Useful Testimony."

And she'll need to talk to Valia's associates too, but that's no longer able to be spoken aloud.

"Is this an Agreeable Plan, or have I left out an Important Piece?"

“You said you would also try to learn the charges? And I want to speak if the Queen will permit it, to condemn my first speech. I told the Archmage this.”

"I plan to Demand your Release from So-Called 'Protective Custody', and in so Demanding to Elicit the making of Concrete Charges. I am certain your Desire to Recant your original Speech is Sincere and Well-Intentioned, but I would Caution against it; no matter the Eloquence employed, such a thing may Appear, or be Twisted into Appearing, an Admission of Guilt. Do not think that it is the Guilty who admit Guilt; it is mostly the Innocent, thinking all the while they Proclaimed their Innocence. If you have ever Feared a Diabolist Trap from one such as I, you would be well to Magnify such Fear a Thousandfold, and speak little that you not play into the Devil's hands! There will be Time for such a Speech after your Acquittal, in Consultation with Senior Clerics, as you yourself wished for. The Archmages have caused it to Rain Heavily and there is no Immediate Violence that requires Alacrity to Quash."

She tugs her high collar aside and down to show a bit of burn scar; just a little is enough to make the point, Valia will know what it is.

"I learned this Lesson in Flesh; no other made this Mark, but I myself, in Fulfillment of a Contract Term I had thought Reasonably Clever. You are not such a Foolish Child as I was, and I expect you shall see the Wisdom in Restraint."

"Well, of course to say anything at all makes it much less likely that I will be found innocent, but is it not the most loathsome of cowardice, to allow an evil to stand because in admitting it I would condemn myself? I understand that your duty is to the Law, but mine is to Iomedae."

"Would you allow the Evil that Select of Iomedae Valia Wain be Held Responsible for Inciting the Mob? It is surely a Great Evil I speak of; the Public would have less Trust in Iomedae whose Select they would think an Inciting Rabblerouser and no Foe of Hell. The Public would come to Believe a Falsehood, most Injurious to its Morale. Pezzack may rebel! It has once before, and my own Understanding is that you are its Beloved Daughter; will they be Angered to hear what the Capital has done with her?"

"Allow yourself to be Acquitted of Wrongdoing as is Just, having done no Wrongdoing, and give what Speeches you will afterwards. On the very Court Steps, if you are so Seized with Fervor that you cannot wait for Counsel! But after. Do not spend Valia Wain to purchase a Speech in Court, when you can have Valia Wain and a Speech outside Court."

“I am not sure I agree but I’m trying listening to other people more. So - as you say.”

A smile. "I will Debate the Matter at Great Length with you after this Affair is Settled."

"You mentioned the Archmage; it may be Useful to know his Mind. Have you any Useful Gleanings?"

"He wanted - I'm not sure what he wanted. He wanted me to think about the lessons of the situation. I suppose that really only makes sense if you think I'll survive it. I found it annoying, mostly."

"I would as well. I am sure you will take your Own Lessons, perhaps the First being that an Archmage may often be Insufferably Didactic. And I intend to Cause that you should Survive; perhaps Meditate on an Archmage's Inscrutable Lessons after such is Assured, if you should even Care to give it Thought at all."

"Would you have anything Read before I Depart to Construct your Case? I would ordinarily give Documents for you to Read but that being Impossible I may at least serve in this Manner. For my own Part I do not recall a time when I was unable to Read and do not know what would be most Useful to one Unlettered."

"Well I was thinking that if I had the first page of Acts memorized maybe I could learn to read from that, going over it again and again, only I don't have it memorized. And if that worked you'd think I'd have learned when I was seven, and I didn't. So if you know some better way of learning that'd be good too."

"Is there any Poem or Passage of Words which you have Memorized?"

"Prayers to Asmodeus. I won't practice on them."

This draws a laugh. "They would be Well Forgotten. I shall Write for you..." she pauses for a bit to think.

"'Select of Iomedae, Valia Wain of Pezzack, exhibits great quickness and joy', this Phrase perhaps not True as regards Joy today but Ideally it will be True in the Future. More importantly this phrase uses Each Letter at least Once, though some only Once, and I shall write the Letters very Distinctly that you may Study their Shapes. It is perhaps not Ideal but if you can Memorize the Phrase it may be Useful to Look upon."

"Thank you. I'll try. And - I hope your defense of the Law succeeds. I think it is honorable. Lord Cansellarion explained to me that even once a soul has turned towards Good Pharasma's judgment of it may be slower in changing, and I hope that this is so of you."

"I shall Attempt a Good Showing before Pharasma the Judge, I suppose, but a Good Showing before the Mortal Judge you Face has Priority on my time for now."

Really it'll just be the last devil's trick, the final subtle error she missed, claiming her for Hell, but that would just depress an Iomedaean who absolutely does not need to hear it.

"Then go with the blessings of whatever gods you look to for them."

She writes out a few copies of her haphazard pangram before leaving, to cover variations, and then departs with a brisk nod and an "Iomedae with you, Select Wain."

She tries to study the letters, but they are as incomprehensible as letters always are. 

It probably doesn't matter. A lawyer is the kind of person who'd think law comes from decrees not from armies. Everyone else knows better.