Eliad, if you win this case that's incitement to crime...

Objection to the judge; the prosecution is inciting the commission of an act unlawful under the decree (of 4 Sarenith, and therefore not relevant to this case, of course).

Ugh. It's not actually true, which she hates, but concede this point and you might not lose the trial—

"Sir - the last time I gave this speech, whether it was a crime or not, it was a terrible terrible mistake, and hundreds of people died. And there are thousands of people here now, and I - I'd much rather hang than inspire even one of them to go out and murder somebody, with my words. Is there some way I can do this - in secret, for just the Magistrate?"

(they can't kill her, they can't kill her, they can't—)

Oh, right, that's potentially incitement to crime even if Eliad loses this.

"Do not read the speech. Prosecutor, the court does not at this time need to hear Valia Wain reading her speech. If it is determinative I will order it read in a less public venue."

"Yes, your honor." He's pretty sure the speech isn't barred under the decree of 4 Sarenith but it's not an important argument to have. "Who did you consult when you were preparing to give the speech?"

"I consulted two other delegates on the committee for excising diabolism. I asked for their help making the speech legal, because I couldn't read."

"Were they legal experts?"

"...no, they were people who could read."

"Did you consult the Archduke Blanxart, who had told you that your previous idea would result in the deaths of many undeserving people?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"...I didn't like him very much, sir. I was mistaken in that but I didn't."

"Did you consult anyone senior to you in the Church of Iomedae?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I...don't really remember considering it. I wasn't thinking of giving a speech before the convention as being the kind of thing one needed to do lots of consultation about. Lots of people had spoken, and - nothing bad had happened - one man even evangelized for a power of Hell in his speech and the president just said not to do that again."

"Why did you want to give the speech?"

"- well, it was starting to feel to me like there was something important that people in Pezzack took for granted and people in Westcrown didn't, and I wanted them to understand - I am worried again about by accident inspiring people to go do murders."

"You are worried that if you answer the question of why you wanted to give the speech then that will stir the crowd to violence against the nobility?"

"...yes."

"Perhaps you could speak indirectly, saying, for example, I wished to share my strong political opinions that cannot safely be spoken in this courtroom with the people of the Constitutional Convention."

" - I don't think I can, not usefully! I wanted to explain some things about the world the way I saw it, some of which I was wrong about, to the people of the convention."

"In Pezzack, your speeches inspired people to overthrow their evil rulers and kill everyone who stood up against them, yes?"

"- to kill the Asmodeans. We were ruled by Hell, and they wanted us to all be damned."