"And cruelty."

"Your Honor, I was summoned here with a spell that prevents me from fighting. If Hell is to engage in a trial by combat, may I nominate a substitute?"

"Absolutely not. No more than Hell may swap out an Imp for a Pit Fiend on the occasion of a trial by combat."

"Then I decline, Your Honor."

"If the decedent is found Chaotic, will you fight, Abyss?"

Smirk. "No, Your Honor."

(He doesn't bother asking Axis.)

"Are there any other points?

Very well. I plan to request the assistance of two Ember Weavers. I will scry a mouse. An Ember Weaver will Plane Shift me and its kin to Material and both cast Locate Creature, Flying apart to triangulate. I will Greater Teleport to the mouse by myself, investigate, return to our landing spot on the Material, and the other Ember Weaver will Plane Shift us home.

Any adjustment proposals?"

"I propose to join the mission and use my 3/day Detect Anxieties and Detect Desires to examine the mice. Dismiss me, requisition the wand of Summon Cantor, summon me again after Teleporting to the mice. Dismiss and resummon me back here."

"I don't have Use Magic Device, but I can summon the Catrina who used the wand the first time... I will accept that cost, but will Hell pay for the additional two charges from the wand?"

"For this case only, without setting precedent, speaking as a vassal of Marra officially representing Her, Hell will pay that cost, Your Honor."

(Which means Marra will pay, routed through the fiction of a unified Hell.)

"Are there any objections to this proposal?"

Suspicious glare!

Sigh. "No objection, Your Honor."

"I think it's great."

Glare glare glare glare glare

"I accept Hell's proposal. Any other adjustments?

This court is now in recess in the matter of Maelstrom vs Malosloff."

Axis lays still, making whirring and clicking noises, light dimmed.

The demon sharpens each tusk with a tentacle-held iron bar.

Elysium shuffles notes frantically. (One might say, chaotically.)

"Mr. Malosloff, how are you doing?"

Shrug.

"Please answer only yes or no: have you made progress searching your memory for examples of behavior showing your preferred alignment?"

"Moderately."

"Do you want advice? Please don't say any details."

"No."