" - ah.

Do you want to give me your account of what happened?"

"It was more than a century ago. I thought the thing about summoners becoming daeva would be public knowledge any minute, so I couldn't just kill them, their fucking carnivore families would get some of them - I didn't know which ones - summoned right back and they'd go on with their lives. Might've just killed them if I'd known it'd stay secret this long. Anyway I gave them something to think about even if they did come back, you debeak millions of chickens a year I rip your lips off."

Nod. "And this did not just result in approximately-just-as-capable people being appointed to the same positions?"

"News filtered in pretty slow, we have to get it from Hell and summonees, but nah, it freaked them way the fuck out and they bailed. They were only still going because of their lobbyists making it illegal to serve schoolchildren demonic meat and their fake scientists being all cautious about the health implications."

"You will be asked in court whether you'll be tempted to do this in other places that still have factory farming."

Shrug. "Can I just sic Elves on them? Are you any good at it? I did what I could with what I had."

"I don't know how good we'll be at acting elsewhere - I don't think hunting's illegal in Godspring - we know it's important. We can stop time in worlds until we're equipped to fix it. 

 - uh, this is looking like it might be worth bringing in the lawyers for the Swan trial, honestly."

"Huh?"

"Uh, the demon who holed a planet. I'd much rather this be a war crimes trial than a murder trial, 'the greater good' isn't a murder defense."

"...not sure how you categorize it as a war, but if you can do that..."

"There's definitely an argument that the fact one side can't talk shouldn't be disqualifying - I'm not, actually, qualified to make it, but I can find people -"

"Ah-huh."

"If you don't care to leave Fairyland again it might be more in your interests to take the plea and go home, if it's a murder trial this really can't be introduced as a defense at all."

"The plea is the summon? I have no way to verify they didn't fuck that up as bad as everything else."

"I can verify it, if you'd like."

"Do you know anything about summoning?"

"No, but we have technical experts on staff and one of them has expertise in summoning."

"And you're sure they don't talk out their ass?"

"Do you want to look at the circle yourself, would that help?"

"Is it complicated? I can't figure out the complicated kinds."

"I don't know. I can make some inquiries."

"Ah-huh."

"Do you have questions for me? - oh, there's apparently internet but it doesn't extend to the area where you can fly, I can file a complaint about that and get the range extended -"

"Yeah. You have no idea how much chairs all suck until you can float."

"Elves don't become daeva so I suppose I will never know. Any other questions?"