Page 107 of The Armor of Light
‘Yes.’
‘Did that hurt you?’
The people in the courtroom laughed.
Darke was embarrassed. ‘Course not.’
Sal began to feel more optimistic.
Joanie touched her bruise. ‘So why did you punch my head?’
‘I never.’
Several people in the courtroom shouted: ‘You did! You did!’
Hornbeam said: ‘Quiet!’
Spade stepped forward. ‘I saw it,’ he said. ‘I’ll swear that Joby Darke punched Joanie in the head.’
Good for you, Spade, thought Sal. He was one of the clothiers but he stuck up for the hands.
Hornbeam was irritated. ‘When I want you to speak, Shoveller, I’ll tell you. Carry on, Darke. What happened next?’
‘Well, she fell down.’
‘And then?’
‘Then I was attacked by half a dozen women.’
Someone shouted: ‘Lucky you!’ and everyone laughed.
Hornbeam said: ‘Who was the leader of these women?’
‘It was her, Joanie, the one that’s accused.’
‘She led the mob from the market square to the riverside?’
‘Yes, she did.’
That was true, Sal thought.
‘So she was the instigator of the riot.’
That was an exaggeration, but Darke said yes.
Joanie said: ‘How many times did I punch you, Joby?’
He grinned. ‘If you did, I never felt it,’ he said boastfully.
‘But you still say I started a riot?’
‘You brought all those other women.’
‘And they beat you up?’
‘Not exactly, but I couldn’t get them all off me!’
‘They didn’t beat you up, then.’
