"So that was it," Dalgroth Sorn, the Paratime Commissioner for
Security said, relieved when Tortha Karf had finished.

"Yes, and I'll repeat it under narco-hyp, too," Tortha Karf added.

"Oh, don't talk that way, Karf," Dalgroth Sorn scolded. He was at
least a century Tortha Karf's senior; he had the face of an elderly
and sore-toothed lion. "You wanted to keep this prisoner under wraps
till you could mind-pump him, and you wanted the Organization to think
Salgath was alive and talking. I approve both. But--"

He gestured to the viewscreen across the room, tuned to a pickup back
of the Speaker's chair in the Council Chamber. Tortha Karf turned a
knob to bring the sound volume up.

"Well. I'm raising this point," a member from the Management seats in
the center was saying, "because these earlier charges of illegal
arrest and illegal detention are part and parcel with the charges
growing out of the telecast last evening."

"Well, that telecast was a fake; that's been established," somebody on
the left heckled.

"Councilman Salgath's confession on the evening of One-Six-Two Day
wasn't a fake, the Management supporter, Nanthav Skov, retorted.

"Well, then why was it necessary to fake the second one?"

A light began winking on the big panel in front of the Speaker, Asthar
Varn.