There were more words and more questions. He looked at the face of the judge and wondered, for a moment, if perhaps the color of the robe was to match the apparent disposition of the man.
And then came the silence, a time of sitting and waiting. He sensed the wondering stares of the stick men, wide-eyed in apprehension, suspended from the drabness of their own lives for the moment by the stark visitation of tragedy in his. They gabbled among themselves and wagered on the verdict.
The man next to him leaned over and tapped him on the arm. Everyone stood up and then, curiously, sat down again almost at once. He felt the tension present in the courtroom, but was strangely relaxed himself. It was peculiar that they were all so excited.
"Your Honor, having duly considered the seriousness of the crime and the evidence presented ..."
The balloon faces on the stick men stretched in anticipation.
"... taking full cognizance of the admitted passion on the part of the defendant and the circumstances ..."
The balloons were strained, contorted out of all proportion in their eagerness.
"... we find the defendant guilty of murder, making no recommendation for consideration by the Court."
The balloons exploded!