“This is a waste of time, out!” Johan shouted, the bird thoroughly annoyed. The last plea had been an utter farce involving a pony trader, two nobles, a cart of radishes, an expensive vase and a minotaur’s undergarments. Funny, but ultimate not worth the king’s time as he dismissed the matter out of claw. Handy smiled. He was standing to the king’s right and a bit behind the throne as Joachim held court in the plea hall, figuring he might as well follow his king’s advice to show his face a bit more often in court. They were gathered in a small room with cloisters along the wall and an obscenely tall roof far above them, from which little light pierced the thick windows so far above. It was generally unpleasant to be in the room, but he supposed that was probably intentional, some predecessor of Joachim’s probably deciding the room be built in such a manner to make pleaders uncomfortable and hurry up with their business.