As if on cue, as Luna tries to forge a path through the crowd to get to the temple, the doors open and two men emerge. One is clearly the archbishop; his white robes shimmer as he paces forward, the jewel-encrusted mitre on his head casts gleaming refractions of the sunlight. He smiles beneficently to the massive crowd, and almost at once the general din dies down to a faint titter. His grey eyes gaze out serenely from under the few tufts of grey-white hair that peek out beneath the heavy headgear.

The other man, by association, is the mayor. He wears a mantle of deep crimson, and the draped cloth seems to weigh down his middle-aged shoulders. He walks with a confident stomp-shuffle, his blue eyes bright as he sweeps his attention from side to side, trying to connect with each one of his constituents on a personal level to offer them a smile of comfort. Occasionally, he rubs his shaved-bald head as though trying to massage away some discomfort.

When the two men reach the topmost of the steps, they stop, standing with the temple to their backs and the pyre to their left. It is the archbishop, however, who speaks. "Good people," he begins, "It is mete that all of you come forth this day to see justice done. Our holy patron smiles on all those who have zeal for the law.

"But his holiness is also a god of divine truth, and greater righteousness walks among you when you seek out wisdom ere you dispatch evil with pure and just strength. And so it is that I tell you this truth: in the light of additional evidence, Malanie Gerhert is declared innocent of the crime of witchcraft. She shall again walk among you a free woman, and in the name of Saint Cuthbert I charge you all treat her with the kindness and respect due every citizen of this grand city. Under his righteous light, go in peace and justice."

The hushed murmur among the crowd becomes a torrrent of conversation the moment the archbishop finishes speaking and bestows his benediction upon the crowd. The mayor is the first to turn toward the temple, but he allows the archbishop to resume the lead as they stride back toward the opened doors.