Judy did end up staying the night, because she didn't feel like flying after two rounds of the cup of roots. (In case you're wondering how we did the second time, it's none of your business.) No hanky-panky in the morning, though. We were both up early, her to go back to her place and change before she headed for work, me to to the parchmentwork I'd need to get a warrant from Judge Ruhollah.

After a fast breakfast, I walked her out to her carpet (as I said, I don't live in the best neighborhood), then went back to my own and headed for the Criminal and Magical Courts building downtown.

The commute downtown wasn't too bad, but parking in the heart of Angels City is outrageously expensive, even though they stack carpets up higher than you'd see in a rug merchants' bazaar. I was almost as upset as if I'd had to pay with my own money, not the EPAs.

You want to see every kind of human being any land of God ever made, go the Criminal and Magical Courts building; secular judges in black robes, canon law judges in red ones, bailiffs and constabulary and sheriffs looking more like soldiers than anything else, defendants sometimes looking guilty of everything in the world (regardless of whether they're only charged with flying a carpet too fast) and others who from the outside might be candidates for sainthood, witnesses, doctors, rabbis, wizards… If you like people watching, you won't find better entertainment.

Judge Ruhollah's bailiff was a big Swede named Eric something-or-other - I never can remember his last name, though I'd dealt with him before. He said, "I'm sorry, Inspector Fisher, but the judge won't be able to see you till about eleven. Something's come up."

I sighed, but what could I do about it? I went over to the bank of pay phones across the hall from the courtrooms.

When I told the mouthpiece imp what number I wanted, it Suawked back, "Forty-five coppers, please." I pushed ange into the outstretched hand of the little pay phone demon, which must be descended from Mammon by way of the Gadarene swine. If I'd turned my back on it, I'm sure it would have tried to pick my pocket.