By bringing Ophan into the high court, Haamiah had successfully gotten the information that he wanted, and exposed my secret in the process. There were not many immortals that would dare toy with the likes of Thrones. It is just so unfair! Why should there be such a level of separation between our ranks? What made a Throne any better a creature than I? So what if I had tricked him because he was inexperienced and didn’t know any better? I never got into Jah’s inner chamber anyway. All hell had broken loose the night Jason died. I was unsuccessfully trying to repair the breech and had missed my chance to get into Merkabah. Before I could figure out another angle with Ophan, the Authorities had shown up to take me into custody.

“Kendi, your actions have proven to be even more reprehensible than even I could have imagined. Your depravity is certainly unprecedented. I am at a loss as to how I am to perform my duty on today,” Johoel said as he placed his head against his closed fists in anguish.

“What are we waiting for then? Kendi doesn’t even have the integrity to admit what he’s done and worse yet, seems to feel no remorse for his actions. Levy the judgment,” huffed Sraosha.

Ramiel interjected. “This is Kendi’s second offense. Exile is certainly in order. He has no respect, no reverence, and no honor for his office. He has become a disgrace to his appointment.”

Exile, really? Come on. Surely exile was a little extreme. Exile was reserved for those beings that had committed offenses directly against Jah. Jason was a stinking mortal for Christ’s sake. This was such bullshit.

“Such a waste. He doesn’t even recognize that he has become what he claims to hate. His job was to draw his assignment closer to Jah; not allow himself to be transformed into one of them,” Maion shook his head scornfully.

The room seemed to grow darker and colder as conversations continued among the judges as if I were no longer in the chamber.

What was Maion talking about? How could he think that I would allow myself to be influenced by this vermin?

Maion continued, “Kendi is prideful, selfish, and irreverent. His lack of honesty is absolutely reprehensible. Look at him! Listen to him! His language and mannerisms are more human than either Elijah or Enoch!”

“So let him be judged as a mortal,” Micah agreed.

“Insanity! We can’t really be considering this line of logic?” Rashnu rebutted. “Kendi is not a mortal and we should not treat him as such.”

“Hear! Hear!” I looked up in time to see Qadhi slam his fist against the banister of the jury box.

At least, I had these two rulers in my corner. Maybe . . . just maybe, I would avoid being burned at the stake. However, right now, the odds were still not in my favor: two against ten didn’t make for a great cheering section.

“Good heavens! Will you two just shut up already! Everyone here knows that you would never pass judgment against an immortal. It would not matter if he tried to take out the entire northern hemisphere. I don’t believe that it would seem of any consequence to the both of you. The last thing that anyone in this room expects from you two is objectivity,” Haamiah hammered.

All of this banter would have been very amusing—if they were not talking about me. Maybe I should have just come clean. I should have known that I would never be able to get away with trying to get into Jah’s chamber, but the very possibility totally consumed me to the point that I would have done just about anything to get in there.