"Now, look here...." "Be calm, judge!" Toffee said. "If you don't settle down we'll have to find someone else. Now, who's being charged with what around here?" "Who is that woman?" Julie demanded sharply. Toffee smiled at her winsomely. "It would only upset you to know, dear," she murmured. The gavel banged again, announcing that the judge had regained the gift of speech. "Silence in the court!" he bellowed. He turned eyes heavy with vexation on Toffee's pert face. "If I give you a resume of the court's activities until the awful moment of your intrusion, will that make you feel sufficiently included in things?" "That would be fine, judge," Toffee said pleasantly. "God in heaven!" the judge moaned and took a deep breath. In a rumbling voice he enumerated again the list of Marc's crimes. As he did so, Marc's expression became more and more incredulous. "But that's not true!" he cried out. "Almost none of it, judge!" "Certainly it isn't," Toffee said. "In the first place, those lewd pictures were planted on him." "That's right, judge," Hotstuff said contritely. "I eased 'em onto him." "And he didn't wreck any store, either," Toffee said hotly. "It was the sergeant and his clumsy chums. As for assaulting them, I'd be happy to oblige." "And about the bus," Marc said. "I hadn't any reason to suspect it was stolen." "I guess that's right, judge," the driver said sadly. "I didn't tell him it wasn't mine." "There's something else you didn't get straight, judge," the skinny nudist said. "His behavior wasn't lewd or immoral. It was just that he had his clothes on. Naturally, we were upset." "He wasn't shootin' at anyone, either," Moose put in. "He was just tryin' to stop us." "Wait a minute!" the judge yelled. "In a minute you'll be trying to tell me this Pillsworth is a saint." He coughed excitedly. "I'm pleased that you've all decided to incriminate yourselves, but you still haven't succeeded in clearing Pillsworth. There are still the charges of jail breaking and jewel robbery." He levelled his gaze on Marc. "What have you got to say to that?" * * * * * Marc's interest, however, had been diverted by Hotstuff, who, for the past several minutes had been staring with unbroken fascination at Mario. Overlooking Hotstuff's begonia infested shorts, Marc followed the pickpocket's gaze across the courtroom. The first thing Marc noticed was that Mario was not comfortable under Hotstuff's curious stare. The second was a large birthmark, roughly the shape of an eagle, on Mario's forearm. "My word!" Marc murmured. "Mr. Pillsworth!" the judge said. "Would you mind giving your attention to the court?" "Oh, yes, your honor," Marc said, "I was just noticing the birthmark on Mr. Matalini's arm. Its resemblance to an eagle is remarkable." "Birthmark?" the judge said, glancing at Mario. "What birthmark?" "Well, judge," Marc said, "you can't see it. But with my eyes the way they are...."