When at last the case gets to its hearing (so far as anything at all can be heard over the small talk in front of the dock and the shuffle of impatient feet behind it) a novel point arises.  A witness refers to the War.  “What war?” asks his Lordship.  Counsel thinks he can explain, but WILLIAM isn’t for letting him.  “Will you keep silence?” says the Judge to WILLIAM.  “You must call evidence to prove that there was a war,” he says to counsel.

    WILLIAM faints upon realising that Armageddon, his masterpiece, was
    such that judicial knowledge wasn’t aware of it....

Witness after witness is called; barrister after barrister, in the bar beneath the dock rail, goes to sleep.  WILLIAM, after shaking off the stupor caused by the awful disregard of his personality, begins to murmur incoherently.  The warder taps him on the shoulder.  WILLIAM, who has never even conceived of being tapped by anybody, bursts out with an exclamation.  The worst thing which has ever happened to him in his life then happens.  Bowdler, Bowdler of all the un-imperial and un-godlike people in this world, turns to WILLIAM to rebuke him in a stern whisper, telling him that he is doing himself no good and concluding his remarks with “My man"....

The trial proceeds, WILLIAM being speechless with rage.  In his ears is ringing a Hymn of Hate—­hate of everybody in the court, but particularly of Bowdler.  Every time he can get his brain to work and his tongue to work with it, he leans forward to breathe some drastic utterance at his defending counsel.  Bowdler remains detached.  WILLIAM (late Kaiser) has to realise as a cold fact that here is a wretched mortal daring to sharpen a pencil while he is being addressed by the ALL-HIGHEST. The ALL-HIGHEST reaches over the dock rail to thump the wretched mortal’s wretched head....

Bowdler rises deliberately.  There is a hush.  He is going to say something important.  WILLIAM feels that at last the world is sane and duly attentive to him again.  Bowdler submits that the state of mind of the accused person (accused person!) should be inquired into.

The judge very readily acquiesces; anything to get rid of the fellow.  The prison doctor swears that he has never seen a lunatic if this isn’t one.  An assertive juryman, who disapproves of business being so rushed as not to permit of a hanging, expresses the view aloud that it is all put on.  Silence ensues upon the anomaly of a juryman daring to express a view aloud; WILLIAM avails himself of this silence for the same purpose.  His view, which was evidently intended to take some time in the expressing, starts off with personal reminiscences of the intimate friendship and business partnership between himself and the Almighty.  The juryman at once gives in and the verdict is found before WILLIAM has completed his second sentence....

WILLIAM hears himself being ordered