Cry, The Beloved Country Book 2, Chapter 28

It is the day of the sentencing at Court. The judge reviews the case: Absalom has not denied his guilt. The servant who was hit with the iron bar has identified Pafuri by his twitching eyes, but the defense argues that many people have such a tic. Also, Absalom only said that Pafuri and Matthew were with him after the police questioned him about Pafuri. Maybe he came up with a plan to implicate the other two boys in the crime then. Mrs. Mkize's testimony is too unreliable to mean anything. There is not enough evidence to convict Matthew and Pafuri, so they must go free. But Absalom cannot be found innocent just because he was corrupted by an unjust society. The law or the society can be changed, but people must still answer to the laws that exist. The judge cannot believe that Absalom could enter a house with a loaded gun, with no intention to kill. He also sees no reason to offer mercy: Absalom was of age, and made his own decisions. Thus, he sentences him to death. The crowd cannot sit quietly anymore; they cry out in torment.