"Mr. Shyster?" questioned Settlemontos after a moment. "Do you have any more evidence or testimony to present in this matter?"
"No, sir, I don't," said Shyster.
"What?" shrieked Piper. "That's it?"
"Ms. Halliwell, please control yourself or I'll have you removed from this hearing," said Settlemontos.
"I will not," screamed Piper. "I'm not just going to sit here while he allows you to steal my baby from me."
"Piper, please," whispered Shyster to her, "be calm. Secret weapon, remember?"
Piper took a deep breath. There really wasn't anything she could do about it anyway. Finally she glared at Shyster.
"If this doesn't work out," she said deliberately, "I will find a way to vanquish you. A very long, very painful way, I swear."
"Trust me," whispered Shyster, winking at her.
"If that's all then," said Settlemontos.
"I do have one final statement, sir," said Shyster.
"Very well," said Settlemontos. "Make your statement."
"You don't have the authority to make a ruling in this case, sir," said Shyster, smiling at Piper.
"Excuse me?" questioned Settlemontos.
"You don't have the authority to make a ruling in this case, sir," repeated Shyster. "The alleged offenses were supposedly committed in the mortal realm. Your authority is limited to the Other World realm. Therefore, it is outside your jurisdiction and you do not have the authority to make a ruling in this matter."
"Irving, are you out of your mind?" asked Ms. Bicheterous. "Or is this one of your twisted jokes?"
"Oh, I'm quite serious," said Shyster. "I believe the arbiter will agree with me on this."
"He does raise a valid point," said Settlemontos. "My authority does extend only to the Other World realm, not into the mortal realm."
"Need I point out, sir," said Ms. Bicheterous, "that the child in question is half Whitelighter. This gives the child dual citizenship in both the mortal realm and the Whitelighter realm. The Other World Protection Code specifically gives you authority in this instance."
"Quite true," said Shyster. "However, the court order granting you temporary custody of the child was issued in an Other World court."
"So?" asked Ms. Bicheterous.
"According to book three, section twenty-two, subsection seventeen of the Other World Diplomatic regulations," said Shyster, "any court order to be served in the mortal realm must be authenticated and cleared through the legal department of the Diplomatic Corps, who will then issue a form 1174-26b, stipulating that the issuing authority does have jurisdiction in the matter. I don't see a form 1174-26b in submission, sir. And even though the OWIOD clearly has jurisdiction in this matter, Ms. Halliwell is still allowed due process. Which in this case she was not afforded.""
"You can't be serious?" asked Ms. Bicheterous. "That clause hasn't been invoked in over one thousand years."
"It doesn't matter," said Shyster. "The provision has never been challenged, let alone overturned. It still remains in effect. As such, I am well within my legal rights to invoke that clause. Since proper procedure was not observed in serving the court order, jurisdiction in this matter still rests fully in the mortal realm. This hearing has no authority to make any rulings in this matter."
"He's right," said Settlemontos. "Whether it's been invoked or not, that clause is still binding on the Other World court system and on the OWIOD. If Mr. Shyster wishes to invoke the clause, he's perfectly within his right to do so."
"I wish to invoke it, sir," said Shyster.
"So ordered," said Settlemontos.
"A formality," said Ms. Bicheterous. "I'll get this cleared through the legal department immediately. We'll then resubmit our petition. And as the arbiter has already said, we've met our burden of proof. He'll have no choice but to grant the OWIOD permanent custody of the child. Until then, the child will remain in our physical custody for his own welfare and protection."
Pipers' heart sank. Shysters "secret weapon" apparently had failed to produce the results he had promised.