Arthur Franklin Parnassus appears before the Council of Utmost Importance in the Netherwicke chambers, testifying without a representative while the hearing is broadcast nationwide. From the outset, Arthur challenges the committee’s framing and language, insisting that “words matter,” naming the Marsyas children on-air so they hear themselves acknowledged, and arguing that the government’s actions—not its reassurances—define whether it is an “enemy.”

Given the floor, Arthur delivers nearly three hours of testimony about his childhood under DICOMY: abuse by a master, escalating cruelty, and six months of imprisonment in a lightless cellar after Arthur tried to report what was happening. He describes how the government’s negligence and silence compounded harm, and he emphasizes how children internalize power and permission when wrongdoing is ignored.

The committee pivots from Arthur’s experience to attack his credibility and motives. Burton spotlights Arthur’s one-million-pound settlement, while Arthur counters with statistics about repeated abuse allegations and institutional “relocations.” Questioning shifts to the children: Arthur describes Chauncey, Talia, Theodore, Sal, and Phee as loved, growing kids, then pushes back when Burton and Sallow fixate on Lucy as “the Antichrist,” insisting Lucy is a seven-year-old choosing goodness.

Jeanine Rowder takes control, demanding Arthur “prove” he is a phoenix and then belittling his small flame as inadequate. She escalates into personal insinuations about Arthur’s relationships with Charles Werner and Linus Baker, and claims to hold a signed affidavit from Werner alleging Arthur is “training magical youth to be soldiers.” Rowder then corners Arthur about his unregistered adult years; Arthur admits he illegally moved and aided magical people to help them avoid detection, refusing only to answer whether he ever helped another phoenix.

After Arthur publicly demands an apology from the government, Rowder announces she has been appointed interim head of DICOMY and DICOMA and declares a new, “objective” inspector will be sent to Marsyas, with removal of the children on the table. Provoked, Arthur manifests the full phoenix in a terrifying display that panics the room, until Linus calms him and Arthur reabsorbs the bird. Linus then realizes Rowder revealed knowledge she should not have had by naming David; Arthur infers their hotel conversation was monitored.

Rowder uses Arthur’s display as proof of danger, ends the session, and threatens consequences for “subterfuge.” As Arthur and Linus leave, Arthur produces broken plastic and green wiring and accuses Rowder of planting the hotel listening device, drawing the other council members’ attention to her before Arthur and Linus exit Netherwicke amid cameras and shouting.