“Did he just wink?” whispered Downing. “If not, he developed a very timely facial tic,” Caine replied. - Charles E. Gannon

Besides being grossly unprofessional and misinformed, just why is that a relevant inquiry?

Veriden cut an annoyed glance at Riordan but said nothing; he suspected that even she saw the irony in starting an argument over whether she was argumentative.

I do not disagree with you, Bannor Rulaine. But in my culture, when tradition is challenged by law, the law is often twisted, construed, and reconstrued until it can be made to conform with tradition. I believe your word for this is teleology: where a result is decided before the process debate or discovery is initiated.
O'Garran snorted. "Fancy word for saying, 'they're going to have it their way, no matter what.'