▁under ground ▁activities . ▁H ig gin son ▁also ▁orders ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁to ▁Richmond ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁their ▁attack . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁inqu iry ▁begins , ▁Mos by ▁quickly ▁becomes ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁host ility ▁of ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁court ▁— ▁Bra xt on ▁B rag g , ▁George ▁Pick ett , ▁and ▁John ▁Bell ▁H ood ▁— ▁towards ▁Stuart . ▁Non eth eless , ▁he ▁mount s ▁a ▁vig orous ▁defense ▁of ▁his ▁friend . ▁A ▁greater ▁challenge ▁for ▁him ▁is ▁the ▁growing ▁rom antic ▁interest ▁of ▁Spring ▁Bla k ely , ▁the ▁nie ce ▁of ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁John ▁C . ▁Bre ck in ridge ▁and ▁a ▁secret ▁abol ition ist . ▁While ▁attract ed ▁to ▁Bla keley , ▁Mos by ▁holds ▁back , ▁still ▁gr ieving ▁for ▁his ▁recently ▁dece ased ▁wife . ▁He ▁also ▁attempts ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁threat ▁pos ed ▁by ▁Am ist ad . ▁Alert ed ▁to ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁plot ▁by ▁Raw l ins , ▁the ▁two ▁purs ue ▁their ▁investig ations ▁in ▁consult ation ▁with ▁one ▁another . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁inqu iry ▁continues , ▁Am ist ad ▁prepar es ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁their ▁plan ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁dign itar ies ▁assemble d ▁in ▁the ▁court room . ▁Appro aching ▁J ub lio , ▁they ▁attempt ▁to ▁util ize ▁his ▁Abraham ▁branch ▁in ▁their ▁plans , ▁but ▁he ▁keeps ▁a ▁w ary ▁distance ▁from ▁the ▁plot ters . ▁Brown ▁also ▁attempts ▁to ▁deal ▁with