At the close of the first week of Lucas Paqueta's spot-fixing trial, there has not yet been an answer to a career-defining question: was he merely a good bet for yellow cards or a sure thing?
So far, there has been no verdict. Nor have there been any overwhelming signs of which way it is going and whether there will indeed be a lifetime ban if he is found guilty of an offence he denies.
But a few tales have reached me about how Paqueta managed his existence in the early days of an important saga, once the asteroid came into view.