The Special Investigators met with their Dark Commerce collaborators three days after the initial interrogations, reconvening in a neutral location—one of the White Tulip's information broker establishments that had agreed to provide secure meeting space.
Lady Meridian and Lord Venn represented the conspiracy, their expressions carefully controlled as they presented their findings.
"We've investigated the other three Houses as thoroughly as our resources allow," Meridian began, pulling out several documents. "White Tulip, Purple Orchid, and Golden Sunflower. All three have been operating normally according to our intelligence networks."
Selene studied the documents with professional skepticism. "Define 'normally.'"
