The white building opened into a circular chamber where seven councilors sat beneath slow blue lines from the city's shared network. No throne occupied the center, and no guard blocked the entrance.
Every pale cord from the avenue ended above the council table as the market's unsanctioned exchange left red marks across several lines and the chamber displayed the disturbance without hiding its source.
Captain Oren stopped at the threshold and said, "The Warden Council receives you as guests, and the network will not record your words as a public order unless you ask it to do so."
Hajin looked at the cords and said, "The city already knows we arrived, so the difference between a record and an order may matter less than you claim."
The oldest councilor raised her hands from the table and said, "You are correct, and that is why the council speaks before the city creates a conclusion around your presence."
