Alia conceded Macharius' point regarding Hannabel with a nod. "Should have been more thorough cleaning up after Thule, I suppose, but it does illustrate nicely why we decided to keep so much of it in-house."

Then she looked up at Echo, and for the first time during the meeting looked a little off-balance. It was quickly submerged behind her calm facade, but the Navigator's peculiar way of speaking, if nothing else, seemed to be getting to her just a little.

"Etula Hax was a convenient deflection for a time, it's true. Last I checked she has been cleared of suspicion, an act for which you no doubt have the gratitude of the Governor. While Marius Hax has been increasingly paranoid of late, no one from the palace was ever targeted directly, and his family is now above question, thanks in no small part to your efforts. Making you even more valuable as allies, as I'm sure you're aware. Nobody below the governor can afford to move against my house directly, and even his position is tenuous enough that he'd think hard about doing it first."