The Grimtide representative was brought in. A woman this time, younger than Devris, with close-cropped dark hair and the particular watchful quality of someone who had been in rooms like this before and had learned to read them quickly. She was called Maret. She sat beside Devris with approximately three feet of deliberate distance between them and looked at Voss the same way Devris had, with less confidence and more intelligence, which Voss found marginally more tolerable.
"Three Keelers dead," he said, without preamble. "Your blockade."
"The Ashkeel vessels crossed into established Grimtide territory," Maret said. "The blockade was a lawful response."
"The supply barge," Voss said.
"That was not authorized."
"Who authorized it."
A pause. "I am looking into the matter."
"You have b
