Ryke was quiet.
Then: "She would have found the clause on her own," he said. "She would have read every document in the alliance and she would have found it."
"Yes," Holt said. Something almost like a smile. "She would have found it within the first week and told me I should have mentioned it earlier."
"You should have mentioned it earlier," Ryke said.
"Yes," Holt said. "I know."
The room breathed.
---
Mitch had three filings drafted within the hour.
The first countered Edric's operating license challenge directly, citing the sovereignty clause and the morning's reaffirmation. The second was a formal response to the co-respondent petition, with Holt's character witness statement and the deposition from Reine's contact. The third was Bena's attestation of Neva's recognized standing,
