MatronNemalzhi goes to explain her victory and her claims for the CouncilOfEight and finds herself supported by HouseHasdrubel and HouseNahena as well as some of the others. HouseHasdrubel shows an unexpected disdain for the workings of the Council by sending Taluit to represent the House.
HouseNemalzhi now controls two compounds. Their old as well as the one of the former 12th House.
Human merchants arrive and Xora takes the Wizard of the human caravan on a small tour of the city. He warns her that a burst of transportation-magic is being used and that it has a Human "flavour". Shortly thereafter a Troll comes rampaging through the bazaar they are in.
Nearby guardsmen cannot stop the powerful beast and the alarm is soundedn. Zhe'raen takes a break from deploying his troops in the new compound and brings Yathrinë along to investigate what seems like a fun fight.
Indeed the Troll delivers a fight and manages to break the legs of Yathrinë before Zhe'raen manages to destroy the beast by driving daggers into its ears, damaging its minute, but existing, brain.
Later Zhaunil find that the vault of HouseNemalzhi is virtually empty and alerts Matron to this.
Velve is called in to explain but his attempts of explaing the intricacies of investing falls on deaf ears since MatronNemalzhi is quite mercantilist in her outlook on matters of economy. Upset at this complete lack of understanding and appreciation of his work, Velve sets about the task to regain all the money he is accused of having "lost". Pulling every financial string he has he soon manages to turn the economy in the city into chaos. As more and more resources fall under the control of HouseNemalzhi the other Houses simply step in and appropriate what they need. This effectively puts the city in a state of martial law over the following week, bringing all the houses closer and closer to an all-out war for every passing day.
It is noted that somehow resources are being brought in and sold on a new black market. Some can be explained away by minor merchants and smugglers but in the end it turns out that HouseBaalHzai are behind this. Velve and Xora, realizing that their very lives depend on a way to break the financial tension in the city decide to try and get to talk to whoever is in charge. They are admitted and confronted with MatronMalafrena. She too sees the wisdom of breaking the tension but does not accept Velves offer to stake out territories and control the citys economy. "Economy cannot be controlled" claims MatronMalafrena "and to survive you must be able to dance with chaos." But they agree evetually to simply let go of their hold on the market.
In a few weeks things return to a seeming normality but the city has changed. Not only in small matters but at the very core of its merchantile and financial life. Once large clubs, brothels, MerchantHouses and crime syndicates have been toppled by the lack of goods and drugs during the days of tension and new ones have risen to prominence. Now, more than ever, are the alleys of the city filled with the gleam of daggers and spilling of blood as a quiet war of dominance rages in the shadows.