Philip looked at him, a sense of dread washing over him. "What is he up to?" He thought to himself.
"More important questions, Your Grace?" Lord Hawthorne asked Eric.
Eric brought out another set of papers from his coat, these ones filled with testimonies from patrons and merchants. He shared them as well and began to explain. "These," he announced to the room, "are the endless complaints that have been coming in from our most recent, just-concluded collection line. Complaints about low-quality materials, shoddy workmanship, and increased costs…"
He looked directly at Philip, his voice now that of a prosecutor delivering his final argument. "What is the matter, Mr. Acting President? Are we suddenly running so low on funds that the great Carson Textile Establishment, a company known for its impeccable quality for over Thirty years, is now selling low-quality, inferior materials for such ridiculous, inflated prices to gather money?"
