Martin Dinari - Mentat of House Dorcha - had been summoned to the presence of the Lord and Lady of the House.  But when you are as small as a Minor House, the sprawl of men who serve at the command of the Lord is not so great as to have layers upon layers...especially not when you are the House's Warmaster.  Taking a seat, he listened as the Lady of the House - another Mentat like himself - laid out the situation.  It would have appeared that their 'ancestral' foes - House Talbot - had something in the works.  One of their important number wished to defect to them, and if it was true...Martin did not believe it so easily.  "Who is this spice merchant?"  Martin asked simply, knowing of the House Richesse, but since the Lady had merely specified<em>aligned</em>, took it as a sign that the merchant was not<em>of</em>the House itself.  "There's many of his like in the universe..."