Meret did not open the jar until she had read the label twice.
“Shell residue, shipment four-six-two, collected at the Eastwater Steps station,” she said. “Was the jar clean?”
“Orla took it from a sealed packet,” Iven replied.
“Was the seal intact?”
“Yes.”
“Did the drop touch the outside of the shell before it entered the jar?”
“Yes.”
“Then we compare it as residue from the shell, not as a sample of the cartridge’s original contents.”
