The Radiant Feldspar.
"...That old Oti really is a tough opponent. I never imagined he'd make such a risky move as taking Penacony public at its most critical moment," Topaz said to Jade.
"Indeed, he's very bold," Jade said. "That audacity is precisely what made him the Oti Alfalfa he is today.
"But the scales of victory haven't tipped either way yet. However loudly someone shouts, words alone carry no weight. Topaz, any news about that call I asked you to make?"
After Old Oti proposed taking Penacony public, the meeting between the Company and the Clover Family had adjourned for the time being, leaving Jade and Topaz some time to prepare.
"Yes, they agreed." Topaz smiled, looking rather pleased. "But it'll be a little while before they arrive."
"That's perfect," Jade said. "Manna should always be served after poison."
"Looks like we'll be skipping the apple exchange this time," Topaz said.
"What can we do when we're dealing with an insatiably greedy merchant?" Jade raised an eyebrow slightly. "One apple, neither sweet nor bland, won't solve the problem-ah, I seem to have caught myself in the crossfire with that remark."
Their conversation clearly relied on their shared understanding of how Jade operated. To anyone else, it would have sounded rather baffling.
Had Stelle or Jiang Yu been there, they might have asked the two women to say something they could actually understand.
Of course, this wasn't the sort of discussion that uninvolved parties could be allowed to overhear.
"I'm suddenly a little curious." Jade looked at Topaz. "Topaz, would you consider Penacony a high-quality asset?"
"Good credit, tremendous profits, and promising growth prospects. Even after this catastrophe, it's still one of the finest assets in the galaxy. There's no doubt about that," Topaz replied.
"Yes, that's obvious." Jade nodded.