Synopsis

Lawrence considered Amati’s holdings, then sought him out, proposing a transaction built on credit – a gamble on pyrite. It would yield profit for Amati should the metal's price ascend, or losses if it declined. Amati accepted, swayed by Lawrence’s appeal to his honor and a seed of doubt regarding Holo’s willingness to marry him. Unable to secure the necessary pyrite through Mark, Lawrence turned instead to the alchemists, believing they possessed a substantial reserve he could acquire.