Half an hour later, Bemish sat in the garden with a laptop in his hands, deeply immersed in calculations. The year before last, the total volume of direct and portfolio investments into the Empire's economy was four billion dinars. The last year, thanks to Bemish's example, it was sixteen billion. Just before the elections, the investment flow increased a bit more and it dropped almost to zero afterwards.
The total sum of allowances, benefits and investment credits for a new Federation member would be, accordingly to Bemish's calculations, six thousand four billion dinars — six trillion.
Somebody approached and stood next to him. Bemish turned around and saw Nan and Shavash.
"Why are you pouting, Terence," Shavash asked. "Can you imagine how much Assalah stocks will cost tomorrow?"
"That's why I am upset," Bemish grinned. "You could at least give me a hint. Confess, how much have you made on this deal?"
"I don't really know yet," the small official spoke. "I, however, have a gift for you, Mr. Bemish. During the crisis, I took it upon myself to buy Assalah bonds at the total sum of three hundred million dinars. On the average, I paid eight cent for a dinar. I would like to give you a half of them."
Shavash paused.
"Also, as you remember, I am authorized to invest Special Weian fund's money in whatever way I see fit. During the emergency, the fund was buying everything it could."
Bemish raised his eyes at him, shocked. Of course, he immediately realized that for every stock that Shavash had bought for the fund, he had bought twenty for himself.
Bemish realized that the foxy official managed the most astonishing insider deal in the stock market history — he had dropped the market's rating at the very bottom and had bought everything. He knew that after his ultimatum, Weia would obtain the federal exchange status and his investments would increase tenfold. Suddenly Bemish understood why Shavash agreed to the president's condition — not to participate in the elections — so easily.
"Why did you instigate the whole thing?" Bemish asked. "Did you want to get 2000 % profit in ten days? Were you trying to save your country or were you spinning an insider deal?"
"Where is insider trading here?" Shavash was surprised. "I didn't know how your government would reply to my proposal."
"And still, having reaped your profits, you refused to become the first minister of Weia."
Here Shavash smiled slowly and victoriously.
"There are a lot of people," he said, "who are worthier of this appointment than I am. At a certain point, Mr. Nan was dismissed from the first minister position under the pretext that he was a citizen of another country. They passed a law that made it impossible for foreigners to hold governmental appointments. Now, we are all citizens of the same state and the law is no longer valid. You have to agree, that it will be quite advantageous if an Earthman represents our country in the Assembly of the heads of the states."
Bemish was completely shocked.
"Shavash, everybody thought that you betrayed Nan."
"Never follow the general opinion, Terence. If you had thought better about me, you would have been a billion or two richer today."
Having said this, the small official bowed ceremoniously to the Earthman and walked down the path, back to the carved spires and onion shaped turrets of the main palace pavilions.
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