Finally got around to reading it. Very good find. :)
There're some subtle bits that're missed, like the games that can be played with arbitrage when there isn't a collectively agreed upon valuation, but overall, very nice.
(I am confused about what the second gunshot was, however.)
(I am confused about what the second gunshot was, however.)
The three judges were split 2-1. My guess is that the judge who disagreed with the king shared Lord Eichan's fate.
Available in PDF here, the short story in question may appeal to LW readers for its approach of viewing more things than are customary in handy economic terms, and is a fine piece of fiction to boot. The moneychanger protagonist gets out of several sticky situations by making desperate efforts, deploying the concepts of markets, revealed preferences, and wealth generation as he goes.