"Arthur," a voice boomed. Standing by a panoramic window was Silas Vane, the Chief Investment Officer. He didn't look like a titan of industry; he looked like a man who hadn't slept since the 2008 crash. "You’ve been selected because you have the stomach for 'The Hand.' Tell me, what do you see when you look at a price chart?"

"The weather reports say what we told the meteorologists to say," Silas interrupted. "By noon, the 'news' will break. By 1:00 PM, panic will set in. By 2:00 PM, the Invisible Hand will drive the price into the dirt. We buy back the futures at 3:30 PM and pocket the difference." Arthur hesitated. "But the farmers... the local economy..."

Silas led Arthur to a terminal that looked more like a cockpit than a computer. "The Family wants a 14% return by the closing bell. We’re going to short the coffee market in Ethiopia. There’s a drought coming." "A drought?" Arthur asked. "The weather reports say—"