Note: Diamond-studded, solid gold fence posts are not expensive because of the diamonds. They are expensive because multi-field projection systems are persnickity things to tune, even if the diamond optics have been machined to perfection. After all, you want to keep the cats out of your sandbox, but you don't want to kill them. And if you DO kill them, you don't want it to look like your very shiny fence was the culprit.
TAGON: Where did one of my subordinates come up with that kind of money?
PRANGER: It's not my job to know that.
PRANGER: He was generous though. He paid fifty million up front, and told me I could keep whatever Tem Phica paid me. That turned out to be 25% of sixty million.
PRANGER: By the way, once you and I get out of here alive, he owes me another fifty million, plus whatever it takes to repair the equipment I've lost.
PRANGER: You know, Captain, right now you look like somebody just hit you between the eyes with a fencepost.
TAGON: A solid gold fencepost. Diamond-studded, I think.