code: public String getPropertyValue(String key) {
          checkArgument(!Strings.isNullOrEmpty(key), "key");
          
          String errorMessage = String.format("Failed to retrieve %s property from Conqueso server: %s",
                  key, conquesoUrl.toExternalForm());
          
          return readStringFromUrl("properties/" + key, errorMessage);
      }
docs: Retrieve the latest value for the given property key from the Conqueso Server, returned
  as a String.
  @param key the property key to look up
  @return the latest property value
  @throws ConquesoCommunicationException if there's an error communicating with the Conqueso Server.