“How much,” I asked cautiously, “is it going to cost?”

“That is entirely up to you, Mr. Fischler. If you wish to make a hundred thousand dollars, your investment can be relatively small. If you will be content with five hundred thousand, you can make a moderate investment. If you wish to be swept on into power as a multi-millionaire, it will cost you more.”

“How much,” I asked, “to be a multi-millionaire?”

“Five thousand bucks,” he said without batting an eye.

“How do you figure it?”

“Well, to begin with, there are these vast acres.”

“Never mind going over that again,” I said. “Let’s get down to brass tacks.”

“What do you want to know?”

“What are your shares of stock worth?”

“One hundred and fifty-seven times what we are asking for them,” he said.