He's got a nice trick. After some small talk about the difficulties of life, he says,
- I'll give you four thousand dollars.
- I'll take it.
- You feel better already.
- Sure. I'll feel even better when I get the money.
- Don't worry. Everything will work out. Life is all a matter of how you look at it.
- I'm not worried about my life now. I'm worried about how I get the money.
- Don't worry.
- Is the money in a bank? We can go there.
- You're looking at it the wrong way. It's virtual money.
- What good is that?
- You can use it to get real money.
- How?
- When you tell someone you are owed four thousand dollars they will loan you money.
- That might work if anyone thought there was a chance you would ever pay me. Is there any reason for them to?
- I'm the next Prime Minister.
- Do the politicians in this country know that?
- It's all a matter of thinking it can happen.
- You're a virtual next Prime Minister.
- Exactly.
- I guess I have to wait for you to become Prime Minister to get anything out of you.
- You can come to my house for dinner.
- A virtual dinner or a real one?
- Come and you'll see.
The dinner is very interesting. Sit down at the head of the table, the place of honor, I'm told, and with a flourish he sets before me a two inch dish of soup, four beans floating in a teaspoon of broth. He goes on,
- I give small portions, but it's the idea that's important.
- What's the idea?
- I'm not your friend, but I'm feeding you to show what kind of person I am.
- What kind is that?
- That gives things away.
- And you don't give much because I'm not your friend. Kind of you to be so clear about it.
- Yes, it is. You should write about me. People would be interested.
- Maybe. I could write: you do the minimum required so you can say something you like about yourself. You are interested in your relation to yourself, not in your relations to others.
- I'm happy about myself. Are you happy?
- I'll be happy when I get the four thousand dollars.
