....he was about to say more but stopped himself and took a closer look at the scales.
He lit a match and put it under a scale; the scale melted and what was left was a small drop of pure gold (Bernie, being an archaeologist, could identify gold, and carats (or whatever they are called now in decimal currency).
The python had retreated to the rafters. He didn't know how to get it down. He got his cat to come to him by calling "Here pussy, pussy,pussy" but that didn't always work.
The snake knew it had the upper hand and spoke, in a loud voice "Possumne tibi auxilio esse, Bernarde?")
Turbo, who was there to do the books, recognised the Latin immediately as "May I help you Bernie?"
Bernie didn't entirely trust the snake, but with Turbo translating, they came to a deal where the snake could live in the rafters and Bernie could collect the gold flakes when it shed. (He also collected when it crapped too - it was a big snake.)
Turbo and the python started talking and the python told him it was thousands of years old and picked up the Latin from when Cleopatra had picked him up from the Alexandria dust. He was only a little asp then. One day she picked him up too tightly and he bit her on the t......................................