You Did What?!

Tell me now; just exactly what would you do if you were to open a small suitcase and find that it contained a lot of money?----------- Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars (American) to be specific, not drachma not pesos, golly Ned, that’s a quarter of a million! Take a few minutes; I will wait for your answer. I am really quite interested in what you might tell me because I have just found myself in that very position. I know, I know; I did all that-----looked around, quickly, to see if anyone was watching me and no, I did not see a soul doing that. I guess that should not have been too surprising, at ten o’clock at night and on a bus out in the middle of nowhere. Not only that, I was not really sure exactly where this particular “nowhere” might be; somewhere near a little village on the east side of the Ural Mountains is all that I am sure of. Do you suppose that is why I must then have gone a little bonkers, talking to someone I know is not really here?------Anyway, enough of that. Perhaps it is best that I just tell you, whoever you may be, the whole story. I think it is going to take a while. I’m pretty sure it is going to capture your interest. Maybe it might be a good idea if first you get comfortable, as I said, this may take a while. Ready?