More people would pay, wrote Deputy Minister Pokrovskii, less to satisfy the need for revenue and more as come-uppance for the past shirking that was now unacceptable.

BALDRICK: My Lord, the Bishop of Bath and Wells. BISHOP: (enters) The time has come, Blackadder! EDMUND: Oh, hello, Bish.

Of course, you could also rely on your own cash reserves, as many startuppers do with their second companies — Evan Williams, for example, used his windfall from selling Blogger to Google to buy out the investors in his new company, Odeo.

I can tell stories and sing and sell more goods than any one has any idea of. Besides that, I’ve got a new corn salve I put up myself which goes like hot cakes. Barberry’s Lightning Salve, I call it — my name is Paul Barberry, you know — Dr. Barberry, most of ’em call me. Say the word, and I’ll go with you and put up my salve against your outfit, and we’ll share and share alike.