Certainly the boy was easy to reassure ... manipulate. Not that Solomon intended to manipulate him--much. At least, not in a fashion that would harm him. "Of course," he said, "though I would request you do most of the shopping yourself, and I will arrange the financing."

Solomon had no idea what was involved in building a diorama, and he certainly wasn't going to do most of the shopping when he had other things to do and the boy had a lack. The list was to properly calculate the funds, rather than anything else.