// that the first byte can only be either 0x80 or 0xff. Thus, the first byte is
// equivalent to the sign bit in two's complement form.
func fitsInBase256(n int, x int64) bool {
	binBits := uint(n-1) * 8
	return n >= 9 || (x >= -1<<binBits && x < 1<<binBits)
}

// parseNumeric parses the input as being encoded in either base-256 or octal.
// This function may return negative numbers.