Item numbers does not work and I was generating a string to be sent with cli_execute("send ... to foo") in an ash script. It is no big deal since this is a one time item and I will probably not have to send it again.
int doodad = to_int($item[A Beginner's Guide to Charming Snakes]);
cli_execute("send 1 \u00B6" + doodad + " to Bale");
That character \u00B6 is necessary to inform mafia that the following int is an item. Jason chose it because it is unlikely to ever be used as the start of an actual item name.