The Devil You Know - Episode VI

WHAT’S GONE BEFORE: In Episode V Videl informs Barney that he can guarantee that Barney will attend M.I.T. When he gets home from school, Barney finds Videl and his mother together in the living room.

Artwork Credit: Matt Ryan

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Celebrating, silly,” sang Mary. “Mr. Videl, your new school administrator, stopped by this afternoon. Looks like you’re going to M.I.T. I already signed the consent form. Come sit with me and have a glass of sparkling cider.”

Barney gave a blank stare, but sat next to his mother on the couch.

“I didn’t do anything to her,” Videl swore the next day.

“There’s something different about her. She has a new look in her eyes.”

“Yes, Barney, I imagine there is. The eyes are the windows to the inner spirit. I reached through that window and reignited a passion that years of single motherhood had extinguished.” Videl tapped his left breast, indicating the permission slip was in an interior jacket pocket. “She signed. Now we just need you to sign the EEA.” He pulled a small electronic device from another pocket and proffered the screen toward Barney. “Just put your thumb print right there.” He pointed to a spot on the screen.

“I know better than to sign anything without reading it first.”

“What’s to read?” asked an exasperated Videl. “It’s all very boilerplate stuff. Substitute a name and a request, yada yada.”

Barney shook his head. “Not signing ’til I read.”

“Fine.” Videl handed the device to Barney who scanned the document, muttering the occasional “Tsk” or “Hmph” or “No way.”

“You’re joking, right? Where’s the real EEA?” asked Barney.

“That is the actual EEA,” growled Videl.

“I’m not signing that piece of crap,” laughed Barney. “Near as I can tell, there are so many loop holes, I’d be lucky if I even got within a thousand miles of Massachusetts, never mind M.I.T. I could write a better contract,” challenged Barney.

“You, a ten-year-old,” sneered Videl.

“A ten-year-old with an IQ of 198, third highest of all time,” countered Barney.

“Well,” Videl hesitated, “it’s highly unusual.”

“I’m not usual,” stated Barney.

“That you are not,” replied Videl. “I’ll tell you what. I like you, so I’ll give you one week to draft an acceptable agreement. If you haven’t done so by then, you will sign this.” He held up the electronic tablet and extended an index finger into the air. “One week.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Barney glanced in the mirror. “Where do I meet you?”

There was no reply.

“I really wish he’d stop doing that,” Barney muttered to the empty room.

END – EPISODE VI

Barney seems so close to attaining his dream. Will he be able craft an EEA that Videl will buy into?