Mr. Foolish left our company about a year after I started. About a year after that I was promoted to run the entire team of designers and developers. Riddler hinted that this was a big thing, that I’d have an expense account and other ‘lucrative’ benefits. (Sigh. How little I understood back then…)

Mr. Foolish on the other hand had already had half a decade with Riddler and knew him well. When I told him about the promotion, his response was thus:

In your new position of responsibility will you be getting a company car? Or perhaps you are getting a company car but Riddler first has to check into all the different cars on the market, and see which one comes with the best sparkplugs. Then, wait because next season’s sparkplugs will be better, then look into that new model car that comes without those damn sparkplugs thus lowering the price. Then of course every dealer must be haggled with, and in the end Riddler’s best friend doesn’t carry cars so you won’t be getting one anyways.

That, sadly, is exactly how all purchasing decisions for technology and equipment were made by Riddler. Meaning, you never got what was needed because there was always the possibility that at any time in the future something better might come along.

[Editor’s note: In 2012, all computers in the office were still outfitted with giant CRT monitors. Other than Riddler’s computer, no flat-screen/LCD monitors were to be found.]