Extracts from The Diaries of 'Professor' Cornelius Crane
April 16th, 1970

It took awhile, but this time the insurance paid out. So, although healmost screwed up (again), my good old dad did a much better job of it thistime round. He has even made provision for some of the money to be placed in aneducation trust that will enable me to attend a reputable college.

Of course, that is not going to be necessary. I have already proven tomyself that I have the means and capacity to become stinking rich without thehelp of any degree or doctorate.

The only job interviews that I will be attending in the future will bethose that I choose to oversee as sole owner of the company that I intend toestablish.

In this brave new future I will bethe one hiring and firing.

Yes, the future looks bright, but it is still so damned frustratingly faraway.

I need to be in control. Being 10 years old makes this an impossibility.I am still a good eight years away from having any legal control over my ownfinancial matters. The problem with the situation has already been proventhrough my father’s unwillingness to take advice from a supposedlynine-year-old kid.

Maybe, just maybe, the incident with the Ol’ Bradley Plot can be used topersuade my mother to make the right choice in the future.

I have big plans for my education fund. And it has nothing to do with edification!!!