One day Rik was cycling down the Hollands Duin bike path when he approached a juncture: one way led to Wassenaar or something, the other to that one beach with the snack bar and naked people. When suddenly a great puff of smoke revealed a dark figure sporting cloven hooves and a crimson tail. And the frightening apparition spoke in a thunderous roar: What would you accept in exchange for your immortal soul? What's the deal with you and crossroads anyway? asked Rik. None of your business, just answer the damn question! bellowed the devil. Trembling but in a steady voice, Rik replied: I want the ability to sing like an angel, and to play guitar like a demon, and the managerial skills to catapult AA-Awesome to worldwide fame, even moreso than Coldplay, and furthermore I want a double-order of poffertjes with butter and sugar from yonder snack stand. It shall be so! the dark lord replied, and vanished just as he had arrived. Alas, after a complete accounting it was determined that Rik's immortal soul was worth only the poffertjes.
