The Demon was sulking in his house, not because he was mad or sad about anything, but because he hated watching the rain.

The rolling sheets of rain pelted the streetside paving stones, the gentle tapping of drops on the roof. the occasional rumble of thunder in the distance. To a man, this might be relaxing or sad.

But he just found the sound to be annoying. The constant tapping sounded like scratching or banging fists. The thunder was like a chariot wheel or trampling feet. It drove him up a wall listening to it.

He eased his hand off his chair and rubbed his human eyes. There was a slight strain but nothing ostensibly wrong. It was still annoying. All these little aches and pains, just made him hate the rain even more. The tapping made him feel jittery.

Finally, he snapped and slammed the book closed with a loud thump.

He needed something to do. Something loud, something louder than even the faint rumble of thunder. He ran up the stairs into the workshop and started looking around. Sorting through all the metals and gems, which he now realized was just glass. hm, explains the price, he found something and snatched it.

Then he ran back down the stairs and started pawing through the books on Darwin's shelf looking for something else, he found it and then ran back up the stairs into the workshop.

He then at once began banging and clamoring about, causing as much of a ruckus as possible while he flattened a sheet of copper into a flat disk and carefully started smoothing it.

Inspecting his work he moved on, preparing a quill nub, he wiped the marks from the metal and inserted new ones. He fixed it to an armature, tying it in place while he set it cantilever.

He gave a slight shrug as it spun in his hands and set it down. He then found a piece of wood and began painstakingly boring a hole into it. He placed the rod inside, watched it wobble a moment, and then made some adjustments.

He could still hear the odious rain pounding outside, the pounding, scrapping, gnashing rain that he- No, he would think about it, he's away from that. Hell is for losers, He is a normal man, A man with plans to be rich and with a project he'd love to finish so he doesn't have to listen to the rain outside.

He tried the rod and pen contraption again, it spun in place, perfectly. The Lever/Counter lever contraption would almost spin forever. Almost.

He removed it and placed down the Copper disk and lined up the center with the hole he'd made. With a deft blow, he slammed a punch into the soft metal and pierced it in a single stroke.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

He sighed in relief as he found the hole to be centered properly, he then set about bending the copper sheet upward slightly to form a slope. Then smoothing it again, Bending then smoothing, it was a good rhythm he set, until he met himself again when the circle was completed. He smiled and then set the rod and lever spinning.

It at once made a pure tone, warbled at points, but a single simple tone as the scrapping of the blank pen quill set the metal resonating. And with the two opposing levers acting against each other, he wouldn't have to give much of a push to set it spinning again,

The eerie persistence of the tone echoed into his mind, setting his stoney teeth on a buzzing edge as he leaned back and listened. He sighed in contentment as the device made its rounds. The warbled, singing metal bowl drowned out the pattering of rain outside.

He vaguely wondered about selling it, adding small lumps to make different notes. But waved it off, this would be his own personal comfort. Just for rainy days like this.

Just to keep away the rain. To keep the damned rain away.

He sighed as he bathed in the rolling voice of that single, golden tone.

God help him should a hurricane stop by. He'd need an army of such devices to drown that noise out.

But he felt at ease with this, for now, it would be fine for now, in time, he would like something more. A harpsichord or something similar. A piano wouldn't fit without some severe help. But that would be a concern for later.

He snickered, ahh, time. He really must be thinking like a human now. Supposing that such a thing as "tomorrow" even existed. Or that anyone could even command such a concept to behave. Almost as foolish as making wishes in a well or a child making pretend. he scoffed.

"Well, let tomorrow come when it pleases, I'll be working through today." He quietly announced. And then began idly wondering how much he had left in Darwin's wallet.

The results were frighteningly little and he genuinely feared starving. But he calmed himself and resolved that as soon as the rain stopped. He would go and make some very interesting investments at the Town Halls Stock exchange boards.

A broker couldn't be that hard to find. He figured he should put stock in or let's see. Ah, the three G's, Grain, Gold, and whatever kind of Greed is about.

He thought a moment, no, he'd pass watch a few days then make his judgment on where to invest. He may have to invest in Silver instead of Gold. Simply because these folks seemed to like Silver more than its yellow cousin of Gold. Well, it didn't matter, precious metals aside, this stock market ought to be a meager affair compared to a mature Capitalist system. He'd swindle the place blind if he so chose.

But, he was here to relax, to enjoy the mortal plane awhile. But...

Death by starvation would break the tentative contract that held him on this plane of misery so far.

"Fame, Wealth, and Power he asked for, and So the Devil answered." he chuckled to himself.

"Good sir, you can do much better than these. Fame is fleeting, Wealth can be eaten and Power is fickle. But to you, I grant them, just the same.' He remembered the words of his mentor in the art of Investments and bodily possessions.

"Should've asked for Bread," he grumbled to himself. "Instead of the three G's, it ought to be called the two B's. Bread and Banks, with Dubachury as dessert. Now those are investments anyone fool could be taught. At least, if he wanted money that is."

He thought a bit longer, and then saw that it had stopped raining. He waited a moment longer and then decided to leave for the Town Hall once all the water finished dripping from the gutter.