The Devil was starting to think his luck was turning, for the worst. But Demons don't believe in luck. So, he might as well have a bit of fun with this. "Ah, or perhaps this is merely an ordinary kitten? and not my dear companion. Speak and be known good fellow, or at least close your mouth. the smell of your breathe is terrible."

Darwin flinched, realizing he'd slipped in allowing animal instincts to precede his treasured reason. A critical misstep, but he couldn't play into this creatures' hands. He would remain silent.

"Cat got your tongue, eh? Well don't bother playing dumb I knew it was you when my cheese went moldy, and children started crying and mothers locked their doors all along the Street" the Demon mocked. "Well, nothing to say? Not the least bit interested in what I've been doing. I'm sure you'll find it most interesting." the shade continued to tease.

"I've been freeing desperate souls from Debtors prison." Grinning as he said it. Darwin exploded.

"How DARE You! Wasting My money, wasted on those drunken bastards and impudent- I will rend you to pieces shade, My vengeance is nigh and my power grows with each breath! Already my Pnuema had returned, and I-" Darwin was spitting at the air now and the Devil saw fit to interrupt.

"Oh, and how is that? don't tell, another Crucible formula? Or did you-" He sniffed the air, something he hadn't noticed before. A faint odor of smoke or metal. "Is that smell, Phosphagen? Have you been taking phosphagen?!" at first incredulous, then bemused.

"And here I thought that stuff was only good for curing the common cold and headaches, But I hope you remember the phrase ' The Candle that burns at both ends, Burns twice as fast ' they did teach you something about it when in school I hope?"

Darwin felt the rebuttal shatter him. But he was more enraged than concerned to feel daunted by the temporality of his position. Darwin spat back "I have more than this foul spirit, I'm already moving to secure a most unique weapon in vendetta against you for the theft of my being and soon I'll ring cries for mercy from you twisted throat as kill you."

The Devil feigned interest "I take it you've called a priest then? Was it Father Macintire, we go back so far, I was his first exorcism actually." then he gave a wolfish grin as he began to prattle.

"Funny story really, I was trying to advance the ranks, but because of how were all fallen angels the only way to do that is for someone else to fall from favor, So I was spying on this other devil trying to prove he'd slipped up in some manner so I could take his place, and it just so happened I'd possessed this small sweet little girl in some foreign country where Macintire was doing missionary work. And it so happened that he was invited to sleep in her house at the time. I was a little scared cause I thought he'd see me right away, but his faith wasn't that strong yet, or rather wasn't focused on me anyway. So, I try to chip away at his mind through foul dreams, I was naive once, thinking it would weaken him-"

"Silence, be quite you worthless idiot ghost, God smite you for all your misdeeds upon this Earth and beyond, Cast ye into the pit of Fire and deeper than Hell itself, I spit upon you! If I were still a man, I'd strangle the life from you and beat you till all humanity was gone! Plague and Pox upon you!" Darwin squalled as the rest was silenced to mere, literal, caterwauling.

"Plague and pox? I haven't heard that line spoken in seriousness in, a century at least, maybe more." the Demon frowned with his borrowed face. "You are simply the rudest creature on Earth right now, aren't you? I swear I'd be celebrated for killing such an obnoxious creature as you. Why if any of the Demons I know were to wander about acting like that, we'd all be out of business before noon." He shook his finger at the foul critter.

"I suppose this would be the moment I reveal myself as an angel come to turn you from your selfish ways, but I doubt even an appearance from the Seraphim and Cherubim would shake that lump of rock you call a heart." he shook his finger at Darwin and tsk'ed "Shame on you for being such an ass, making me teach you morals. A Devil, has better manners than you." He settled back into his chair and thought about taking out his hidden tea cart, in a moment he decided, once he'd gotten rid of this pest, he'd sooth his material nerves with a mild Camomile or mint tea.

"Now, since I am such a gracious host, I'll ask your business, assuming you did come here for something and not to simply be humiliated." he parsed, waiting for the predictable.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Only what's already mine, My tomes of magic, and if I must fight for them I will. Those books contain powers those fools in the Order never dared dreamed of. They're mine and I'll not leave them to be destroyed or soiled by you're stolen hands!" Darwin hissed, and the Devil sighed.

"Well, all you wanted was a bit of light reading you could've asked for it" lazily pointing at the shelf, "Though I must admit you have poor taste. I thought I'd destroyed the worst of it and yet I find more. Though I suppose to be rid of the filth entirely I should see fit to replace it with something more, suitable to my tastes. I've always been fascinated by poetry, such a wonderful way to use a language. Even if limited to human terms of such."

Surprisingly Darwin didn't have a comeback for that, probably because the only kind of poetry he'd ever bothered to read was scrawled on some bar room stall or was in reference to his sword. When he had one.

"I-I demand you release my property to me at once! or else-"

"What, I toss you out of here like the mangey creature you are? Here-" A simple gesture sent a handful of the books tumbling from the positions of stability onto the floor with a clatter. "Take them with you, both belong in the trash anyway." Darwin half sprang towards them across the floor, then stopped and slowly started creeping about in anticipation of treachery.

"Oh, don't be paranoid. Here." He chided the surly scam, "Just take them and begone. The less anyone has to see of you the better. And in the meantime, I'll have you know I plan to open a business soon. A nice cozy place for the poor to find work in, a place of charity for sure."

Darwin's hide bristled, much to his satisfaction; at this rate he'd have to open a hospital just to keep from dying of laughter. It certainly brightened his day. The Devil watched the pathetic creature sort through the books and slowly drag one of them towards the door. Or maybe he was trying to be expedient and leave through the window. It would reach the street faster.

Eventually The Devil got tired of watching Darwin struggle against the load and became annoyed. Before the cat realized what was happening, he simply made another gesture and the books, small squalling animal, and sealed them within the broken case he had dragged home with him. He grasped the handle, opened the window and promptly dropped them out into the yard.

If Darwin was so strong now, he wouldn't have an issue levitating the mess back to whatever hole he'd crawled from.

Then it struck him. He'd completely forgotten to investigate the strange disturbance that had concealed the little bastard after the fire. Upon reflection it appeared to be the fire that caused it, being started in a mystical fashion, but that didn't sit with him right. It was too old and sluggish to be phosphagen, and it wasn't another one of his kind, likely some mortal magician. But the style felt wrong, the last time he felt something as smothering as that was back in...

The Demon curled his lips in a grimace, or maybe a smile, something betwixt the two certainly.

He knew what Darwin's secret weapon was, something he was actually happy to remember. Because it brought him back to a more joyous time for the powers of darkness. That particular age of magic, the reign of the Mage/god- kings. Such a time to be immortal.

His fingers graced the old leather hide of a historical compendium, knocked to the floor when he'd cleared the shelf. He picked it up gently as he could and examined it, Old and well worn, but still in good quality, filled with all kinds of fun trivia. Battles, lords and ladies, some of whom he remembered fondly before their demise. Then they all became rather boorish, screaming in agony as they twisted and gnashed in that great fire pit. A shame really, he'd rather like to keep some souls for their personalities, linger about the house for conversation instead. Just to cheer up the old place.

The book fell open to the page and chapter he wanted and eyed the weathering of the pages. Apparently, Darwin was also appreciated those ancient times, but he suspected it was for the same reason a grave robber appreciates the discovery of an unmarked tomb. Plundering the secrets of the past of powers within the present. Disgusting habit.

He thumbed through the tome and found old colorful favorites. The Cult of Wheels, Hurang's Conquest of the Strongholds of Yurrick, Gung the Magnificent and the slaughter of the Black Preist of Mu. Coban and his conquest of Aquilonia. The many wizards that rose, conquered and fell to that specimens blade could fill a library of exploits.

Some he was there for, others he'd been told of. But it was a good time for all devils, there was always some fool willing to give or sacrifice his or someone else's lives for power and prestige. Kingdoms formed and fell based on those contracts, some devils were lucky enough to be worshiped as gods, and some even got to complain about it. They unleashed monsters and haunted tombs, signs of portent and dark curses, they thought the world were to stay in such dark times they'd have nothing to fear of humanity. His cities or his sword, what were they to immortals such creatures as themselves. But they were naive. The world changed, as it should have, and devil dealing wasn't as fun as it used to be.

He sighed and drank the nostalgia in for the times when being a devil meant fear and respect, instead some phantom of superstition. It was all this focus on ideology he thought, fake religions were mighty effective, but the new 'philosophies' coming out just made his head hurt with who went and believed them. Maybe he just didn't understand the folks working in that sector, or maybe he was mad about being moved to the Sorting department after Contracts slowed down.

Ah, he'd get over it, or forget about it altogether. That's just how it was sometimes, Eternity was long enough for that at least.