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kohakuTonight is the newleaf launch! I'm excited because they let me read again. :) My story The Kitchen Poet is in the new issue, but I'm reading another story (which is a wee bit uncommon.)
My editor Julia called me yesterday and asked me if I could read Devil May Care instead. I wrote it just a week ago and am very fond of it, so of course I said yes. Devil May Care is completely different from The Kitchen Poet and I think the audience will enjoy it more.
I'm about to pin on my badge (because I also will be the lady at the door as usual) and leave early to set the room. So, bye-bye, see you later!
Here's the story I'm reading tonight:
Devil May Care
"Hello," said the Devil, "May I come in?"
Ana looked at him warily. She had already spilt milk and cried over it, and at the store she had asked for trouble instead of truffles. It had not been a good day so far. The Devil seemed the last thing she needed right now. Ana looked him over. He looked good in his tailored suit, she had to admit.
"I don't know," she finally said, "You just want to sell me something I don't need." She bit at her thumbnail, tearing little pieces of it off and chewed for a bit. She spat out and opened the door for another inch.
"I'm here to make you an offer, not to sell anything", he tried to convince her. His suit was flawless, probably Armani, but she could be wrong. She liked the pure understatement of the lines, the way the stripes blended into another, so they were barely stripes at all. He looked nice, very nice, sophisticated even. Ana opened the door for even another inch.
"Bullshit," she said. The Devil stood there, picking invisible lints off his jacket. He seemed embarrassed.
"And you know it", she amended, softly. Maybe he wasn't used to going from door to door. Ana was not sure if she saw him nod, but she still opened her door for him. She hated to see him flustered like that and made a decision.
"Would you like to come in for some tea?" she asked. His face lit up and he nodded.
Ana quickly sat up the small table in her livingroom, bringing a pot of tea and some sandwiches as well. He looked hungry. After awkward minutes, they both sat down on the sofa. It was strange sitting next to the Devil without saying anything.
"You know," Ana said, telling herself she just wanted to break the silence, "I'd never thought you had black eyes."
The Devil took a Chester cheese sandwich and said, very politely:
"Thank you." He wore a very nice suit indeed. And his hair was nice, too. And since she even liked his voice, she asked another question.
"Is it hard?"
"Being the Devil?" the Devil asked. Ana nodded into her tea.
"Well," sighed the Devil, "These days it isn't the easiest job around. But, you know, could be worse." The Devil sipped his tea, while Ana pondered what actually could be worse than being the Devil.
"Could I have another piece of sugar, please? Oh, thank you. Anyway, I've been up all day today and only sold two...," he stopped, trying to find the right expression.
"Favours?" Ana suggested. He gave her a smile so dazzling that she felt as if she had done something extremely clever. She also felt the need to bite her thumbnail again, althought for different reasons altogether. (On second thought, having the Devil over for tea might suffice as reason to be slightly nervous.)
"Two favours, yes," the Devil repeated, glancing at his cup.
"What kind of favours do you sell?"
"Oh, this and that. Can I tempt you?"
"No. But thanks for asking." He looked crestfallen.
"Is there anything you need," he asked with new sparked intensity.
"No, no I'm fine. Thanks. But, really, no thanks. Please tell me about your business."
The Devil brushed some crumbs around his plate.
"I sold a camera today. It takes pictures of the future only."
"Oh, that old chestnut", Ana huffed, "Who bought it and what for?"
The Devil grinned and helped himself to another sandwich. Ana liked his grin a lot.
"A gambler asked for it. He wants to take pictures of horse races. To see which horse wins. Greedy man. I always liked greed. It's so easy to satisfy."
"So, what will be on the pictures?"
"Only the horse that comes in last," the Devil admitted. He sounded surprised, and Ana liked that a lot, too.
"I thought so," she said, "More tea?"
"Certainly. The other thing I sold today was indeed a favour. A man wanted to re-live his sorry life. But this time, he wanted to be rich and powerful, possibly famous. He wanted to be handsome and charming. He wanted to be honest and talented and loved. Basically, he wanted to be everything he currently was not. I granted him his wish." The devil looked very pleased with himself.
"This is so sad. The poor man. Where's the catch?"
"Guess. If you guess right, I'll owe you a favour. A free one of course," he quickly ammended.
"He's dead," Ana said, "For a fleeting moment he had been all you promised - and more. But he died shortly after you granted him the favour. The thing is you didn't even cheat! He wanted to be what he was not. Well, he was alive - now he is dead. My guess therefore is that he died of a terminal disease. He was healthy, you made him ill. It makes perfectly sense. Besides, accidents will happen - terminal diseases are a lot more personal."
The Devil blinked. Twice. And he opened his mouth, twice. Ana began to grow fond of him.
"He died of cystic fibrosis, glandular cancer, diabetes and leukemia," the Devil said, after regarding his composure. Ana laughed. It had started as a simple smirk, but bubbled up inside her until it excaped as a full fledged laughter.
"Truly evil," she managed between gasps.
"Thank you."
"You don't seem to be such a bad person," Ana said, and suddenly wished she had meant it jokingly.
"Oh, I'm not. I'm just unfortunate."
"I see. But what about the Anti-Christ, the End of the World, consuming poor souls?"
"Bah, humbug," exclaimed the Devil. He looked lost in thought. "There is way too much bullshit, pardon my language, on TV. I do not 'collect' souls; I only satisfy their darker needs. You can call that 'corrupting' of course, but I cannot corrupt something that is already flawed. And I do not want the End of the World. Why should I? The world as we know it would cease to exist. Noone left to tempt. And I can't have that. It would be extraordinary boring. What should I do all day long? Lead demons into battle? Fight angels? Fight GOD? He created me, for Hell's sake. As for the Anti-Christ, I do not desire to have a child."
"Besides," he ammended,"I haven't found that special lady yet."
"Oh," said Ana, and because it sounded so small she said it again: "Oh." For good measure she had planned to add another 'oh', only when she opened her mouth, all tumbled out in a rush.
"Oh, but you're handsome and charming and you have perfect manners, not all men can say that of themselves, and you're funny and cute somehow and I really like your suit." I really like your suit. Smart move, she thought. Ana wondered whether or not he would notice if she banged her forehead against the table.
"It's not my person," the Devil said, "More my occupation."
"I see."
"Ana, what about your favour?" the Devil asked. She wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as she did.
"I haven't decided yet. A free favour does mean that there's no catch, right?"
The Devil nodded, looking dismayed.
"Although I'd love to take you with me." Ana blinked and slapped at him playfully.
"You can leave your number," she offered, "Maybe I will call you."
"I don't think you will. I'm the Devil."
"I know."
He blinked again, a slow thoughtful blink.
"But you're lovely company," Ana said. She could have sworn the Devil blushed at that.
The Devil glanced at his watch.
"Oh, by all hells, it's late. I have to go." He stood up and sat down again.
"You still haven't told me your favour."
"Stay," Ana said, "Stay, that's all I'm asking for." A sigh escaped the Devil's lips.
"Ana," he said.
"Is your real name Lucifer or do I have to call you 'the Devil'?"
He laughed.
"Devil is the occupation. I think it's catchy. There's evil in it."
"So, Lucifer, will there still be evil in the world, even if you stay with me?"
"I'm not the one who creates evil, just as Morpheus does not create sleep. He guards the sleeper, and I serve to fulfill people's sinful dreams. Supply and demand. It's stricly business."
She smiled.
"Good and evil. One cannot exist without the other," he shrugged.
"Will you stay for the night then?" Lucifer pulled at his collar and fiddled with his cuffs.
"If you want me to."
"What about the goat's foot?"
"True, I'm afraid." He pulled off his right shoe to reveal a goat's hoof. She touched the fur just above the hoof.
"It's not as big a turn off as I had imagined it to be."
He looked relieved.
In the bathroom she changed into her nightgown, the expensive one with black lace trimmings. She splashed cold water into her face and stared at her reflexion. She focussed on a single drop of water, making its way slowly down her face. When it fell, dripping from her chin, she kept very still. In the next room she could hear the faint rustling of leathery wings as Lucifer undressed.
Ana took her contraceptives out of the medical cabinet and popped one white pill into her mouth.
She thought of the charming man in her bed and smiled. Just an occupation, she thought.
************
My editor Julia called me yesterday and asked me if I could read Devil May Care instead. I wrote it just a week ago and am very fond of it, so of course I said yes. Devil May Care is completely different from The Kitchen Poet and I think the audience will enjoy it more.
I'm about to pin on my badge (because I also will be the lady at the door as usual) and leave early to set the room. So, bye-bye, see you later!
Here's the story I'm reading tonight:
Devil May Care
"Hello," said the Devil, "May I come in?"
Ana looked at him warily. She had already spilt milk and cried over it, and at the store she had asked for trouble instead of truffles. It had not been a good day so far. The Devil seemed the last thing she needed right now. Ana looked him over. He looked good in his tailored suit, she had to admit.
"I don't know," she finally said, "You just want to sell me something I don't need." She bit at her thumbnail, tearing little pieces of it off and chewed for a bit. She spat out and opened the door for another inch.
"I'm here to make you an offer, not to sell anything", he tried to convince her. His suit was flawless, probably Armani, but she could be wrong. She liked the pure understatement of the lines, the way the stripes blended into another, so they were barely stripes at all. He looked nice, very nice, sophisticated even. Ana opened the door for even another inch.
"Bullshit," she said. The Devil stood there, picking invisible lints off his jacket. He seemed embarrassed.
"And you know it", she amended, softly. Maybe he wasn't used to going from door to door. Ana was not sure if she saw him nod, but she still opened her door for him. She hated to see him flustered like that and made a decision.
"Would you like to come in for some tea?" she asked. His face lit up and he nodded.
Ana quickly sat up the small table in her livingroom, bringing a pot of tea and some sandwiches as well. He looked hungry. After awkward minutes, they both sat down on the sofa. It was strange sitting next to the Devil without saying anything.
"You know," Ana said, telling herself she just wanted to break the silence, "I'd never thought you had black eyes."
The Devil took a Chester cheese sandwich and said, very politely:
"Thank you." He wore a very nice suit indeed. And his hair was nice, too. And since she even liked his voice, she asked another question.
"Is it hard?"
"Being the Devil?" the Devil asked. Ana nodded into her tea.
"Well," sighed the Devil, "These days it isn't the easiest job around. But, you know, could be worse." The Devil sipped his tea, while Ana pondered what actually could be worse than being the Devil.
"Could I have another piece of sugar, please? Oh, thank you. Anyway, I've been up all day today and only sold two...," he stopped, trying to find the right expression.
"Favours?" Ana suggested. He gave her a smile so dazzling that she felt as if she had done something extremely clever. She also felt the need to bite her thumbnail again, althought for different reasons altogether. (On second thought, having the Devil over for tea might suffice as reason to be slightly nervous.)
"Two favours, yes," the Devil repeated, glancing at his cup.
"What kind of favours do you sell?"
"Oh, this and that. Can I tempt you?"
"No. But thanks for asking." He looked crestfallen.
"Is there anything you need," he asked with new sparked intensity.
"No, no I'm fine. Thanks. But, really, no thanks. Please tell me about your business."
The Devil brushed some crumbs around his plate.
"I sold a camera today. It takes pictures of the future only."
"Oh, that old chestnut", Ana huffed, "Who bought it and what for?"
The Devil grinned and helped himself to another sandwich. Ana liked his grin a lot.
"A gambler asked for it. He wants to take pictures of horse races. To see which horse wins. Greedy man. I always liked greed. It's so easy to satisfy."
"So, what will be on the pictures?"
"Only the horse that comes in last," the Devil admitted. He sounded surprised, and Ana liked that a lot, too.
"I thought so," she said, "More tea?"
"Certainly. The other thing I sold today was indeed a favour. A man wanted to re-live his sorry life. But this time, he wanted to be rich and powerful, possibly famous. He wanted to be handsome and charming. He wanted to be honest and talented and loved. Basically, he wanted to be everything he currently was not. I granted him his wish." The devil looked very pleased with himself.
"This is so sad. The poor man. Where's the catch?"
"Guess. If you guess right, I'll owe you a favour. A free one of course," he quickly ammended.
"He's dead," Ana said, "For a fleeting moment he had been all you promised - and more. But he died shortly after you granted him the favour. The thing is you didn't even cheat! He wanted to be what he was not. Well, he was alive - now he is dead. My guess therefore is that he died of a terminal disease. He was healthy, you made him ill. It makes perfectly sense. Besides, accidents will happen - terminal diseases are a lot more personal."
The Devil blinked. Twice. And he opened his mouth, twice. Ana began to grow fond of him.
"He died of cystic fibrosis, glandular cancer, diabetes and leukemia," the Devil said, after regarding his composure. Ana laughed. It had started as a simple smirk, but bubbled up inside her until it excaped as a full fledged laughter.
"Truly evil," she managed between gasps.
"Thank you."
"You don't seem to be such a bad person," Ana said, and suddenly wished she had meant it jokingly.
"Oh, I'm not. I'm just unfortunate."
"I see. But what about the Anti-Christ, the End of the World, consuming poor souls?"
"Bah, humbug," exclaimed the Devil. He looked lost in thought. "There is way too much bullshit, pardon my language, on TV. I do not 'collect' souls; I only satisfy their darker needs. You can call that 'corrupting' of course, but I cannot corrupt something that is already flawed. And I do not want the End of the World. Why should I? The world as we know it would cease to exist. Noone left to tempt. And I can't have that. It would be extraordinary boring. What should I do all day long? Lead demons into battle? Fight angels? Fight GOD? He created me, for Hell's sake. As for the Anti-Christ, I do not desire to have a child."
"Besides," he ammended,"I haven't found that special lady yet."
"Oh," said Ana, and because it sounded so small she said it again: "Oh." For good measure she had planned to add another 'oh', only when she opened her mouth, all tumbled out in a rush.
"Oh, but you're handsome and charming and you have perfect manners, not all men can say that of themselves, and you're funny and cute somehow and I really like your suit." I really like your suit. Smart move, she thought. Ana wondered whether or not he would notice if she banged her forehead against the table.
"It's not my person," the Devil said, "More my occupation."
"I see."
"Ana, what about your favour?" the Devil asked. She wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as she did.
"I haven't decided yet. A free favour does mean that there's no catch, right?"
The Devil nodded, looking dismayed.
"Although I'd love to take you with me." Ana blinked and slapped at him playfully.
"You can leave your number," she offered, "Maybe I will call you."
"I don't think you will. I'm the Devil."
"I know."
He blinked again, a slow thoughtful blink.
"But you're lovely company," Ana said. She could have sworn the Devil blushed at that.
The Devil glanced at his watch.
"Oh, by all hells, it's late. I have to go." He stood up and sat down again.
"You still haven't told me your favour."
"Stay," Ana said, "Stay, that's all I'm asking for." A sigh escaped the Devil's lips.
"Ana," he said.
"Is your real name Lucifer or do I have to call you 'the Devil'?"
He laughed.
"Devil is the occupation. I think it's catchy. There's evil in it."
"So, Lucifer, will there still be evil in the world, even if you stay with me?"
"I'm not the one who creates evil, just as Morpheus does not create sleep. He guards the sleeper, and I serve to fulfill people's sinful dreams. Supply and demand. It's stricly business."
She smiled.
"Good and evil. One cannot exist without the other," he shrugged.
"Will you stay for the night then?" Lucifer pulled at his collar and fiddled with his cuffs.
"If you want me to."
"What about the goat's foot?"
"True, I'm afraid." He pulled off his right shoe to reveal a goat's hoof. She touched the fur just above the hoof.
"It's not as big a turn off as I had imagined it to be."
He looked relieved.
In the bathroom she changed into her nightgown, the expensive one with black lace trimmings. She splashed cold water into her face and stared at her reflexion. She focussed on a single drop of water, making its way slowly down her face. When it fell, dripping from her chin, she kept very still. In the next room she could hear the faint rustling of leathery wings as Lucifer undressed.
Ana took her contraceptives out of the medical cabinet and popped one white pill into her mouth.
She thought of the charming man in her bed and smiled. Just an occupation, she thought.
************
