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"Yes," he said. "Imagine trying to convince a mortal of thesethings. But that really isn't why I chose you. I chose you not so muchbecause it would be easier for you to comprehend everything butbecause you're perfect for the job.""The job of helping the Devil.""Yes, of being my right-hand instrument, so to speak, being in mystead when I'm weary. Being my prince.""How could you be so mistaken? You find the self-inflictedsuffering of my conscience amusing? You think I like evil? That I thinkabout evil when I look at something beautiful like Dora's face!""No, I don't think you like evil," he said. "Any more than do I.""You don't like evil," I repeated, narrowing my eyes.
"Loathe it. And if you don't help me, if you let God keep doingthings His way, I tell you evil梬hich is nothing really梛ust mightdestroy the world.""It's God's will," I asked slowly, "that the world be destroyed?""Who knows?" he asked coldly. "But I don't think God would lifta finger to stop it from happening. I don't will it, that I know. But myways are the right ways, and the ways of God are bloody and wastefuland exceedingly dangerous. You know they are. You have to help me.
I am winning, I told you. But this century has been damn nearunendurable for us all.""So you are telling me that you're not evil....""Exactly. Remember what your friend David asked of you? Heasked you if in my presence you had sensed evil, and you had toanswer that you had not.""The Devil is a famous liar.""My enemies are famous detractors. Neither God nor I tell liesper se. But look, I don't expect for a moment that you should acceptme on faith. I didn't come here to convince you of things throughconversation. I'll take you to Hell and to Heaven, if you like, you cantalk to God for as long as He allows, and you desire. Not God theFather, precisely, not En Sof, but... well, all of this will become clearto you. Only there's no point if I cannot count upon your willingintent to see the truth, your willing desire to turn your life from aim-lessness and meaninglessness into a crucial battle for the fate of theworld."I didn't answer. I wasn't sure what I could say. We were leaguesfrom the point at which we had begun this discussion.
"See Heaven?" I whispered, absorbing all of it slowly. "SeeHell?""Yes, of course," he said with level patience.
"I want a full night to think it over.""What!""I said I want a night to think it over.""You don't believe me. You want a sign.""No, I am beginning to believe you," I said. "That's why I have tothink. I have to weigh all of this.""I'm here to answer any question, to show you anything now.""Then leave me alone for two nights. Tonight and tomorrownight. That's a simple enough request, isn't it? Leave me alone."He was obviously disappointed, maybe even a little suspicious.
But I meant every word of it. I couldn't say anything but what I hadsaid. I knew the truth as I spoke it, so fast were thought and wordwedded in my mind.
"Is it possible to deceive you?" I asked.
"Of course," he asked. "I rely upon my gifts such as they are, justas you rely on yours. I have my limits. You have yours. You can bedeceived. So can I.""What about God?""Ach!" he said with disgust. "If you only knew how irrelevant thatquestion is. You cannot imagine how much I need you. I'm tired," hesaid with a faint rise of emotion. "God is ... beyond being deceived,that much I can say with charity. I'll give you tonight and tomorrownight. I won't bother you, stalk you, as you put it. But may I ask whatyou mean to do?""Why? Either I have the two nights or I don't!""You're known to be unpredictable," he said. He smiled broadly.
It was very pleasant. And something else, quite obvious, struck meabout him. Not only were his proportions perfect, there were novisible flaws in him anywhere; he was a paragon of the Ordinary Man.
He showed no response to this estimation, whether he could readit from my mind or not. He merely waited on me, courteously.
"Dora," I said. "I have to go back to Dora.""Why?""I refuse to explain further."Again, he was surprised by my answer.
"Well, aren't you going to try to help her with all this confusionregarding her father? Why not explain something as simple as that? Ionly meant to ask you how deeply you intended to commit yourself,how much you planned to reveal to this woman. I'm thinking of thefabric of things, to use David's phrase. That is, how will it be withthis woman, after you've come with me?"I said nothing.
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