The Devil you know

[Otis McNutt 395]

It was a cool, crisp Spring day. The leaves were appearing, the birds were singing their spring tune. But for Simon Tempe, Physics undergrad at Harvard he was stuck inside pouring over his notations, and blackboard scribbles on the unsolvable "Herbig" Equation. "Come on dammit!" he shouted slamming the chalk down, shattering it into a thousand pieces. He had been up for 26 straight hours obsessing over the problem, he was convinced that he could solve it. "I'd give anything to solve this problem!" he said to himself. "Anything, how delightful!" a strangly hollow voice said from behind. Simon turned around and was shocked to see a man sitting by a nearby window. "Oh i'm sorry I didn't hear you come...wait I didn't say that out loud, I thought it! Who are you?" he asked. The man smiled a hollow, emotionless smile the kind seen on those masks in theater. "Oh I'm a big fan of yours Simon." the man said. "Always with your numbers trying so hard to discover the mysteries of the universe."

The man walked over. "Names Lucifer, or Devil or Satan if you prefer." Simon noticed two medium length horn protruding from his close cropped blonde hair. "The Devil, really?" Simon asked. "Guilty as charged my lad." "Why come to me?" Simon asked. "I want to help you dear boy, solve your little problem." Satan said smiling "And what do you want in return?" Simon asked. "Why your soul of course." he said hissing. "My soul?" he asked skeptically. "No thanks." he added. "Oh wait a minute." Satan said. "How about a trade, three questions about any topic answered in exchange for your soul." "No." Simon said. "Alright how about this, you ask me three questions and if it's one I can't answer or a task I cannot preform you get your equation answerd and keep your soul, if you lose I get your soul. deal?" he asked. Simon nodded. "Deal." he said.

"are your powers Omnipotent?" he asked. "Please, of course they are I am the most powerful being in the whole of creation in all the Multiverse, well other than you know who." Simon nodded. "And is there anyplace that you can't go where you won't be able to find your way back?" The devil laughed. "Oh are you hoping i'd not make my way back to you dear boy?" Satan asked. "Nope just wondering." Simon said. "Then no Simon, I'd always be able to find my way back." Satan smiled and held up one last finger. "Last question Simon, make it count." Simon nodded. "Now just to reiterate, it can be a question or task correct?" Simon asked. "Yes, now ask the question!" Satan said. "But think carefully, the last time I failed Rome burned." Simon nodded. "I have a task Satan." Simon said. "Get lost!" Satan's eyes went wide with anger. "Noooooo!" he shouted in a hissing scream. "The floor at his feet began to boil as lava as he was sucked back to the pit from whence he came.

Simon looked over at the equation and sighed. "that guy was no help at all!"

Simon Tempe had done what few have ever done, tricked the Devil at his own game.