“I’m not a preacher,” says Stevens.
“Well then, why you go around dressing like a preacher?”
“Hey, it’s a free country, innit? Listen,” he says, “you can look high and low in this world of ours and you’d be hard pressed to find any evidence of God’s existence. Ain’t that right?”
“Boy howdy,” I say. “I’ve certainly never seen any.”
“On the other hand, evidence of the Devil’s existence is everywhere you look. But the only reason you don’t acknowledge this is that you insist the two deities are linked together.”
Hearing him put it that way, I let out a laugh. “The two deities, that’s funny. I almost like that!”
“No, no,” he says, excited. ”Just one. You only need to believe in the Devil.”
“The Devil? Shit!”
“No! The Devil is your friend,” says Stevens. “The Devil’s proposition is the only one that makes any sense.”
“And what is the Devil’s proposition?”
“Don’t be weak, don’t be meek. You see something you want, take it. Somebody gets in your way, knock them down. Do anything you want. Satisfy your cravings. Don’t regret anything. Life won’t last forever, so enjoy it while you have it. You’re going to Hell anyway. All the Devil asks is that you give him your soul.” Stevens smiles sweetly, like he’s proud of his explanation.
“And that’s why you’re heading to the Crossroads? To trade in your soul for something?”
“Not exactly,” he says with a grin. Then I see the sign for the Highway 61 Crossroads.
(Excerpt from Friend of the Devil, available on Kindle) .
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