Page 20 of A Chip on Her Shoulder

“He is any color he wishes to be. He adapts to where he goes. If you want him to be pale for you, he can do that. If you want him to be dark skinned, he can do that. If you prefer the complexion of a bronzed Greek god, he can do that. He prefers pitch black skin because it makes it easy to hide the soot and reveals the sins of humankind with ease. He takes advantage of that. He will play to your prejudices.”

“I see.” I frowned, as I certainly categorized people by their appearances, although I tended to keep an eye out for would-be rapists and the type of men who became loan sharks. “Let’s say I wanted to storm his gates and take over the place in an efficient fashion. What would win me the war? Because really, I need him dancing to my tune sooner than later so I can take on this mafia outfit.”

Gabriel chuckled. “You could, I suppose, try asking him nicely. I do not believe that has been tried before.”

“Really?”

“He is who he is, and most who approach him do so expecting to bargain. They will tell him what they desire, he will counter, and the bargaining begins. No one asks him to do anything for nothing. A price is always expected.”

“Interesting.” I opened the lid to my brother’s cage, plucked him out, and set him on my shoulder. “We have to go to pay the Devil a visit, Jonas, so stay there, behave, and try not to get kidnapped by some lesser devil or demon. I do not want even more work. You’ve given me too much work as it is. So, how does this work? How does a mortal make a trip to the Devil’s door?”

Michael pointed at my brother’s sporty car. “You can take that to a gate, or we can teleport. It would be safer for the vehicle should we teleport. It will be less comfortable for you. However, we will give you the address to the gate so you may storm his residence at your leisure.”

“Obviously, I am in your debt for this.”

Gabriel waved his hand and a black leather briefcase appeared and hovered in the air. He took hold of the handle and offered it to me. “You will find the contents of this useful. Consider us as paid in entertainment at our brother’s expense. He has granted His blessing for our involvement, and He has granted us the freedom to deal with this situation however we see fit.”

“But why? I’m just…” I waved my hand to take in our plain home. Having a home put us ahead of the game, but not by much. “Frankly spoken, we’re poor as dirt.”

“The beauty of mortals is their ability to change this world, for better and worse. This is not linked to how little or much you make. You seek to sway the Devil. Should you accomplish your goals, you will change this world.”

I considered that. “I could run his many hells like a real dictator and make people want to clean up their act so they don’t get an invitation to deal with me in a dungeon. I could inflict a lot of suffering given a dungeon and a good reason.”

The first time I’d thought about killing a man, a friend of mine had been raped, and I’d spent many a night fantasizing how I could extend his misery as much as possible. I’d never been satisfied with my daydreaming.

My friend had never recovered from the attack, and a year after her rape, she’d taken her own life.

I’d learned a lot that bitter day.

“While my brother has fallen, he becomes justice, often unseen and unknown. He is the judge and jury. And, however much he resents his role, he works as much for himself as he does for Him,” Gabriel said, and he gestured to my brother. “This may change your plans, but your brother does not have a place in the heavens as of this moment.”

My brother squeaked at the archangel.

I thought about my childhood and the various things my brother had done, and I could believe my brother had done far more evil than good in his life. “Yeah. We’re not particularly good people.”

Gabriel reached out and stroked a finger over my brother’s furry head. “Humans can change. Your nature is often unpredictable. That is as much of a blessing as it is a curse. Only he can decide what he will do with the rest of his mortal life.”

“He’ll cause me more trouble, that’s what he’ll do,” I muttered.

Both archangels laughed.

My brother squeaked a complaint and waved his tiny rodent fist.

“What’s in the briefcase, and should I take it when I stage my invasion?”

“It has paperwork, a laptop, and some funds to help you with your conquests.”

I blinked, sat down on the couch, put the briefcase on my lap, and opened it up. Several stacks of hundred dollar bills, the promised laptop, and some paperwork filled the briefcase along with several pens. “I don’t understand.”

“The money will aid you in your cause and will close doors for my brother to manipulate you with. With the money, you have no need to bargain with him for it. No is a powerful word. Use it on him often,” Gabriel advised. “The laptop is a new mortal tool, and you can use it for many things, including monitoring baby Kanika’s progress. You will have a login with the CDC, and they will update it monthly so you can track her progress. If you become concerned, you can then act as needed. The cash is sufficient to grease the wheels of your revenge.”

“Shouldn’t you be discouraging me from seeking revenge?”

Michael strolled around my living room, examining the pictures of my mother and father near the television. “You call it revenge. We call it justice. Your motivation is revenge, yes, but you will be doing great good for others in the process. We are merely removing some of the problems that would bar your path. He uses you for the sake of justice. You would be wise to remember that. Your brother is likewise being used. He works in mysterious ways. Do bring our brother down low. He deserves such torment.”

“Do you love or hate your brother?”

“We love him, of course. He deserves everything you will do to him. Do not hold back.” Michael picked up the picture of my father. “These pictures are filled with your love. We could tell you of their fate if you would like.”