Lucifer towered over Scumslag, radiating black flames and fury. "I thought you had things under control up there. I thought you were going to get the Devil's Point project online and increase my net in damnedsouls and cash. I didn't expect you to permit a situation to develop in which my fodder was actively trying to convert my employees."
Scumslag grinned at him, unshaken. "Your Reeking Foulness, this plays into our hands. Which of the Hellraised do you think these humans have managed to catch?"
Lucifer said nothing.
"The ones I sent out there for them to catch, Your Awfulness. Every single one of our participants has a special mission—to see to the individual temptation and damnation of the person or persons who try to subvert him to the side of goodness." His grin grew broader. "Just think how much more we can do to them when they trust us, O Father of Lies. Think about how vulnerable they become when they welcome us into their homes and their lives, when they pity us, when they care about what happens to us."
Lucifer arched an eyebrow and cut off the special effects. That black flame took a lot of energy. "So you planned this?"
"Well, no . . . but I know how to take advantage of a situation when I find one."
"So this is . . ."
"Serendipity, I like to think."
Lucifer studied the devil. "I'm inclined to give you enough rope to hang yourself, Scumslag. We can both take as a given the fact that if any of the Hellraised you've assigned to this project go over to the other side, I'll take it out of your hide. At the very least, I'll take it out of your hide. You should probably consider your fate to be less pleasant than that, if any of my little sinners should be so weak as to have a change of heart."
Lucifer stretched his wings as he said that, and let his eyes glow red, and caused lightning to flash around his head, and made Hell tremble and crack.
Scumslag, oblivious to the artistry of Lucifer's presentation, just bobbed his head like the small-town businessman he'd once been and said, "I understand, sir. And you can count on me."