Asmodea the demon was sitting on a pile of straw. Now and then a small flame would shoot out of her finger; it happened whenever she was overcome with strong feelings. At present she was clearly very nervous.
“Be careful,” echoed her father’s deep voice from somewhere beyond. “Don’t you remember what happened last time this place burned uncontrollably?”
Asmodea remembered it only too well. Fire is welcome in Hell, yes, but when it’s out of control, it can cause a great deal of damage! That day, the flames had engulfed what they shouldn’t have, and while all the devils and demons were busy extinguishing the fire, many sinners escaped. Lucifer was lenient at the time, but no one wanted such an unfortunate event to occur again.
Although she was a demon, Asmodea couldn’t help her feelings — she had incredible stage fright, and December was fast approaching. It would soon be Saint Nicholas Day. Old Belfegor, Saint Nicholas’s demon, had decided to retire, so Saint Nick, after much deliberation, chose Asmodea as Belfegor’s replacement. And the old saint didn’t fail to emphasise this to Asmodea.
Asmodea was honoured to be given the role. But what pleased her also weighed on her. She was the youngest inhabitant of Hell to ever take on such an important position. After all, she was only 238 years old. That seems ancient to us, but it’s young in Hell. Plus, she was female. No female had ever had this honour. Asmodea knew that all eyes would be on her. If she failed, she would disappoint not only herself but all the other demons and devils as well.
Soon it was the night before the big day, and therefore time to perform. Asmodea had her work cut out for…
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