“Well...” the demon returned its stare to her, tilting its head, and flexing four of its claws. This time it spoke in a higher pitched, more thoughtful tone. “If you prefer. I could go out to the nearby countryside. I hear there’s a lovely buffet. Nice ripe little children. Ready for picking and roasting.” The demon smiled evilly, a small flame sprouting from its upper right claw. He licked his lips. Jenn now followed Gastropé’s earlier lead, and blanched.
“You wouldn’t.” Jenn said horrified.
“Never know! Might. Might not!” Tizzy rocked his head back and forth several times. “I also hear there are some lovely virginal maids that direction.” Now he leered directly into Jenn’s eyes, licking his lips. “Nope. Hard to decide. So many choices. So many delicacies. I guess maybe you’re right.
“Yes indeed. Jenn was it?” Tizzy asked. “You have the right idea. Why should I wait around here for Tom to return to take me back to the Abyss? Here I have every demon’s dream. Free reign on the planes of men. All the young babes to eat, maidens to ravish and men’s souls to consume, that I could ever wish for!” Tizzy began dancing around in a circle.
Suddenly, before she could react. Tizzy grabbed her head with his top two claws and kissed her full on the lips. As he stepped back, releasing her, she spat. She was horrified, sickened. “Thank you, thank you, Jenn. You have given me such a wondrous idea. Here I was just going to go meekly back to the Abyss once Tom returned! But you! You my dear have given me such wonderful ideas.” Tizzy began testing his wings as if preparing to launch again.
Jenn was shocked. Almost speechless. She couldn’t believe this. The crazy creature was about to go out and create goddess knew what mayhem on the world. All because she’d told it to go! It was thanking her! Goddess save her! “No!” she shouted.
“No? You don’t want me signing your name in the credits after each massacre?” Tizzy asked, pausing suddenly. “You are a modest girl, but don’t worry. I will see you get your credit. After all, there are union rules to follow here. I really must give you billing credit. After all, you have practically given me the script to follow. Don’t worry, I’ll sign your name up in blood, right there with my own. What was your family name again?”
“No! Demon. I do not want credit. I do not want you going out to do this. You will stay here, with me, until the other demon comes back.” There, it had backed her into a corner. She didn’t want it to stay. Gastropé was staring at her. She didn’t have a choice, she didn’t know if it would really go out and do all those things, but it was a minion of the Concordenax. A being of cruelty and evil beyond imagining, it probably would do exactly what it promised. She had no choice, even if it was bluffing; she couldn’t risk that it wasn’t.
“Good marsh gas girl, you are just the slightest bit mutable in your desires. First go, then stay! Have you tried lithium? I hear it can work wonders. Or,” here the demon got quieter, as if trying to be confidential, “is it just, well, you know, female problems? That time of the month, hmm?”
Jenn took a deep breath, if not for the fact this irritating thing was a demon, she would have slapped it silly. She really didn’t want to put up with this creature. “Demon, you will stay, and you will be watched every moment you are here. You will have no opportunity for mischief.”
“Miss Chief? Who’s she? Never met the lass. Although” Tizzy peered towards the hold, “if she does happen to be a goer, and she’s hiding somewhere on board, well... I can certainly do the... thing.” The demon leered again.
Jenn rubbed her forehead. “You know what I mean, demon.”
Tizzy tilted his head. “You’re sure?” It asked. Jenn simply nodded. “Really really sure?” Jenn nodded again. “So, would you say, you are asking me to stay?”
“I am telling you to stay, demon.” Jenn said tiredly.
“You know you can’t stop me from going?” Jenn sighed, the demon was right. She nodded, reluctantly. “So you are asking me to stay?”
“Yes.” Jenn said through gritted teeth.
Tizzy crossed his four arms, tilted his nose up towards the sky and tapped his foot. “You didn’t say the magic wo... ord.”
Jenn’s eyes stretched wider. “The—magic—word?” Jenn snarled.
“You know. The P word.” The demon locked its lips together in a small grin, rocking its head slightly back and forth.
Jenn closed her eyes. Why her? “Please. Stay.”
“Well, OK” the demon said suddenly. “But only because you begged me.” The demon smiled broadly. “I’m sure we’re going to be great friends.”
