“Beelzebub was surprised to note that Tarantula was actually quaking in those ridiculous boots she wore. He was once again reminded of how inexperienced she was in matters of The Surface.

“Tarantula,” he said mildly, “do not be so hard on yourself. As a tempter on The Surface you must be able to identify both the good and evil in your victims in order to determine which behaviors are best to foster. That is not a weakness. Unless, of course, you encourage the wrong type of behavior.”

She looked closely at Beelzebub. Was he hinting that he knew about her secret? This conversation had suddenly veered into dangerous territory.”