Famous Last Words
Clarissimi Novissima Verba
Newsflash: Hades News Network
"The clandestine operations of the underworld took a serious blow today when a novice underling thought it would be... ahem...
'fun'
... to conjure serviceable wings to a sounder of swine. Humans in a small parish of backwoods Louisiana found themselves wishing they'd never tied the prospects of their deepest humiliations to half-hearted pledges of 'When pigs fly.'
"While the sight of self-inflicted public debasement and the most vulgar of indecencies proved both humorous and entertaining, it's imperative that our operations be less conspicuous.
"Fortunately, the fledgling dimwit demon's powers had a force limiter in place. The number of pigs involved was limited to a one-hundred head drove and the duration of their ability to fly was temporary--approximately fifteen minutes according to sources. Furthermore, the many incestuous acts subsequently performed in that particularly clodpoll-infested rural area were, shall we say,
not uncommon
and the... uh,
rumors
... of flying pigs were blamed on a barely even questioned run of bad moonshine.
"Still, let this greenhorn gremlin's buffoonery serve as a reminder to us all that humans not believing we exist is not only our greatest weapon but our primary defense, as well.
"Do
not
be so foolish as this neophyte fool.
"This has been a news alert from the HNN--your source for underworld news. We now return you to your program, already in progress."
# # # # #
"Come now, nephew Itchy. You mustn't whine like a human child. What's done is done. Instead, look at this wonderful new power you've been entrusted with this time--a most diabolical incantation, indeed. I dare say, a most
inventive
contrivance I wish I had in my arsenal. You should learn to wield it wisely."
"Uncle, you're patronizing me again. That stupid new chant they gave me is nothing more than a hocus-pocus trinket for a tadpole. I want to be a
frog
, Uncle--a full-grown
toad
of a demon, like you and Grandpa Sweti. Everyone's still treating me like a moppet since I made that
one little mistake
."
"Making pigs fly was a small mistake, Itchy?" his uncle Harry challenged. "And that was hardly your first
little mistake
, don't you agree? Why, not two days before the pig fiasco you conjured the 'Be Careful What You Wish For" invocation at a human wedding? A
human wedding
! How utterly thoughtless!
You ought to have used that ploy at more opportunistic occassions, like when commoners see a millionaire and wish they could be like him, not knowing the rich fool has cancer. What a glorious invitation it would be to use that particular scheme then!
But a
human wedding
? That married couple is practically untouchable now with all the well-wishing they received that day. And
you
went and locked it in for them for the rest of their lives with your gross misuse of what could've been a beautifully cruel curse. You should count yourself lucky you were only demoted back to Demon Second-Class."
"Lucky? You call that lucky? Uncle Harry, there's nothing lower than Demon Second Class in all of the ranks!"
"Yet another reason to count yourself lucky, then! I'd be lying if I said the demotion wasn't well-deserved, young Itchy. But they were well within their rights to have banished you forever to haunt some tourist mansion in Missouri, and you have to agree it would have been all the more embarrassing if you'd fallen more than just the one rank."
"Yeah, now that's some consolation, Uncle.
'Gee, Itchy. Isn't it grand that you were only Demon First Class to begin with, so dropping back to Demon Second Class wasn't such a big drop
?'"
"Watch your snide tone, Itchy. I won't hesitate to spank your ass so hard your devil tail falls off. Or have you already forgotten the last time?"
"Don't even joke like that, Uncle Harry! I'm sorry, okay?! Please don't whip off my devil's tail! It took forever to grow back last time and it was humiliating walking around with just a nub. Even the demon hound groomers made fun of me."
"Then stop your bellyaching and consider what a grand
third chance
you've been given to show you can be trusted."
"I still say it's a stupid conjuration," Itchy pouted. "Stupid
clarissimi novissima...
"
"Itchy! Don't you dare say it out loud unless you fully intend to invoke it! For Hell's sake, have you learned nothing from your past mistakes? Words have power when spoken by their guardians and you've been entrusted with something very powerful. Don't screw this up by being so careless, yet again!"
"Sorry," Itchy lowered his yellow eyes in shame. "I knew that, Uncle Harry. I just forgot for a second; that's all. So, um... what does it do, anyway--the
Famous Last Words