Re: [The piano bar: Misha & Lucifer.]
"They say you're the father of lies," Misha said, obviously quoting something heard, since 'father' wasn't a word he normally used. Truth was, Misha didn't have a lick of a clue who to believe. He was young, real young, and he was trying to put together a real confusing puzzle. He had more pieces now, but he didn't know what the picture was. "They say your whole goal is to turn the world to sinning. I know you got crossroad demons making deals for souls down here, and I know you ain't good to folks in Hell, but I reckon I'd like hear from you why you do it all. Is it forced, or are you angry, or do you hate humanity? The angels in Heaven, they're all jealous of humans." He didn't add that he reckoned humanity was beautiful in a way angels could never be. Souls, they made all the difference, and wasn't an angel or demon walking that had one.
The talking Lucifer did next, it had Misha scooting forward on the edge of his seat and listening. He wasn't sure what truth was, but he wanted to know and believe, and he was voracious 'bout it the way any child would be. "You reckon it's like Judas." He knew there was a common thinking that Judas was made the betray Christ, and it sounded some like that was what Lucifer was saying now. "Why? Why would He want Hell and a war? Without you falling, there never was no balance to worry over, and He would've had no trouble with folks." Misha, he knew his Old Testament. It was one of the things he'd learned young, since Bible teaching was the only schooling he was ever allowed. Heaven had just gone and taught more 'bout what the faithful believed, as if teaching the boy would keep him from going rotten. "It don't make a whole lot of sense to me, is all. Giving you a kingdom, He had to know it was real dangerous."
Now, Misha, he understood that religion created God. Religion created gods. Folks, they kept belief alive, and that was why the old gods were dead and buried. But there still had to be a reason, and Misha could only suss one: "Was it to keep folks scared?"