This piece was written for the Six Sentence Challenge, with the prompt word of ‘deal’.
Galatians 6:7 (modernised for gender equity) ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a woman soweth, that shall she also reap.’
Harper, with her companion in tow, knocked confidently on the door that displayed a brass name plate engraved with the name ‘Mr. B. L. Zebub, Esq., Life Coach and Death Doula.’
A smooth-shaven, elegantly dressed man with an ingratiating smile and eyes that drilled into your very core greeted her ceremoniously and said softly ‘I sense you have made your decision and that we have a deal.’
Harper replied firmly ‘I have and I would like to proceed with you ensuring that my novel is published and feted throughout my lifetime and remains a staple of the canon long after I am dead.’
The man made a pretense of not having already known that and handed her a contract that assigned Harper’s soul to him for eternity, and which he insisted was to be signed with her own blood, and, nodding towards her companion, said ‘I see you have brought your own witness.’
‘Yes’ she replied ‘this is Truman, who appears under another name in my novel, and who may well be a future customer of yours; he likes writing in cold blood.’
Harper then signed with a vigorous flourish, killing the querulous mocking bird of doubt in one fell swoop, and reveled in thoughts of the wages of her sin.
Six Crooked Highways 
Oh, the wit, Doug. Oh the wit! Sharply executed.
You and Ms. Avery are channeling along the same lines this week but opposite sides of the track 😉
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Many thanks, Denise. When you read Frank’s you’ll realise it’s two against one in favour of Mephistopheles at the moment. 🙂
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Harper Lee and Truman Capote unless I’m mistaken. I like that Mr. Zebub is a Life Coach.
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Spot on, Frank.
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Oh, this is so clever, Doug. ‘…killing the querulous mocking bird of doubt in one fell swoop…’ was the clincher for me!
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Thank you so much, Chris. Did you pick up the Capote reference?
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Not until I read Frank’s comment. Then I realised how clever you’d been!
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And I didn’t get any of that, but I still enjoyed it 🙂
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Thanks, NNP. Just playing with the idea of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ being Harper Lee’s only novel published in her lifetime and Truman Capote, who wrote ‘In Cold Blood’ being her childhood friend and the possibility that may have made a deal with the Devil to have literary success. 🙂
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if he can weasel his way in, he will. good installment.
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Thanks, UP
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I Scouted out what you did here. Boo! Scary stuff.
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Well, you’re no Dill then. 🙂 (Find this Aussie slang expression here and check out some of the others. https://koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html)
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Ha! Was wondering how to get Dill in there and failed. Good on ya.
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🙂
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Clever!
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Thanks, Mimi
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That’s what happens when two good friends put their heads together–some mighty fine writing!
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Many thanks, Liz.
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