Bartleby and James

What if Mephistopheles was bored? Yearned for more than just collecting the souls of the inevitably  doomed deal-makers. Everybody needs growth for fulfillment, right? Imagine a guy who, after a millennium of guiding people to their fiery doom, wants more. Imagine that same guy (who dreams of a Scottish farmhouse)  finally gets a chance…to love. Sure, it’s a trite and oft-used device to make a bad guy look good, but what if this bad guy made a deal of his own with the other side? Or better yet, what if he just quits? Turns in his horns and calls it a day. No severance package, no gold watch, nothing. Would his employer be mad? Would he hire a replacement? Would he even let him stop? I’m curious about all of these things. Again, it’s not new territory, and it’s not exactly a substantial story but it might make for an interesting tale…I’m going to have to ruminate on that awhile and see what happens.