HOE

"Master! Master! Red Alert!"

"Calm yourself, Astfgl." Satan stretched lazily and scratched the base of his left horn. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"It's the humans!" stammered Astfgl. "It's the humans! They're going to ruin it!"

"Ruin what, Astfgl?" asked Satan, patting his gopher reassuringly on ... what passed for his back.

"You know the Hell on Earth you've been nurturing so carefully for the last century of so?" gasped the demon.

"Certainly," replied Satan. "We're calling it the HOE Corporation now. You can just call it the HOE."

"Yes, yes," continued Astfgl breathlessly. "Well, after unexpectedly repudiating our Donny ... who saw that coming? ... it appears that the humans are going to pass a law to tear down the HOE! We've lost control of Congress! They might actually address climate change!"

"Relax, my avid little friend," chuckled Satan. "Don't you know about our secret weapon? We have embedded Demon Chinniel here in the human part of the Senate."

"Not a demon," objected Demon Chinniel. "I'm an angel, me."

"Very good," laughed Satan. "You keep saying that!"

"Not a demon," repeated Demon Chinniel. "I'm an angel, me."

"Excellent!" kvelled Satan. "Demon Chinniel here is going to bollix up every effort the humans make to attack the HOE. Why, he's a prominent HOE Board member. You could even call him our HOE!"

"Not a demon," said Demon Chinniel. "I'm an angel, me."

"What do you say to that 'Build Back Better' crap, Demon Chinniel?" Satan prompted good naturedly.

"Can't get there," replied Demon Chinniel. "Couldn't explain it to my fellow ... to y'all .., that is, to my constituents, right. Who are y'all. But I'm not a demon. I'm an angel."

"Then," said Satan, "just for fun, you could switch parties, giving us back the Senate! What a hoot!"

"Couldn't do that," said Demon Chinniel. "Cuz I'm not a demon, I'm an angel, me. Although those humans really have been mean to me."