Interlude
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People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,
though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
(Proverbs 6:30-31, NIV)
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Then…
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"Hey! Those were mine!", shouted Trixie and grabbed the now-empty bag of gummy bears Lucifer had just put on the counter. He swallowed and looked at her with the innocent eyes of someone pretending to be completely oblivious to any kind of wrongdoing.
"Well, I'm sorry, but they're all gone now. Your mother will have to buy new ones. Preferably a bigger bag", he said laconically and straightened his jacket. Trixie considered this.
"Mommy only buys gummy bears once a month", she said and gave Lucifer the hard stare she knew made him uncomfortable. He sighed theatrically and pulled a bundle of dollar notes out of his suit, selecting a twenty to hand to a grinning Trixie.
"This should cover several months' worth of gummy bears, I believe. Don't tell your mother", he added, just in case. Trixie beamed at him and pocketed the money faster than you could say 'gummy bears'.
"Tell her about what, Lucifer?", she asked innocently and Lucifer was immediately delighted.
"Oh, very good, Child. You should consider a career as a lawyer."
"Naw", said Trixie. "I want to be president of Mars" She climbed on one of the barstools and inspected the empty gummy bear bag.
"Which colour do you like best?", she inquired. The serious tone suggested it was a matter of great importance to her.
"White of course", said Lucifer as if it were a self-evident truth.
"I like the green ones best", announced Trixie. Lucifer immediately scoffed at this.
"The green ones? Clearly you are notin possession of functional taste buds, Child. Probably destroyed by all this microwave junk food your mother feeds you."