My Dear Snobgabble
I note with some displeasure that you have fallen into the very human habit of equating events of importance on the world with those of importance to Our Father Below. Once again, the deficiencies of the Tempters College's current faculty makes themselves known. A battle or war is only important as it advances or hampers Hell's goals in general and, more specifically how it impacts the progress of your patient. Let Paris be burned or saved a thousand times—it is only of importance in how it impacts the ultimate destination of our patients.
And in that, you have missed several very promising events.
First of all, this event has wiped away much of The Enemy's slow progress. Her gradual and uneven road to seeing beyond her own desires has been dealt a near unrecoverable blow. Her "friends" now despise her. She has lost her Kwami. Most importantly, her parents, and especially her mother, the architect of much of her own anger, have seemingly gained everything. Crookbone is responsible for her mother; you may trust that she shall soon revert to type. The Enemy may have permitted her a brief moment of guiltless joy, but now, He will demand real changes in how she sees herself and the world, and she shall flee from that, mandating as it would the willingness to look beyond her own desires and pleasure.
Your patient now has little to occupy her days, save what she did before, taking pleasure in the misfortune of others (Oh, how amusing it is to see these things fit only for consumption attempt to emulate the dignity of Hell!) and wondering what might have been.
And yet, you must be cautious—The Enemy will be at her ear and a fall of this order can bring the quietude that comes from despair—and the Enemy will fill that quiet with his own comforting whispers. Lies, certainly, but we have never been able to find out why He insists so firmly that he loves the vermin. Our intelligence department's failures are vexing in the extreme.
But now we come to how her former friends may assist our cause. She is, some of our reports claim, seen as irredeemable by those around her. This is excellent news. The human mind of course, delights in looking down at others, in celebrating their falls. It is the justification for never offering assistance or pretending to love (for it obviously is merely pretending. Do not fall into the Heresy that Love actually exists!) the irredeemable one. The fact that The Enemy's propaganda has made it plain that humanity as a whole is only justified by His Grace, and without that gift, all would be irredeemable, is usually ignored by most humans.
Thus, we will not have to work to isolate your patient—her associates will do it for you. Those who do associate with her will be exactly who we desire her to meet. They will excuse her behavior, ignore it, or they will flaunt their own fortune in front of her. Done properly, your patient may feel that she has entered Hell long before she comes to dwell with Our Father Below. You will find that the resignation that accompanies such fallen souls provides a particularly delightful flavor to our repasts—so long as you do not lose her at the last moment. Even better, we will arrive at the point where either from anger or resignation, she comes to believe that she is irredeemable, and thus never asks for what the Enemy claims to offer so freely.
Of course, you will have to work with your colleagues, and I will communicate with them the importance of doing so. After all, seeing others as irredeemable is the first step to becoming truly irredeemable. The Tempters College has fallen down on this, as it has many other basic practices, so I will review it for you:
"I'm not as bad as he is." The phrase has many versions, and is known in every language. It is one of Hell's greatest weapons, allowing the murderer, thief and and rapist to walk, content in their place with their heads held high, so long as they can look at someone else who in their view, has done worse. But it can also be used against "heroes." Your patient is clearly worse than they are, so in addition to treating her as irredeemable, their own tempters can lead them to start viewing their behavior in the light that as long as it is not as bad as your patient's, it is acceptable. It would be ideal if they were to turn around and treat your patient as she has treated others, justifying it in their own minds. A "hero" who believed in her morality up until her final breath stilled and she opened her eyes to find herself in Hell makes rare sport indeed. Even better, this view will slowly corrupt their entire world view, until their cruelty is the only thing they act on—their mercy remains safely in the abstract, where it will do the Enemy no good and us no harm.
And yet, do not over estimate how quickly this will come to work, or mar your progress by moving too fast. The Enemy will also be at their ears, speaking His lies of forgiveness and mercy. Worst of all, as children, the Enemy often sees them as not entirely culpable for their acts. Indeed, until these habits can be hardened, until their dislike for your patient can be used to color how they view all of humanity, their tempters must work to ensure their continued good health. One year or a hundred, it is all the same in the end to us.
Remember, Snobgabble, that only success is acceptable to Hell, and you will either bring us food, or be food. Furthermore, I will not tolerate anything other than perfection on your part. Far too many tempters have been falling down at the job. Let that fear motivate you, and remember the bounty that you will share in when your patient is safely in Our Father's arms!
Your Affectionate Mentor
Screwtape.
PS: I have been notified that due to the possible influence your patient's circle could have our current conflict, the Lowarchy is monitoring your handling of this situation. Remember that their eye is upon you, as is mine. Do not fail me.
AN: I rather didn't like Chloe's change, but what really annoyed me, especially as someone who has taught, was the airy comment that a 14 year old could be referred to as someone who couldn't be redeemed. In my professional life, I've found that is an excellent way to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.