"No. I never had. The whole thing is an ecclesiastical calumny."
"A what?"
"A dirty lie."
"You should talk!" exclaimed Joe.
"You don't seem to question my identity," observed the creature. "Most people think the devil is human. Merely a case of identifying themselves with a superior being, I assure you."
"If you're so superior, what are you doing in my basement?"
"I came down here to direct a crime wave—the most ambitious I've attempted in years. This is a very corrupt town, you know."
"How right you are," agreed Joe. "But why from my basement?"
"What better place than the home of a private detective? I always like to have the law on my side, and it usually is."
"What makes you think I'd be on your side?"