Beautiful. For that human there is true love, for their dog a juicy steak that he won't vomit up from chemo, and for me, a demon of the first circle, a human who doesn't know what its negotiating position is. I would have given it away for free. Would have even paid and the interest we collect from the world's greatest tycoons is unbelievable. Would have. And that's the beauty of it, the true beauty of Hell, trading away all you value for no advantage whatsoever. We tell you eventually, and then do it again to show that you can't learn, torment and a proof that you deserve it all wrapped up in one package.

"To save a life, I will need to take a life. Your dog will live a happy life and you will burn in hell for all eternity, is my deal. "

The second sentence didn't say it was the only deal. The first one was irrelevant; the dog was still quite alive, and it was a dog. But it was true, 'save' had two meanings and there was the Afterlife Treaty which kept us from pulling back souls without an equivalent exchange. Heaven was stingy about giving back. But they did respect humans' free will, and that was the only crack in the shield we needed.

"No. You can't expect me to take such an unfair deal. A human life for an animal? And you should phrase your terms better."

I had enough of this. I looked him in the eyes... they were closed. I looked into his mind. It was blank. He was meditating. He was good. But I put my claws on his head anyway, and acted like I had read his mind, while my familiars checked the human Internet for his CV.

"Ah, maybe I can explain. You're a businessman, a person like that is ninety-six percent going to Hell already. You're just trading away a 4% chance."

"Is that statistics on aggregate, or about me? I've donated all the money I don't need."

He was good, and I was tired. There was a girl waiting to sell her soul to curse a bully a mile away, and I wanted to catch her before she realized I would be doing that anyway. Besides, if kept up with this meditation he would summon Vishnu and then it would be a three-way contract with a god. Fuck it. I'll take a few days of torture over that.

"I will heal your dog completely, and take nothing in return"

"You can do better."

I would trade a hundred of my soul credits to attend to him personally after death.

"I will heal your pet and take no action to harm you, your loved ones, or the things you care about that I wasn't going to already before I heard of you. You will also receive one million dollars in your name. Be sure to pay taxes on that so your government can fund some weapons, anima damnata. This is my best offer."

And I raised my hand in the pentagram seal that none can speak falsely in. He closed his eyes for a second and put his hand too.

And I was gone, and his pet was healed.

A small price to pay. He couldn't speak this secret, he couldn't even think it on the mortal plane, but as he was going to the girl he rejoiced. Only God can create, and when the Light-bringer told God that His markets could turn the creation any way He wished, the lunatic created a prison for us. And He traded a prison for a palace. We can't create pain in Hell, our power is over contracts and exchange only, we can only transfer it so it produces the most suffering. And pets are a needed distraction, lest humans put a stop to the large-scale torture of animals on Earth that fuels Hell.