My question is this...
If someone offered you an unlimited amount of money...
To do an unimaginable thing...
Would you do it?
When the question was asked of me I was unemployed, I was deeply in debt, I was living alone, I had no immediate family, I had no close friends, I owned very little in the way of material things. No-one cared for me, and in return, I cared for no-one.
What could possibly be asked of me that would hurt anyone or anything that I cared about?
So I accepted.
As I sit here sipping champagne on the foredeck of my yacht, with a warm mediterranean breeze gently tousling my hair, I cast my mind back over events of the last two years.
The exotic places I have visited, the exciting things I have done, the rich and famous people I have met, the sheer amount of money I have spent.
I look around at the luxurious trappings that surround me, at the beautiful vista, at the clear blue sunlit sky...
And once again, like a lightning strike, the guilt and shame punches into me...
The absolute horror of what I have done hits me again and again and again, like hammer blows.
The champagne leaves a bitter, sour taste on my tongue, the riches and possessions have brought no pleasure to my life, no happiness, no satisfaction.
All I have seen... all I have done... all seem a worthless waste.
The truth of the words “When you sup with the devil, use a long spoon.” Haunts my thoughts.
There has not been one single solitary day over those two years when I haven't wished that I could turn back the clock to the time before I said yes.
So, my question is this...
If someone offered you an unlimited amount of money...
To do an unimaginable thing...
Would you do it?
©2011 Stephen. J. Green.
I can't imagine that anything can be unimaginable, but still I don't believe I would say yes.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't imagine it, then you can't really agree to it, because you won't know what you're agreeing to.....right?
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't imagine it. I can agree to do something I can't imagine, because the mortal mouth is dumber than the mortal mind, but I'd almost certainly wind up screwed on the deal.
ReplyDeleteWhat did he do? And I don't think I would agree, but that might depend on how desperate I was.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine either. How about not sitting down with the devil in the first place. That seems like a better way to start off.
ReplyDelete@Tim - I think it would probably be a question of relativity, history has shown us many times, that what one person would find a totally horrifically unimaginable thing to do, another would positively relish.
ReplyDelete@Icy - I was going to phrase it "an unspecified unimaginable thing" but it didn't really look quite right to me written that way. :-)
@John - Haha, when the Devil is involved everyone gets screwed on the deal.
@Sonia - What he did? I don't know, he didn't say, I guess we'll just have to use our imagination on that one. But whatever it was it didn't bring him any happiness. :-)
@Stephen - That is absolutely the best way, but the Devil is fiendishly clever, and the temptation can be overpoweringly strong.
Lovely take on making a deal with the devil. I like his initial rationalization and how the deal he's sealed allows him the chance to see through it all.
ReplyDeleteThe deed wasn't unimaginably good, it seems. A lifetime of riches, a lifetime of guilt? Hm. I think I'd pass.
ReplyDeleteI personally can afford to have standards, even if my income went away, but I could see where others might make a different choice.
Nice illustration of what can happen though!
Good story and a very interesting question, because it poses all sorts of ethical question, like what would I be doing? Will I hurt anyone doing it? etc. Yet money is such a great temptation, especially when you don't have any.
ReplyDeleteI think the deal would never come without consequences, and not knowing those would be enough to make me say no.
I really like that you didn't try to come up with what the unimaginable thing was, it would have kind of spoilt the effect.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a slight tense issue...
"As I sit here sipping champagne" is present tense but then you slip into the past tense, even when describing his present situation.
I wrote Godstorm in the present tense, and so much is written and read in the past tense my first job on editing was to go through and remove all the past tense I had inadvertently put in!
Very thoughtful piece, Steve. =)
In answer to your question I think I would be tempted to say "yes" if only to sate my curiosity. I pride myself on having a pretty broad imagination and might learn a thing or two enroute.
ReplyDelete@Aidan – Yes, I think in this kind of scenario, the Devil will always have something in the small print that would be overlooked.
ReplyDelete@FAR – Thanks, many people are never content with what they have, or fail to make the best of it. Desperation can cause people to make decisions they may not otherwise make too. There is one thing in life that can be almost guaranteed though... If a deal looks too good to be true, It usually IS!!
@Helen – Thank you. One of my thoughts about this was that the deed was unspecified until accepted, and I think everyone (regardless of what they may personally believe) will have something that could be asked of them that would by far counteract the benefits of any such deal.
@John – I think people can conjure up in their own imagination things far better than I can put there, but I like to think sometimes I have sown the seed though. :-)
Thanks for the heads-up, I do tend to scramble my tenses sometimes, I've had a bit of an edit so hopefully it looks a bit better now.
@Jason – Haha, I'm not surprised by your answer Jason, I think maybe your Brimstone adventures will give you the experience you need to steer yourself clear of the pitfalls. Just make sure the fine print doesn't bring KP into more danger (If it's at all possible for him to get in more trouble) :-)
Clever piece, full of torment and regret and leaves the reader wondering what on earth did he do?
ReplyDeleteThank you Lara, I think the requested deed, and the ensuing consequences, would be different for each person.
ReplyDeleteFor unlimited money? I don't think so. Unlimited nachos and cheese with jalapeños? I'd have to at least think about it. :)
ReplyDeleteIntriguing piece you wrote here, Steve. I love open ended stories that let my mind keep going with it. Nice job!
Thanks Chuck... err, did you say unlimited nachos and cheese with jalapenos?? Hmmmm now that WOULD be tempting. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi there Steve -- I liked the fact you sidestepped the central 'thing' that was done, and the story does make you think.
ReplyDeleteTime to start a research program into 'conscience surgery', funded with his unlimited cash... ;) St.
Thanks Stephen, now conscience surgery is a hell of an idea, the mega-rich would be able to do anything they liked, safe in the knowledge that the guilt would be cut out of them. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour character was in the somewhat unique position of caring for no one and having no one who cares for him. Everyone knows those deals with the Devil work out badly but I wonder just how the Devil was able to make him so regretful of his decision. Very diabolical of you Steve, to start out with something "unimaginable" and then leave it up to my imagination! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Harry, I think I may have baffled myself with this one. :-)
ReplyDelete