"My greatest weakness? Uh, I've been known to be quite stubborn, to the point of clashing with upper management."

"Oh?" Mr. Moulton asked. He slipped a pair of reading glasses from his jacket pocket and leaned the spectacles carefully against his nose, so he could look over the simple one-page resume. "If you don't mind me asking, how does that usually turn out for you?"

"That's the thing," the applicant purred with a smile. "My last boss actually created a new department and transferred me out so I could head it up. That's where I've been working until just recently."

"According to your resume here, you held your last position for quite some time," Mr. Moulton stated. "Why the career change after such a long period?"

"I'll be honest for a change, because you seem like a fellow who understands the nature of business. My previous position was all about dealing, greed and sin. The truth is, with so many people already out there with these qualities, there's just not that much work for someone like me anymore."

"I'm sorry," Mr. Moulton interjected. "I see several different names and titles here on your resume. What should I call you?"

"You can call me whichever name suits your fancy: Satan, Lucifer, the Morning Star, the Fallen One, Samael - really, it's all personal preference. Everybody's got their own damned opinion."

"I'm just a bit concerned, to be honest," Mr. Moulton said, "because you were in a management position for so long, and this job is a far cry from that."

"That's no worry at all," Satan assured, "I'm a perfect fit for this job, really."

"Okay," Mr. Moulton continued. "Why don't you tell me, in your own words, something your previous co-workers may have found less than satisfying with your performance?"

"You're quite the negative Nancy, aren't you?" Satan asked. "Okay, let's see. Well, my employees and customers alike said I kept the thermostat too high, but to tell you the truth, it just gets hot as hell down south." He smiled and looked at Mr. Moulton with his black and gray eyes.

Mr. Moulton nodded. "I understand that. My own employees complain about my settings on the thermostat here."

"Well," Satan said, "I always figured if my employees weren't gnashing their teeth in constant agony, I was failing as a manager." He smiled and revealed his razor thin teeth again.

Mr. Moulton laughed and shook a finger at the Great Deceiver. "I like you. A funky sense of humor on you."

"Oh, I wasn't joking," Satan said with a friendly laugh. He stared Mr. Moulton directly in the eyes.

Mr. Moulton laughed again. "See, such a deadpan sense of humor, that's great." He shifted in his chair and placed the Devil's resume on his desk. "Let's get down to the real business here. I want to know exactly why you're applying for this job."

Satan sat forward in his chair and met Mr. Moulton's gaze with his own black and gray eyes. "I'm the best salesman in the world. No matter the price, I've always closed the deal. In the interest of full disclosure, I did fail to close one sale. I made my case, a super-tempting offer to my old boss's son, this one time in the desert. He turned me down. Don't ask why he was in the desert. Kind of a long, boring story. But other than that, no matter the price, I always close my sale." He flashed a smile.

Mr. Moulton looked the Morning Star over and pursed his lips for several quiet seconds. The office clock ticked each second off as Satan waited patiently with a smug sense of satisfaction oozing from his expression.

Mr. Moulton leaned forward and extended his hand. 

"Congratulations. You're our newest telemarketer."