I thought The Devil knew everything— THE DEVIL Everything worth knowing—but I can’t keep track of the petty things. AGNUS Petty? John Magnus—while not the richest man—controls the money-market. Petty? THE DEVIL Any man with brains enough to control money-markets might be a _fifth_-rate scientist, a fourth-rate painter, or a third-rate author! He must be petty if he’s willing to be nothing but a first-class financier. One thing I never was—a financier! Couldn’t waste my time. Financiers, lawyers, stock-jobbers, and thieves generally are the tumors on the human race! When I get through training women, their superman sons will be the surgeons who remove those tumors—(_Suddenly_) I see! She wants you to give up science for a paying job under Magnus—eh? AGNUS Why— THE DEVIL Enough! What was your line? AGNUS Well—to explain quickly—but not quite accurately—immortality— THE DEVIL The devil you say! Pardon my using human terms! But—immortality! AGNUS I’ve made an animal’s functions live after the animal died. THE DEVIL That’s enough. And without my help! Why, that was my very next job! To take some scientist’s body for a few years and start the world on the path toward longer life. Of course, immortality of the body is all rot. It’s bound to wear out some time. But—five hundred years—that’s possible. It would save putting souls back into new-borns. For it takes a hundred ordinary human lives to be ready for Mars. Out of all the billions of men who have lived, we have only a few thousand earth-people up there. The second-rate geniuses—Napoleon, Caesar, George Washington, Tamerlane—all the second-raters— AGNUS Napoleon—Caesar—Washington—second-raters? THE DEVIL Of course! All the first-raters were—(_points to himself_) All soldiers are second-rate. Just as all financiers are about tenth-rate—compared to the great teachers, who help humanity to progress—like—like—(_struck by a thought_) like you yourself. (_With an access of respect_) Man—I’ll do the right thing by you! Before I quit this body—I’ll give you the secret of making men live half a millennium. ANGUS (_the man forgotten in the scientist_) You will? (_Delightedly_) You will? THE DEVIL (_shakes hands_) And she was going to make you a hack? AGNUS Well, you see, she’s a very superior girl. [_The Devil snorts._ AGNUS And I really should give her the surroundings and luxuries that she’s entitled to—being so superior a girl— [_The Devil snorts again._ AGNUS And the only money I ever made was that Nobel prize— THE DEVIL (_starting_) What? You won the Nobel prize? [_Agnus nods._ THE DEVIL (_astounded_) By Saturn, you’re the most startling combination of ass and genius I ever met! Such modesty is actually first-rate— ANGUS (_deprecatorily_) Oh, don’t say that— THE DEVIL But such infatuation is hundredth-rate. Generally to be met with among the middle classes—that is, the lowest class of intelligence— AGNUS The middle class—_lowest_? THE DEVIL