from One Soul, Paid In Fulfillment
By Roux Colacino
Lights rise on The Trutina, a tavern on the outskirts of Wittenberg, in a region of the Holy Roman Empire that makes up present day Germany. 2 ARCHANGELS and the GOOD ANGEL sit at an empty table, with a fourth chair left empty for GOD. God does not appear on stage physically, but rather is voiced from backstage by the Manager; perhaps a golden light shines down from above where God’s seat is at the table, and flickers accordingly with their voice.
ARCHANGEL #1: He’s late.
ARCHANGEL #2: As usual.
GOOD ANGEL: Just to be clear, we are talking about The Almighty, yes?
GOD: I’m right here.
ARCHANGEL #1: No, Mephistopheles you idiot. Honestly, I don’t know how you ever became an archangel—
GOD: Silence, all of you. He’ll be here soon.
MEPHISTOPHELES enters.
GOD: Ah, speak of the devil.
MEPHISTOPHELES: Hello your Holiness. Angels. Apologies about being late, I—
GOD: No need for excuses. What news do you bring from Lucifer?
MEPH: He accepts your wager, and has sent me here to iron out the finer points with you. Should you wish to proceed, that is.
GOD: I haven’t lost against him yet and I won’t start now.
MEPH: Funny, you don’t strike me as a gambler.
GOD: And you don’t seem like a fallen angel, but here we are. And while we’re in the manner of making wagers, Mephistopheles, need I remind you of the status of your soul? If by some miracle the Prince of Darkness wins this little bet, I may consider giving you back your wings, maybe even granting you redemption. Understood?
[Mephistopheles shifts uncomfortably at the touchy subject that’s been brought up in such a cavalier manner. He moves the conversation back to the deal at hand.]
MEPH: To business then—you both must agree on a living mortal to be the object of assessment. And, since my Lord Lucifer feels so confident, he has allowed your side to choose the entrant.
GOD: If the intent was to insult, none taken. Once again, in evil’s arrogance it destroys itselfand gives me the upper hand. Angels, any ideas?
[They take a moment to consider.]
ARCHANGEL #1: Thomas Aquinas?
GOOD ANGEL: The philosopher guy? Is he still alive?
ARCHANGEL #2: Ooh, what about Joan of Arc!
ARCHANGEL #1: Love her, an icon. But dead I think.
GOOD ANGEL: I heard Lucifer was considering Dante for a long time—
ARCHANGEL #1: Or Hrotsvitha von Gandersheim—
ARCHANGEL #2: That was like two centuries ago, where have you been??
ARCHANGEL #1: Nah, she died way before Dante did, in the 900s or something—
MEPH: A reminder that your candidate must be morally balanced, for the sake of fairness.
[The Angels sit for a while, pondering. Finally, the Good Angel speaks up.]
GOOD ANGEL: There’s someone here in Wittenberg—a Doctor Faustus? He seems to be an honorable man judging by his reputation among the townsfolk, but grows restless under what he perceives to be the burden of good deeds. He may be less than pious, but his sister and mother are devout, and have fallen on hard times. He’s unhappy in his inability to help them adequately, and is desperate for hope and change—in short, Faustus is an unstable man with a good heart, who may be easily swayed. Perhaps he would be sufficient?
[There’s another long pause, and the Good Angel looks ashamed when she sees the faces of the others, staring in disbelief]
GOOD ANGEL: It was just an idea, I—I can think of something else—
GOD: I like it. Mephistopheles, consider Faustus my choice.
[Mephistopheles takes out a quill and book and begins to write notes]
MEPH: Faustus, got it. One more thing, now that we’ve got a mark; both your Lordship and Lucifer are able to give him an item that you think might aid his path towards salvation or damnation. And, in the spirit of fairness, both sides may also appoint one of their own to act as “referees.”
[God “points” to the Good Angel; perhaps a dimmer beam of the same light shines on the Good Angel from above.]
GOD: That’s you, kid.
GOOD ANGEL: An honor, my Lord.
MEPH: Then that’s settled; I’ll bring what we’ve discussed back to Lucifer and we’ll get this drafted up and signed right away.
[Mephistopheles stands and begins to exit the tavern, but God calls out after him.]
GOD: True happiness lies in faith in God alone, and the promise of eternal joy after death. There is no life that matters but the next one.
MEPH: My master begs to differ: faith in oneself is far more fulfilling.
God’s presence, if indicated by lighting, gets a little more intense.
GOD: All I’m saying is, the good guys always win.
MEPH: And maybe this is when the cycle finally breaks. It’s all up to Faustus now.
Mephistopheles exits.
GOD: Up to Faustus, yes.
[Blackout.]
Roux Colacino (they/them) is a sophomore dual major in Design, Technology, & Management and Art History with a passion for storytelling in its many forms. Alongside writing, in their free time they enjoy experimenting with darkroom photography, stargazing, and listening to D&D podcasts, and they are a proud member of Shakespeare on the Oval – the on-campus club dedicated to performing Elizabethan and classical texts. Previous publications include a featured article in Emma Willard School’s Signature magazine – “Gargoyles and Grotesques: The Great Gothic Guardians of Emma Willard School” – and a short documentary about a city’s troubles during the Covid-19 pandemic – Kingston’s Consciousness, produced with the Woodstock Film Festival Youth Lab. They are so thrilled to be able to share this latest piece of work with the Wagner community, and they hope you stick around to see where it goes from here!