"Put you back on the rack?" Lucifer tutted, then glanced at Robert again. "You see? You get a reprieve. Well, from us, anyway."

Lucifer gestured, and the bonds tumbled from around Robert, but as he stepped off the rack, surprised and about to get his shout on, the floor opened up underneath him, and he tumbled into a burning pit that stank of singed flesh. The screaming of tortured souls jumped up through the hole, making Sam shiver, before the hole closed tight behind him.

"What do you think, Sam? Shall we put Eliot up there?"

"I'll do it," Sam said, at once. Eliot hadn't wanted to hurt him, but he'd enjoy being up on the rack even less, Sam knew that.

Lucifer just laughed at him. "No. No, Sam, I don't think so. Eliot volunteered first."

And with a snap of his fingers, Eliot was in Robert's place, strapped down. Simple archangel manipulation of reality. Lucifer stepped over him, leaving Sam behind for a moment, smoothing his fingernails against Eliot's cheek.

"Hey, buddy. I hope you're feeling pleased with yourself."