answering to a higher authority

how are things today, lord?
very well, archangel. how about you?
they say that the earth is warming, lord.
warming? how so?
hydrocarbon emissions, greenhouse gases.
oh yes, I remember. I engineered all that.
you did? from the start?
sure. as a safety valve. just in case.
in case what, lord?
in case humans outsmarted themselves on my earth.
you mean. . .
pride, archangel. what does it go before?
the fall, lord?
you got it. and they're going to fall hard.
is there no hope for them?
sure, but they'll have to save themselves.
can't we help?
I promised the cockroaches they could have it.
you did?
if humans screw up, it's bug city.
but you already created the arcturans, lord.
don't tell them. they'll get their feelers in a bunch.
not pretty when that happens.
unless you're a bug, of course.
of course, lord.