For Service Rendered

Name: For Service Rendered
Author: Jesse F. Bone

"Service Rendered" opens as spinster Enid Twilley's television set malfunctions, its picture tube transforming into a portal from which emerges Lyf, a Devi (not "devil," he insists) — a reptilian, telepathic, impeccably English-accented being from a world called Hel. Terrified, Enid confronts what she assumes is a demon, but Lyf explains he is mardak of Gnoth, a professional entity from an advanced alien civilization who was drawn through an accidentally-generated "sixth order" gateway. He reveals, via telepathy, uncomfortable truths about her: she is unattractive, poor (her inheritance squandered), lonely, and — most urgently — dying of inoperable pancreatic cancer with six months to live. Lyf offers to cure her, but insists any bargain must be a contract, not charity, since Devi are practical dealmakers, not mythological tempters, and humans have a long history of reneging on deals. Enid checks with her doctor, who confirms the terminal diagnosis, and rushes back to summon Lyf again. He offers a specific transaction: full restoration of her health, plus beauty and financial independence (via a month's worth of "chronographic" stock-market foresight), in exchange for surrender of her body — not her soul, which he considers worthless to him — after ten years of unimpeded life on Earth, for the remainder of her natural lifespan afterward. Enid haggles over terms, secures an escape clause and written guarantees, and negotiates additional cosmetic specifications (imagining herself glamorous, buxom, and gold-lamé-clad) while largely ignoring Lyf's caveats about servitude on Hel. She signs the contract. As a security measure ensuring she cannot default, Lyf marks her body with a small, permanent, unremovable red lesion at the base of her spine, making her a permanent "sixth order focus" he can access at will. Lyf then transports her to Hel for treatment. Two weeks pass in an instant from her perspective; she wakes cured, youthful, and stunningly beautiful — a dramatic physical transformation down to a fine singing voice and adjusted inhibitions to use it. Thrilled, Enid preens before a mirror, crediting her success to her own shrewd bargaining. When she fishes for confirmation of her beauty, Lyf demurs, calling her instead "useful" rather than beautiful — a word choice that unsettles her. Pressed, he explains Devi culture: an advanced civilization on Hel long ago transcended material need, redirecting its energies toward satisfying collective, communal desires within organized "enclaves." Humans are valued imports because they alone thrive on Hel and adapt readily, but since humans cannot reproduce there (the same population-control inhibitors affecting Devi affect them too), fresh humans must periodically be acquired from Earth via exactly these kinds of contracts. The story closes on a chilling reveal of Lyf's true function: he is not a savior or seducer of souls but essentially a rancher supplying a luxury commodity to his society. Pressed to define his role as "mardak," Lyf answers that the closest human equivalent is a dairyman — casting Enid, and by extension all humans acquired this way, as livestock being groomed and fattened for eventual "service rendered," rather than genuine beneficiaries of alien generosity. Bone's tale plays as a wry inversion of the Faustian bargain: the devil-figure is scrupulously honest and contractually fair, while human vanity, self-delusion, and willful non-reasoning — Enid's eagerness to focus on beauty and wealth while brushing past every warning — are what truly seal her fate.

By Jesse F. Bone · First published 1963 · Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Dark Comedy · 7,506 words

First lines

_Are you dissatisfied with the programs that come through your television set? Don't complain too much. Look what came through Miss Twilley's! _

Television made Miss Enid Twilley's life endurable by providing the romance which life had withheld. So when the picture tube in her old-fashioned set blew out, it was a major crisis. But Ed Jacklin's phone didn't ring. The spare twenty-eight inch tube in Jacklin's T. V. shop remained undisturbed on the shelf. And the drawn shades of Miss Twilley's living room gave no hint of what was happening behind them. The town of Ellenburg went its suburban way unaware of the crisis in its residential district.

What this Textopian page supports

For Service Rendered is listed on Textopian as a short story by Jesse F. Bone, dated 1963 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Jesse F. Bone
Date: 1963 CE
Language: English
Genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Dark Comedy, Dystopian Fiction, Paranormal Fiction
Length: 7,506 words
Structure: 1 section, 203 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Science Fiction — Centrally features alien beings (Devis) with advanced biotechnology, interdimensional travel, and extraterrestrial civilization with distinct cultural practices and technology.
Horror — Initial appearance of the alien provokes terror; body transformation contains horror elements; existential dread permeates the narrative; twist ending reveals disturbing truth about human exploitation.
Dark Comedy — Dialogue contains sardonic wit and black humor; situational irony creates darkly comedic tone; Lyf's matter-of-fact discussion of horrifying concepts produces tragicomic effect.
Dystopian Fiction — Depicts system where humans are commodified as luxury items for alien civilization; explores exploitation of vulnerable individuals; reveals dehumanizing interplanetary hierarchy.