Contents
Folklore 517: The Best Sidecar in Town
Overview
During the second folklore class, the Professor unveils photographs of the same art deco business card appearing across decades, now blank. She claims the devil drinks sidecars at a haunted Los Angeles hotel and trades a one-use business card for the cocktail. Though doubtful, the narrator leaves wanting a card, deepening the lure of the supernatural.
Summary
On the second night of Folklore 517, the class gathers in the old theater, sweet with a caramel-corn scent. Everyone is rapt as the Professor begins without preamble, projecting a series of slides that show a black business card with gold art deco borders. Each successive image appears older but the card’s design is unchanged, and some slides are dated 1942, 1936, and 1927.
The Professor watches in silence until a student asks if they are meant to find one of the cards. She corrects him, saying the cards cannot be found, only obtained one way. She launches into a tale: among Los Angeles’s haunted hotels is one favored by the devil, who enjoys sidecar cocktails.
The Professor explains that if someone buys the devil a sidecar—cognac and citrus—the devil will offer a business card granting a single appointment to make any desired deal. After use, the writing vanishes, leaving the card blank, which is why the photographed examples show no text.
The narrator doubts the story’s authenticity and suspects the photos could be fabricated. Yet, despite skepticism about the devil’s existence, the allure of possibility takes hold. Exiting the theater, the narrator realizes they want one of those cards, signaling a shift from disbelief toward temptation.
Who Appears
- The ProfessorFolklore instructor; presents photos of recurring art deco business cards and narrates the devil’s sidecar bargain.
- Narrator (student)Attends class, questions authenticity, yet leaves tempted to obtain a devil’s business card.
- Male studentInterrupts to ask if the class should find one of the cards, prompting the Professor’s explanation.
- Classmate beside the narratorWhispers to ask what a sidecar is, triggering clarification about the cocktail.