"Yeah, I've seen him," John said grimly. "You're in good company there, for what it's worth. I can think of maybe three people in existence who could stand toe-to-toe with Lucifer. I think the phrase you're looking for is 'between a rock and a hard place.'"

He scratched unconsciously at his slightly stubbly jaw, thinking. "You know, though...what I was saying before, about how size isn't everything, it's true. You might not be able to take on the really big boys, but you don't have to play punching bag to any clod who comes along, either." He smiled crookedly. "Look, I've got this mate, Chas, who's pretty good in a fight. I could probably talk him into coming up here to show you how not to stand there and get hit, if you want a break from this," he gestured at the painfully clean surroundings.

The offer wasn't made entirely out of altruism. A lot of Raphael's attitude problem seemed to stem from his basic insecurity about his own ability to defend himself. If the cause could be remedied somewhat, maybe the effect would follow suit.