He sold his soul???

First off I have a suggestion for some people posting on this Monte Cristo board, it may be more beneficial for discussion if so many of the posts did not have the same title.

What I want to bring up is the following quote from the book:

"I too, as happens to every man once in his life, have been
taken by Satan into the highest mountain in the earth, and
when there he showed me all the kingdoms of the world, and
as he said before, so said he to me, `Child of earth, what
wouldst thou have to make thee adore me?'

The 2nd time reading the book I was so surprised that I did not catch this bit of business the first time around. Do you think Monte Cristo did sell his soul or do you think that this was just a way for him to endorse a certain reaction from Villefort?

I don't think he literally sold his soul, as throughout the book her refers to himself as the Hand of Providence; working FOR God. I think that he was simply using an analogy. Or, perhaps, it was a dream he had in one of his hash trips.

Religous experiences of that sort are visionary by their very nature. Dantes made his resolution of revenge in prison in a sensory deprived state no doubt. So if he did indeed believe what he says about being the hand of providence, the experience which made him believe that would also have been visionary.

If that is not the case he must have relayed that story/scenario to get a reaction from Villefort.