A local media magnate and contributor to satirical news web site TheSpoof has admitting writing a piece of complete tosh in order to avoid summoning Satan.
Ellis Ian Fields, head of the global EIF News & Features organisation, filed the nonsense at around 2pm on Saturday.
He told one of his own reporters: "Shortly after publishing the piece about that chef who was developing a new sort of cuisine, I noticed that my count thingie said I had published 666 news items on TheSpoof.
"Well that frightened the bejeezus out of me, I can tell you. I expected Beelzebub to appear suddenly in a cloud of brimstone and sulphur demanding my signature on a contract in my own blood promising him my eternal soul.
"'I can't have that' I thought to myself, so I dashed off a piece about how I needed to get to 667 asap."