OceanofPDF.com

FirstpublishedinGreatBritainbyHarperCollinsChildren’sBooksin2018

HarperCollinsChildren’sBooksisadivisionofHarperCollinsPublishersLtd,HarperCollinsPublishers1LondonBridgeStreet

LondonSE19GF

TheHarperCollinswebsiteaddressis:www.harpercollins.co.uk

SkulduggeryPleasantrestshiswearybonesonthewebat:www.skulduggerypleasant.co.uk

DerekLandyblogsunderduressatwww.dereklandy.blogspot.com

Textcopyright©DerekLandy2018SkulduggeryPleasant™DerekLandy

SkulduggeryPleasantlogo™HarperCollinsPublishers

SkulduggeryPleasant©™DerekLandyCoverdesign©HarperCollinsPublishers2018

Coverillustration©TomPercival2018

DerekLandyassertsthemoralrighttobeidentifiedastheauthorofthework.

AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericancopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthe

non-exclusive,non-transferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookonscreen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,down-loaded,

decompiled,reverseengineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyanymeans,whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereinafterinvented,

withouttheexpresswrittenpermissionofHarperCollins.

SourceISBN:9780008284565EbookEdition©ISBN:9780008284602

Version:2018-05-04

OceanofPDF.com

ThisbookisdedicatedtoReggie.

Whatistherelefttobesaidaboutyou,myfriend?

You’resmart,andyetwilfullystupid.You’regood-looking,yetkindofugly.You’vegotwonderfulhair,yetyou’realwayswearinghats.

You’vesavedmylifethreetimesnow–incontrasttothemeaslyoncethatI’vesavedyours–andyou’vetaughtmemoreaboutIcelandiccuisinethatIeverwantedtoknow(seriouslydude–hákarl?Seriously?),butthereissomethingthatI’vebeenmeaningtotellyouforyears,butI’veneverfoundtheright

opportunity.

Rememberthatgirl,yourpenpal,backwhenwewerekids?Rememberhowyoukindoflovedher?

Thatwasme.Sorry,dude.

OceanofPDF.com

Andfromthenothingcametheeverything.

OceanofPDF.com

Contents

CoverTitlePageCopyrightDedicationEpigraph

Chapter1Chapter2Chapter3Chapter4Chapter5Chapter6Chapter7Chapter8Chapter9Chapter10Chapter11Chapter12Chapter13Chapter14Chapter15Chapter16Chapter17Chapter18Chapter19Chapter20Chapter21Chapter22Chapter23Chapter24Chapter25

Chapter26Chapter27Chapter28Chapter29Chapter30Chapter31Chapter32Chapter33Chapter34Chapter35Chapter36Chapter37Chapter38Chapter39Chapter40Chapter41Chapter42Chapter43Chapter44Chapter45Chapter46Chapter47Chapter48Chapter49Chapter50Chapter51Chapter52Chapter53Chapter54Chapter55Chapter56Chapter57

Chapter58Chapter59Chapter60Chapter61Chapter62Chapter63Chapter64Chapter65Chapter66Chapter67Chapter68Chapter69Chapter70Chapter71Chapter72Chapter73Chapter74Chapter75Chapter76Chapter77Chapter78Chapter79Chapter80Chapter81Chapter82

KeepReading…TheSkulduggeryPleasantseriesAboutthePublisher

OceanofPDF.com

1

Theoldcastlestooddarkagainstthestar-filledsky,itstallwindowsempty,itsbattlements jutting like teeth.Upon thosebattlements, and indifferent to thecold winds that scoured the mountaintops, stood Wretchlings, monstrousthings of scabs and sores whose insides boiled with poisoned blood anddecayingmeat.Lying on a blanket on a snow-covered perch 809 metres west and 193

metresup,SkulduggeryPleasantputhisrighteyesocket tothescopeofhisrifleandadjustedthedial.Hewriggled slightly, settlingdeeper into theblanket, thenwentperfectly

still. His gloved finger began to slowly squeeze the trigger, and Valkyrieraisedherbinoculars,trainingthemontheclosestWretchling.Thegunwentoffwithaloudcrackthatthewindsnatchedaway,butthey

weresofarfromthetargetthatittookafewsecondsforthebullettohit.TheWretchling jerked slightly, and looked down at its chest.Amoment

later,itstartedtotremble.Thestitchesthatheldittogetherunravelled,andtheWretchlingcameundone,itsbodypartsfalling,itsstolenentrailsspillingout,anditcollapsedontopofitself,apileofmeatsteaminginthecoldair.Skulduggerymovedontothenexttargetandadjustedthescopeoncemore.“Youthinktheyfeelpain?”Valkyrieasked.Skulduggerypausedforamoment,andlookedather.“I’msorry?”“TheWretchlings,”shesaid.“Doyouthinktheyfeelpain?”“Notreally,”heanswered,andwentbacktoaiminghisrifle.“Buttheyhavebrains,right?Fairenough,theymightnotbethinkinggreat

thoughts,buttheydostillthink.Andiftheythink,theymightbeabletofeel.Andiftheirbodycanfeelphysically,can’ttheirmindsfeelemotionally?”Skulduggeryfiredagain.Valkyriedidn’tbotherlookingtoseeifthebullet

hititstarget.Ofcourseitdid.“Theydohavebrains,”Skulduggerysaid.“They’restolen fromthedead,

alongwiththelimbsandtheinternalorgans,andthey’retwistedandwarpedand attached to theWretchling like the parts of amachine – because that’s

what they are.They look alive, but it’s all artificial.Are you feeling guiltyaboutwhatwe’redoing?”“No.”Shewatchedhimacquirehisnexttarget.“Kindof.”“They’rejustlikeHollowMen.”Heputhiseyesockettothescope.“ButHollowMendon’thavebrains.”“Idon’thaveabrain.”“ButHollowMencan’tthink.”“Believeme,theonlythingonaWretchling’smindisthemessiestwayto

killsomeone.”Valkyrie looked through the binoculars. “So we kill them first? That’s

hardlyenlightened,isit?”“We’renotkillingthem,”Skulduggerysaid.“Thesecleverlittlebulletsare

designedtodismantle,notdestroy.”He fired, and shewatched as the nextWretchlingwas dismantled.Black

bloodgushed.Skulduggery stood. “That’s the last of them,” he said, taking Valkyrie’s

handandpullinghertoherfeet.Heleftthesniperrifleontheblanketandshehandedhimhishat.Itwasblack,likehisthree-piecesuit,likehisshirtandtie.Valkyriewasdressedallinblack,too–inthearmouredclothesmadeforheryearsagobyGhastlyBespokeandtheheavycoatwiththefur-linedhoodsheworeoverthem.Cloudsweremovinginfromtheeast,scrapingoverthejaggedpeaksofthe

mountains, blocking out the stars. Below where they stood, the dropdisappearedintogloom.ThewindnudgedValkyrie,likeitwantedtotipherovertheedge,sendherspinningdownwardsintothecoldemptiness.Shefeltanalmostirresistibleurgetotakeabigstepforward.“AreyouOK?”Skulduggeryasked.Her face, numb though it was, had gone quite slack. She fixed it into a

smile.“Peachy,”shesaid,takingoffhercoat.“Let’sgo.”Hewrappedanarmroundherwaist.“Areyousureyoudon’twanttotry

thisalone?”“IfIknewI’dbeabletofly,noproblem,”shesaid.“ButItoldmyfolksI’d

bethereforroastdinner,andifIplungetomydeathbeforethat they’ll justthinkit’srude,so…”Theyliftedupanddriftedbeyondtheledge,theworldopeningupbeneath

them.SkulduggeryredirectedthefreezingwindssothatnotasinglehairwasdisturbedonValkyrie’shead.Itwasstrangelyquietastheyflew,surroundedbythehowlsandshrieksofthemountainsbuttuckedawayfromitall.“Thethoughthasoccurredtomethatmaybeyou’llonlystartflyingwhen

youabsolutelyneedto,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Donotdropme.”“Indulge me for a moment. The range of your powers is still largely

unknowntous,yes?Youcanfirelightningfromyourfingertips,youcertainlyhavedestructivepotential,andyouhavetheburgeoningpsychicabilitiesofatleastaLevel4Sensitive.Plus,youhaveflownbefore.”“Hoveringisnotflying.”“IbetifIweretodropyou,you’dfly.”“I’mnotsureifIcanemphasisethisenough,butdonotdropme.”“The prospect of imminent death could release you from the mental

barriersthatareholdingyouback.”“Itwouldn’tbeimminentdeath,though,wouldit?You’dcatchme.There’s

no threat there.You’dsavemebecause savingme iswhatyoudo, just likesavingyouiswhatIdo.Theonlythingthatdroppingmewouldaccomplishistoannoythehelloutofme.”Skulduggerywasquietforamoment.“Donotdropme,”Valkyrierepeated.Hesighed,and theycontinuedover to thecastle, landingbesideapileof

Wretchlingremains.Asuddengustsurroundedthemwiththestenchofputridmeatandhumanwaste. It filledValkyrie’snoseandmouthandshegagged.As Skulduggery sent the foul air away with a wave of his hand, Valkyrielungedforthebattlements,sureshewasgoingtopukeovertheside–butsheswallowed,managedtokeepitdown.“SometimesImisshavingasenseofsmell,”Skulduggerysaid.“Tonightis

notoneofthosetimes.”Valkyriespat,wipedhermouth,andstayedwhereshewasforamomentto

recover. She felt sure that she’d once been told the proper names for thedifferentsectionsofthebattlements,butcouldn’tforthelifeofherrememberwhattheywere.Thewindwhippedherhair in frontofher face,soshe tied itback intoa

ponytail,thentookawoodensphere,roughlythesizeofagolfball,fromherpocket. She gripped the sphere in both hands and twisted in oppositedirections, and a transparent bubble rippled outwards, enveloped her andstabilised.Thepersonalcloakingspheresdidn’thavenearlytherangeoftheirregular-sized versions, but theywere just as effective, and a lot handier tocarryaround.Skulduggerytookouthisowncloakingsphere,didthesame,andvanished

fromhersight.Sheslipped thesphereback inherpocketandsteppedcloser tohim.Her

cloakingbubblemingledwithhisandsuddenlyshecouldseehimagain.

Stickingbyeachother’sside,theysetoffdownasetofstonesteps,aflurryof snow chasing them into the gloom. Skulduggery held up his hand justbeforetheyreachedthebottom.Atripwireglintedonthefinalstep.“Sneaky,”Valkyriesaid.They jumped the last few steps, and the moment before they landed

Skulduggerycaughtherandkeptthemhoveringofftheground.“Pressureplates,”hesaid.“Evensneakier.”Theydriftedalongthecorridor,stoppingattheendsothatValkyriecould

pushopenthedoor.Theytoucheddownontheotherside,tookthenextsetofstonestepsthatspiralleddownwards,Skulduggeryleadingtheway.Twoguardswithsickleson theirbacksstoodat theopenwindows in the

nextcorridor,theirheadscoveredbyblackhelmets.Rippers.Itwasfreezinginherebuttheystoodwiththeirarmsbytheirsides,asthoughthecolddidn’tbotherthem,keepingwatchontheroadleadingtothecastle.“Whichonedoyouwant?”Skulduggeryasked.Nodding to thenearestRipper,Valkyrie said, “Thisone,” ina softvoice,

eventhoughsheknewthatherwordswouldn’ttravelbeyondthebubblethatsurroundedthem.“Counttoten,”Skulduggeryresponded,andwalkedaway,vanishingfrom

sight.Valkyrie moved up behind the Ripper, finished the count and stepped

closer. Out of the corner of her eye, the second Ripper disappeared asSkulduggerydidthesame.ShewrappedherrightarmroundtheRipper’sthroat,grabbedthebicepof

herleftarmandhookedherhandbehindtheRipper’shelmet.Hishandscameup,tryingtofreehimself.Heputafoottothewallandpushedout,shovingthembothbackwards.Valkyrieheldon,herheaddown,hereyesclosed.Shekickedathisleganddraggedhimbackwards,layinghimonthegroundashisstrugglesweakened.Shelookedup,watchedasthesecondRipperfellintoview.Hehitthefloor

andstayedthere.When her Ripper was unconscious, she released him and walked to the

otherendofthecorridor.HercloakingbubbleintersectedwithSkulduggery’sandheappearedbeforehersosuddenlyshejumped.“Sorry,”hesaid.Shewavedhisapologyaway.“I’msureIscaredyoujustasmuchasyou

scaredme.”“Notreally.”

She took his hat and threw it out of the window, and was totallyunsurprisedwhenamoment later it floated inagainandsettledbackonhishead.“Areyouquitefinished?”heasked,adjustingitslightly.“Itwouldn’tkillyoutoadmittobeingalittlestartledeverynowandthen,”

shesaid.“I don’t get startled,” he responded,walking off again. She caught up to

himbeforeheleftherbubble,andfellintostepbesidehim.“Ianticipateandadjustaccordingly.”“Youdon’tanticipateeverything.”“Ofcoursenot.Wherewouldbethefuninthat?”“I’m just saying you shouldn’t feel like you have to keep up this

unflappabledemeanouraroundme.”“Hasitoccurredtoyou,afteralltheseyearstogether,thatIjustmightnot

beflappable?”“Everyoneisflappable,Skulduggery.”“Notme.”Theycametoadoorthattookthemtoatunnelthattookthemtoaroom,

andinthisroomtheychoseanarchwaythattookthemtomorestairs.Downtheywent, and down again, until the torches in brackets were replaced bybulbs and the steady thrum of power reverberated through the floor. TheyavoidedlargegroupsofRippers,passedroomswherewhite-coatedscientistsmurmured to one another, and kept going until they came to a perspexwindow overlooking a large laboratory packed with machines that blinkedwithvolatileenergy.DoctorNyesatonastool,itsbackstooped,workingontheintricateinsides

ofa rusteddevice.Nye’s thin limbs lookedsmaller thanwhenValkyriehadseenitlast,whenithadtoweredoverher,itsheadnearlybrushingtheceiling,butshewasn’taltogethersurprised.Crengarrionsshrankastheygotolder,andtheirskincolourtendedtolighten.Nowitlooked,atmost,abouttenfeettall,anditsskinwasadelicateash.“Itlooksold,”shemurmured.“Good.”They found the stairs, followed them down, arriving at the double doors

thatledintoNye’slab.TwoRippersstoodguard.“I’vegotthisone,”Valkyriesaid,walkingtowardstheRipperontheright.

She was halfway there when the cloaking sphere started to vibrate in herpocket.Alarmed,shepulleditout.Thetwohemispheresweretickingtowardseach

otherquickly–muchquickerthantheyshouldhave–countingdowntothe

bubble’scollapse.Shetriedtotwistthemback,thenstruggledtomerelykeeptheminplace,butitwasnogood.Thebubblecontracted.

OceanofPDF.com

2

Herbootswerevisible.Valkyrie crouchedbefore eitherof theRippers caught sightofher.There

were sigils on the wall – she could see them now. She recognised one ofthem:asecuritysigilthatattackedTeleporters.Shewasprettysuretheotheronewasforcinghercloakingspheretomalfunction.And itcontractedagain.Notall theway, justenough to reveal the topof

herhead.Timewasrunningout.Keepinglow,shepocketedthesphereandhurriedovertotheRipper.The

bubble contracted again. He heard her footsteps and his hands went to hissickles.Valkyriepulledherownweapons–shocksticks,heldinplaceonherback

–andlaunchedherselfathim.Thefirststickcrackedagainsthishelmet,butheduckedthesecond,spinningaway.Valkyrie’sbubblecollapsedcompletelynow,asdidSkulduggery’s,andsheglimpsedhim throwing fireevenasherRipperattacked,sicklesblurring.Valkyrieknewthepatternandcountered,slippedtothesideandstruckthe

Ripper’sknee,thenspunandcaughthimintheribs.Hisclothesabsorbedtheelectricalcharge,andhedidn’tseemtoregisterthepain.Heleftheranopeningandshefellforit,committingherselftoaswingthat

sheregrettedinstantly.Asicklebladerakedacrossherbelly,wouldhavetornheropenwere itnot forherarmoured jacket.Hekickedatherankle,swepther leg, and she hit the ground and somersaulted backwards to her feet,defendingallthewhile.Hiskneethuddedintohercheekandtheworldtilted.He leaped at her. She dropped the stick in her right hand and white

lightning burst fromher fingers, striking him in the chest and blasting himheadoverheels.Herolledandcameup,hisjacketsmoking.Valkyriepickedupthefallenstick,placeditendtoendwiththeotherone.

Theyattachedandshetwisted,thestafflengthening,andwhentheRipperranathershewhackeditintohisleg,thenspunandcrackeditagainsthishead.Hefellbackandshefollowed,thestaffstrikinghimonce,twice,andthenatwirlingthirdtime.Hedroppedoneofhissickles.

Shewenttofinishhimoffandhedodged,dodgedagain,dodgedfasterthanshecouldstrike.Hejumpedovertothewallandrebounded,flippingoverherhead.Shewhirledbuthewastooclose,andhegrabbedthestaffandpulledherintoaheadbuttthatwouldhavebrokenhernosehadshenotloweredherhead. Even so, bright lights flashed, and she felt the staff being wrenchedfromhergripasshewentstaggering.TheRipperletthestaffdrop,andswunghisremainingsickletowardsher

neck. She raised an arm, her armoured clothes saving her once again, andsnatchedtheweaponaway.Itfell,clatteringagainstthestones.Valkyrieduckedlowandpoweredforward,grabbinghimroundthewaist.

Snarling,she liftedhimoffhis feetandslammedhimagainst thewall, thenseizedhishelmet,searchingfor the twinreleases,and tore it fromhishead.TheRipperfellback,blinking,andsheswungthehelmetintohisjawandhewent down, and she hit him again and again until she figured that wasprobablyenough.Shedroppedthehelmetandgotherbreathback.“Yougothishelmetoff,”Skulduggerysaid, standingover themotionless

formofthesecondRipper.“Howdidyoumanagethat?”She shrugged. “I adapted accordingly. Come on. We have a doctor’s

appointment.”

OceanofPDF.com

3

She pushed open the double doors andDoctor Nyewaved a long-fingeredhand.“Do not disturb me,” it said in that familiar high whisper. “I left strict

ordersnottobe—”Itlookedupthen,anditssmalleyeswidenedanditswidemouthopenedas

itgottoitsfeet,thestoolcrashingtothegroundbehindit.Skulduggery held his gun low, by his hip. “The moment you set off an

alarm, I will shoot you. I feel we ought to be clear on that from the verybeginning.”Nyestoppedmovingbackwards,andraiseditsarms.“Ihavenoweapons.”Up close, Valkyrie could see that the threads that had once sewn Nye’s

mouth and eyes shut were still there, poking out of its skin. She walkedforward. “You act like you’re not pleased to see us,Doctor. That hurtsmyfeelings.Ithoughtwe’dbondedthattimeyouautopsiedme.”“Theyearshavebeengood toyou,”Skulduggerysaid,coming round the

table.“Imean,you’veobviouslyshrunk,butapartfromthatyoulookgreat.Howhaveyoubeenspendingyourtime?ThelastIheard,you’descapedfromIronpointGaol.Whowasitthatbrokeyouout?ElizaScorn?”“HowisEliza?”Valkyrieasked.“Anyword?”“Ihaven’tseenElizaScorninyears,”Nyesaid.“Iwasnottheonlyoneshe

freed.Therewereothers.”“Butshesetyouuphere,”saidSkulduggery.“You’dlosteverythingwhen

weimprisonedyou.Wemadesureofit.Shehelpedyou.”Nye licked its lips. Its tongue was small and pink. “She could see the

importanceofmywork.”Valkyrie picked up a scalpel and walked over slowly. “Excavating the

soul,”shesaid.“How’sthatgoingforyou?Foundityet?”“IbelieveIhave,”saidNye.“Sowhatnext?Nowthatyou’vefoundwhereithides,whatareyougoing

todowithit?”

“Findingthesoulwasonlythefirststep.NowIfollowittowhereitleads.I’mnothurtinganyone.I’mnotexperimentingonanyone.Youcansearchthecastle.Ihavenopatientshere.”“No?” Valkyrie asked. “You don’t have anyone strapped to a table

somewhere,theirribcageopen,theirorgansonanearbytraywhiletheylookaround, hallucinating friends and family come to rescue them?No?Well, Ihave to say that’s an improvement. You’re practically reformed.Skulduggery?”“You’re quite sure there is no one being tortured,Doctor?” Skulduggery

asked. “Maybe having their skin peeled off? I heard about one experimentyou randuring thewarwhereyoudecapitatedprisonersand thenkept theirheadsaliveinjars.”Nyebackedup.“Whatdoyouwant?”“You’reunderarrest,”Skulduggerysaid.“You’regoingbacktoIronpoint.”“We’ll be sure to request a smaller cell this time,” Valkyrie said.

“Somethingsnug.”“Oryoucanmakeiteasyonyourself,”Skulduggerysaid.“Youcantellus

whereAbyssiniais.”Incredibly,Nyepaledevenfurther.“Wow,”saidValkyrie,“yourpokerfacesucks,dude.Thatmeanswegetto

bypassthebitwhereyoutellusyoudon’tknowwhatwe’retalkingabout–andwe threatenyouandyoueventuallybreak– andgo straight to thepartwhereyouanswerourquestions.Sowhereisshe?”“Idonotknow.”“I’m just going to warn you that we’ve been looking for Abyssinia for

almostsevenmonths.Doyouhearme?Sevenmonths.Andwehaven’tfoundher, or the flying prison she’s commandeered, or any of her little anti-Sanctuaryfriends.We’rebothextremelyannoyedaboutthis.Ourpatiencehaswornthin,Doctor.Whenwefoundoutthatshepaidavisittothischarmingcastlenolessthantwodaysago…Well,I’mnotgoingtolie:Icriedalittle.Tearsofhappiness.Andwhenwelearnedthatyouwereworkinghere?Itwaslikeallmybirthdayshadcomeatonce.NotonlydoIgettoseemyoldfriendDoctorNye,butDoctorNyegetstohelpusinoursearch,andtelluswhereAbyssiniahasgone.”“Ipromiseyou,Idonotknow.”“Thenwhywasshehere?”Skulduggeryasked.“If…ifItellyou,youmustletmego.”“OK.”“Ithinkyouarelying.”

“OfcourseI’mlying.You’regoingbacktoprison,Doctor.Theonlychoiceyou’vegotisthesizeofyourcell.”Nyehesitated,thensagged.“Itwasnotathingshewaslookingfor.Itwasa

person.HisnameisCaisson.”“AndwhoisCaisson?”“Abyssiniasaidheisherson.”“Isee,”Skulduggerysaid,takingamoment.“Doesheworkhere?Ishea

scientistormanuallabour?”Nyehesitated.Valkyrie foldedher arms. “Hewasapatient,wasn’the?Youmaynotbe

experimentingonanyonerightnow,butupuntiltwodaysagoyouwere.”“When I came here, this facility had already been running for decades,”

Nyesaid.“Iwasbroughtintoreplaceascientistwhohadgonemissing.Myinstructionswereclear:Iwastocontinuetheworkofmypredecessor.Onmyinitial tour, Iwasshown the roominwhichCaissonwasbeingkept–but Iwasnottheonewhoworkedonhim.”“Howlonghadtheexperimentsbeengoingonfor?”“AsfarasIamaware,foraslongasthisfacilityhasbeenoperational.”“Whichis?”“Sixtyyears.”Valkyriefrowned.“He’sbeenexperimentedonforsixtyyears?”“No,” saidNye. “Hewas experimented onhere for sixty years. I do not

knowwherehewasbeforethis.”“Whatelsedoyouknowabouthim?”Skulduggeryasked.“Nothing.ExperimentingonCaissonwasnotmyjob.”“Sowhodidthework?”“Anassociate.DoctorQuidnunc.”“Isheintoday?”Valkyrieasked.“I have not seen him in a week, since Caisson was removed from this

facility.”“Caissonwas removed aweek ago?”Valkyrie said. “SowhenAbyssinia

cameforhim,hewasalreadygone?Whywashemoved?”“I do not know for certain,” saidNye, “but I imagine somebody learned

thatAbyssiniawasdrawingclose andwewere told to evacuate as a result.Caissonwasthefirsttobemoved.”“Thenwhyareyoustillhere?”“I,andahandfulofotherscientists,refusedtoleave.Icanonlyspeakfor

myself, butmywork had reached a critical stage and I could not possiblydepart.”

“Abyssinia wouldn’t have been happy that her son wasn’t here,”Skulduggerysaid.“Shewasnot,”saidNye.“ShekilledmanyRippers.”“Didyoutellherwherehewasmovedto?”“Ididnot,anddonot,possessthatinformation.”“Whotookhim?”“I do not know.A small team of people. The owner of this facility sent

them.”“WhichbringsusbacktoElizaScorn.”Nye shook its head. “Eliza Scorn does not own this facility. As far as I

know,shewasmerelyobeyingorderswhenshedeliveredmehere.”“Thenwho’syouremployer?”“IamafraidIdonotknow.”“You’reworkingforsomeoneandyoudon’tevenknowwhoitis?”“What does it matter?” Nye asked. “My work is important and needs

resources.Idonotcarewhoprovidesthem.”Valkyriesighed.“WhataboutAbyssinia?Didshesayanythingthatcould

leadustoher?Remember,youreallywanttomakeushappy.”“Sheprovidednosuchinformation.”“Did you tell her about Quidnunc and his experiments?” Skulduggery

asked.“Yes.”“Didyoutellherwhereshecouldfindthegooddoctor?”“Idonotknowwhereheis.”“Then how are you still alive?” Skulduggery asked. “You don’t know

anythinghelpful, youworked in the same facilitywhereher sonwasbeingexperimentedon…Whydidn’tshekillyou,Doctor?”“BecauseIdidtoherthesamethingasIamdoingtoyou,”Nyeresponded.“Andwhatisthat?”“Delayingyou.”The shadows converged and twisted and from the darkness stepped a

woman inablackcloak,her facecoveredbya clothmask so thatonlyhereyeswerevisible.Skulduggery raised his gun and the woman’s cloak lashed out, and

Skulduggeryduckedand fired.Thecloakabsorbed thebullets andwhippedagain,slicingthroughthetabletogettohim.Skulduggeryjerkedtotheside,hishand fillingwith flame,but the cloak twistedback, coveringhim– andwhenitwhippedaway,Skulduggerywasgone.The woman turned to Valkyrie, but Valkyrie had already moved behind

Nye andwas buckling its legs. It dropped to its knees and she gripped its

throat,keepinghereyesonthenewcomer.“Have to admit,” Valkyrie said, “that was pretty cool, even for a

Necromancer. But, if you try anything like that onme, I will fry the stickinsecthere.”Thewomaninblackdidn’trespond.Hercloakcoiledaroundher.“Youwouldnotkillme,” saidNye, itsvoicea littlegarbled. Its skin felt

oilyinhergrip.“Iwouldn’twanttokillyou,”Valkyriecorrectedhim.“Iwouldn’twantto

kill anyone. But, if your awesome bodyguard tries to kill me, I’ll kill youfasterthanyourbeadylittleeyescanblink.”Nyemadeasmallsound,likealaugh.“Thenitseemsthatwehavereached

animpasse.”“Notatall,”saidValkyrie.“Animpasseimpliesthatwe’reevenlymatched.

But we all know that’s not true.” She glanced at the woman in black. “IdabbledwithNecromancy.Didyouknowthat?SolomonWreathtaughtmeafewthings.SoIknowthatyoucanshadow-walk.That’swhatyoudidwithSkulduggery, right? But I also know that the range for shadow-walking islimited–sohe’salreadyonhiswaybackhereandhe’scomingmightyfast.Weonlyhaveafewsecondsbeforeheburststhroughthesedoors,andwhenthathappens…it’snotgoingtobepretty.AllIhavetodoiswait,becausetimeisonmyside.Butforyoutheclockisticking.Canyouhearthat?Thetick-tockinyourhead?”“IamnotgoingbacktoIronpoint,”saidNye.“Ionlyhaveafewyearsleft

inmylife.Iwillnotspendtheminacell.Whisper–killher.”“Whisper – wait,” Valkyrie said, tightening her grip. “Why is it always

killing,huh?Whyis italwaysfighting?Whyisviolencealways thedefaultposition?”Nyeheldupahand toWhisper,even though thewomanhadnotmoved.

“Youofferanalternative?”itasked.“GivemeQuidnunc,andI’llletyougobeforeSkulduggerygetsback.”“IdonotknowwhereQuidnunc is,”Nyesaid.“ButIdoknowone thing

thatcouldpossiblyleadyoutohim.”“DidyoutellthisonethingtoAbyssinia?”“Idid.”“Sowe’dbeplayingcatch-up.”“Yes.”Valkyrieconsideredheroptions,ofwhichtherewerenone.“OK,”shesaid.

“Deal.”“First,youmustreleaseme.”“Idon’ttrustyouenoughtoreleaseyou,Doctor.”

“Thenyouhadbettermakeadecisionbefore theSkeletonDetectivegetshere,MissCain.Timeistickingaway.”Valkyriealmostsmiled.ShetookherhandfromNye’s throatandstepped

backasitstood.Itturned,lookingdownather,asWhispercameupbehindit.Hercloakswirledaroundthemboth.“Quidnuncsuffersfromliquefactivenecrosis,”Nyesaid,andtheshadows

convulsedandValkyriewasleftalone.“Huh,”shesaid.ThedoorsburstopenandSkulduggerystormedin,guninonehandandfire

intheother.“Wherearethey?”hedemanded.“Gone,”saidValkyrie.“Youjustmissedthem.”Skulduggery stood there for a moment, then shook the flames from his

handandslipped thegunbackunderhis jacket.“That’sannoying,”hesaid.“AreyouOK?”Sheshrugged.“Grand.Quidnunchas,um,liquidactivenecrosis.”“Doyoumeanliquefactivenecrosis?”“Let’ssaythatIdo.Whatisit?”“AformoforganicrotthatMevolenthadweaponisedduringthewar.”“ThatthesamethingTesseracthad?SoQuidnuncwearsamask,likehim?”“Perhaps,”Skulduggerysaid.“Inanycase,hewillneed thesameserums

that keptTesseract alive, and those serums are hard to comeby. Ifwe findwhomakesthem,we’llfindQuidnunc.”“Cool. Although Nye told Abyssinia, y’know, about the liquid factor

thing.”“Liquefactivenecrosis.”“Hetoldheraboutthat,too.”“Thenwehavenotimetowaste,”Skulduggerysaid,stalkingto thedoor.

Hespunround.“Unlessyou’rehungry.Areyouhungry?Youhaven’teatensincenoon.”“I’mprettyhungry,yeah.”“Thenwe’llstopforpizza,”Skulduggerysaid,andmarchedout.

OceanofPDF.com

4

Education,OmenDarklymusedasheexamined the testhe’d justgotback,maynothavebeentheareainwhichhewasdestinedtoexcel.While Corrival Academy was indeed a school for sorcerers, that didn’t

mean all the lessons were about throwing fireballs or shooting streams ofenergyoutofyourhands/eyes/mouth–although therewasa fairbitof thatstuff.Mostlyitwassittingatdesks,readingtextbooksandscribblinganswers–

prettymuchthesameexperienceOmenhadhadwhenhe’dgonetoamortalschool, back in Galway. A lot of the time, in fact, things at Corrival wereworse.Because thereweremore subjects to cover –Omennot only had tostudy history and science, but alsomortal history andmortal science – theschooldaywaslonger.PEwasn’tjustaboutcombattrainingandself-defence,as tough as those things could be – it was also about picking a sport andplaying it,magic not allowed. Studentswere taught to be the best sorcerertheycouldbe,buttheywerealsotaughthowtolive,behaveandthriveinthemortalworld.Whichmeantmorework,moretests,andmoreopportunitiestofallshort.Omenfoldedthetestpaper,hidingthebigredEfromview.Itwasn’tthat

big a deal. It had been a difficult test – everyone said so, even the smarterkids. What chance did he have, really, when even the smarter kids werefindingittricky?Sure,theystilltechnicallypassed,asdidjustabouteveryoneelseinhisclass,buthewasn’tabigbelieveringradesanyway.Hepreferredtogethiseducationoutthere,onthestreets.Whereitmattered.Omen chewed his lip. That said, his parentswere probably going to kill

himiftheyfoundout.He stuffed the test paper down into his bag. That was one of the good

thingsaboutCorrivalbeingaboardingschool,hesupposed–lessexposuretodisapprovingparental figures.Ofcourse, therewasapretty fairchance thattheywouldn’tactuallycareaboutafailedtest.Omenhad,quitebyaccident,cultivated a relationship with his folks that depended entirely on their lowexpectations. He sidled along in the background of their lives while their

focus was on his twin brother, Auger – the subject of an actual prophecy,destined to face theKingof theDarklands in abattle to save theworld. Inordertoaidhiminthisbattle,Augerhadbeenbornstrong,fastandsmart–not to mention naturally talented, extremely hard-working, courageous,decent, resourceful, charming, funny, tall and good-looking. Because beinggood-looking was obviously a vital quality in any self-respecting ChosenOne.Omen hadmissed out on being theChosenOne by virtue of being born

second, so he didn’t possess any of Auger’s attributes.What he did have,however,wasapluckydemeanourandanever-say-dieattitude–buthedidn’treallyhavethem,either.Life was one bitter disappointment after another. Sure, there had been

glimmersofhopealongtheway.Hisbestfriendwasprettycool,forastart,andsevenmonthsagohe’dhelpedSkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCainstopanancientevilfrombeingreborn.Well,sortof.No,hehadhelped.Hehadbeenrightthere,sharingintheadventure.He’d

comeawaywiththebruisestoproveit.Theproblemwasthattheancientevilhadn’tactually been stopped.Abyssinia, after all, had succeeded in comingbacktolife.Takingthisintoaccount,hesupposedthatmeanthehadhelpedSkulduggery andValkyrie fail in theirmission.Whichmay have explainedwhytheyhadn’tcalledonhimsince.Whatmade thingsworsewas thatwordofhis involvementhadn’t spread

through the school like he’d expected. A few people knew a little ofwhathappened,butitwasasifhisfellowstudentscouldn’tbebotheredtospreadcoolrumoursabouthim.Therewerenowhispersinthecorridorashepassed,nowide-eyedstares,noclustersofgirlsgigglingwheneverhesmiled.Afterabriefspellasanadventurer,hewasreturningtobeingthatinsignificantlittlespeckofaboyhe’dalwaysbeen.Unlesshedidsomethingaboutit.Hisstomachinknots,Omenwentoverwhathewasgoingtosayoncemore

inhishead.He’dpractisedthisconversationagainandagain,planningforallpossible contingencies. A part of him wondered about the grade he wouldhavegotinthetestifhe’ddevotedasmuchtimetoitashehadtorehearsinghowhe’daskoutAxeliaLukt,butheeasilyswattedsuchthoughtsfromhismind.Hehadmoreimportantthingstoworryabout.Axelia sat in the common room, chatting and laughingwith her friends.

Shewassonice,sosmart,sopretty,andshehadtheloveliestaccentandthehappiestlaughOmenhadeverheard.Hecouldhavelistenedtoherlaughallday,asweirdasthatwouldhavebeen.Omenstoodup,tookadeepbreath,andwalkedover.

HebumpedintoOctoberKleinandmumbledanapology,turnedroundandwentbacktohiscorner.He took another deep breath, and another. And another. He went light-

headed,andcollapsedbackintohischair.Whenhefeltcertainhewasn’tgoingtofaintorfallover,hegotbacktohis

feet. Focusing on breathing normally, hemade hisway across the commonroomwithoutbumpingintoanyone,andwasabouttoopenhismouthwhenafirmhandgrippedhiselbowandsteeredhimaway.“Hey,”saidAuger,allsmilestoday.“How’dyougetoninthetest?”“Um,”saidOmen.Augernoddedand then, in that casual tonehealwaysusedwhenhewas

hidingsomething,said,“That’scool,that’scool.Hey,haveyouseenMahalaaround?”“Isawherrightbeforebreakfast,”saidOmen.“Everythingallright?”Auger’svoicedipped.“Yeah,yeah,just,whenyousawher,didyounotice

anythingdifferentabouther?Anythingunusual?”“Likewhat?”Augershrugged.“Likewassheactinganydifferent?Wasshetalkingany

different?Didshehaveglowinggreeneyes?Didsheappearconfused…?”“It’s funny,” said Omen, “out of everything you just said, it was the

glowinggreeneyesthingthatstoodout.”“She’s,kindof,slightlypossessedrightnow,”Augersaid.“Ifyouseeher

again,letmeknow.Stayawayfromher,butletmeknow.”“Youneedanyhelp?Icouldhelp.”“No,really,it’sfine.I’vegotKase.We’llsortitout.Ifitgetstoomuchfor

us,though,IpromiseI’llgiveyouthenod.”“Sure,”saidOmen.“Thatsoundsgood.”“Anyway, sorry for interrupting. You looked like you were talking with

Axelia.”HesteeredOmenback,depositinghiminfrontofthemostbeautifulgirlintheschoolandherfriends.“Hey,girls,”hesaid.“Hi,Auger,”theychorused.AugernoddedtoOmen,andwalkedquicklyaway,andOmenfroze.Axelialookedathimandsmiled.“Hi,Omen.”“Hi,”hesaid.Hismouthwassuddenlysoridiculouslydry.“CouldItalkto

youforamoment?”hemanagedtosay.“Maybegoforashortwalk?”Axelia’sfriendswidenedtheireyes,likeOmenhadjustdumpedadeadbird

attheirfeet,butAxeliahadthegracetokeephersmile.“Sure,”shesaid.

Omensmiledbackandtheywalkedoutoftheroomsidebyside.Thiswasgood.Shehadn’tyetsaidthewordno,andneitherhadshelaughedathim.Ifhecouldkeepthatgoing,hewasinwithachance.“Whatdoyouthinkofallthoserefugees?”sheaskedastheywalked.“Yeah,”Omensaid.“Aw,it’sreally…Itreallymakesyouthink,doesn’tit?

Like,who…whoarethey?”“Um,weknowwhotheyare.”“Well,yes,butwhatI’maskingis…uh…”“Youhaven’theardaboutthem,haveyou?”“I’mnotreallysurewhatyou’retalkingabout,no.”Herbeautifulblueeyeswidenedalittleinsurprise.“Youdidn’thearabout

theportalthatopenedupyesterday,rightoutsidethecitywalls?It’sliterallyjust over the west wall, Omen. It’s been on the Network all day. It’s allanyoneistalkingabout.”“Aportaltowhere?”“TothedimensionwhereMevolentstillrules.”“Seriously?”“Howhaveyoumissedthis?”“Ireallydon’tknow.”“Wespentalloflastclasstalkingaboutit.Youwerethere.”“Iwasdaydreaming.Andtherearepeoplecomingthrough?”“Thousandsofthem,allmortals.”“Doweknowwhy?”“They’reslavesoverthere.Wouldn’tyouwanttogetawayfromthatifyou

could?Imean,it’sMevolent.”Omen nodded. “He’s pretty bad, all right.Do you think he’ll come after

them?”Axeliahuggedherself.“Idon’twanttothinkaboutthat.Wegotridofour

Mevolent–weshouldn’thavetodealwithsomeoneelse’s.Anyway,that’sallI know.You really should start paying attention in class,Omen.Especiallyaftertheresultyougotinthetest.”“You,um,youknowaboutthat?”“Isitbehindyou.Isawyourmark.Sorry.”“ButI’mnottheonlyonewhofailed,right?Like,therewereafewofus.

Thatwasahardtest.”“Wasit?”“Not for you, maybe, because you’re really smart and stuff. But for us

ordinarypeopleitwashard.”“I’mnotthatsmart.”“Yes,youare,”Omensaid.“You’redeadbrainy.”

Shelaughed.“Whatdidyouwanttotalkabout,Omen?”Theystoppedwalking.Therewasnoonearound.Itwasallsuddenlyvery

stillandveryquiet.Omennoddedagain.Hewasawareofhowmuchhewasnodding.Itwasalot.“Well,” he said, trying his best to keep his head still, “in the last few

months, um, I’m really glad about howwe’ve become friends. You know,withourlittlejokesandthings.”Axelia’sbrowfurrowedasmidge.“Wehavelittlejokes?”“Yes.Don’twe?Thelittle jokes?Thelittle…”hismouthwasdryagain,

“jokes?Thatwehave.Youdon’tnoticethem?”“I’mafraidnot,Omen.”His laugh sounded panicked. “That’s OK. It’s not important. Basically,

whatIwantedtosaywas:we’refriends.Aren’twe?”“Ofcourse.”“Andthat’ssogood,”hesaid,bothhandscoveringhisheart.“It’ssogood

tohavefriends.Realfriends,youknow?AndI,I thinkyou’regreat.I thinkyou’refunny,andsmart,and,like,socool.”“Aww,thankyou.”“You’rewaycoolerthanme.”“No,I’mnot.”“Yousoare.”“You’recool,too.”“Well,I’mnot,butthankyouforsayingso.”Helaughed,andsodidshe.

Thiswasgoingwell.Omenfeltthetimewasrightfortheparthe’drehearsedinthemirror.“I’mreallygladyou’remyfriend–thatmeanssomuchtome,youhavenoidea.AndIdon’twanttoruinthat,Ireallydon’t,andwhatI’mabout tosay…well, it’srisky.ButIcouldn’t livewithmyself if Ididn’tatleasttry.”Axelianodded.“OK.”“You’reprobablygoingtosayno,”hesaid,veeringawayfromhisscript.

“Andthat’sfine.Sayingnoisabsolutelyfine.It’sexpected,actually.I’dbe,tobehonest,I’dbestunnedifyousaid,youknow…yes.SoIrealisethatthat’snotgoingtohappen.Soplease,pleasedon’tfeelbad.ThelastthingIwantistomakeyoufeelbad.”“Thankyou,Omen.”Helaughed,evenasthepitinhisstomachopenedwider.“Noproblem,”he

said.“But,again,Ihaveto,youknow,atleasttry.”“Ofcourse.”“So…um…ThethingIwaswonderingwasmaybe,and,notexpectinga

yes to thisatall, in theslightest,but the thingIwaswonderingwasmaybe

youwould,um,liketo,youknow…”“Yes.”His heart burst into fireworks in his chest. “Yes?” he repeated, laughing.

“Really?”Axeliareachedout,touchedhisarm,alookofgraveconcernonherface.

“What?No,Iwasjust…Isaid‘yes?’”Hislaughterdiedinstantly.“Right.”“Ididn’t say ‘yes’,” shesaid,“I said ‘yes?’,youknow?Although itmay

havecomeoutas‘yes’,withoutthequestionmarkafterit.I’msorry,Omen,Englishisnotmyfirstlanguage.”“You’rereallygoodatit.”“Thankyou.”“Youknowsomanywords.”“Iinterruptedyou,”shesaid.“I’msorry.Pleasesaywhatyouneedtosay.”Omenchewedhislipandnodded.“Uh-huh,”hesaid.“Right.Uh…Ithink

webothknowhowit’sgoingtogo,though,don’twe?Ithinkwe…Ithinkwedo.”“Probably,”Axeliasaid.“Wecouldstop,ifyoulike?”Omennodded,doinghisbesttoconsideriteventhoughhisbrainappeared

tobebroken.Thenheshookhishead.“Actually,IfeelIhavetotry.IfIdon’tatleastsaythewords,then…thenit’llbehangingoverme.AreyouOKwiththat?”“Ofcourse.Goahead.”Heforcedalaugh.“Hey,Axelia,willyougooutwithme?”“No,”shesaidsadly.Hisworldcrasheddownandhesaid,“Yeah.”“Idolikeyou,”shesaid,“andIdon’twanttosay‘asafriend’,but…”“Asafriend,”Omensaid,andnoddedagain.“That’sfine.Iexpectedit,I

reallydid.Ihopethisdoesn’tmakethingsweirdbetweenus.Doesit?”“Ofcoursenot.”“Becauseitmeansalottomethatwe’refriends.”“Iknow.Itmeansalottome,too.”“Well,um…IsupposeI’llseeyouaround.”“Isupposeso.”Axeliasmiled,gavehisarmasqueeze,andwalkedaway.

Omenwentroundthecorner,satonabenchandwassad.

OceanofPDF.com

5

Theycame through, three abreast, the adults ladendownwithbulgingbagsand the children clutching raggedydolls andcarvedwoodenanimals.Theirfootsteps were heavy, their shoulders stooped, their spines curved withexhaustion.Theyweren’t too tired to lookscared,however.Theireyes flickeredover

everything, trying tospot thedifferencesbetweenthisrealityandtheirs,butavoided the gaze of Valkyrie or anyone who stood watching. This was abatteredpeople.Alltheywantedwastostopwalking,tolaydowntheirpacks,togetsomesenseofajourneycompleted,butthatwasn’tabouttohappenjustyet.Astheycamethroughtheportal,thedoorwayslicedfromtheiruniversetothisone,theyweredirectedtofollowatrailofflagstothemakeshifttownof tents that had sprung up along the outside of Roarhaven’s west wall.Shrinking away from the grey-suited Cleavers on either side, the mortalstrudgedonwardsinabroad,unbrokenline.“Thirteenthousandinthirty-sixhours,”Skulduggerysaid.“What arewe going to dowith them?”Valkyrie asked. “Chinawouldn’t

send them back to their own reality, would she? We send them back andMevolent’sarmywilleitherexecutethemorusethemasslaves.Maybetheycouldstay inRoarhaven.Thereareplentyofuninhabiteddistricts.Loadsofemptyhouses.”“Roarhavenisacityforsorcerers,”Skulduggerysaid.“Idon’tknowhow

welcomingitscitizenswouldbetomortalfamiliesmovinginbesidethem.”“What’s wrong with them moving in?We’re supposed to live in peace,

aren’twe?That’swhySanctuariesexist.”“Roarhaven has a Sanctuary,” Skulduggery pointed out. “It isn’t itself a

Sanctuary.”“Idon’tthinkwehaveachoice,”shesaid.“It’snotlikewecansendthem

toliveinDublinorLondonoranything.They’remortals,butthey’renotlikeourmortals.They’velivedtheirentirelivesinarealityruledbysorcerers.”Skulduggerynodded.“Itwoulddefinitelyrequireaperiodofadjustment.”

“I thinkChina’sgoing todo the right thing.Sheknowsshehas tosetanexampleastheSupremeMage,soIreckonshe’llhandoverallthoseemptyhousestothesenicepeoplefromDimensionX.”“That’snotwhatit’scalled.”“Wecan’tcallittheLeibnizUniverse.It’sboring,andnobodyknowswho

Leibnizis.”“HewasaGermanphilosopherandphysicistbackin thelateseventeenth

—”“Exactly,”saidValkyrie.“Noone’severheardofhim.AndIthinkIshould

betheonetonameitbecauseI’mtheonewhodiscoveredit.”“Youdidn’tdiscoverit.”“Well,OK,maybenotdiscoveredit,butIfoundit.”“Itwasn’tlost,Valkyrie.Ithadbillionsofpeoplelivinginit.”“AndIfoundthem,too.”Heshookhishead.“SilasNadirshuntedyouoverthere.Byyourrationale,

heshouldbetheonenamingit.”“He’saserialkiller.He’dpickastupidname.”TemperFraywalkedthroughtheportal,sawSkulduggeryandValkyrieand

immediatelystartedover.OneoftheCleaversmovedtoblockhisway,butheflashedhisCityGuardbadgeandtheCleaverbackeddown.“Whatdidyoufindout?”Skulduggeryasked.Temperfrowned.“Nohug?”“Oh,I’msorry,”saidSkulduggery.“Valkyrie,hughim.”“I’mhugginghimwithmymind.”“You two are weird,” Temper said. “It’s telling that I get back from a

twelve-hour trip to an alternate dimension and you two are the strangestthingsI’veseenallmorning.Howwasyourlittlejaunttothemountains,bythe way?Meet anyone interesting? And by interesting I mean anyone tall,greenandugly?”“Notquitesotallorsogreenanymore,”Valkyriesaid,“butNyeisstillas

ugly as I remember. We chatted, yes. We have a lead, a man namedQuidnunc.”“Neverheardofhim.”“Neitherhavewe,”Skulduggerysaid.“We’rehopingoncewegettohim,

he’ll lead us to Abyssinia and then we’ll be able to stop her from doingwhateveritisshe’splanningondoing.”“Youstillhaven’tfoundoutwhatthatis,huh?”“Notevenclose,”Skulduggerysaid,“butI’veknownheralongtime,and,

whateverhermasterplanis,itwillnotbegoodnewsfortherestofus.”Temperfrowned,andlookedatValkyrie.“Ishedownplayingit?”

“Ithinkhe’sdownplayingit.”Tempernodded.“There’sdefinitelysomedownplayinggoingon.Comeon,

Skulduggery–youhadathingwithher.There’snoneedtobeembarrassed.”“I’mnotembarrassed.”“She’saverygood-lookinglady–youknow,onceshegrewherbodyback

andall. I’vealwaysfoundthatex-girlfriendswithbodiesarebetter thanex-girlfriendswhoarejustinternalorganslockedawayinaboxsomewhere.ButI’mold-fashionedlikethat.”Skulduggerysighed.“Canwestoptalkingaboutthis?”“Wecan,”Tempersaid,“onceyouacceptthatthereisnoshameindatinga

murderouspsychicwhosucksthelifeoutofpeople.Noshameatall.”“Thankyou,Temper.”“There’sabitofshameinlosinghertosomeonelikeLordVile,though.I

mean,thatdudewasevil.”“Areyoufinished?”Tempergrinned.“Notevenclose.Butforrightnow?Yeah,I’mfinished.”“Thankyou,”saidSkulduggery.“Wejustgotbackinto thecountryafew

hours ago and we were going to follow up on this Quidnunc person, butdecidedtotakealittledetourhereinstead.CorrectmeifI’mwrong,Temper,butthisportalwasn’therewhenweleft,wasit?”“Itwas not,”Temper said, and clapped his hands. “OK then, first things

first: that is one messed-up reality they have back there. Seriously. Whyanyonewouldventureintoit,Ihavenoidea.”“Youventured,”Valkyriesaid.“I’maCityGuardnow–Ihavemyorders.”“Iheardyouvolunteered.”“It’saportal toanotherdimension,”Tempersaid.“What,amInotgonna

gothrough?Anyway,therearethousandsofpeopleliningupontheothersideofthatthing.Morecomingeveryhour.Withanyoneelse,I’dbeexpectingastampede,butthesefolksarejustsobeatendownIdoubttheycouldmustertheenergytopanic.”“DidyouseeanyofMevolent’smen?”Skulduggeryasked.Tempershookhishead.“Notaone.”“Weweretoldthere’sadevicethat’ssustainingtheportal.Isthattrue?”Temper scratchedhis jaw. “Never seen anything like it. It’s ametal box,

roughly the sizeof a car battery,with all these sigils carved into it. I don’tknowifthedevicediditall,orifaShunteropenedtheriftandthisdeviceisjustkeeping itopen. Idon’tknowhow itworks,andnooneknowshow toshut it down, but then I guess the sorcerers in the Leibniz Universe havegadgetswedon’tunderstandyet.”

“We’recallingitDimensionXnow,”Valkyrietoldhim.“No, we’re not,” Skulduggery said quickly. “Have you spoken to the

people?HavetheysaidanythingabouttheResistance?”“They won’t talk to me,” Temper answered. “You’ve got to understand,

these folks are almost as afraidof theResistance as theyareofMevolent’sarmy. To them, all sorcerers are super-powered psychopaths who topplebuildingsontoinnocentmortals.”“Then hopefully we can show them a new, warmer kind of sorcerer,”

Skulduggerysaid,asachilddroppedherdoll.Hesteppedforward,usingtheairtoliftthedollintohishand,andpresentedittothelittlegirl.Shelookedupathimandscreamed,andherparentspulledheraway.“Sometimes I forget that being a skeleton is unusual,” Skulduggery

murmured.He tossed thedoll to thegirl’s father and returned toValkyrie’sside. “Do you have any ideawhat the best course of actionmight be?” heaskedTemper.“Forme,thebestcourseofactionisashowerandbed,”Temperanswered.

“Forthesituation,I’dsendasquadronofCleaversthroughtomakesurethemortalsareprotectedwhiletheywait.Iheardstoriesofbanditsclosingin.”“Asfarasweknow,China’snotsendinganyCleavers,”saidValkyrie.Tempersighed.“Thenmaybeyoucould talk toher?She’sgotasoftspot

foryou,Val,everyoneknowsthat.”“Ifwecouldactuallygetintospeaktoher,maybe,”Valkyriereplied.“But

we’vebeentryingtoarrangeameetingwithChinaforweeks,todiscussourprogress–orlackofprogress–inthisAbyssiniasituation,andallwehearishowbusysheis.”Temper chewed his bottom lip for a moment. “Those refugees are easy

targets. They need someone to keep them safe.” He sighed. “I guess theshowercanwait.”Valkyrieraisedaneyebrow.“You’regoingbackthrough?”“Lookslikeit.”“Can’tyousendsomeofyourCityGuardfriendsthroughinstead?”Temper smiled. “I’ve been aRoarhaven cop for fivemonths, and in that

time I have discovered that the City Guards are not friendly people.CommanderHochaschangedthingssinceyouwereincharge,Skulduggery.We report only to him, and he reports only to the Supreme Mage. Mycolleaguesdon’ttrustme–probablybecausetheyseemetalkingtothetwoofyousoregularly.”“Theythinkyou’reourspy,”Skulduggerysaid.“Yes,theydo.”“Goodthingyou’reourspy,then.”

“Itcertainlykeepsthingssimple.”Temperlookedbacktowardstheportal.“Eitherofyouwanttojoinme?”Valkyrieheldupherhands.“Ihavethingstodotoday,andbadmemories

ofthatplace.Thanks,butIthinkI’llstayinthisdimension.”“Youmentionedbandits…”Skulduggerysaid.Tempernodded.“Bandsofthem.”“Bandsofbandits.Thatdoesn’tsoundgood.”“Itreallydoesn’t.”SkulduggerylookedatValkyrie.“GoodGod,”shesaid,“youdon’thavetoaskmeforpermissiontogoplay

withyourfriends.”“It’s just therearebandits,”Skulduggery said. “I likebandits.There’sno

guiltinvolvedwhenyouhitthem.”“Whenhaveyoueverfeltguiltyabouthittinganyone?Go.Battlebandits.

Havefun.I’llmakeafewcalls,seeifanyonecanhelpustrackdowntheguywhomakesQuidnunc’sserum.”Sheheldoutherhand.“Keys.”Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Sorry?”“Carkeys.Youdroveushere,remember?”“But…can’tyougetataxi?”“Backhome?That’dcostafortune.”“HaveFletchertakeyou.”“It’saschoolday,andFletcher’sbusybeingateacher.Comeon.Keys.”Hehesitated,thenhandedthemover.“TheBentleyisaspecialcar.”“I’mnotgoingtocrashit.I’mgoingtomakeacopyofthekey,bytheway.

Justsoyouknow.”“Driveveryslowly.Especiallyroundcorners.Andalongstraightroads.”“Canyoupleasetrustme?”“Itrustyouwithmylife,”Skulduggerysaid.“Justnotnecessarilymycar.”

OceanofPDF.com

6

Decorum.That’swhatitwasallabout.CadaverousGant insistedondoing things theway theyweresupposed to

bedone.Itmayhavebeenanold-fashionedphilosophytoliveby,butitwasclear-cut,andheappreciatedthatkindofsimplicityinthisworld—aworldheincreasinglydisapprovedof.Whenhe’dbeenayoungman,hehadn’tapprovedofprogressives.When

he’dbeenaprofessor, hehadn’t approvedof the lackadaisical approachhisstudents took to their studies. When he’d been a serial killer, he hadn’tapprovedofpeopleinterruptingthemurdersofsaidstudents.Itwaswhyhebuilthishouse,afterall.AwonderfulhouseinStLouis,builttohisowndesignbyasuccessionof

contractorswhodidn’tknowwhattheothershadworkedon.Piecebypiece,thehousehadcometogether,alabyrinthofcorridorsandtrapsanddoorsthatopenedontobrickwalls.Theperfectlairforaserialkiller.Hisfatherhadtaughthimallabouttheproperwaytodothings.Here’show

tochopdownatree.Here’showtocatchandskinyourdinner.Here’showtotake a beating.And,when his fatherwas gone, itwas institutions that hadtaken over, reinforcing this work ethic, carving him into the man he hadbecome–amanwhounderstooddecorumandtheproperwaytodothings.WhichbroughthimtoAbyssinia,thePrincessoftheDarklands.Over thepast fewmonths, ever since shehadbeen reborn, shehadbeen

wearingavarietyofflowingrobesandelegantdresses,garmentsthatworkedwell with her delicate features and her long silver hair. Cadaverous hadwatched, approvingly, as she experimented with styles and fashions,searching for herself in mirrors and in the admiring eyes of her devotedfollowers.But the dresses and robes, it seemed, had only reminded her of the

centuriesshehadspentasnothingmorethanadried-outheartinalittlebox,soshehadabandoned themandgoneforsomethingnew—aredbodysuit,tighterthannecessaryandmorethanalittlegarish.

Cadaverous didn’t knowwhere the Darklands were, but he doubted thiswas appropriate attire for their princess. And that was another thing thatannoyedhim,thislackofastraightanswer.She’dbeencallingherselfthatforyears,backwhenshe’dbeenavoice inhisheadashe layonthatoperatingtable,guidinghimbackfromdeath,givinghimapurpose.Afocus.Hismortallifehadendedwiththatheartattack,andithadcomecrumblingdownaroundhimwiththatillegalsearchwarrant,buthehadseizedthefocushervoicehadgivenhimrightwhenhe’dneededitmost.Hisoldlifewasnothing.Hiscareerinacademiahadbeenawaste.Those

young people he’d killed mere practice. The sharpening of a blade. Theloadingofagun.Preparationforwhatwastocome.The magic that had exploded within him had altered his perceptions in

waysnomortal couldpossiblycomprehend.Suddenlyhis lifewas somuchbigger.Henolongerneededhisoldhouseoftrapsanddeadends—nowhecould transform the interior of whatever building he owned into whateverenvironmenthecouldimagine.Hisnewlyfoundmagicallowedhimtodistortrealityitself.Ifonlyhe’dexperienceditasayoungerman.Ifonlyhe’dgrownupwith

magic,cultivatedit,thepossibilitiescouldhavebeeninfinite.Whowouldhehavebeen?hewondered.Whatwouldhehavebecome?Hewouldhavestayedyoung.Thatheknewforcertain.Themagicwould

have rejuvenatedhim. Insteadof looking likea seventy-eight-year-oldman,hewouldhavelookedtwenty-two.Hewouldhavestayedstrongandhealthy.Hisbackwouldn’thave twisted;his shoulderswouldn’thavestooped.He’dstillbetallandhandsomeandhisbodywouldn’tacheandfailhim.Theothersaroundhimwerefarolder,butlookedathirdofhisage.Razzia,

the tuxedo-wearing Australian, as beautiful as she was insane. Nero, thearrogantwhelpwiththebleachedhair.Destrier,thelittleman,fidgetinginhisill-fittingsuit.Theywerealldamaged,intheirway,butthefacestheyshowedtotheworldhidtheworstofitbehindunlinedskin.Forallhisirritations,hedidappreciateAbyssiniaforopeninghiseyestoa

worldbeyondhisoldone.Thequestion thatweighedheaviestonhismind,though,waswhyshehadtakensolong.She stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of Coldheart Prison’s control

room,lookingdownatthetiersofopencellsastheconvicts–theoneswhohadelectedtostay–huddledinsmallgroups.Discontenthadbeenspreadingthroughthisfloatingislandlikeaslow-movingyetincurablevirus.Itwasnotaneasythingtokeephundredsofpeoplefedonadailybasis,andithadfallentoCadaveroustosomehowdealwiththeproblem.“Doyouthinkmylittlearmyisplottingagainstme?”Abyssiniaasked.

“Probably,”Razziaanswered.“Theywouldn’tdare,”saidNero.“That’s what I would do,” said Abyssinia. “I would lead a charge and

overthrowthepeoplestandingrightwherewe’restanding.ThenI’dtakethisflyingprisonanduseitlikeapirateship,plunderingwholecitiesaroundtheworld.”Shesoundedalmostwistful.“Wefreedthem,”saidNero.“Theyoweus.Andtheycouldhaveleftwith

the others, but they chose to stay. That shows loyalty.” He looked around.“Right?”Destrier was too busy muttering to himself to reply, and Razzia just

shrugged.“Cadaverous,”saidAbyssinia,“you’vebeenunusuallyquietoflate.What

doyouthink?”Hechosehiswordscarefully.“Ithinktheyareunhappy.”“Becausewehavefailedtofeedthem?”Shedidn’tmeanwe,ofcourse.ShemeantCadaverous.“Thatisundoubtedlypartofit,yes.”Sheturnedtohim.“Andwhatistheotherpart?”He could have said anything. He could have demurred. He could have

madeiteasyonhimselfinahundreddifferentways.Instead,hesaid,“Whenwefreedthem,wemadepromises.Wepromisedthempurpose.Wepromisedthem revenge.Wepromised thempower.Wehave yet to deliver on any ofthesethings.”Hedidn’tmeanwe,ofcourse.HemeantAbyssinia.“YouthinkIhavebeendistractedbythesearchformyson,”shesaid.Beforehecouldrespond,thedooropenedandSkeiriandAvatarstrodein.

Skeiriwasaslipofagirl,dark-skinnedandserious,whileAvatarwasmuscle-bound,handsomeandeager toserve.Theyhademerged fromtheircellsallthose months ago, and Cadaverous could see a time in the not-too-distantfuturewhenAvatar, inparticular,was theone issuing theorders,much likeLetheandSmokehaddone,andCadaverouswouldhavetoobey.Again.They held someone between them, amanwith blood dripping on to his

shirt,hiswristsshackled,hismagicmuted.AvatarandSkeiristeppedbackasAbyssiniaapproached.Theprisonernarrowedhiseyes.Theywereremarkablypiercingeyes.“I’ll

never—”“Shush,”saidAbyssinia.“Listentome.Iwantyoutoresist.I’mgoingto

enteryourmindandfindoutwhereyou’rekeepingCaisson.AndIwantyoutotrytostopme.You’reoneofSerafina’stoppeople–you’llknowhowto

keepapsychicoutofyourhead.Useallyourtraining.Useallthetricks.Givemeachallenge.”Theprisoner’s jawclenched.Itwasaremarkablysquarejaw.“Youwon’t

getanythingfrom—”“That’s the spirit,” Abyssinia said, and the prisoner’s face contorted. He

clutchedhisheadandletoutawhine,hiskneesbuckling.Hedroppedtotheground,facestillstricken,andthen,assoonasitbegan,itwasover,andhesagged.“Mysonisinaprivateambulance,”Abyssiniasaid.“They’rekeepinghim

sedated and moving. Right now they are somewhere in Spain. He’saccompanied by five of Serafina’s sorcerers.” She looked down at theprisoner.“Youdisappointme.Thatwasfartooeasy.”He shook his head, the colour returning to his face. He murmured

somethingandAbyssiniahunkereddown.“Pardon?”shesaid.“Whatwasthat?”Hemethereyes.“Iwasn’tready.”“Oh!”shesaid.“Idoapologise.Areyoureadynow?”Hecriedout,facetwisting,handsclutchingathishead.“You’re three hundred and fourteen years old,” Abyssinia said. “You

watchedyour childhood frienddie in a freak accident.The smell of tequilamakesyouphysicallysick.You’vehadasongyouhaterunningthroughyourheadforthelastthreedays,asongcalled‘UptownGirl’.”The prisoner gasped and fell forward, andAbyssinia placed her hand on

him.“Wereyoureadyformethen?”Shedrewthelifeoutofhisbody,hisskincracking,hisbonescreaking,and

hisstrengthfloodedherandshestood,kickingtheemptyhuskofhimtooneside.Shetookamoment,shiveredwithhereyesclosed,andcalmedherself.ShelookedatAvatar.“Findthisambulance.DonotactuntilIsayso.”“Yes,Abyssinia,”Avatarsaid,bowing.Shewalkedbacktothewindow.“Cadaverous.”Shehadataskforhim.Hewassurprised.Hestraightened.“Yes?”Shewavedahand.“Thebody.”Hefrowned.“Yes?”“Getridofit.”

OceanofPDF.com

7

“Chickenorfish?”themaninthehairnetasked,tongshovering.Omenpursedhis lips, lookingcloser at theoptions available.Thedining

hallwas filling up. Therewas a queue of studentswaiting behind him.Heknew theyweregettingannoyed,buthecouldn’thelp it.Lunchwasoneofthemostimportantmealsoftheday–hehadtogetitright.“Whatkindoffishisit?”Omenasked.“Thedeadkind,”saidthemaninthehairnet.“Isitfresh?”“Doesitlookfresh?”“Idon’tknow,”saidOmen.“You’vecovereditinbreadcrumbs.”Themaninthehairnetshookhishead.“Wedidn’tdothat.Itswimsaround

intheoceanlikethis,coveredinbreadcrumbsandmissingitshead.Wejustcatch’emandcook’em.”“I,uh,Idon’tthinkthat’sright.”“Iwouldn’tlietoyou,boy.I’maFoodServiceAssistant.Wetakeanoath.”“Hurryup,”saidsomeoneinthequeue.“Yeah,”saidthemaninthehairnet,“hurryup.Makeadecision,shortstuff.

Fish,chicken,vegetarianorvegan.”“What’stheveganoption?”“SpiralisedAsianquinoasalad.”“Andwhat’sthevegetarianoption?”“Vegetables.”Omen’sstomachrumbled.“Idon’treallylikevegetables.”“Thenit’sagoodthingyou’renotavegetarian.”“I’ll…um…OK,I’llhavethechicken.”“Thechicken?Afterallthosequestionsaboutthefish?”“Well,yousee,Idon’treallylikefish.”“Thenwhydidyouaskaboutit?”“IthoughtImighttryit.ThenIchangedmymind.”“You’re the reason I hate my job,” said the man in the hairnet, and he

dumpedOmen’slunchontoatrayandhandeditover.“Next!”

Omen sat at one of the long tables.Across the hall,Axeliawas chattingwith her friends. They laughed. He wondered if they were laughing abouthim.Neverjoinedhimatthetable,sittingopposite.Shehadherhairdown,and

shewaswearingahintofmake-upthatreallybroughtouthereyes.“Lunchguydoesnotlikeyou,”shesaid,diggingintohersalad.“Youwereinthequeue?”Omenasked.“I’mtheonewhotoldyoutohurryup.”“Oh,cheersforthat.”“Imade a promise tomyself to interactwith you in public at least three

timesaday.Ifigureit’llmakeyoumorepopularwithpeople.”“SoIcanexpectathirdinteractionthisevening?”Nevertookaswigfromherbottleofwater.“This isourthirdinteraction.

Metellingyoutohurryupwasoursecond.ThefirstonewaswhenI threwthatballofpaperatyourheadthismorning.”“Thatwasyou?”“Youshouldhaveopeneditup.Ithadapictureinside,acaricatureofMr

Chicanethatwasquitesatiricallybrilliant,ifIdosayso.”“Whatdoyouthinkofhimanyway?”Omenasked.“Chicane? His eyes are a bit too close together, a feature I captured

splendidlyinmyartwork,buthe’sOK.”“Youdon’tthinkhe’sabit…off?”“Inwhatway?”“Like…heonlyteachesforafewweekseveryyear.”“Becausehehasaspeciality,”Neversaid.“Heonlygivesa fewmodules

everycoupleofterms.”“Ithinkhe’suptosomething.”Neverputdownherfork.“Omen,asyouronlyfriend,Ihavenochoicebut

tobetheonetotellyou–stop.”“Stopwhat?”“Stopthis,”saidNever.“Stoplookingforbadguysandconspiracies.Yes,

LiltwasworkingforAbyssinia,but thatdoesn’tmeananyothermemberofthe faculty is involved.Yetyou think there’s somethingaboutChicane, justlike you thought therewas something suspicious aboutPeccant, and beforehim it was, what, the ground staff, wasn’t it? For the last seven months,you’vebeensearchingforanadventure.”Omenblushed.“No,Ihaven’t.”“Igetit.Youwerepartofsomethinghuge.Webothwere.Butit’sover.”Omen gave a little laugh. “No, it’s not. Skulduggery said he’ll call me

whenheneedsme.”

“Whywouldheneedyou?You’re fourteen,andyou’renotexactlyat thetopofyourclass,areyou?Theydon’tneedus,Omen.”“Thatcouldchangeatanymoment.”“Yes,”saidNever,“itcould.And,ifitdoes,awesome.Buttheproblemis

thatyou’rewaitingforitlikeit’sasurething.It’snot.Adventurehappenstosomepeople.SkulduggeryandValkyrie.Yourbrother.It intrudesupontheirliveswhethertheywantitornot.Buttherestofusdon’tlivelikethat.Iwishwedid.I’dlovetobeoffadventuringwithAugerorSkulduggery.MaybenotValkyrie, because she’s responsible for murdering thousands of people,includingmybrother.”“Never,youknowthatwasDarquesse.”“Ididn’tsayValkyriedidthemurdering,didI?Ijustmeantshebearssome

responsibilityforherevildarksidegoingnutsandobliteratingaquarterofthecity, that’s all. Anyway, I admit it, like you, I’m waiting for the call toadventure.But, unlikeyou, I’mnot putting everything else onholdwhile Iwait.”“I’mnotputtinganythingonhold.”“Howdidyoudoon that testyesterday?Yougot the resultsback,didn’t

you?”“Ididfine.”“Didyou?”“Yes.”“Didyoupass?”“Almost.”“Andhowmanyassignmentshaveyoustarted?”Omenfoldedhisarms.“That’satrickquestion.Wehaven’tbeengivenany

assignments.”“We’vebeengivenfour,”saidNever.“Oh.”Never sighed,and leaned forward.“Iknowyou,Omen. I lookacross the

roomandyou’resittingthere,daydreaming,andIknowexactlywhatyou’rethinkingabout.”“No,youdon’t.”“It’salwaysthesametwothings.ThefirstisAxeliaLukt.”“Well,obviously.”“Iheardaboutthat,bytheway.Toughluck.”“Yeah.”“And the second thing you’re daydreaming about isValkyrie kicking the

dooropenandsayingsheneedsyourhelptosavetheworld.AmIclose?”Omensaidnothing.

“See?Knew it. That’s not going to happen, but youwant to believe, somuch,thatthey’regoingtoswoopinandtakeyouawayfromallthenormalstuffthatyou’renotactuallydoinganyofthenormalstuff.”Omen picked up his knife and fork again, and started cutting into his

chicken.“Canwestoptalkingaboutthis?Iknowyoumeanwell,butyou’restartingtoannoyme.”“Idon’twanttoannoyyou,Omen,”Neversaidgently.“Idon’twanttobe

theseriousoneinanyfriendshipIhave,Ireallydon’t.Ihatebeingtheseriousone. I’m the funny one. I’m the quirky, gender-fluid friendwith a heart ofgoldandabsofsteel.”“Youdon’thaveabs.”“That’sonlybecauseIdon’tliketosweat.Mypointis,Idon’twanttobe

theonetogiveyoubadnews.Butnooneelsecaresenough.”Theyateinsilence.Oncethey’dfinished,Neverreappliedalittlelipgloss.“HowdoIlook?”Omensighed.“Low-keyglamorous.”Thisgotasmile.“That’swhatI’mgoingfor.Areyoumadatme?”“No,” saidOmen. “You can, you know, tellmewhatever you think you

needtotellme,justlikeIcanchoosetolistentoyou,orchoosetoignoreyou.Becausewe’refriends.”“Wearefriends,”Neversaid,smiling.“Butyoucan’t ignoreme.Nobody

ignoresme.I’mwaytoocool.”“Yeah,youare.”“Sowhat do you think about all this LeibnizUniverse stuff, eh? Isn’t it

crazy?”“Itiscrazy.”“Omen,doyouknowwhattheLeibnizUniverseis?”“Notreally.”“It’sMevolent’suniverse.”“Well, why don’t they call it that? I’d remember it if it was called that.

Who’sthisLeibnizpersonanyway?”“Nobodyknows.”“Doyouthinkhe’llcomethrough?Mevolent,Imean?”Neverbrushedastrandofhairawayfromhereyes.“Naw,Idon’tthinkso.

Hecanstomparoundhisowndimensionasmuchashewantsbecausethere’sno one there to oppose him.But here,we have awholeworld that’d fightback.”“Yeah,”saidOmen.“Maybe.Butyouknowthewayall thewildlife–all

thedeerandrabbitsandsquirrelsandstuff–runoutoftheforestwhenthere’s

awildfire?What if it’s like that?What if themortals are just trying to getawayfromwhat’sfollowingalongbehind?”“You’reworryingovernothing,”saidNever.“Wedon’tknowwhatthings

arelikeovertherenow.AllwehavearethereportsSkulduggeryPleasantandValkyrieCainmadeaftertheygotback,andthatwas,what,eightyearsago?Besides,wealreadykilledourownMevolent.Iftheotheroneshowsup,we’lljustdothesametohim.”“How,exactly?NooneknowswhoorwhatkilledourMevolent.”“Skulduggery killed him,”Never said, shrugging. “Everyone knows that.

Justbecauseit’snotinourtextbooks…”“IfSkulduggerykilledhim,he’dtalkaboutit,”saidOmen.“Hetalksabout

everythingelse.”Neversighed.“Becauseyouknowhimsowell?”“Idon’tclaimtoknowhimwell.I’mjustsayingthathewasn’ttheoneto

killMevolent.”“It doesn’tmake any difference. Ifwe get invaded,we’ll still send them

packing.Theyhavemagic,butwehavemagicandtechnology.”“Sodothey.”“Butwehavenukes.”“Seriously?You’dnukethem?”“Ofcourse.Wouldn’tyou?”“Idon’tknow.It’sabit…drastic,isn’tit?”“War is a drastic thing,” said Never. “Ooh, that should be on a bumper

sticker.”“IthinkI’dkeepthenuclearbombsasalastresort,”saidOmen.“Wehave

theSceptreoftheAncients,don’twe?SkulduggeryandValkyriestoleitfromMevolent’sdimension,too,sousingittopushbackhisarmywouldbe…uh…”“Thewordyou’relookingforisironic.”“Isit?OK.It’dbeironic.”“That’s a good plan,Omen. Ignoring the fact that no one’s been able to

evenfindtheSceptresinceDevastationDay,that’sawonderfulplan.”“Well, like,we have otherGod-Killerweapons.One little nick from the

swordandevenMevolentdropsdead.”“Thesword’sbroken.”“Thenthespear,”Omensaidirritably,“ortheboworthedagger,whatever,

it’sthe…What?”“Nothing. I’m just quite impressed that you could name all four God-

Killers.”“Really?Three-year-oldscannametheGod-Killers.”

“Yeah,butthey’rethree,Omen.”Omennodded.“Becauseinfantsaresmarter thanme.Yep,Iget it.That’s

funny.”Nevergrinned.“Feelingoverlysensitive today,arewe?Iwouldn’tblame

you.Tellyouwhat,Iwon’tteaseyouagainuntilyoureally,trulydeserveit,Ipromise.Comeon,tellmemoreabouthowyou’dbeatMevolent.”“No.”Neverlaughed.“Oh,please?Iwasreallyenjoyingthatconversation.”“Tough.”“Soyou’dusetheGod-Killersonhim,and…?”Omenshrugged,lookedaway,happenedtoglanceatthedoorjustasMiss

Wickedwalked in.Tall,blondeand terrifying,hewatchedher lookaround,andimmediatelyglancedawaywhenhereyesfelluponhim.“Oh,God,”hesaid.“What’swrong?”Neverasked.“MissWickedcaughtmelookingather.”“She’scomingover.”“Isshe?”“Comingstraightforyou.”“Areyoujoking?Pleasetellmeyou’rejoking.”“Omen,”MissWickedsaid,andOmenyelpedandswivelledinhisseat.“Hello,miss,”hesaid.“Imean,hi.Imean…yes?”Shelookeddownathim.“Omen,youhavebeensummoned.”Heblinked.“Ihave?”“Tomorrowmorning,”shesaid,“teno’clock,intheheadmaster’soffice.”Hepaled.“But…tomorrowisSaturday.”“Itis.”“Butthere’snoschoolonaSaturday.”“Theschoolisstillopenatweekends,Omen.”“Buttherearen’tanyclasses…”“Correct.WhichmeansIshouldn’tbecomingin.AndyetIam.”“Is…isthisbecauseofthetest?”“WhywouldIbecominginifthiswasbecauseofatest?No,Omen,thisis

notabouta test.GrandMageIspolin,of theBulgarianSanctuary, isvisitingCorrivalAcademyandhehas requested thatbothofusbepresentwhenhearrives.”“Jenan’sdad?Whywouldhewantmetobethere?”“Jenanhasyettoreturnhome.I’msuretheGrandMagewantstodiscuss

theeventsthatledtohissonrunningaway.”“Am…amIintrouble?”

“Ireallydon’tknow,Omen.”“Areyouintrouble?”“GrandMageIspolinisprobablygoingtotrytohavemefired.”“Butwhy?Youdidn’tdoanythingwrong!”“Yourvoteofconfidencewillgoalongway,I’msure.Teno’clock,Omen.

Don’tbelate.Ihavenotruckwithtardiness.”Shewalkedaway.This,Omenthought,wasnotatallthecalltoadventurehehadbeenhoping

for.

OceanofPDF.com

8

Valkyriedidn’tget theheadachesanymore.Thatwasonegoodthingaboutworking on her Sensitive side, as Skulduggery liked to call it – the moreValkyrie practised, the easier it got.And shehad been practising – but notevenSkulduggeryknewjusthowmuch.She’dbeeneighteenwhenhertruenamehadwalkedawayfromher,when

Darquesse had become a separate entity, a person all of her own. WhenDarquesse left, she’d taken Valkyrie’s power, leaving her dulled and weakand,onceagain,mortal.Natureabhorsavacuum,however,andanewkindofmagichadrushedin

to fill thevoid.Valkyriehad just turned twenty-five, and they still couldn’texplain how she could control that strange energy, or how she could seepeople’s auras, or how she could do all those things and be a Sensitive aswell.Theydidn’tevenknowwhattocallher.Shewasaone-off,she’dbeentold.Anoddity.Inaworldofweirdos,she

wasafreak.Shetriednottotakeitpersonally.Thetruthwas,herpowerscaredher.Shefeltitinherblood,twistinginher

veins, eager to become whatever she needed it to be. But, for all itsdestructivepotential,italsoallowedherglimpsesintothefuture,afutureofdarknessandpainthathadlodgeditselfinherthoughts.Sometimesitwasallshecouldthinkabout.Sometimesitwasalltherewastothinkabout.Deathwascomingforthepeoplesheloved,unlessshecouldlearnenough

aboutthefuturetoavoidit.Andsohereshewasagain.She pulled up and got out of the Bentley. Standing beside the door to

Cassandra’scottagewasapieceofDarquessethatDarquessehadleftbehindwhenshe’ddepartedthisuniverse.Tallandstronganddark-haired,physicallyidenticaltoValkyrieineveryway,shehadtakentocallingherselfKes.“Hey,”saidValkyrie.“SorryI’mlate.IwasintheAlpsyesterday,doinga

thing, and thenwegotback thismorning to findout that there’s thisportal

thatopenedupatRoarhavenand…anyway.Sorry.Haveyoubeenwaitinglong?”“Onlyafewhours,”Kessaid.“Well,aday.”“Seriously?Iamsosorry.”“It’sOK.”“Howdidyoupassthetime?”“Oh,thatwaseasy,”Kessaid.“Iwasstandingoverthereforafewhours,

thenIstoodoverhere.Thetimeflewby.”“Wereallyneedtogetyouaphone.”“IfyoucanfindoneIcanhold, I’mall for it.Ah, it’s fine. It’snot likeI

haveanythingbetter todowithmytime.Youare literally theonlypersonIhave to talk toon thisentireplanet. Ican’t interactwithanyoneelse inanymeaningfulway.IcanonlydotinyamountsofmagicbeforeIfadeawayandrecharge.I’m…I’mbored.”Valkyrie smiled. “I thought you told me last week that gods didn’t get

bored.”“Well,asyoutookdelightinremindingme,I’mnotawholegod,amI?I’m

asplinterofagod.Afragmentofagod.”“IbelievethetermIusedwas‘crumbofagod’.”“WhateverIam,Igetbored,OK?Butyou’reherenow,so let’sget to it,

whatdoyousay?Readytoseethefuture?”Valkyriesighed.“IsupposeIam.”Shetookthekeyfrombeneaththeoldpotandledthewayintothehouse.

Thefirst timeshe’dcomehereafterCassandradied,whenSkulduggeryhadwantedtotestherburgeoningpsychicabilities,shehadtakenafewminutesto process her feelings about being back in such a warm and welcomingenvironment.Today,shejustwalkedstraightthroughandtookthestairsdownto the cellar. Thiswas her seventh time herewithout Skulduggery, and shehadsettledintoanew,simplerroutine.Shestoodinthemiddleofthecellar.Thefloorbeneathherfeetwaslittle

more than an iron lattice, treatedwithmagic to prevent it from heating upwhen the flames burned through the bed of coals beneath. Thewalls werebrick,andreverberatedwithpsychicenergy,makingValkyrie’smindvibratelikeatuningfork.Theceilingwascriss-crossedwithpipes,designedtospraywater.Months ago,Valkyrie had had to project her visions on to the clouds of

steamthatbillowedupwards.Butshedidn’tneedtodothatanymore.Sheclosedhereyes,letherthoughtsscatter,andworkedtofindthepeace

withinthatchaos.Whenshefoundit– thequietplace–shelet itgrowand

expandandfillherupuntilitpushedthenoiseawayand,foramoment,forasingleblissfulmoment,therewasnothingintheworldbutherbreathing.Sheopenedhereyes.The vision filled the cellar, dissolving its walls, and she was suddenly

outside,intherefugeecamp,surroundedbythedisplacedandthescared.Shefelt theirreliefatescapingMevolent’sarmy,butalsotherisingfearofonceagainbeingatthemercyofasocietyofsorcererstheyhadnoreasontotrust.Valkyriedriftedthroughthecamp,alertforanynewdeviation,buttherewereno extra details for her to absorb today. Satisfied, she allowed hermind tomoveon,andthecampvanishedandshewasindarkness.“Herehecomes,”Kessaid,fromsomewheretoherright.They’dtakentocallinghim“theWhistler”.Hesignalledhisarrivalwitha

tune.Mostof the time itwas ‘DreamaLittleDreamofMe’.Twice, itwas‘BlueMoon’.Today,hewaswhistlingasusual,and, foronly thesecond time,Valkyrie

couldseehisoutline.Hewasmaybeherheight,maybesixfoot,andslender,butthatwasallshecoulddiscern.Hisoutlinewassolid,buteverythingwithinthatswirledandflippedtooquicklytoidentify.“Bringhimcloser,”saidKes.“I can’t,”Valkyrie answered. She took a few steps towards him, but the

Whistlerstayedatthesamedistance.Outofalltheelementsinhervisions,allthe bloodshed and death thatwas to come, his presencewas the thing thatunnervedherthemost.Thevisionmovedon.“You actually think you’re going towin?” someone said behind her, and

sheturned,andaburningtownbuiltitselfuparoundher.Deadbodieslitteredthestreets.Caralarmswailed.AugerDarklyfelltohiskneesinfrontofher,clutchinghisshoulder.Blood

soakedhisshirt.Omenranout,pickedhimup,hisbrothergrittinghis teethagainst the pain. Together they hurried on. Theywere being chased. Therewerepeoplechasingthem.Peoplewithguns.Valkyriemovedin.Thistimeshe’dseetheirfaces.Thistimeshe’dfindout

whotheyweresoshecouldstopthembeforethishappened.They came round the corner, guns up, and passed right through her.

Dressedinblack,wearingbodyarmour.Helmets.Noinsignias.Movinglikesoldiers,orSWATteams,relentlesslytrackingtheirprey.She watched them spot the Darkly brothers. They opened fire. Bullets

punchedOmeninthebackandhefloppedontothepavementasAugerwentstumbling.Valkyriedidherbest to ignore it. Itwasa scene sheknewwell,

andittoreatherinsideseachtime.Buttodayshedidn’tcurseorcryout–shejustlistened.Waited.Waitedforoneofthemtosaysomething.Anything.“Targetdown.”The vision swept away and Valkyrie was confronted with the Plague

Doctor,whoheld a child inhis arms.Valkyrie stepped closer and the childvanishedandthePlagueDoctor’shandswenttohismaskandhepulleditoff,but beforeValkyrie could see his face hewas gone, and Saracen Ruewaslyingdeadontheground.“There’sTanith,”Kessaidsoftly,andValkyrie turnedtowatchherfriend

backawayfromanunseenenemy,herswordinherhand.ThenTanithwas gone andChinawas lying in that field of broken glass

Valkyrie had seen again and again. Just a flash of that, and then theywerestanding in theCircle, inRoarhaven. Smoke and flames billowed from theHighSanctuaryandtheDarkCathedralwas inruins,andmarching towardsthemwasanarmywithMevolentleadingtheway.Valkyrie had glimpsed this before, but the vision stayed with Mevolent

longer this time. She didn’t know what that meant. Was this future morelikelynow?Wasitcloser?Thearmywasalmostuponher,andherhearthammeredinherchest.ShelookedawayandCadaverousGantwalkedby,holdingaragdollina

blue dress. A house appeared, tall and pointed and radiating darkness, andCadaverouswentintothehouseandthedoorstayedopen,likeitwasinvitingValkyrietofollow.Valkyriestartedtowalk,butKespointed.“There,”shesaid.A figurewas slowly coming into focus on the other side of the room.A

womanwithsilverhair,standingwithherheaddown.“Leave,”Kessaid.“Notyet.”“Youhaveto.”“There’ssomethingaboutthathouse.”“Valkyrie,”Kessaid,“leavenoworshe’llseeyou.”Valkyriehesitated,butsheknewshehadnochoice.She let it go, let it all go, and thehousevanishedand thevisionwashed

awayandthecellarcameback.Keslookedather.“YouOK?”“No,”saidValkyrie,walkingforthestairs.“Ihateseeingthefuture.”

OceanofPDF.com

9

For a solemnoccasion such as an execution, themood inColdheart Prisonwassomethingapproachingafestival.Theconvicts lined the tiers, eager for the showandstruggling tocontain

themselves.Everysooftenanexcitedwhisperwoulddriftdowntothebroaddaisthathoveredabovetheenergyfield.OnthatdaistheteenagemembersofFirstWavestoodinthecostumesthatAbyssiniahadorderedtobemadeforthem – black,with shiny belts and polished boots – to give them the falsesense that theywereanelitemilitaryunit.ToCadaverous, theywerescaredlittlechildren,nomatterwhattheyhappenedtobewearing.HestoodwithRazziaandDestrierandNero.Beside them,andyetapart,

were Avatar and Skeiri. Abyssinia’s new favourites. The up-and-comers.CadaverousdespisedthemevenmorethanhedespisedFirstWave.TheonlymemberofFirstWavenotdressedinherfinerywastheannoying

girlwiththehabitofconstantlyflickingherhairoutofhereyes.Dressedincivilianclothes,shestoodontheveryedgeofthedais,amerestepawayfromalethalplungetotheforcefieldbelow.Thebraceletsheworewascheapbutsolidandneededakeytoremoveit.Italsoboundhermagic.“Please,”shesaidthroughthetearsthatwerestreamingdownherface,“I

justwanttogohome.”Abyssinia stood beside Parthenios Lilt, their heads down, seemingly

consumedbydisappointment.Theydidn’tanswerthegirl.Thatwasn’tdownto them. That was down to First Wave’s leader, the arrogant whelp JenanIspolin.Hestrodeforwardawkwardly,asifhiskneeshadlocked.Thebravadothat

heusuallycarriedwithhim–evenhereinColdheart,surroundedashewasbygenuine threats – seemed to bemissing at this moment. He was pale, andafraid,andhelookedasyoungashewas.“IsidoraSplendour,”hesaid,hisvoicetremblingslightly,“youhavebeen

foundguiltyofbetrayingyourtruefamily.”Isidorashookherhead.“Ididn’tbetrayyou,Iswear.”

Jenancontinued.“Wearedestinedforgreatness.Wehavebeenchosen tochangetheworld.Thisisthehighesthonour.”“Jenan,please.”“Andyet,youjeopardisedthissacredmissionwithyourcowardice.”Sheturned.“Idon’twanttokillanyone,”shesobbed.“Noneofusdo.Mr

Lilt,please.You’remyteacher.Pleasehelpme.”Liltshookhisheadsadly.“Abyssinia,”Isidoratried,“I’mbeggingyou,wedon’twanttodothis,but

we’re tooscaredto tellyou.Pleasedon’tmakeus.We’reonlychildren.Wedon’twanttohurtanyone.”AbyssinialookedtotherestofFirstWaveastheyhuddledtogether.“Isthis

true?” she asked gently. “Have you reconsidered? Have you had secondthoughts?Weare trainingyou,makingyou stronger,better,morepowerful.Your old classmates would barely recognise you, you have advanced somuch.Youhaveevolved.Youaremydreammadeflesh.”Hersmilefaltered.“But if this traitor’swordsare true, ifyoudo indeedseeyourselvesasonlychildren,youmusttellme.Please,Ibegyou–behonest.Openyourhearts.Ifyou doubtme, if you doubtmy plan and you have lost faith in our futuretogether, a future that ison thehorizon,now is the time tomake thisclear.Speak,myloves.”Itwasasiftheentireprisonhelditsbreathandwassilent.Isidorafelltoherknees,crying.AbyssinianoddedslowlytoJenan.“Continue,myloyalwarrior.”Theboy’schestpuffedoutridiculously,andhelookeddownathisweeping

friend. “Today, you tried to leave,” he said. “You knew the punishment forthat.”Isidora shookher head again. “I didn’t know,” she said. “Wewerenever

toldthat!Please,givemeanotherchance!Thisisn’tfair!”Theboyhesitated,thenreacheddown,tookIsidora’shands,andpulledher

gently to her feet. For amoment, Cadaverous thought hemight give her areprieve, but then he saw Abyssinia close her eyes, and knew she was inJenan’shead.JenanputhishandstoIsidora’sshouldersandpushed,andIsidorashrieked

and toppled from the dais. The othermembers of FirstWave looked away,coveredtheirmouths,gavelittlecriesofshock,andJenansteppedbackwards,alookofhorroronhisface.“Myloves,”saidAbyssinia.“Cometome.”She spread her arms and they walked to her, hesitantly at first, but

CadaverouscouldfeelthewavesofempathyAbyssiniawasgivingout,even

from where he stood.When they huddled around her, they were safe andwarmandtheybelonged.Justlikeheusedto.

CadaverousfollowedAbyssiniabacktoherquarters.Whenshesawhim,shesighed.“Doyoumindcomingbacklater?”sheasked.“Wejusthadtoexecuteone

ofthechildren.”“Iwasthere,”Cadaveroussaid.“Youhandleditwell.”Shesat.“Thankyou.”“Doyouthinkthey’llbeready?”“Ofcourse,”sheresponded.“You’re putting an awful lot of faith in a group of scared teenagers,”

Cadaverous said. “You have hundreds of followers now – most of whomwouldbealltooeagertoengageinsomemindlessslaughterforyou.”“But it’snotmindless,”Abyssiniasaid.“There isapoint to itall,evenif

youcan’tseeit.”“Youcouldhelpmeseeit.Youcouldexplainittome.”“When you’re ready, I’ll tell you. Is there another reason you’re here,

Cadaverous?”“There is.But,now that Ihaveyoualone, I almostdon’tknowwhere to

begin.”Hetookabreath.“Webelievedinyou.Webroughtyouback.”“AndIloveyouforit.”“We loveyou, too. I can say thatwith absolute certaintybecause, before

you,Ididn’tknowwhat lovewas.Iknewitasanabstract thing,somethingother people said.Somethingother people felt.But your voice inmyhead,lyingonthatoperatingtable…thatwasthevoiceoflove.AndIwashearingitforthefirsttime.”“That’ssweetofyoutosay.”“You’reherebecauseofus,andwe’reherebecauseofyou.Becauseofthe

mission.”“Themission,”Abyssiniasaid.“Yes.”Cadaverous hesitated. “Only…only I think the search for your son has

distractedyouinrecentmonths.”ThegoodhumourdriftedfromAbyssinia’sface.“Doyouindeed?”“Ihavetobehonestwithyou,Abyssinia.That’swhatlovemeans,isn’tit?

Honesty? I feel, since you returned, that your focus hasn’t been on themission.”“Isee.”“Therestofus,theoneswhobroughtyouback,we’restartingtofeel…”

“Yes?Startingtofeelwhat,Cadaverous?”“Neglected.”Aghostofasmile.“Huh.Likechildren,Isuppose?Everyone’svyingfor

the mother’s love, jealous of anyone she dotes on. Is that what you are,Cadaverous?Areyouachild?ShouldyoubeinFirstWave,too?”Hedidn’tanswer.“Whatwouldyouprefer?WouldyoulikeitifIspentmoretimewithyou,

isthatit?Wouldthatbeenoughforyou,Iwonder?Wouldthatcoddleyou?”Cadaverousbristled.“I’mnotaskingtobecoddled.”“You’renot?Becauseitseemslikeyouare.”“Youmadepromises.”She rose. “You dare make demands of me, Cadaverous Gant? After

everythingIhavegivenyou?AfterIcalledyoubackfromdeathitself?AfterIgaveyoupurpose?Nowyouwantmore?Youthinkyoudeservemore?”“IthinkIdeservethetruth!”Abyssiniawasuponhiminaninstant,pressinghimbackagainstthewall,

heropenhandhoveringinfrontofhisface.“Youinsubordinatelittlenothing,”shewhispered.“Youdeserveonlywhat

I tell you you deserve. You have grown disillusioned with me, have you?Well,Ihavegrowndisillusionedwithyou,Cadaverous.YouarenotthemanIhoped for. I have watched you shrivel in these last years, ever since yourpreciousJeremiahfell fromthatwalkway.YourhatredofValkyrieCainhasturned you from the path I had set you on.All thosemurderous urges yougaveintowhenyouweremortal?Iallowedyoutomakepeacewiththem,tochannelyourrage.Icalmedthedemonsinyourheadsothattheynolongercontrolyou—andhowdoyourepayme?”Shesteppedaway.“Bydoubtingme.Byquestioningme.Bybetrayingme.”“Ihavenotbetrayedyou!”hesnapped.“You betrayme every day!” she shot back. “With every disappointment,

youbetrayme!Youweremyloyalsoldier!Myfavourite!”Cadaverous snarled. “I was never your favourite. Smoke was your

favourite,andthenLethe,whenhecamealong.I’malwaysthere,butalwayspushed to the back by the bright and the new. I should be your second. Ishouldbeyourlieutenant.Instead,IarrangethefoodfortheconvictsandthecriminalswhilepeoplelikeAvatarandSkeiriwaltzinandcatchyoureye.”Abyssiniashookherhead.“Jealousydoesnotbecomeyou,Cadaverous.”“You’vekeptusinthedarklongenough,Abyssinia.We’restartingtofeel

as ifwe’renotonthismissionyoutoldusabout.We’restartingtofeel thatyou’veliedtous.”“Getout,”shesaidquietly.

OceanofPDF.com

10

Tea and biscuits were already laid out when Sebastian Tao crept into thehousethroughthebackdoor.It was all back doors these days – back doors and skylights and narrow

windowsandalotofsneakingaround.Dressedashewas–allinblack,withthecurvedbeakmaskandthewide-brimmedleatherhatandtheflowingcoat–itwasdifficulttowalkdownthestreet,evenatthistimeofnight,andnotattractcuriousstaresorinvitationstofight.Sebastiandidn’tliketofight.Hehatedviolence.He’dhadenoughofthatgrowingup.Hesteppedintothelivingroom.“Hello,”hesaid.Thesmallgroupturned,smilingandnodding.“Welcome,PlagueDoctor,”saidLily.“Cupoftea?”They laughed. Sebastian chuckled politely. They knew verywell that he

couldn’ttakehismaskoff.Notthatheneededto.Hissuitprovidedhimwithall the sustenance he required – although he eyed the biscuits on displaylongingly.Whathewouldn’tgiveforataste.Butno.Hehadamission.“Let’shurrythisalong,”Tantalussaid,standingupfromthefloralcouch.

“Someofushavelivestogetbackto.”The others went quiet. Tantalus was the unofficial leader of their little

groupofDarquesse-worshippers,primarilybecausehelackedanyidentifiablesense of humour. He just seemed like the kind of man people would takeorders from, although Sebastian had yet to witness any actual leadershipabilities.Tantalus cleared his throat. “I hereby call thismeeting of the Darquesse

Societytoorder.Blessedbehername.”“Blessedbehername,”theothersechoed.“WehavegazedintothefaceofGodandwefoundlove.”Sebastianrepeateditalongwitheveryoneelse.“Allrightthen,”Tantalussaid,scowlingatSebastian,“whyarewehere?”Tantalusdidn’tlikeSebastian,andhewasn’tshyaboutlettingitshow.SebastiannoddedtoForby.“Tellthemwhatyoutoldme,”hesaid.

Forby,asmallmanwithfantastichair,clearedhisthroat.“Um,OK,so,theportal – the portal that all these Leibniz people are coming through. Themortal portal, I call it.” He laughed. “Anyway, I’m on the team. Theinvestigatingteam.”“Congratulations,”saidBennet.“That’sprettyhigh-profile.It’sgoodtosee

yougettingrecognitioninyourjob.”“Thank you,” said Forby. “It’s a real boost to my confidence, I have to

admit.I’vebeenworkingattheHighSanctuarysinceitopened;beforethatIwasat theoldSanctuaryforeighteenyears…Imean, I’veput in the time,youknow?I’veputinthework.It’sjustreallynicetohave—”“Tell me we’re not here just to congratulate Forby for doing his job,”

Tantalussaid.“We’renot,”Sebastianassuredhim.“Forby,gettothebitaboutthebox.”Tantalusfrowned.“Whatbox?”“Adevice,”saidForby.“Iwaspartoftheteamthatwentthroughtheportal

toexamineit.I’mfairlycertainthatthedeviceopenedtheportal.”Tantalusfoldedhisarms.“So?”“IfI’mright,andIthinkIam,oncewereverse-engineerit,oncewefigure

outhowitworks,IcanusethedevicetoopenaportaltowhereverDarquessehappenstobe,andwewon’tevenneedaShuntertodoit.”“Thisisgoodnews,”saidLily,hereyeswidening.“Thisisgreatnews!”Tantalusheldupahand for silence,andkepthiseyesonForby.“That is

goodnews.Iagree.Oritwouldbe,ifweknewwhereDarquesseis.Butwedon’t,dowe?”“Not yet,” said Forby. He glanced at Sebastian, and Sebastian stepped

forward.“We’vebeentalkingaboutthis,”hesaid.Tantalusscowledagain.“Who’swe?”“Forbyandme,”Sebastiansaid.“Andwhatexactlyhaveyoubeendiscussing?”Sebastianchosehiswordscarefully.“Idon’tknowawhole lotabout this

stuff,butIdoknowthatwhileitispossibletotrackenergysignaturesthroughdimensions, to go looking for one, even one as powerful as Darquesse’s,wouldbeawasteoftime.”Forbynodded.“That’strue.”“But then I asked Forby,” Sebastian continued, “if it would be easier to

tracktheFacelessOnesinstead,seeingashowthere’sawholeraceofthem.”Tantalus’seyesnarrowed.“Whywouldwewanttodothat?”“We all know that Darquesse left this reality to find a new challenge.

FightingtheFacelessOneswasthatchallenge.”

“ThePlagueDoctorpositedtheideathatDarquessemightverywellstillbefightingthem,”Forbysaid,“sotofindthemwouldbetofindher.”“Andapparently,that’sentirelypossible.”Sebastianpaused.“Wejustneed

someFacelessOnes’blood.”Tantaluslaughed.“Oh,isthatall?Well,I’llnipdowntotheshops,shallI?

Anyone want anything else while I’m picking up a jar of Faceless Ones’blood?Howareweformilk?”“Iknowwherethere’ssomeblood,”Lilysaid.Theyalllookedather.“There’sascytheintheDarkCathedral,”shesaid.“IsawitonatourItook

there.Theyhaveitsealedoffwithabunchofotherstuff.Thelittlesignsaidthat itwas splatteredwith thebloodofoneof theFacelessOnes that camethroughatAranmore.Wouldthatdo?”SebastianlookedbackatForby,whoshrugged.“Idon’tseewhynot,”hesaid.“So what are you suggesting?” Tantalus asked. “That we break into the

Dark Cathedral and steal this scythe right from under their noses?Do youhave any idea of the amount of security they have?Do you have any ideawhatthey’lldotousiftheycatchus?”“Probablykillus,”saidLily.“Idon’tthinkIshouldgo.”“No one’s going!” Tantalus snapped. “The only way this wouldn’t be a

suicidemissionisifsomeoneknewasecretwayin.Doyou?Doanyofyou?”Beneathhismask,Sebastiansmiled,andraisedhishand.

OceanofPDF.com

11

Valkyrie woke and lay there, scrabbling for the last threads of a departingdream.Itwasalmostwithinhergrasp–anormaldream,thistime–whenherthoughts tumbled in, filledherhead, sent thedreamscattering.She reachedforthebottleofwaterbythebed,founditempty.Herthroatwasparched.She got up. It was cold. She pulled on her bathrobe, tied it and hugged

herselfassheunlockedherbedroomdoor.Thelandingwasdark.Herfingerstrailed across the wall, finding the three light switches. She pressed themiddleone.The lightcameondownstairs.Huggingherselfagain,shewentdown,narrowinghereyesagainsttheglareuntilshewasusedtoit.Sheleftthelight,walkedthroughthegloomtothekitchen.Shecouldsee

well enough.Xena raised her headwhen she stepped in, just to check, andthenwentbacktosleep.Valkyriesmiledather,openedthefridgeasquietlyaspossible, tookabottleofwater and turned togo.Abyssinia stoodwatchingher.Valkyrieyelled inshockanddroppedthewater,white lightningcrackling

aroundherfingertips.Xenaleapedup,barking,camerunningover, ignoringAbyssinia entirely to sniff at Valkyrie’s legs, tail wagging with suddenexcitement. Abyssinia looked away, her mouth moving, holding aconversationValkyriecouldn’thearwithsomebodyshecouldn’tsee.Valkyrielettheenergydie.Abyssiniawaslookingdown,notatValkyrieat

all.Valkyriewas seeing her, but shewasn’t seeingValkyrie. She started tofade.Inseconds,shewasgone.Valkyriesliddowntothefloor,herbackagainstthefridge.Xenacameand

satbesideher,thenlaidherheadacrossValkyrie’slap.Herfurwaswarmandsoftandreassuring.“Goodgirl,”Valkyriewhispered.“Everything’sgoingtobeallright.Good

girl.”Shereachedforthebottleofwater,andtookaswig.Shestayedlikethatuntilthesuncameup.

OceanofPDF.com

12

Omenwasamorningperson.Hedidn’tlikegettingoutofbed,butwhenhedidhewasinvariablybrightandoptimistic.Mornings,heoftenthought,wereburstingwith potential.Everymorningwas the start ofwhat could becomethebestdayever.True,thebrightnesstendedtodullalittleoncethedaybegantobeathim

down, and his optimism never lasted that long when faced with thedisappointmentthatcamewithbeingwhohewas,butthatdidn’tchangehowmuch he likedmornings. Especially a Saturdaymorning, when half of thestudentswenthomefortheweekendandtheotherhalfchattedandhungoutandbondedaspeople.Heimagined.This Saturday, however,was determined to squish him before he’d even

hadhisbreakfast.Hisroom-mateshadsnored.Thiswasnotunusual.Whatwasunusualwas

the sheer determination theydisplayed, as if theywereworking together todeny him sleep. From then on, it was oneminor catastrophe after another.He’ddroppedhistoothbrushinthetoilet.Hisphonehadn’tcharged.GrendelCaste sneezed on his breakfast. And now here he was, sitting outside thePrincipal’sOffice.Filament Sclaviwalked by, then stopped and turned round.He sat down

nexttoOmen.“Iheard,”hesaid.“Heardwhat?”Omenasked,eventhoughheknew.“YouaskedoutAxeliaLukt,andAxeliaLuktsaidno.”“Ah,” said Omen. “That’s what you heard. I’m surprised people care

enoughtogossip.”“People gossip even when they don’t care,” said Filament. “It’s what

peopledo.Sohowareyou?Howisyourheart?Isitbroken?”“Naw,”saidOmen.“It’sever-so-slightlydinged.It’sfine.I’mfine.”Filament looked at him. “You don’t have to be brave in front of me,

Omen.”“I’m…not.Iswear.”

Filamentpattedhisarm.“Icanseethatyouarefightingbackthetears.”“I’mreallynot,though.”Filamentsmiledsadly.“Thenwhyisyourlowerlipquivering?”“Ithinkthat’sjustwhatitdoes.”“Youknowwhat?Youshouldaskheragain.”“Youthinkshe’schangedhermind?”“Notyet,butshemightifyoupursueher.Haveyouneverseenaromantic

comedy?Haveyouneverseenthenerdgetthehotgirl?Howdoeshedoit?He proves himself worthy of her affection. He devotes himself to wooingher.”“AmIthenerd?”“Well,you’recertainlynotthehotgirl.”Omenlaughedalittle.“Yeah,Isuppose.”“My sisters – I grew upwith sisters – they love the romantic comedies.

Have you seen 10 Things I Hate About You? Heath Ledger pursues JuliaStiles.YoushouldsingtoAxeliaduringmorningassembly.”“That’saterrificallybadidea.”“APartridgeFamilysong,maybe.”“I’mnotsurewhotheyare.”“They were a musical group. One of my older sisters, she loved David

Cassidywhenshewasateenager.DavidCassidywasinthePartridgeFamily.Accordingtomysister,hewasthemainPartridge.”“Didtheyhavecostumes,or…?”“I don’t know if they dressed up as partridges, I just know the David

Cassidysong.Butyoucan’tdothatsong–thatwasusedinthemovie.Youwantanotherone,asongthatmayoncehavebeencheesy,butnowissortofcool.”“Idon’tthinkI’mgoingtosingtoher,though.”“That’sapity,”saidFilament.“Itwouldwork.I’msureofit.Butthereare

other ways to woo a lady. Send flowers every day. Write her poems. Orappearatherdooroneeveningwithcuecardsprofessingyourlove.”“Isthatwooing,though?Orisit,youknow…stalking?”Filamentfrowned.“Howcanitbestalking?It’sforlove.”“Iget that, Ido,buteverythingyou’vejustmentionedsoundsa little like

harassment. I’d really prefer to be the guywho, you know, is rejected andtheniskindofcoolabout it. Idon’twanther toregretknowingme–that’sbasicallywhat I’m trying tosay. Idon’twant tobe thebadguy,or theguywhocan’ttakethehint.Youknow?”Filamentdidn’trespond.“Filament?”

“Yourwordshavemademesad,”Filamentsaid.“Oh.”“AllthoseromanticcomediesIwatched.”“It’sfineformovies.”“No,”saidFilament.“No.Ishallneverwatchanother.Fromhereonout,it

willbehorrormoviesandonlyhorrormovies.Notevenmusicals.”“MusicalsareOK.”“Maybeoneortwomusicals,likeGrease.”“Greaseisfunny.”“Itwasnicetalkingtoyou,Omen,evenifyoudidmakemesad.”“I’mreallysorryaboutthat.”“Iwilltrytobeasbraveasyou.”“I’mnotbeingbrave,though.”MissWickedapproached.“Filament,” she said, “it’saSaturdaymorning.

DosomethingbetterwithitthansittingoutsidethePrincipal’sOffice.”“Yes,miss,”Filamentsaid,andhurriedaway.MissWickedfrownedatOmen.“It’steno’clock.Whyareyououthere?”“I,um,Ihaven’tbeentoldtogoin.”“Ourappointmentisforten,”sheresponded,stridingtothedoor.“Wegoin

atten.”ShewalkedinandOmenhoppedupandhurriedafterher.He’d never been in PrincipalRubic’s office before.Hewas immediately

struckby thenumberofbookson theshelvesand thehugewindowbehindthedesk.Rubichimselfsatathisdesk,anelderlymanwithafacethatlongedforabearditdidn’thave.Standingbeforehimwasatallmanwithdarkhairsweptbackoffahighforehead,amanwholookedjustlikehisson.“Ah,MissWicked,Omen,”saidRubic,wavingthemin,“Iwasjustabout

tocallforyou.Ofcourse,youwillbothrecogniseGrandMageIspolin,herefromtheBulgarianSanctuary.TheGrandMageis,verynaturally,concernedaboutJenan’swell-being.”“It’sbeen sevenmonths,” Ispolin said, “andnothinghasbeendone.”His

accent,likethatofsomanysorcerers,wasbothdistinctandsoft,theresultofhundredsofyearsofliving.“Mysonremainsmissing,andthiswomanisstillteachingatthisschool.I’mheretodemandanswers.”“Ofcourse,”Rubicsaid,“ofcourse.Yourconcernisunderstandable.”“For seven months, I have been met with nothing but excuses from the

HighSanctuary.”Rubicnoddedsadly.“Investigationsofthisnaturedo,unfortunately,tendto

takealotoftime,GrandMage.”

“Iamawareoftheamountoftimeinvestigationstake,”Ispolinsaidslowly.“WhatIaminterestedinlearningiswhythiswomanisstillemployedhere.”“Ibelieveyouknowmyname,”MissWickedsaid.Ispolinlookedup.“What?”“Myname,”shesaid.“Ibelieveyouknowit.Pleaseuseit.Everytimeyou

say ‘thiswoman’ I look around,wonderingwhoyou’re talking about. I amhere,Igather,becauseofthealtercationoutsidetheboys’dormitories.Isthatright?”“That’sright,”Ispolinsaid.“WhenyouattackedJenan.Is thisthetypeof

teacher you have here, Mr Rubic? One who goes around assaulting yourstudents?”Omenclearedhis throat to speak, but couldonly croak. Ispolinglared at

him.“Yes?Youhavesomethingtocontribute?”“I’msureOmenwasabouttoremindyouthatthealtercationbeganwhen

yoursonattackedhim,”saidMissWicked.Ispolinsneered.“Soheclaims.”“Now,now,”saidRubic,“wehavenoreasontodoubtMrDarkly’sversion

ofevents.”“Jenanattackedme,”Omenwhispered.Ispolinfoldedhisarms.“AndIsaythatyouarealiar.”Omenflushedred.“Lookathisface,”Ispolinsaid.“Onlytheguiltyblush.”“Nonsense,”saidMissWicked.“Omenblushesatthementionofhisown

name. Please don’tmakemy student feel anymore uncomfortable than healreadydoes,GrandMageIspolin.Blushingmeansnothing,andOmenisnotaliar.”“Howcanyoubesosure?”Ispolinfiredback.“HisbrotheristheChosen

One,isn’the?Jenantoldmeallabouthim,and,fromwhereIstand,thisisaboywhohasbeenstarvedofattentionhisentire life.Hisbrother is theonepeopleknow.Hisbrotheristheonepeopleremember.Butthisboyhereissodesperate for a moment in the spotlight that he has fabricated this entirestory.”“Ididn’t,”Omensaid,shakinghishead.“You’realiar!”“GrandMage!”Rubicsaid,risingslightlyinhischair,“Imustaskyouto

calmyourself!”“Iwanthimexpelled.”Rubicfrowned,andsatbackagain.“I…GrandMage,Icannotdothat.”“IwanthimexpelledandIwantherfired.”

“GrandMage,please…”MissWicked adjusted the sleeve of her blouse. “Are we done with this

nonsense?”Rubicheldupahand.“Justamoment—”MissWickedignoredhim,andfocusedonIspolin.“Iwalkedbyandfound

Jenan choking the life out of Omen. I intervened. Jenan proceeded tophysicallyattackme.Irestrainedhim.”“Younearlybrokehisarm!”“It could have been far, far worse. Headmaster, you realise this, do you

not?IcouldhavehurtJenanfar,farworsethanIdid?”“Ofcourse,”Rubicsighed.“Inwhichcase,Irestrainedhimwithanadmirableamountof,dareIsayit,

restraint. Forwhich I should be thanked.Of course, I don’t do this for thethanks.Idothisfortheloveofteaching,ofmouldingyoungminds.”“If this happened theway you say it happened,” said Ispolin, “then you

won’tmindaSensitiveverifyingittobethetruth.”Miss Wicked smiled. “No Sensitive is going to poke around inside my

head,GrandMage.Youarejustgoingtohavetotakemywordforit,asaneducator.”“I’mafraidIcan’tdothat.”“I’mafraidyoudon’t actuallyhaveachoice,” saidRubic. “MissWicked

hasbeenbeforeaReviewBoard,andwehaveclearedherofanywrongdoing.GrandMage,wehave taken thismeetingwithyouasacourtesy,butpleasedon’tbeunderanyillusionthatyouhaveanysortofjurisdictionhere.”Ispolinglowered,andRubicturnedtoOmenandMissWicked.“Thankyoubothforcoming.”MissWickedgaveacurtnod,andledthewaytothedoor.“Not the boy,” said Ispolin. Omen turned. “She can leave, but I haven’t

finishedwiththeboy.”OmenlookedtoMissWickedforhelp,butherfacewasimpassive.“Very well,” said Rubic, sighing. “Omen, stay behind a moment, would

you?”“Iwilltakemyleaveofyou,”saidMissWicked,openingthedoor.“But,as

Ihadforeseensomethinglikethisoccurring,Ihavearrangedforsomeonetocomeinandspeakontheboy’sbehalf.”Sheleft,andOmenfrowned.Thenheheardfootsteps.Familiarfootsteps.They entered the roomwith a flourish –EmmelineDarkly andCaddock

Sirroco,grandandgood-lookingandimperious.Theroomseemedtoshrinkaround them, like a lens being refocused.Rubic stoodupquickly and evenIspolindiminishedslightlyintheirpresence.

“Hi,Mum,”saidOmen.“Hi,Dad.”Hismotherthrewhimasharpglance,buthisfatherwastoobusylooking

furioustoacknowledgehim.“Wewere listening,”Caddocksaid, turninghisgazeon theGrandMage.

“Soyouhaven’tfinishedwiththeboy,haveyou?Theboy?”Ispolinbristled.“Ihavealegitimategrievanceto—”“The boy is our son,” Emmeline cut in. “The boy is a Darkly, and his

brotherisdestinedtosavetheworld.Youshouldbethankinghim.Youshouldbethankingusforourveryexistence.”“Instead,” Caddock said, “we find ourselves being dragged from our

commitments – at theweekend– to defendour son for,what, exactly?Forsurvivingyourson’sattempttomurderhim?”“Howdareyou—”“Howdarewe?”Emmelineshotback.“Howdarewewhat?Howdarewe

sidewiththetruth?”“Jenandidnotattackanyone.”“Jenan is part of the First Wave,” Emmeline said. “That’s what they’re

callingthemselvesnow,isitnot,thislittlegroupofterroristsformedhere,attheAcademy, by Parthenios Lilt? The headmaster has enough questions toanswerabouthowheallowedthismantoteachhere,howheallowedthisrotto fester in his own school, and they are questions that hewill answer, buttoday,MrIspolin,wearefocusingonyouandyourson.”Ispolin smoothed down his tie, though it looked perfectly smooth from

whereOmenwas standing. “Jenan is easily led. His friends pressured himintojoining.It’sthisteacher,thisLilt,whoisresponsibleforwhathappened.”“I don’t think you’re giving Jenan enough credit,” Caddock said.

“Everythingwe’veheard indicates thathe’sanatural leader–andnowhe’swith this Abyssinia person, in a flying prison populated by convicts andcriminals. He’s the enemy,Mr Ispolin.We didn’t do that to him. Our sondidn’tdothattohim.Hedidthattohimself.”Ispolinglared.“It’sGrandMage,”hesaid.“GrandMageIspolin.Youwill

refertomeassuch.”Emmelineobservedhimwithasneeronher lips,and turned toRubic.“I

presumewearedonehere,MrRubic.”Itwasnotaquestion.“Of course,” Rubic said, nodding quickly. “Thank you for coming in.

Omen,wouldyouseeyourparentstothegate?There’sagoodlad.”

OceanofPDF.com

13

“I’msorryabout that,”Omensaid tohisparentsas theywalkedawayfromRubic’soffice.“Iknowhowbusyyouare.”“We are very busy,” said Emmeline, examining everything that they

passed.“Pleasetellthatteachernottocallonusagain.”“Iwill,”saidOmen,thoughheknewhewouldn’t.“Where’sAuger?”Caddockasked.“Wewerehopingtoseehimbeforewe

left.”“I’mnotsure,”Omensaid.“Icanpassonamessage,ifyoulike.”“Wedon’thaveamessage,”saidEmmeline.“Wejustwanted toseehim.

Nevermind.”“Icould showyouaround,”Omensuggestedbrightly. “Ifyouhave time,

like.Ifyou’renotrushingback.”“Wearerushingback,”Caddocksaid.“Oh,OK.I’llwalkyouout,then.”Theywalkedon,Caddockafewstepsinfront.Silencedescended.“Howareyourclassesgoing?”hismotheraskedeventually.“Good,” Omen responded. He wondered for a moment if they’d heard

about his failed test. But no.His parentswere formidable people, but theyweren’tomnipotent. “Reallygood.They’reallgoingwell.Evenmaths, andI’mterribleatmaths.”“Areyou?”“Um,yes.I’vealwaysbeenterribleatmaths.Remember?”“Ofcourse,”EmmelinesaidinatonethatletOmenknowshedidn’t,notat

all.“Andthat’sgoingwellforyou,isit?”“Yep.Imean,Istilldon’tunderstandmostofit,butIdon’tthinkthat’stoo

important.”Caddock looked back. “You don’t think understanding maths is

important?”Omen shrugged. “Not really. As long as the numbers fit, that’s the only

thingthatmatters,isn’tit?”

Caddock sighed irritably, a sound Omen knew only too well.“Understanding a subject enables you to master the subject. What you’redoing is skating along the surface of your education, Omen. It’s time youcommitted.It’stimeyoutookitseriously.”“OK,”Omensaidquietly.“Augertakeshisstudiesseriously,”Caddockcontinued.“Wouldn’tyoulike

tobelikethat?”“Isuppose.”“There you go again. Humming and hawing. You’ve got to be more

decisive.Youcan’tgothroughyourlifelikethis.Bedefinite.Dosomething.Committosomething.”“I’lltry.”CaddockturnedandOmenhadtostopquicklytoavoidbumpingintohim.

“You’renotlisteningtomeatall,areyou?”“Iam.”“You’rehearingme,you’rejustnotlisteningtome.”“I’mgoingtobelate,”Emmelinesaid,glancingatherwatch.“Omen,do

something with your life, will you? Auger volunteers for things; he getsinvolved inextra-curricularactivities.Heputs thework inat school,buthealsohassomanyoutsideinterests.Bemorelikethat.Nowwehavetogo.”“OK,”saidOmen,watchingthemwalkonwithouthim.Thentheyturneda

cornerandtheyweregoneand,asusual,hewasleftfeelingcuriouslyempty.Hedidn’tknowwhattodosohewentwalking.Heshouldhavebeenused

toitbynow,hisparents’abilitytorobhimofhimself.InthesamewaythatIspolin had seemed diminished around them, Omen became lesser in theirpresence.Smaller.Evenmoreinsignificant.Hewishedithadgoneonlonger,theirdefenceofhim.EventhoughheknewtheiroutragewasactuallyaboutIspolin’sassaultonthefamilyname,hehadenjoyedlisteningtotheirwords.Ithadalmostbeenliketheycared.Ithadalmostbeenliketheyapprovedofhim.But of course they didn’t. Their approvalwas reserved solely forAuger

who,Omenadmitted,morethandeservedit.Notforthefirsttime,though,hewonderedwhathe’dbelikeasapersonif

he’d had his parents’ approval.Would he bemore confident?Would he bemorepopular?Wouldhebemoredaring?MissGnosiswassettingupa tableoutside thedininghall, a tablewitha

blankclipboardrestingonit.HelikedMissGnosis.She’dmadehimrethinkhisattitudetowardsNecromancers.Sure,herdisciplinewasdeathmagicandsheworeblacklikeallNecromancers,butshewasbrightandfunandareally

goodteacher.Plus,shehadredhairandshewasinhertwenties,andshestillhadherstrongScottishaccent.“Goodmorning,Omen,”shesaid.Shepursedherlipsandturnedherhead

slightly,lookingathimfromanewangle.“EverythingOK?Youlookalittledowninthedumps.”“I’mfine.Iwasjust…No,I’mfine.”“IheardaboutAxelia.”“Seriously?”saidOmen.“Eventheteachershaveheard?”“Staffroomsaresadplacesunlesswehavesomethingtogossipabout.Guys

likeyou,Omen,theygetthegirlslaterinlife.Youjustwaittillyouhityourtwenties.”He blushed, and tried to hide his smile by nodding to the clipboard.

“What’sthisabout?”Miss Gnosis held it out. “We’re collecting food and blankets for the

Leibnizrefugees.Wouldyouliketosignup?We’regoingdowntothecamponMondaytodistributewhateverwe’vegot,andweneedallthehelpwecanget.Youinterested?”“Would…wouldthiscountas,like,anextra-curricularactivity?”“It’spracticallythedefinitionoftheword.”“Andsigningupforit,thatwouldbeacommitment,wouldn’tit?”“Itcertainlywould.”“Yes,”saidOmen,andpaused.Thenhesaid,“Yes,”again,moreforcefully.“Goodman,”saidMissGnosis.“I’lldoit.”“Allrightthen.”“I’llhelp.”“Ihavetotellyou,Omen,thissoundslikeit’sabiggerdealtoyouthanitis

tome.Putyournamedowntherelikeagoodlad,andI’llexplainwhatyou’llhavetodo.”

OceanofPDF.com

14

ValkyriewascurleduponthecouchwithXena,watchingSaturdayeveningTV,whenshesawSkulduggerydropslowlyfromtheskyandlandoutsidethewindow.Shemovedthedogtoonesideandgotup,paddedonbarefeettothehall

andopenedthedoor.Skulduggery’sjackethadbulletholesinit.“Youlooklikeyou’vehadfun,”shesaid,leaningagainstthedoorjamb.“Ipunchedmanybandits,”Skulduggeryresponded.“Temperdid,too,butI

punchedmore.Not that itwas a competition. But, if it had been, I’d havewon.”“Well,I’mproudofyouforwinningwhatwasn’tacompetition.Haveall

therefugeespassedthroughtheportal?”“Not even close.By the timewewere returning, therewereperhaps two

thousandwaitingtogothrough,withplentymorearrivingeveryfewminutes.ChinafinallysentinabattalionofCleaverstoofferprotection.”“Well, that was nice of her,” said Valkyrie. “Any sign of Mevolent’s

army?”“Notsofar.”“Well,youknow,begratefulforsmallmercies,orwhateveritisthatpeople

say.Also,haveyouseenyourjacket?”“Ah,”hesaid,“yes.Mostunfortunate.”“Doyouevenhaveanyonetofixitanymore?”“Ofcourse.Ghastlywasn’ttheonlytailorintown–justthebest.Isee,by

theway,thattheBentleyisinonepiece.”“Naturally,” said Valkyrie, taking the car keys from the side table and

handing them over. “When I borrow something, I return it in pristinecondition,andIamshockedthatyouwouldeverdoubtme.”“Ineverdoubtyou,”hereplied,andhandedherakeyinreturn.Sheraisedaneyebrow.“What’sthis?”“Aspare,”hesaid,“fortheBentley.IncaseIeverlosemyown.”“You’regivingmeakeytoyourcar?”

“Justtomind.”“Doesthismeanwe’renowsharingtheBentley?”Skulduggerystiffened.“Dearme,no.Notintheslightest.”She clutched the key to her chest. “You mean I now own the Bentley?

You’regivinghertome?”“OK,I’mchangingmymindaboutthiswholething,”hesaid,andreached

forthekey.“Notakebacksies,”saidValkyrie,andshutthedoor.

OceanofPDF.com

15

ThePresidentoftheUnitedStateswasinabad,badmood.MartinMaynardFlaneryhadbeenelectedfairandsquareand,tryasthey

might, the leftist losers and the liberalmedia couldn’t take that away fromhim.Hispresidencywasbeyondlegitimate.Hehadwontheelectoralcollegeon

a scale no one had ever seen before or even dreamedpossible. Yet he haddoneit,becausehewassmarterthaneveryoneelse,shrewderthaneveryoneelse,andsmarterthaneveryoneelse.Hewasawinner.“I’m a winner,” he said to the Oval Office, but the Oval Office didn’t

respond.Therewasaknockononeofthedoors.“Notnow!”hecalledout.Beyondthatdoorwasalineofpeople,allwith

demands on his time, with reports and briefings and files and folders thatwould clutter up his perfectly bare desk.Hedidn’twant to let them in.Hecould feel them hovering out there, full of nervous energy that would getunderhisskin.Eventhinkingaboutitmadehimuncomfortable.Flanerystood,wenttothewindow,staredoutthroughthebulletproofglass.

Fromhere,hecouldseeSecretServiceagents,sworntoprotecthim,trainedtogivetheirlivesforhis.Butwouldthey?Wouldtheydietoprotecthim?Henarrowedhiseyes.He

couldn’ttrustthemtodowhatthey’dsworntodo.Ifhistimeaspresidenthadtaughthimanything,itwasthathecouldn’ttrustanyone.Hehadenemieseverywhere.Therewasaknockontheotherdoor,and,beforehecouldorderthemtogo

away,thedooropenedandWilkesslippedin.“I’mnottobedisturbed,”Flanerysnapped.“Oh,”saidWilkes,freezinginmidstep.Helookedaround,eyesflickingto

theemptydesk.“What…whatareyoudoing?”Rageboiled.“Youdon’taskmequestions!”Flanerysnarled.“No,sir,”saidWilkes,immediatelywilting.“Sorry,sir.”

Flanery gripped the back of his chair. “I’m thinking,” he said. “I’mplanning.I’mdeciding.I’mdoingmanythings.”“Yes,sir,”saidWilkes.“Um,I’vereceivedrequestsfromafewmembersof

staff.Theyreallyneedtospeaktoyouonsomeprettyurgentmatters…”Itwaspitiful,thewayhestoodthere,riddledwithweakness.Flaneryhated

weakness.HehatedWilkes.“Haveyouhandledthewitch?”Flaneryasked.Wilkeswinced.Hedidn’t like talkingabout thewitch in theOvalOffice.

He’devenproposedtheyusecodewords.Flaneryenjoyedseeinghimsquirm.“Sheisundercontrol,yes,sir.”“Howcanwebesureshewon’trefusemyordersagain?”“I,um,Imadeitveryclearwhattherepercussionswouldbe.”“Whatdidyousay?”“I,ah,relayed,uh,whatwehaddiscussedin—”“Uh!”Flanery blurted. “I relayedwhat we had, uh, duh, duhhh…Why

can’tyoujustanswerthequestion,eh?Whycan’tyoudothat?Whatdidyoutellher?”Wilkesswallowed.“ItoldMagentathatifsheeverdisobeyedyourorders

again,she’dneverseeherfamily.”“Andwhatdidshesay?”“She… she started crying, Mr President. She apologised, and said she

woulddoasshewastoldinfuture.”Flanerypursedhislips.“Shecried,didshe?”“Yes,sir.”Hesmiled.“I’dhave liked tohaveseen that. Ibet thatwassomething to

see,thishigh-and-mightywitchreducedtotears.Wassheonherkneeswhenshewascrying?”“Um…no,sir.”“Nexttime,makesureshe’sonherknees.”“Yes,sir.”Flanerysatbehindhisdeskagain.“IwantyoutocallAbyssinia,”hesaid.

“TellherI’vedecidedtomoveuptheoperation.”Wilkeswentpale.“Sir?”Flanery pretended not to notice his shock. “The mainstream media are

producingmorefakepollssayingI’mthemostunpopularpresidentinhistory.They’returningthepeopleagainstme,Wilkes.”“Thepeopleloveyou,sir.”“Iknowthat!”Flanerysnapped,hisangerrisingagain.“Butthey’rebeing

liedto.They’rebeingmisled.Weneedtodosomethingtounitethecountry

behindme.Somoveuptheoperation.”Wilkeshesitated,andFlaneryglared.“Well?”“MrPresident,”Wilkessaid,“thatmightnotbepossible.Theplanis…is

delicate,sir.WehavetogetourpeopleinplaceandAbyssiniahastogetherpeopleinplace,andthetiminghastobejustright.”“They’recallingmethemostunpopularpresidentinhistory,andyouwant

metowaitontiming?”“Sir,Abyssinia’splanrequires—”FlaneryleapedupandWilkesflinched.“Abyssinia’splan?”Flaneryroared.“Abyssinia’s?Thisismyplan!I’mthe

onewhothoughtitup!I’mthegeniushere!She’snothingbutanotherwitch!Whatdowedowithwitches,Wilkes?Whatdowedowiththem?Wemakethemgetontheirkneesandweep.Isn’tthatright?”“Yes…yes,sir.”“Andthenwhatdowedowiththem?”“I’m…Idon’tknow…”“Weburn’em,Wilkes.Weburnthewitches.”“Yes,sir.”“Thesamegoesforthefreaksandweirdosandsorcerersandwhateverelse

they’recalled.They’reallgonnaburn,Wilkes,andwhen theydo theentirecountrywillstandbehindmeand they’llshoutmynameand theywill loveme.”“Yes,sir.”Wilkeswouldn’tmeetFlanery’seyes.

OceanofPDF.com

16

The fifteen-minute drive to Haggard took over twenty minutes. Valkyriedecided on the scenic route, right along the coast, the road clinging to theshoreline like thehemofadress.Therewasaboaton thewater,somebodyparasailing.Itlookedfun.Shecouldhavedrivenforhours,butHaggardreachedforher,pulledherin,

andnomatterhowslowshewent,herchildhoodhomedrewcloser,untilshewassuddenlyparkedoutside.Sheturnedofftheengineandtookabreath.Shewasexcitedtoseeherfamily.Shewantedtoseethem.Buttherewasapartofherthatcrouchedintheshadowsofhermind,andthatpartwhisperedtoher,tellingher to turnround, to leavetheminpeace.They’dbehappierwithouther,itsaid.They’dbehappierifsheleftthemalone.Safer.She’dkilledherownsister,afterall,justsothatshecoulduseaweapon.It

didn’treallymatterthatshe’dresuscitatedherimmediatelyafterwards.Whatkind of person, the voice whispered, could bring themselves to do that tosomeonetheyloved?Valkyriegotoutofthecar,slammedthedoorshut.Shewasn’tgoingtolet

the voice win today. She wasn’t going to let all those bad feelings comecrashingdownonher,liketheyhadsomanytimesinthepast.Shewasgettingbetter.Shewalkeduptothefrontdoorandpaused,immersedinafeelingshestill

hadn’t become familiar with. This was her home and yet it wasn’t. Herchildhoodlivedhere.TheyounggirlcalledStephanieEdgleylivedhere.Thiswaswhere she’dwatchedTVand readher books anddoneher homework.Thisiswhereshe’dlistenedtohermumanddadcrackjokesandriffoffeachother.Thiswaswhereherlittlesisterhurtledaroundtheplace.Thiswasthehousewherenormallived.Shewalked in.Thehousewaswarm,andsmelledofgoodfoodcooking.

She went immediately to the kitchen. Her mumwas chopping carrots, herbacktoher.Valkyrieopenedhermouthtosaysomething,andrealisedshedidn’tknow

whatthatsomethingshouldbe.Shewaitedforthechoppingtostop,thenshe

justsaid,“Heya.”Her mum looked round, and a smile broke out and she hurried over.

“Sweetheart,”shesaid,wrappingValkyrieinherarms.Valkyriespentsolongtrying to figureouthowmuchpressure toapply toherownhug that itwasoverbeforeshe’dreallycommittedtoit.“Doyouwantacupoftea?”hermotherasked.“Sitdown,I’llputthekettle

on.”Valkyrienoddedandsmiledashermumbusiedherselfwiththemechanics

of tea-making. The kitchen looked exactly the same, apart from therefrigerator.Therefrigeratorwasdifferent.“Yougotanewfridge,”Valkyriesaid.“Hmm?Oh,yes.Well,threeorfouryearsago.Didn’tyouseeitwhenyou

werehereforyourbirthday?”“Idon’tthinkIcameintothekitchen.”“Oh,well, there it is: thesort-of-newfridge.Now,dinnerwon’tbe ready

foraboutahalf-hourorso.Areyouhungry?Ithinkwehavesomebiscuits,unlessyourfatheratethem.”“I’mOK.”“You’resure?They’rechocolatechip.”“I’mfine.”Thefrontdooropenedandclosed.“There’sastrangecarparkedoutside,”cameherfather’svoice.“Weshould

beonthelookoutforoddpeopleactingoddlyintheneighbourhood.”Hewalkedin,grinning.“Hi,Dad,”saidValkyrie.“Hello,oddball,”herfatherreplied,comingovertogiveherahug.“Good

God!It’slikehuggingastatue.Melissa,you’vegottotrythis.”“We’vealreadyhugged.”“It’slikehuggingastatue!”“Yes,dear.”“Obviously,astatuethatI loveverymuch,andawonderfulstatuefullof

lifeandwarmthandallthoseotherthings,butholyGod,thosearesomehardmuscles.”HepokedValkyrie’sarm.“Ow,Dad.”“Sorry,”hesaid,thenpokedagain.“Ow.”“Sorry.”“Des,stoppokingher.”“Right, yes,” he said, and stepped away.He poked his own arm and his

facefell.“Whydon’tIhavemuscleslikethat?”

Valkyrie’smumpassedheramugoftea.“Becauseyoudon’tworkoutlikeyourdaughterdoes.”“Butwhycan’ttheybehereditary?”“That’snothowhereditaryworks.Thingsarepasseddown,notup.”“StupidDNA,”hegrumbled.“DoIatleastgetacupoftea?”“Youdoifyoumakeityourself,”saidhermum.“ImadeoneforStephanie

becauseshe’saguest.”“No, she’s not. This is her home and I, for one, refuse to treat her any

differently.Stephanie,fetchmemypipeandslippers.”“No.”“Ah,goon.”“Youdon’tevenhaveapipe,”Valkyriesaid.“Myslippers,then.”“Idon’tfetch,Dad.I’mnotadog.”“Whereisyourdog,bytheway?Didyoubringher?”“She’sathome,guardingthehouse.”“Andhowislifeupwhereyoulive?Upthereinforeignclimes,withyour

strangecustomsandlanguageandeverything?”“It’sfifteenminutesaway.”“Whichbegsthequestion:whyhaven’tyoubeendowntoseeusmore?”“I’vejustbeenbusy,that’sall.”“Toobusytocallinonyourwaypast?”“Des,”hermumsaid,“shekeepsunconventionalhours,remember.”Her dad shrugged. “Ah, yeah, but we’ve barely seen her in six months.

How’swork?”“It’sOK.Imean…yeah,it’sOK.I’vebeeneasingbackintoit.”“Savedtheworldlately?”“Notquite.Butworkingonit.”Hermumleanedforwardslightly.“Youarekeepingsafe,aren’tyou?You

wouldn’tdoanythingsillynow.”“No,Mum.I’mkeepingsafe.”“BecauseIstillhavenightmaresabout—”“Heynow,”herdadsaid.“Wehadanagreement,didn’twe?Wedon’ttalk

about that day at the dinner table. It puts everyone off their food and putssomeofusinabadmood.Besides,wehavetowatchwhatwesayaroundthemunchkin.”And, right on cue, Alice came running into the room. “Stephanie!” she

cried,delighted.“Heythere,”saidValkyrie,gettingoffherchairjustintimetocatchAlice

inahug.Shelaughedasherlittlesistersqueezedherwithallhertinymight.

“Iloveyourtop.”“Thankyou,”saidAlice,steppingback,fullattentionnowonherclothes.

“Doyoulikethesequins?Theycatchthelight.”“Theydocatchthelight,”Valkyriesaid.“That’saverygrown-upthingto

say.They’relovely.”“Thankyou.Doyouwanttoseemyshoes?Lookattheheels.”“Oh!Theyhavelights!”“Redlightsandorangelights,”saidAlice.“Doyouwishyouhadlightsin

yourshoes?”“Ido.Ireallydo.”“Theydon’tmakethemforgrown-ups,though,Idon’tthink.Mom,dothey

makethemforgrown-ups?”“Idon’tthinkso,”saidValkyrie’smother.Alicenodded.“Theydon’t.They’reonlyforsmallfeetlikemine.”Valkyrieraisedaneyebrowathermother.“Mom?”Melissasighed.“Allthekidscalltheirmumsmomthesedays.Ithinkthe

youngmomskindofencourageit.”“Do youwant to seemy dolls?”Alice asked. “I have princess dolls and

soldierdolls.Today,theprincessdollsrescuedthesoldierdollsfromtheevildragon.”“Soundsexciting,”saidValkyrie.“It’sveryexciting.Wouldyouloveitverymuchtoplaywithme?”“Iwouldloveitverymuch.”“Holdon,holdon,”Desmondsaid.“Don’trushoffyet.Youcanplaydolls

withStephanieafterdinner,OK?”“ButcanIshowStephaniemyroom?”Desmondsighed.“Ofcourseyoucan.”AlicetookValkyrie’shandandledherupstairs,toValkyrie’soldbedroom.

Thewallswerelightbluewithinterlockingrainbowstracedalongtheborders.Itwasthesamebedwithbrightersheets,thesamebedsidetableanddresser.Thesamewardrobe.Valkyrieopenedthewardrobe.Therewasanewmirrorontheinsidedoor,

to replace the smashedone, theoneher reflectionused to stepoutof.ThatwasoneofthemainsecretsValkyriestillkeptfromherparents,thefactthattheyhadhadaduplicatedaughterlivingwiththemforyearsandtheyneversuspectedshewasn’ttherealthing.“Doyoulikemyclothes?”Aliceasked.“Ido,”saidValkyrie,andclosedthewardrobe.“Thisusedtobemyroom.

Therewerebookseverywhereandweirdpostersonthewalls…YoukeepitalottidierthanIeverdid.”

Alice nodded. “That’s what Mom says.” She picked up a small doll,dressed in greenwithwings and pointed ears. “This is Sparkles. She’smyfairy.”“Ilikeherwings.”“Sheusesthemtofly.Whentherearenohumansaround,Sparklescomes

alive,butwhenhumanscomeback,shehastopretendtobeatoyagain.”“That’sprettycool,”Valkyriesaid,sittingonthebed.“Issheyourfriend?”Alicenodded.“Mybestfriend,alongwithMollyandAlexinschool.”“Wow,you’vegotalotoffriends.”“It’simportanttohavefriends.TheylikemebecauseI’malwayshappy.”Valkyriesmiled.“Always?Younevergetsad?”Alice frowned. “I don’t think so. Molly and Alex are sad sometimes.

Sometimesthey’renotfriends,andtheygetsadbecauseofthat.ButInevergetsad,evenwhenpeoplearen’tfriendswithme.”“You’reasmartgirl.”“Doyougetsad?”“Sometimes.”“Youshouldbehappylikeme.”“Ishould,shouldn’tI?”“Whatdoyougetsadabout?”“Differentthings.Butitallgoesaway,isn’tthatright?Evenwhenyou’re

reallysadaboutsomething,youalwaysfeelbetterafterawhile.”“Idon’tknow,”saidAlice,lookingpuzzled.“I’malwayshappy,Isaid.”Valkyrielaughed.“Ofcourse.Sorry.Iforgot.”“Doyouwanttoseemyothertoys?”“Sure.”Theystayedupthereuntiltheywerecalleddownstairs.Inthekitchen,the

tablewasalreadysetandMelissawascarvingtheroastchicken.Valkyrie’sstomachrumbled.“Oh,wow,thatsmellsamazing.”“Howamazing?”Desmondsaid,hiseyesnarrowing.“Veryamazing.”“Then would you be interested in a trade? This dinner for a teeny, tiny

favour?”“Des,”Melissasaid.“She’sgettingthedinneranyway.Shedoesn’thaveto

doanythingforit.She’sourdaughter.”“Whatfavourwouldthatbe?”Valkyrieasked,tensingdespiteherself.Herparentsexchangedaglance.“We were wondering if you’d be free to babysit on Thursday,”Melissa

said. “It’s our anniversary, and we thought we’d spend the day gettingpamperedintheLakeviewHotel.”

Valkyriehesitated.“Babysit?”“Ifyou’renottoobusy.”ShelookedatAlice.“Babysitthissquirt?”“I’mnotasquirt,”Alicesaid,frowning.“You’dhavetopickherupfromschoolatquartertothree,”Melissasaid,

“andwe’dbegoneuntilthenextmorning.”“SoIpickupthissquirtfromschool,andthenIgettospendtherestofthe

daywithher?Andshegetstospendthenightatmyhouse?”Alice’seyeswidened.“Yourhouse?WouldIhavemyownbed?”“You’dprobablyhaveto,wouldn’tyou?”Alicenoddedquickly.Valkyriegrinned,andshruggedtoherfolks.“IthinkIcouldmanagethat.”“Yay!”Alicecried,thrustingbothhandsintheairanddancing.Melissalaughed.“Everyonesit.Hopeyou’reallhungry.”“I’mstarving,”saidValkyrie.“I’mstarving,too,”saidAlice.Valkyrie sat at the table in her usual spot. It felt strange, especiallywith

Alicesettling into thechairbesideher.ButassoonasAlicewasseatedshehoppedupagain.“IforgotSparkles!”shesaid,andranupstairs.“HaveyoumetSparkles?”herdadasked,helpingMelissaservedinner.“Ihave.”“All her schoolfriends have them. They’re like that elf, you know, at

Christmas, that comes alive when all the humans leave the room? Creepylittlethings.Expensive,too.Youneverhadanythinglikethatwhenyouwereakid,didyou?”“Nope,” said Valkyrie. “No elves. No fairies. I didn’t even have an

imaginaryfriend.”“Idid,” saidDesmond. “HisnamewasBarry.Hewasalwaysgettingme

intotrouble.”“I didn’t have time to have an imaginary friend,”Melissa said. “I had a

very full social calendar, even back then. I’ve always had lots of friends,actually.ThenIgotmarriedandtheyallkindofdriftedaway.”Desmondgrinned.“That’stheeffectIhaveonpeople.”“Iknowyou’rejoking,”Melissasaid,“butyoucanbequiterude.”“It’snotme,”Desmondprotested.“It’sBarry.”Melissasighed.“Gordonwasthesame.Awonderfulman,suchabigheart,

butcompletelyoblivious.”“Yeah,”saidDesmond,“weEdgleymenaregreat.”

TherewasaknockonthedoorandDesmondwenttoanswerit.MelissaputaplateoffoodinfrontofValkyrie.Roastchicken,roastvegetables,peas,andthemostperfectlyroastedpotatoes.“Thankyou,”saidValkyrie.“Um,”saidMelissa.“Yes?”Her mum winced. “We should have told you. I thought it’d be a nice

surprise,butIregretnownottellingyou.”“Nottellingmewhat?”“Thatwasa lie. Ididn’t tellyoubecause Iwanted it tobea surprise– I

didn’ttellyoubecauseIthoughtyoumightsayno.”“Saynotowhat?”DesmondcamebackintothekitchenandSkulduggerysteppedinafterhim,

hishatinhishand.“SorryI’mlate,”hesaid.

OceanofPDF.com

17

Valkyriefrowned.“Idon’tgetit.”“WeinvitedSkulduggery,”Melissasaid.“Youdid?”Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Youdidn’tknow?”Valkyrieheldupahandtohim.“Holdon,you.”Then,toherparents,“How

didyouinvitehim?”“Wecalledhimlastnight,”saidhermum.“Howdoyouhavehisnumber?”“Yougaveittous,remember?Incaseyou…weren’tincontactwithusfor

anylengthoftime.”Valkyrienarrowedhereyes.“Youwereonlysupposedtouseit incaseof

emergencies.”“Thisisanemergency,”Desmondsaid.“Asocialemergency.Wethoughtit

wasimportantthatweallsitdownand…chat.Aboutthings.”“Doyoumind?”Melissa asked. “Skulduggery is such a big part of your

life.Wewanttogettoknowhim–andwewanttogettoknowyou.Doesthatmakesense?Isthatweird?”“It’s not weird, no, but it’s …” Valkyrie shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.

Skulduggery,takeaseat.”“Thankyou,”Skulduggerysaid.“Ithoughtyouknew.”“It’scool.”“Ihaven’tbeeninvitedtodinnerinaboutthreehundredyears,soIsaidyes

withoutevenbotheringtocheck.”“People don’t invite you to dinner?” Desmond asked, putting a plate of

foodinfrontofhim.“Idon’teat,”Skulduggerysaid,andDesmondnodded,and took the food

away. Alice came down the stairs and Skulduggery activated his façade,turningtoherwhensheranin.“Hello.”“Hello,”shesaid.Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Whyareyousoshort?”“I’monlyseven,”Alicesaid.

“That’snoexcuse.WhenIwasyourage, Iwas twiceas tallasyou.Youshouldgrowtaller.”“Iwill,whenI’molder.”“You’renotjustbeinglazy,areyou?”“No.”“Doyoupromise?”“Ipromise.”“Comeoverhere.”Withouthesitation,Alicecrossedtheroom.“Myname isSkulduggery,”Skulduggery said. “It’s a bigword.Canyou

sayit?”“Skuduggery.”“Skulduggery.”“Skulduggery.”“Verygood.Andyou areAlice.We’vemet before,whenyouwere even

smallerthanyouarenow.YouwereababythelasttimeIsawyou.”“NowI’mseven.”“That’s right. You’re a little girl now. It’s very good tomeet you again,

Alice.”“It’sverygoodtomeetyou.”“Areyoujoiningusfordinner?”“Yes.”SheturnedtoValkyrie.“Ican’tfindSparkles.”Valkyrie looked thoughtful. “Well, shedoes come to lifewhenwe’renot

there,soshe’sprobablyplayinghide-and-seekwithyou.Ifyouwereafairy,wherewouldyouhide?”“Intheclouds.”“OK,but Idon’t think thewindow’sopen,soshe’sprobablystill inyour

bedroom.Maybeinyourbed?Undertheblanketsor—”“Orunderthepillow!”Valkyrieclickedherfingers.“Ibetthat’swheresheis!”Aliceranupstairsagain.“Ihavequestions,”Desmondsaid,asheandMelissasatdown.“Goahead,”Skulduggerysaid.“Isthisyouractualface,fromwhenyouwerealive?”“No,” Skulduggery answered. “It’s a random selection. Sometimes they

repeat;sometimesthey’rebrandnew.”“Doyouhavemagictoilets?”Valkyriesighed.“Dad…”“What?Ijustwanttoknowiftherearemagicalversionsofeverydayitems.

Amagictoiletwouldbeagoodidea,wouldn’tit?Maybethepeedisappears

beforeithitsthebowl.”“Des,”saidMelissa,shakingherhead.“What? I’m curious. If the pee disappears, where does it go? Does it

evaporateorisit,Idon’tknow,transportedtoanotherdimension?Whenwespoke lastnight,you saidyou’d justgotback fromaparalleldimension. Isthereanentiredimensionthatisjustfilledwithourpee?Oristhereaparalleldimensionthatisjustlikeours,butourpeeistheirrain?Everytimewepee,arewepeeingonmillionsofpeople?”“No,Desmond,”Skulduggerysaid.“Thatdoesn’thappen.”Desmondnodded.“That’sprobablyagoodthing.”“Therearen’tmagicalversionsofeveryhouseholditem.Sorcerersusethe

samethingsmortalsdo.Welivesidebyside,afterall.”“Notanymoreyoudon’t.YouliveinRoarhavennow.”“Notallofus,”Skulduggerysaid.Desmondleanedforward.“Whataboutwands?”“Wedon’tusewands,Dad,”saidValkyrie.“Then how come they’re a thing?Why did they become associatedwith

magicians?”“Afewhundredyearsago,”Skulduggerysaid,“somesorcerersdidindeed

usewands.”Valkyrieraisedaneyebrow.“Ididn’tknowthat.”“Itwasapassingfad,”heexplained.“Embarrassingtoallwhowitnessedit

and, as it turned out, quite damaging. In much the same way thatNecromancers use an object to channel their power, sorcerers of differentdisciplinesusedwandstofocustheirabilities.Necromancers,however,needtouseobjectsastheirpoweristoounstable.”“Howwasusingwandsdamaging?”“Magic is instinctual. As such, it’s affected by our moods. If a sorcerer

panics, their control is diminished. Channelling theirmagic throughwandsmeant they were unconsciously limiting their own potential. It’s called theWandPrinciple.”“Thatmakessense,”Desmondsaid,nodding.“TheWandPrinciple.I like

that.”Alicehurried in,Sparkles inonehand.Shesatatherplace.Nobodywas

eating.“Well,I’mhungry,”saidValkyrie,andpickedupherknifeandfork.“Please,allofyou,begin,”Skulduggerysaid.“Don’tmindme.”The others started to eat. The food was everything Valkyrie had

remembered.

“So,” Melissa said, “what have you been up to for the last five years,Skulduggery? Stephanie told us that an ex-girlfriend of yours has beenbroughtbacktolife.That’sanunusualsituation.”“Isuppose it is,”Skulduggerysaid.“Yes,Abyssiniaand Ihaveahistory,

but thatwashundredsofyearsago.Alothashappenedforbothofussincethen.”“Wasn’t she just a heart in a box for most of that, though?” asked

Desmond,hismouthfull.“Well, yes, you’re right,which brings tomind some intriguing questions

about how internal organs perceive the passage of time – but Abyssiniamanaged to communicate with people and entities telepathically while shewasinthere,soIthinkit’sfairtoassumethatsheexperiencedatleastsomegrowthasaperson.”“Still,anythinginvolvinganexisboundtobeawkward,especiallyonethat

you…um…”“K-I-L-L-E-D,”Skulduggeryfinished,glancingatAlice.“Yes,thatbrings

with it itsownuniquecomplications.Westillhaven’tspoken, though,sinceshewasresurrected,soI’mafraidIcan’tgiveyouadefinitiveanswer.”“Idon’twantpeas,”saidAlice.“Justeatafewofthem,”Melissasaid,beforeturningbacktoSkulduggery.

“Whatareyouworkingonnow?Anythingexciting?”“Just theusual,”Valkyrie saidbeforeSkulduggerycouldanswer. “People

withstrangenamesdoingstrangethingsforstrangereasons.”“Anythingdangerous?”“No, not really.Notwhat I’d call…Skulduggery,what do you think? I

wouldn’tcallitdangerous.Wouldyou?”“No,”saidSkulduggery.“Notdangerous.Notatall.”Valkyrienodded,andwentbacktoeating.“It’snotexactlysafe,either,”Skulduggerycontinued,“butdangerousis…

I’vealwaysfeltthatit’sawordloadedwithunhelpfulconnotations.”Valkyriechewedfaster,butMelissawasalreadyaskingafollow-up.“Just

toclarify–hownot-safeisit?Stephanie?Couldyougethurtdoingwhateveritisyou’redoing?”Valkyrieswallowed.“Icouldgethurtcrossingtheroad,Mum.”“Whichiswhyyouweretaughttolookbothways.”“Shestilldoesthat,”Skulduggeryinterjected.“She’sverygoodatcrossing

theroad.”“Thanks,”Valkyriesaid,givinghimaglarebeforesmilingreassuringlyat

herparents.“I’msafe.I’mtakingcareofmyself.I’mnotinanydanger.”

“Whataboutthisex-girlfriend?Anyonethatcancomebackfromthedeadsoundslikeshemightbetrouble.”“The High Sanctuary has people working on that,” Valkyrie said. “That

isn’twhatwedoanymore.We’reArbitersnow.We’renotsentout;we’renotassignedanything.Wegettopickandchoosethecasesweworkon.AndI’mstilleasingbackintothings,remember?I’mtakingitniceandslow.”Melissa put down her knife and fork. “Skulduggery, do you promise to

keepourdaughtersafe?”Valkyrieclosedhereyes.Sheknewwhatwascoming.“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Skulduggery said. “We have no way of

knowingwherea lineof investigationwill takeusorhowdangerous itwillget.ButyoucanrestassuredthatIwilldomyverybesttokeepyourdaughteralive.Myvery,verybest.”Valkyrie’sparentslookedathim.“Sohow’sFergusandBeryl?”Valkyrieaskedthemquickly.Melissahesitated,reluctanttomovetoadifferentsubject.“They’redoing

…fine,wethink.Wedon’treallyseethemmuch.They’vebeenhavingsometroublewiththegirls.”“What’shappened?”“Ah,it’snothing.Peoplechange.Theygrowupandtheygrowapart.Even

sisters.Eventwins.Carolgotajobinasolicitor’sofficeandshe’smovedintoherownapartment.She’sdoingfine.Ithinksheevenhasaboyfriend.Crystalisstilllivingathome.”Desmondfrowned.“Shehadabitofanervousbreakdown,”hesaid.“She’s

beentoseeapsychiatrist,thepoormite.ShestartedthinkingthatCarolwasanimposter.There’sanameforit,somekindofdelusion…”“Capgrasdelusion,”Skulduggerysaid.“It’samisidentificationsyndrome,

commonlyfoundinparanoidschizophrenics.”Or people whose sisters had been murdered and then replaced by

reflections.Valkyrielookeddownatherplate.“IssheOK?”“She’sgotpillsshetakes,”Melissasaid.“Andshetalkstoherpsychiatrist

once or twice a week. She’s perfectly fine apart from… apart fromwhenCarol’saround.”Valkyrie’sthroatburned.“MaybeI’llcallin,”shesaidquietly.“I’msureshe’dlikethat,”Melissasaid.Skulduggery’s phone rang. “I do apologise,” he said, taking it from his

pocket.“Ah,it’sTemper.I’mafraidI’llhavetotakethis.”“I’lltalktohim,”Valkyriesaid,whippingthephoneoutofhishandasshe

stood up. She walked into the hall and then out of the front door as sheansweredthecall.

“Ihavenews,”Tempersaid.“Tellme.”“Valkyrie?Iseverythingallright?IsSkulduggeryintroubleagain?”“No,”shesaid,“he’sfine.He’shavingdinnerwithmyparents.Ijust…I

neededtogetoutofthere.Whatdoyouhave?”“ThechemistwhomakesQuidnunc’sserum–Ifoundouthisname.Gravid

Caw.He’sgotahouse inBlackCatDrive.Don’thaveawhole lotmoreonhim,I’mafraid–ifhe’sabadguy,he’sstayedclearoftheCityWatch.”“GravidCaw,BlackCatDrive.Gotit.Thankyou.”“Youwantmetohavesomeonehaulhiminforyoutoquestion?”“Naw, it’sOK.We only have a limited number of timeswe can do that

before your City Guard buddies get annoyed at being used to pick up oursuspects.Besides,weprefer tocatchbadguys in theirnaturalenvironment.It’smorefun.”Valkyriewentbackintothehouse.“Wehavetogo,”shesaid,handingthe

phonetoSkulduggery.“Already?”hermumasked,standing.“Youcan’tstayalittlelonger?Even

justfordessert?”“We really can’t,”Valkyrie said. “Mum, thankyou somuch fordinner. I

haven’t had food that good in ages. Dad, thanks for asking about magictoilets.”Shegavethembothakiss.“And thankyou for invitingme,” saidSkulduggery. “Itwasveryniceof

you.”ValkyriehuggedAlice.“I’llseeyouonThursday,OK?We’llhavethebest

day.”“Ican’twait,”Alicesaid,grinning.Valkyrie and Skulduggery left. The Bentley was parked at the corner.

Valkyrie unlocked her own car. “Gravid Caw is the chemist. He lives onBlackCatDrive.Meetyouthere?”“Ofcourse,”Skulduggerysaid.“Valkyrie, areyouall right?Yourparents

calledmeafterI’darrivedhomeyesterdayevening.Iwouldn’thavecomeifIhadknownI’dbeinterrupting.”“Youweren’tinterrupting.”“Iknowhowmuchyouwerelookingforwardtospendingsometimewith

yourfamily.Believeme,Iunderstand.”Shesmiled.“Thanks.Butyou’reneveraninterruption,yougotthat?Now

quitbeingconsiderate. It’sweird,and itmakesmewant to laughnervouslyandrunaway.”“Youareanoddwoman.”“Yep,”shesaid.

OceanofPDF.com

18

EveninColdheart,ascreamsofullofterrorwasacuriosityworthyoffurtherinvestigation,soCadaveroushunteditdownlikehe’dhuntedallthoseidioticco-eds through his house of horrors, finally turning a corner to see Razzialeaningoverthebarrier.“Areyouthrowingpeopleoffagain?”heasked,walkinguptoher.Shedidn’tlookround.“He’sthelastone,”shesaid.“Didyougethimtoapologise?”“Hegotdownonhiskneesandbeggedmetoforgivehim.Hesaidhegot

confusedinalltheexcitement.”“Youdidn’tforgivehim,obviously.”“We let themout of their cells to attackValkyrie and the skeleton.They

shouldhaveknownbetterthantoattackme,too.”Hervoicewaslow,herfaceexpressionless. Then she brightened, her unhinged smile returning. “Youshould’veseenthewayheevaporated,Caddie.Themomenthehitthatenergyfieldhejustwentzzaap,”andsheclickedherfingers.“I’msureitwaslovely.”“It was, actually. Very pretty. I might write a poem about it later.What

rhymeswithevaporated?”“Notmuch.”“Maporated.Isthataword?”“Notarealone.”“It’snoteasybeingapoet.”“Stick to what you’re good at, Razzia. Extreme violence and making

peopleuneasyinyourpresence.”Shesighedunhappily,andtookacrumpledballoffoilfromherpocket.“I

wanttotrynewthings,though.Iwanttostretchmyself.”“You’rebored,aren’tyou?”“Dunno,” she said, opening the ball. “I’ve never been bored before, so I

don’t know what it feels like. I’ve always had someone to kill or hunt ortorture.Idon’tevenviewitaswork,youknow?Isitevenwork,whenyou’redoingwhatyoulove?”

“It’savocation, iswhat it is.Butevensomeonelikeyouneedsdirection,andIdon’tthinkyou’vebeengettingthatlately.”The foil contained a few small pieces of raw meat. Razzia brought her

otherhandclose.“Thingsaredifferent,”shesaid.“BeforewegotAbyssiniaback,itwasnon-stop,youknow?Wewerealwaysbusy.Alwaysfocused.”“Butnowthat’sallchanged,”Cadaveroussaid.“We still have our plans, though.Abyssinia has her people in place, and

FirstWavearegettingreadytostrike.”Razzia’spalmopenedslowly,andtheparasitepokedout.Ablacktentaclewithaheadslightlythickerthanitsbody,it hadno eyesbut plentyof sharp, tiny teeth. It hoveredover the foil, thendippeddown,snatchingthemeatintoitsjaws.Cadaverous couldn’t take his eyes off it as it fed. “But is that enough to

keeplifeinteresting,Razzia?”“No,itain’t.Shewon’tevensendmeonthesimplejobsbecauseshethinks

I’lldosomethingcrazyandkillabunchofpeoplefornoreason.”“Iknow.”“Ialwayshaveareason,Caddie.”“Iknowthat,too.”“But she sends Skeiri instead, because apparently she has more ‘self-

control’.What’ssogoodaboutself-control?”“NothingthatIcansee.”“IhateSkeiri.”“Iknow.”“She’sbasicallyjustasaneversionofme.Weevenhavethesamepets!”“Whataretheodds?”“Herpets aren’t aswell-trained asmine, though.And see thisguy?He’s

longer than Skeiri’s, and he’s not even fully grown yet. And her pets aregreen.Canyouimagineit?Howugly.”“Veryugly.”“CanItellyousomething?Andpromiseyouwon’ttellanyoneelse?”Cadaverousdraggedhiseyesawayfromtheparasite.“Ofcourse.”“I’m not sure that I have any friends here. Like real, actualmates.Nero

makesmewant to stab him every time I talk to him andDestrier’s alwaysworking on his little projects, and he’s a weirdo anyway… For so long,Abyssiniawasmyfriend,avoiceinmyheadthatonlyIcouldhear.Butshebarelydoesthatanymore,andwhenshedoesitjustfeels…weird.”“I’dliketothinkthatI’myourfriend,Razzia.”Shesmiled.“Yeah.Ireckonyouare.”Shelookeddownattheparasiteasit

ate.“Butyou’reapsychopath,soIdon’tthinkyoucount.”

“Doyouwanttoknowasecret?”Cadaverousasked.“I’vebeenhavingtheexactsamethoughtsasyou.I’mbored.It’sasifallAbyssiniawantedwasforus tobringherbackto life,soshefilledourheadswithall thesewonderfulideasofananti-Sanctuaryandgettingrevengeonthepeoplewho’vewrongedus…and,nowthatshe’sback,allshecaresaboutisherselfandherson.”“Youreallythinkshewasfoolingus?”“Idon’tknow,”Cadaveroussaid,shrugging.“Ihopenot.Butthat’showit

seems.That’showitfeels.”The parasite finished its lunch and retracted into Razzia’s palm. She

crumpledupthefoilandtosseditovertheside.“IthinkI’mhavingamidlifecrisis.”“WejustneedtoremindAbyssiniathatwe’rehere,andwe’revaluable.We

just need someway to impress her again.” Cadaverous gave a little shrug.“Oh,well.Ifanythingoccurstoyou…”Helethiswordshang,andstartedwalkingaway.“Whatabout…”Razziasaid,andhervoicetrailedoff.Cadaverousturned.“Yes?”“Nothing.”“No,goon.Whatwereyougoingtosay?”Shehesitated.“Well, ifallAbyssiniacaresabout isgettingCaissonback,

thenshe’dbe,like,superhappywithusifwefoundhim.”Cadaverous frowned. “But she’s assigned Avatar to that job, and, from

whatIgather,heismerehoursawayfromfindingtheambulanceroute.He’sgoingtogetallthepraise.He’sgoingtogetallthefunjobs.”“Yeah,butwecould,youknow…killhim.”“Killhim?”“Justalittle,”Razziasaidquickly.“Justslightly.”“So what you’re suggesting is that we wait for Avatar to find the

ambulance’s route…and thenwekillhim, sneakoffourselves, and rescueCaisson.”“Well, I mean, yeah,” said Razzia. “Why not? We bring her son back,

Abyssinia’sgonnaloveus.”Cadaveroussmiled.“You’renotasinsaneasyouseem,areyou?”Razzia laughed, then turned deadly serious. “Oh, no, I am, but. I really

am.”

OceanofPDF.com

19

ItwaslateeveningbythetimetheyfoundGravidCawstandingwithasmallgroupofpeopleat thestepsof theHighSanctuary.Theywerechantingandwaving placards, calling for the refugees to be sent homewhile impassiveCleaversstoodsostilltheymighthavebeencarvedfromgranite.Valkyriewalkedupandstoodbesidehim.Hedidn’tnoticeforthefirstfew

seconds–hewasfartoobusychantingandwavinghisplacard.“I like your sign,” saidValkyrie, andGravid turned his head to her.His

eyeswidenedwhen he realisedwho shewas. “There are no typos, for onething.I’vealwaysthought,what’sthepointofhatingsomeoneifyoucan’tbegrammaticallycorrectaboutit?”“I, uh, I don’t hate anyone,” Gravidmumbled, andwent tomove away.

ThenSkulduggerywasonhisotherside.“Well,”hesaid,“youhatemortalsalittle.”“No,”Gravid responded, growing noticeably paler. “We’re just…we’re

heretoensurethey’retreatedfairly.”Valkyrieraisedaneyebrow.“Thiswillbeinteresting.”The chanting died down once the protesters saw who had joined them.

Valkyrie smiled. Skulduggery waved. The protesters glanced at each other,glanced at Gravid, and then moved away, abandoning him to restart theirprotestalittlefurtheron.Gravid’sshouldersslumped.“Youweresaying,”Valkyrieprompted,“aboutyourstruggletoensurethe

mortalsaretreatedfairly.”Gravid cleared his throat, then cleared it again. “We just don’t think it’s,

you know, fair that they’re being kept in tents and things. They’re notanimals,afterall.Theyhavetheirdignity.”“First of all,” Valkyrie said, “yes, they do have their dignity, thanks for

reminding us. That’s very important. Second, how many animals do youknow of that are kept in tents? Is that a thing, keeping animals in tents? Imean,cattlecanbekeptinsheds,andhorsesinstables,butI’veneverheardofananimalthatiskeptinatent.”“It’s,uh,metaphorical.”

Valkyriefrowned.“Whichpart,theanimalsorthetent?”“I have a question,” Skulduggery said, taking the placard fromGravid’s

hand and examining it. “It says here: KeepMortals Out of Roarhaven. Soobviouslyyou’renotinvitingthemin.Youdon’twantthemoutsideintents,youdon’twanttheminsideinhouses…sowheredoyouwantthem?”Graviddidn’tanswer.“Do you think we should send them to Dublin, or Cork, or Belfast?”

Skulduggery continued. “Do you think they could assimilate into mortalculturehere?Thatwouldbetroublesome,though,wouldn’tit?They’refromanalternatedimension.Itwouldbequitethesecurityrisk.”Gravidmumbledsomething.“Sorry?”Valkyriesaid.“Whatwasthat?”Gravidclearedhisthroatoncemore.“Wecouldsendthemback.”“Sendthembackwhere?”“Backwheretheycamefrom.”Skulduggery didn’t say anything. He was leaving this to Valkyrie. She

joinedhiminsilenceforamoment,enjoyingtheeffectitwashavingonpoorlittleGravid.Hewaspracticallysquirminginhisshoes.“Doyouknowwhytheycamehere?”sheasked.Gravidgirdedhimself.“Theunfortunatecircumstancetheyfindthemselves

inshouldnotbeourconcern.”“Butdoyouknow?”“Whyshouldwebeheldresponsiblefor—”“Yes or no answer, Gravid,” Valkyrie interrupted. “Do you know what

they’rerunningfrom?”“Yes,butthat’sgotnothingtodowithus.”“Soyouknowthatthey’refleeingfrom,basically,genocide,yes?”“Ihavesympathyforthem,”Gravidsaid,“ofcourseIdo,butwehaveto

helpourownbeforewecaneventhinkofhelpingothers.”“Well,you’redefinitelynot thinkingofhelpingothers,soyou’rehalfway

therealready.”“Look—”“Look?”Valkyrierepeated,steppingcloser.“Areyoulosingyourpatience

with me, Gravid? Are you getting angry? Are you upset that I’m not justacceptingyournastylittleexcusesliketherestofyoursign-wavingfriends?Whatdoyou intend todoabout that,eh?Youwant tobullyme?Intimidateme?TellmetogobackwhereIcamefrom?”Gravid swallowed. “We’re having a peaceful protest. I’m not losing my

patiencewithanyone.”

“I’m losingmypatiencewithyou,Gravid.Gravid.What does that nameevenmean,anyhow?”“Itmeansmeaningful,”Gravidsaidquietly.“Italsomeanspregnant,”Skulduggerysaid.“I didn’t know that when I chose it,” Gravid muttered. “But I’m doing

nothing wrong, OK? You can’t arrest me for standing on the street andvoicinganopinion.I’mentitledtoit.”Valkyriefrownedagain.“Whotoldyouthat?”“Whotoldmewhat?”“Thatyou’reentitledtoanopinion,”Valkyriesaid.“Whotoldyou?”“But…butIam.”“Sonoonetoldyou.Youjusthearditsomewhereanddecideditwastrue.

You’renotentitledtoanopinion,Gravid.You’refacedwithrightandwrong.You’re choosingwrong, and, because you can’t defend that choicewithoutadmittingthatyou’rewrong,youclaimthatyou’reentitledtobelieveinalieif you so wish.” She leaned in. “I hate people like you, Gravid. I despisethem.You’renotevenstrongenoughtobehonestabouthowrottenyouare.”“Besides,”Skulduggerysaid,clampingahandonGravid’sshoulder,“who

saidwewerehere to arrestyou? Inever said anythingabout arrestingyou.Valkyrie,didyousayanythingaboutarrestingGravid?”“Ithoughtit,”Valkyriesaid.“She’ddo it, too,” saidSkulduggery. “That’s theproblemyou facewhen

you deal with Arbiters.We don’t answer to anyone.We could arrest you,throwyouinacell,andyou’dlanguishthereuntilwerememberedtoaskyouthosequestionswe’dbeenmeaningto.”“What,uh,whatquestions?”“It’s about your day job, actually. Nothing to do with standing on

pavementsandwavingsignsaboutsendingpeoplebacktogetmurdered.No,thisisaboutyourjob,notyourhobby.”“I’munemployed.”“In thiseconomy?Howcanthatbe?Roarhavenis thriving.There’swork

foreveryone.”“Maybeyou’renotlookinghardenough,”Valkyriesaid.“Ormaybeyou’re

toobusymakingillegaldrugs.”Gravid shook his head in an unconvincing attempt at appearing

unconcerned.“Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.”“Thedrugs,Gravid,”Skulduggerysaid.“She’stalkingaboutthedrugsyou

makeinyourbasement,illegally,thatyouthenselltopeople.Formoney.”“Idon’t…Idon’tdothat.”

“Youarepossibly less convincing thanyou thinkyouare, but I’mafraidwe’vejustcomefromyourbasement.”Gravid’seyeswidened.“You’renotallowedtodothat!Youneedawarrant

tosearchsomeone’shouse!”“Forsomeonewhodoesn’tviewmortalstoohighly,youseemtothinkthat

a lot of their laws apply to you. We don’t need warrants, Gravid. We’reArbiters.Weknocked, youweren’t home, and very gentlywe let ourselvesin.”“You’regoingtoneedanewdoor,”Valkyriesaid.Skulduggerynodded.“It’spossibleyoumightneedanewdoor,butthat’s

onlyifyoulikedoors.Personally,Ithinkthegapingholeletsalotoflightin.Whilewewerethere,inyourhouse,wehappenedtofindthehiddenentranceto the basement. Well, I don’t mind telling you, we were surprised. Wecertainlydidn’texpecttofindtheentranceinthewall,didwe,Valkyrie?”“Wedidnot.”“Imean,wethoughtitmightbethere,butweweren’tsure.”“You’regoingtoneedanewwall,too,”saidValkyrie.“Just a slight wall,” Skulduggery nodded. “The west one. It’s got some

holesinit.Foursmallonesandabigone.Anyway,oncewefoundthehiddenbasement, we found all the paraphernalia that you use to make the illegaldrugs.Therewasalotofit.”“Somuch,”saidValkyrie.“Ahugeamount.WetoldtheCityGuardaboutthat,bytheway.Afriendof

ours,aniceAmericanman,you’lllikehim,isonhiswaytoseeyou.Idon’twanttospoilanything,butyou’relookingatalotofgaoltime.”“Somuch,”saidValkyrie.“Ahugeamount.”Gravid tried to bolt, but Skulduggery grabbed his arm and squeezed his

shoulderandherosetohistiptoesandcriedout.“Butbeforeallthat,”Skulduggerysaid,“wewerewonderingifyoucould

answerafewquestions. It’sgotnothing todowith theprotest,don’tworry,andnothing todowith the illegaldrugs,either.Anotherdrugyoumake–aperfectlylegalone,sogoodforyouonthat–istocombatnecrosis.YoumakethatoneforamannamedQuidnunc.Weneedtofindthisman.Whereishe?Doyouknow?”“All…allthisjusttofindQuidnunc?”“Yes.”“Breakingintomyhouse,findingthedrugs,callingtheCityGuard…and

youjustwantedtoknowwhereQuidnuncis?Iwouldhavetoldyou!Ifyou’dasked,Iwouldhavetoldyou,noproblem!”

Skulduggerynodded toValkyrie.“See?I toldyouhe’dbenice.Where isQuidnunc,Gravid?”“He’sstayingattheSadists’Club.”“I’veneverheardofit.”“It’sreallysecret.”“Isitaclubforsadists?”“Yes.”“Clever.”“Idon’tknowwhere it is–Quidnuncnever said.Didyou reallycall the

cops?”“Yes.”“Aw,man. Iwould have told you.You just had to ask. Like thewoman

did.”Valkyrienarrowedhereyes.“Whatwoman?”“Awoman in redcame toseeme,askingaboutQuidnunc,butshedidn’t

pullanyofthestuffthatyoujustpulled.Shesimplyasked,andleft.”“Didshehavesilverhair?”“Yes.”“Didshesayanythingaboutherplans?Anythingthatcouldhelpusfigure

out where she is? If you have something useful, we could talk to ourAmerican friend and he could take it into account when your charges arebeingfiled.”“OK,”saidGravid,“OK,yeah,shedid,shesaid,uh…”“True thingsonly,”Skulduggerysaid.“Lieswill result inevenmoregaol

time.”Gravidsagged.“Thenno.Nothing.”TheytookGravidCawtothenearestCleaverandhandedhimover.“Thatwasfun,”saidValkyrie“Youreallygotintoitthattime.”“Heannoyedme.So–theSadists’Club.Anyideawhereitis?”“Not yet, but I’m sure I know just the people to ask.Would you like to

accompanyme?”“Willtherebepunching?”“Probably.”“Then,ifit’sallthesametoyou,I’llgiveitamiss.IfIcangoafullday

withouthavingtohitanyoneorinflictphysicalpain,I’mgoingtodoit.That’smyNewYear’sresolution.”“You’reaboutninemonthstoolate.”“ImeantmyChineseNewYear’sresolution.”“Thenyou’reabouteightmonthstoolate.”

“Thenit’sjustsomethingI’vedecided.”“That’sfairenough.I’llmeetyouhereinthemorning?”“Cool.I’llbeherearoundnine.”SkulduggerydoffedhishattoherandwalkedtowardstheBentley.Valkyrie

turnedandheadedoffintheoppositedirection.Onceinhercar,sheleftRoarhavenbehindher,andtheroadsgotbumpier

before widening again and smoothing out. She joined the motorway. Thistimeofnight, therewasn’tverymuch traffic.She turnedon the radio, sangalong with the music, allowing her mind to drift. She changed lanes andadjustedspeedwithoutgivinganyofitmuchthought.Afterabit,shestoppedsinging and turnedoff the radio and just drove in silence.Hermind settledintotherhythmoftheroad.Thedroneofthetyresfilledthecarslowlyuntilshewasallaloneintheworld.AbyssiniawalkedacrossthemotorwayandValkyriecursedandbrakedand

swervedandwentrightthroughher.Thecarrockedtoastop.Valkyriejumpedout,energycracklingbetweenherfingers,cracklingfrom

hereyes,herteethbared,readytofight,buttheroadwasquietandempty,andAbyssiniawasneitherlyingtherenorstandingthere.Shewasn’tthereatall.Ahallucination,that’sallitwas.Ahallucinationoravision,broughtonby

themeditative state she’d been sinking into. SoValkyriewas either havingflashbackstopsychicepisodesorhavingpsychicepisodeswithoutmeaningto– she didn’t knowwhichwasworse. She got back in the car, restarted theengineanddidaslowU-turn.Backontrack,thecardrovestraightandsteadylikenothinghadhappened,

butValkyrie’shandsshookastheygrippedthewheel.

OceanofPDF.com

20

Downbelow,theenergyfieldhummedwithpower,itslightflickeringoffthelowertierofcells.Cadaverous took the folded paper from Avatar’s hand and opened it.

PrinteduponthethreesheetswasadetailedroutethroughEurope,completewithtimings,reststops,anddistanceinbothmilesandkilometres.Everythinga group of sorcerers would need to keep a private ambulance movingsmoothly, and everything a certain other group of sorcerers would need toambushsaidambulance.“You’vedonegoodwork,”Cadaveroussaid.“Verygoodwork,actually.I

didn’tthinkyouhadeitherthecontactsortheintelligencetopull thisoff, ifI’mbeinghonest.Ithoughtyouwereallmuscleandnobrains–butitseemsAbyssiniawasrightaboutyou.”Avatardidn’tanswer.Cadaverous chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised. I can admit when I’m

wrong.DoyoumindifItakethis?Youdon’t?That’ssoniceofyou.This…thisiswhatIlove.I’moneoftheoriginals,youstartedfollowingAbyssiniaaftershereleasedyoufromyourcell,butherewebothare,workingtogether.Asateam.”Cadaverousfoldedthesheetsandtuckedthemintohispocket, then lifted

Avataroff theground,gruntingslightlywith theeffort.Hedraggedhim theshortdistancetothebalcony,andheavedhimover.Zzaap,asRazziawouldsay.

OceanofPDF.com

21

It was a Monday morning, which meant that Omen had already missed adoublemathsclassand,ashehandedblanketstoanever-endinglineofwary,hungrymortals, he was nowmissing civics. He was glad tomiss maths –whenwashe evergoing tohave to addnumbers inhis adult life?–butheregrettedmissingcivics.HisclassmateswerebeinggiventheirfirstlessononhowtoforgeanID.Thosekindsofthingswouldbeusefultoknowinthenextfewhundredyears.Instead,herehewasinasortofmarket,rightintheverycentreoftheCity

of Tents, a proud member of Miss Gnosis’s volunteer team of nine. He’dnevervolunteeredforanythingbefore,andhewasstartingtorememberwhy.Itwasboring,forastart,andthemortalswerehardlyanyfun,whatwiththemhatingandfearinganyonewhocoulddomagic.Hewonderedhowtheyfeltabout people who could barely do magic, like Omen himself, but decidedagainstasking.Heprobablydidn’tknowthemwellenoughtomakejokes.Someonetappedhimontheshoulder.“MissGnosissaysI’mtorelieveyou,”Axeliasaid.“Oh,” said Omen, and blushed, and stepped aside, and Axelia started

handingout theblankets.She’dbeenweirdwithhimallmorning,everyonehad,probablybecausetheyallfiguredhe’donlyvolunteeredbecauseshe’dbehere.He wandered over to Miss Gnosis, who was supervising the food

distribution.“Um,miss?What’llIdonow?”“You’reonyourbreak,”MissGnosissaid,flickingthroughthepagesofher

clipboard.“Gomingle.”Omen didn’t really knowhow tomingle.He’dwatchedNever do it, but

hadn’t ever come close to mastering that particular skill himself. Two ofAxelia’s friendsweregivinghimtheside-eyeandwhispering toeachother,however, so he plunged into the crowd of mortals to escape, and foundhimselfjostledandjumbledandthenspatouttheotherside,nearlycollidingwithastalllinedwithpots.Thegirlbehindthestallnarrowedhereyesathim.

Omen looked at her, then decided to smile. He may have overdone it,becausethegirlrecoiledslightly.“Hi,”saidOmen.“Um.Hello.”“Hello,”saidthegirl.Omenstuckouthishand.“Myname’sOmen,”hesaid.“OmenDarkly.”Sheobservedhishandforamomentbeforeshakingit.“Aurnia.”“Hi,Aurnia.Verygoodtomeetyou.You’re thefirstpersonfromanother

dimensionthatI’veeveractuallyspokento.”Shedidn’tsayanythingtothat,sohecontinued.“Imean,obviously,IspoketothepeoplewhenIwasgivingthemblankets,

but it wasn’t anything that you’d call a conversation. It was mostly just,Hello, here’s a blanket, and then they’dwalk away. So…”He cleared histhroat.“It’saschoolthing,thefoodandblankets.Ivolunteered.Doyouhaveschoolswhereyou’refrom?”“Yes.”“Yes.Ofcourse.Whodoesn’thaveschools?”Omenlaughed.“They’reall

thesame,nomatterwhichuniverseyou’refrom.It’salladrag.Ihateschool,y’know?Well,it’sOK.Someoftheteachersarenice,butIthinkI’mjustnotverysmart.”Hewassayingthewrongthings.Hedidn’tknowwhattherightthingstosaywere,buthewasnotsayingthem.“Sowhatdoyouthinkofouruniverse?”hecontinued.“Prettycool,right?”“It’swarmenough.”“Sorry?”“It’swarm.It’sfine.”“Oh,”Omensaid.“Oh,Igetit.Um,whenIsaycool,Idon’tmeancold.It’s

an expressionwe have here. Itmeans something good.Y’know, hey, that’scool. I’m cool. You’re cool. It’s an expression. Do you have expressionswhereyou’refrom?”“Yes.”“Cool.Well…itwasverygoodtomeetyou.”Hewaved,andbackedoff,

andbattledhiswaythroughthecrowd.“Makingfriends?”MissGnosisasked.“Idon’tthinkso,”saidOmen.“Shedidn’tlookveryhappytotalktome.”“She’s been through a lot. They all have.Remember that their culture is

vastlydifferentfromours,andalsosheprobablyseesyouasevil.”“Right.”“Whichprobablyexplainsherreluctancetochat.”“Isuppose.”“Idon’tthinkit’sanythingpersonal.”“Maybeit’smyface.”

“Yourfaceisfine.”“Idon’tthinkgirlslikeit,though.”She passed him a badge. “Here. Invite your new friend to be one of the

ambassadors.Letherseethatyou’renotabadguy.”The crowdhad thinnedby this stage, soOmen returned toAurnia’s stall

withoutmakingafooloutofhimself.“Aurnia?” he said. “Um, I was wondering if you’d like to be an

ambassador,maybe?We’regivingoutthesebadgestopeoplethatwe’dliketotalkto,goingforward,tocomeupwithwaystohelpout.We’reinterestedinhearingwhatyouneed,whatyourconcernsare,thatkindofthing.”Sheeyedthebadgesuspiciously.“Whatweneed?”sherepeated.“Yes. If that’smore food,ormoreblankets,ormedicine,or…whatever.

Wewanttoopenadialoguewithyourpeople.”“Idon’tspeakforthem.”“Butyoucan,”saidOmen.“That’swhat this littlebadgedoes.It letsyou

speak.Imean,itdoesn’tletyouspeak,youdon’tneedittospeak,butitkindofputsyouinapositionwhereyoucangetheard.Ifyoulike.Ifthatinterestsyou.”“Thatlittlebuttondoesallthat?”“Yes.”Hehelditouttoher.“Ifyouwantit.”Aurnia considered it, then took the badge. “My people are scared,” she

said.“Wedidn’tknowwhatwasontheothersideoftheportal–allweknewwasthatifwestayedinourhomeswe’dbekilled.Nowpeoplearesayingifwestayherewe’llbekilled.”“No,”saidOmen,hiseyeswide.“No,no.Wedon’tkillpeople.God,no.

You’re innocent, and you’re unarmed, and you’re mortal. We don’t killmortals.Sorcerersprotectmortals.”“Fromwhat?”“Uh,mostlyfromothersorcerers.”“LikeMevolent.”“Yes,”Omensaid.“Wehadourownversionofhim,inthisdimension.We

stoppedhim.He’sdeadhere.IftheMevolentfromyourhometriestofollowyouthroughtheportal,we’llkillhim,too.”Aurniadidn’tappeartobereassured.“Whatareyougoingtodotous?”“We’re,um,we’renot…I’msorry,whatdoyoumean?”“Ifyou’renotgoingtokillus,wherewillyouputus?”“To be honest,” Omen said, shrugging helplessly, “they’re still trying to

figure that out.SupremeMageSorrows– she’s in charge– is avery smartlady,though,soshe’llthinkofsomething.You’resafenow.Youcanrelax.”

“We’re not safe,” Aurnia replied. “We’re in a strange world and we’resurroundedbysorcerers.”“We’renotallbad,”saidOmen.“Iknowyourexperiencewithpeoplelike

mehasbeenprettyterrible.I’veheardaboutwhatit’slikeoverthere,inyourreality.Butthingsaredifferenthere.Themortalsarefreeandhappy.Well,notallofthem,butingeneral.Kindof.WhatI’mtryingtosayisthatthisistheirworld.”“Theyruleoveryou?”“Well,no,becausetheydon’tevenknowweexist.”“Theyhavetheirowncities?”“Theyhaveallthecities,”Omensaid,“allexceptthisone,andRoarhaven

iskindofinvisible.Thisisn’taperfectuniverse,andnoteverythingisfairorgood and not everyone is happy, but I’m telling you, you don’t have to bescaredofus.”She looked doubtful. “And you,” she said, “you promise you’re a good

sorcerer?”“I,uh…IpromiseItrytobeagoodperson.Idon’tthinkanyonewould

reallysayI’magoodsorcerer.”Shegaveareluctantsmile.Itwasaprettyone.“Idon’tmindthatatall,”

shesaid.Omensmiledback,suddenlyseeingtheupsideofvolunteeringforstuff.

OceanofPDF.com

22

After almost crashing her car the previous night, Valkyrie decided to letSkulduggerypickherup.SheleftXenaoutsidesothatshecouldrunaround,andgotintheBentley.Skulduggery’sfaçadewasatannedgentlemanwithablondmoustache.“Nice,”saidValkyrie.“HaveyoufoundoutwheretheSadists’Clubis?”“Notyet,”hesaid,swoopingthecarroundandheadingforthegate.“But

I’mexpectingacallfromoneofmycontactswhowill–hopefully–relaythatinformation.”“IsTemperthecontact?”“No.”“He’susuallythecontact.”“Ihavemorethanonecontact,youknow.”Sheshrugged,andsank intoa silence that lasteduntil they’d reached the

motorway.“IseverythingOK?”Skulduggeryasked.“Sorry?”“Youseemquiet.”“DoI?”“IthinkIknowwhy.”Valkyrie looked at him, and didn’t say anything. There was no way he

knewaboutthevisions.Noway.“It’saboutthedinner,isn’tit?Iruinedyourfamilydinnerandyou’remad

atme.”“I’mnotmadatyou,”shesaid, relaxing.“Youknowwhathappenswhen

I’mmadatyou.”“Youtendtothrowmugsatme.”“AndhaveIthrownanymugs?Doyouevenseeanymugs?No.SoI’mnot

madatyou.I’mnotmadatmyparents,either,eventhoughtheyinvitedyouwithoutaskingme.Iunderstandwhytheydidit.They’reworriedaboutme;theythinkgettingmoreinvolvedinmylifewilleasetheirminds.”

“Itwon’t,though,”Skulduggerysaid.“Atall.Intheslightest.Iftheyknewmoreaboutwhatyoudid—”“They’d never sleep again,” Valkyrie said. “Exactly. But, y’know …

they’reparents.It’stheirjobtoworryaboutme,justlikeit’smyjobtoprotectthemfromwhat’scoming.”Shewincedevenas thewordsescapedher lips,hopingferventlythathe’dletitgo.Butofcoursehedidn’t.Helookedather.“Doyouthinkaboutthatalot?”“Thinkaboutwhat?”“Aboutwhat’scoming.Thethingsyousawinyourvision.”Valkyrietriedtogiveanonchalantshrug.“Abit.But,ifIfeelitgettingme

down,Ijustremindmyselfthatwe’veseenthefuturebeforeandwe’veseenthefuturechange,so…”“Soyou’rehopingtochangethefuture.”“Y’know…yeah.”“That’squiteaburdentocarry.”“Isit?”“It’salmostasifyou’retakingallresponsibilityforthebadthingsthatare

goingtohappen.”“Well,” Valkyrie said, giving a little laugh, “they won’t happen if we

changethem,willthey?”“Wewere able to alter aspects of the future thatCassandraPharos saw,”

Skulduggerysaid.“Butitwasonlyaspects.Areyouhopingtoavoidthisnewfuturealtogether?”“Idon’t know,” she said. “Imean, it’snotoutof thequestion, is it?The

future I saw only exists because certain things happen along the way.Wechange those things, and that future vanishes. It’s not like we’re battlingagainstfateorsomething,right?Idon’tbelieveindestiny.AugerDarklyisn’tdestined to face the King of the Darklands – it’s just been foreseen. Bypsychics.There’sadifference.Soifthere’snofate,andnodestiny,whatarewe left with? God? I’ve seen no evidence of a higher power controllingeverything, and I’ve been Darquesse. If anyone could have sensed thepresenceofanupper-caseGod,it’sher.”“All thatmaybe true,”Skulduggerysaid,“butweknowfromexperience

thatchangingthefutureisnoteasy.Inordertoensureitdoesn’thappen,we’dneed toknowa lotmore aboutwhat’s coming.You’dneed todelvedeeperintoyourvision.”“Well,OK,”Valkyrieresponded.“Thenlet’sdoit.”“Unfortunately, that brings its own complications, as you well know. In

order to safely navigate the psychic highways, you’ll need training.Safeguardswillhavetobeputinplace.”

“That’lltakeyears.”“Youdon’tknowthat,”Skulduggerysaid.“There’sneverbeenaSensitive

likeyoubefore.Theabilityessentiallyexplodedinsideyou.Maybeitwon’ttakethatlong.”“Youtoldmeit’dtakethreeyearsminimumbeforeIcouldstartexploring

thevisionseriously.Haveyouchangedyourmind?”Skulduggeryhesitated.“No,”hesaidatlast.“And,whileI’mspendingthenextthreeyears–minimum–studyingtobe

aSensitive,theworldisgoingtohellaroundme?No,thanks.WhatIshouldbedoingisjustdivingintothevision,headfirst.”“Fartoodangerous.”“Youdon’tknowthat.Itmightbefine.”“Or it might have huge, untold side effects,” he said. “You could lose

control.Youcouldloseyourmind.”“I’mstrongenoughtotakeit.”“If anyone could, then yes, I agree, it would be you. And I freely

acknowledge the fact that this caution goes against every instinct I have. Imuchprefertoplungeintodanger.It’smorefun.Butsomethinglikethis…isdifferent.”“Ifyouwereme,”shesaid,“wouldyoudoit?”Skulduggerydidn’tanswer.Theeyesofhis façade remained fixedon the

road.“Yeah,”shesaid.“See?”His phone rang. She answered, then hung up and told him where the

Sadists’Clubwas.They got to Roarhaven, drove through and parked, then walked a little,

coming to ametal door with a shelf riveted on to it, level with Valkyrie’schest.Skulduggeryknocked,andasmallvoicepipedup.“Whogoesthere?”“Visitors,”Skulduggery said, “just passing through.Weheard thiswould

beagoodplacetomeetlike-mindedpeople.”Therewasamomentofhesitation,andthen,“Skulduggery?Isthatyou?”Skulduggeryfrowned.“Itmightbe.Whoisthis?”A slot opened, and a man no taller than Valkyrie’s outstretched hand

steppedoutontotheshelf.Hewaswearingagreensuitandorangetie,andhehadwingsandpointedears.“It’sme,”saidthesmallman.“Cormac.”“Whoa,”saidValkyrie.Skulduggerydeactivatedhisfaçade,andpeeredcloser.“Cormac?”Thelittlemangrinned.“Ithoughtthatwasyou!How’veyoubeen?”“Fine,”Skulduggerysaid.“Youlook…different.”

“Ah,yeah,Ishavedthebeard.”“Thatmustbeit.Also,you’veshrunk.”Cormac’sfacesoured.“Thefaeriegeneskickedinthreeyearsago.Myears

wentpointyandIgrewthewingsandIgotallthatfaeriemagicthat’dbeenpromisedmesinceIwasakid,but…well.Asyoucansee,myparentsleftoutsomeprettypertinentinformation.”“Hi,” said Valkyrie. “My name’s Valkyrie. How are you? Could I ask a

question?”“Goahead,”saidCormac.“Areyourparentsfaeries,too?”“Yes,theyare.Proudmembersofthefaecommunity.”“Andarethey…small?”Hefoldedhisarmsandsighed,likethiswasthehundredthtimetodayhe’d

hadtoexplain this.“They’repeople-sized.All faeriesstartoffpeople-sized.Somefaeriesdeveloptheabilitytoswitchbackandforthbetweensizes.Some–andthisisthepartIdidn’tknowuntilthreeyearsago–shrinkdowntothissizeandarethenstucklikethis.Ithasn’tbeeneasy.Ihavetowearmodifieddolls’ clothes, I can’t formmeaningful relationshipswith anyone taller thantwentycentimetres,andcatskeeptryingtoeatme.Also,Ilostmyjob.”“Whatwereyou?”“Iwasahandmodel.Imodelledwristwatchesinphotoshoots,thingslike

that.Ihavegoodwrists.Lightlyhaired.”“Right.”“AndnowI’mhere,stuckdoingsecurityfortheSadists’Club.”Hewinced.

“Damn.That’ssupposedtobeasecret.”“That’swhywe’rehere,”Skulduggery said. “Couldyou let us in?We’re

lookingforsomeone.”“Can’t do it,”Cormac replied. “Wish I could.Youandmegowayback,

andIalways lookout formyfriends–but this ismy job,Skulduggery.Doyouknowhowharditisforafaerieofmysizetofindgainfulemployment?First,Ihavetoovercomethestigmaofbeingafaerieinthefirstplace.Youthinkthat’seasy?ThatwashardevenwhenIwaspeople-sized.Youknowtheproblem?Therearesofewfaeriesleftintheworldthatnobodyknowsathingabout us or our culture. All they have to go on are tired old tropes andstereotypes,with theclappingandthefairydustandtheconstantTinkerbellreferences.Istruckit luckywiththis job.Yeah, theclientelearenotexactlymykindofpeople,butyougottadowhatyougottado.”“Sohowdowegetin?”“Youreallywanttodothis?There’sawholething.Youwanttodothis?”“Ifyouwouldn’tmind,”saidSkulduggery.

“No,wecando it. I canpretend I don’t knowyou,we’ll go through theprocess,and,ifyoupass,yougetin.Fair’sfair.”“Whatdowedo?”Cormacputhistinyhandsonhistinyhips.“Oneofyouhastofightme.”

OceanofPDF.com

23

Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Really?”“Ifyoudon’thaveamembertovouchforyou,”Cormacsaid,“it’strialby

combat,yeah.”SkulduggerylookedatValkyrie.“Doyouwanttodoit?”“No,thanks,”shesaid.“Areyousure?”“Notachance.”“Rightthen,”Skulduggerysaid,“itlookslikeit’syouandme,Cormac.”Cormac flew straight at Skulduggery’s jaw and swung a tiny fist that

launchedSkulduggerybackwards.“I’mawesomelystrongnow,bytheway,”Cormaccalledout.Skulduggery threw himself forward and Cormac met him in mid-air.

Valkyrienoticedthedoorcreakalittle,andwithagentlepushitopened.Shesneakedin,closingitbehindher.Shefoundherselfinasmallcourtyardwithwhite stones gathered round three green bushes. She passed through anarchway into an enclosed patio area with wrought-iron tables and chairs.Uponthetableswereupturnedwineglassesandamenu.Awaitercameoutofthedoorwaytoherleft,smilingasheapproached.“Goodmorning,”hesaid,“andwelcometo theClub.Youmustbeanew

member–Iwouldhaverememberedyouotherwise.”“Itismyfirsttimehere.Isitalwaysthisquiet?”“ItisonaMondaymorning,yes.CanIgetyouadrink?”“Actually,I’mjustheretomeetsomeone.DoctorQuidnunc.Haveyouseen

him recently? I had his number, but then dummy here went and lost herphone,so…”Thewaiter smiled. “I’vebeen there. I’monmy thirdphone in twoyears

becauseIkeeplosingthem.”“Wow,” said Valkyrie, giving a laugh. “Well, at least I’m not that bad.

Quidnuncwouldn’thappentobeintoday,wouldhe?”Thewaiterrolledhiseyes.“Quidnunc’s ineveryday.Apparently,he’son

therun.”

“Noway.”“Yep.He’savailinghimselfofthefacilitieshere,andtheroomsupstairs,to

doalittlehidingoutuntiltheheatwearsoff.Asamatteroffact,heaskedthatnone of the waiting staff answer any questions about him, especiallyquestionsposedbypeoplewe’veneverseenbefore…”Thewaiter’svoicegrewincreasinglyquiet,andhisfacegrewincreasingly

worried.Valkyrieflashedhimherbestsmile.“That’sprobablywise.Sonooneelse

hascomelookingforhim,then?Nowomanwithsilverhair?”Thewaiterdidn’tanswer.“I’lltakethatasano.He’supstairs,ishe?HowdoIgettohim?”“NowthatIthinkaboutit,”thewaitersaid,“youdolookawfullyfamiliar.”“ThenatleastI’mnotsomeoneyou’veneverseenbefore.”“IthinkI’veseenyoukillthousandsofpeople.”“Ah,” Valkyrie said. “That wasn’tme. That wasDarquesse. I didn’t kill

anyone.Thestairsarethroughhere,arethey?”“That means you’re Valkyrie Cain,” said the waiter. “You work for the

HighSanctuary.”“Actually,no,I’manArbiternow.”“What’sthat?”“Wedon’tworkfortheSanctuaries.We’reourownbosses,withourown

jurisdiction.”“Butyou’restilladetective,aren’tyou?”“Oh,yes.Verymuchso.”“AmIinalotoftrouble?”“Notfromme,”saidValkyrie,“aslongasyoutellmewhereQuidnuncis.”The waiter sagged. “Through there and up the stairs. He’s in the East

Room.Pleasedon’ttellhimItoldyou.”“Youhavemyword.”Hetookouthisnotepad,flippedtoablankpageandhelditout.“CouldI

haveyourautograph?”Valkyriefrowned.“I’msorry?”“I’venevermetafamouspersonbefore.”“I’mnotfamous.”“I’veheardofyou.”“But that doesn’t mean I’m … Listen, I don’t give autographs. That’s

weird.It’sweirdthatyouwouldaskmeandit’sweirdthatyouthinkI’ddoit.”“Thereyouare,”Skulduggerysaid,walkinginbehindherandbrushingat

hissuit.

“Whowon?”Valkyrieasked.“We fought to a standstill,” Skulduggery said. “Do we know where

Quidnuncis?”“Upstairs.”“Thenlet’sgotalktohim.”“Excuseme,”saidthewaiter,andheldouthisnotepadandpencil.“CanI

haveyourautograph?”“Ofcourse,”Skulduggerysaid,signingwithaflourishbeforehandingthe

notepadback.“Valkyrie,leadtheway.”Theyleftthewaiterandwentupstairs,followedthesignstotheEastRoom

andcametothecloseddoor.Theyheardthesplashofwaterfromwithin,andSkulduggerywavedhishandandthedoorburstopen.Itwasagood-sizedroom,withalargebedandalittletablewithflowerson

it,andabathtubwithclawedfeetinthemiddleofthefloor.Anakedmiddle-agedmanstoodwithonefootinthetub,hiseyeswideandhismouthopen.“Ew,”saidValkyrie.Themanscreechedandscrambled,knockedagainst the table, thevaseof

flowerssmashingtotheground.Hedroppedtohiskneesontheothersideofthebed,hismodestycovered.“Thankyouforthat,”saidValkyrie.“DoctorQuidnunc,isit?We’vebeen

lookingforyou.”“Andwe’renot theonlyones,”Skulduggerysaid, takingabathrobefrom

behindthedoorandtossingittohim.“Docoverup,Doctor.Thereareladiespresent.”“He’s talking about me,” said Valkyrie. “Where’s your mask? I was

expectingamask.”“Wh-whywould I bewearing amask?”Quidnunc asked, pulling on the

robe.“Becauseofyourthing,”Valkyriesaid.“Theliquor-fat-sievethingthatrots

yourskin.”“Liquefactivenecrosis,”Quidnuncsaid.“Idon’tneedamaskorbandages

oranything.Icaughtitearly.Myserumkeepsitundercontrol.”“Oh,”saidValkyrie.“That’sdisappointing.”“You’vegottohelpme.Mylifeisindanger.”“Thenyoushouldhave turnedyourself inbeforenow.You’dbesafe ina

cell.”“Ididn’twanttobeinacell,”Quidnuncsaid,tyingtherobeashegottohis

feet.“Ididn’twanttogetarrested.Butnowthatyou’rehere,andIdon’thaveachoice–arrestme.Please.”Skulduggeryfoldedhisarms.“First,youtelluswhereCaissonis.”

“No,”Quidnuncsaid.“First,youtakemesomewheresafe,somewherewithCleavers,andthenI’llanswerwhateverquestionsyouhave.”“Wecanstandherearguing,”Skulduggerysaid,“oryoucandoitourway

andwe’llbringyoustraighttotheHighSanctuaryandlockyouintheirverysafestcell.Onceagain–whereisCaisson?”“I…OK,Idon’tactuallyknowtheanswertothatparticularquestion.I’m

sorry. They took him away; they didn’t give me any warning whatsoever.They just arrived, told me I’d better scram if I wanted to live, told meAbyssiniawas probably on herway and that shewouldn’t be too happy tolearnaboutalltheexperimentsI’dbeendoingoverthelastfewdecades,soIsaidOK,Iwillgetmyselfgone,andIdidn’taskanyquestionsor—”“Stop,” saidSkulduggery. “You talk an awful lot and you say very, very

littleofanyactualrelevance.Whoarethepeoplewhotookhim?”“Idon’tknowtheirnames,”saidQuidnunc.“Therewerefiveofthem.Very

professional,but rude,youknow?Theydidn’thave time tochat.Not that Idid,either.Imean,mylifewasindanger.”“Itstillis,”Valkyriesaid.“Whodotheyworkfor?Whodoyouworkfor?

WeaskedNyebutitdidn’tknow.”Quidnunchesitated.“Uh…I’mnotsupposedtosay.”“Sayitanyway.”“Ireallydon’tthinkIshould.”“Youdon’thaveachoice,”Skulduggerysaid.“Abyssiniaisfollowingthe

sametrailwefollowedtogethere–whichmeansyoudon’thaveanawfullotoftime.Telluswhoyou’reworkingfor.”Quidnuncsighedunhappily.“Sheisgoingtobesomadwithme.Shehasa

thingaboutloyalty,youknow?”“Whodoes?ElizaScorn?”“No,no.MissScornworkedforherforatime,but…no.Iwork–weall

work–forSerafina.”Valkyrie didn’t need to ask Skulduggery who that was. She’d heard the

name a few times over the years, always in passing, always related to theFacelessOnes,orthewar.SerafinaoftheUnveiled.Mevolent’swife.Skulduggerygrunted.“Well,that’s…lovely.OK,tellusaboutCaisson.”“Um,sure,”saidQuidnunc.“Hetoldmeallsortsofthings.Whenyou,um,

experiment on someone for that long, you build up this strange kind ofrapport,youknow?It’salmostlikeafriendship.”“Exceptnotreally,”saidValkyrie.“It’sasort-offriendship.”“Whereonefriendisphysicallytorturingtheother.”

“Inevertortured,”Quidnuncsaidquickly.“Iexperimentedon.”“Whatkindsofexperiments?”Quidnunc exhaled loudly. “All different kinds. Like his mother, Caisson

feeds on the life force of others, which meant I could keep healing himwheneverhewasindangerofdying.Hereallywastheidealspecimen,youknow.”Hesmiledwistfully.“Theperfectsubject.”“This is getting disturbing,” said Valkyrie, “so let’s get back to the

questioning.Whatdidhetellyou?”“I’msorry,canIputonmyslippers?There’sabrokenvaseonthefloorand

I’mafraidImightsteponit.”“You’re going to have to focus here,OK?What exactly didCaisson tell

you?”“Everything.”“Let’sgetalittlemorespecific.WhatdidhetellyouaboutAbyssinia?”“He told me about the last time he saw her, how she was attacked. He

mentioned you,” Quidnunc said, looking at Skulduggery. “He toldme youwerethere.”“Hewasn’tlying.”“HesaidyouandtherestoftheDeadMen,plustheDiablerie,attackedher.

Thebattlewentonfordays.Abyssiniawaswinning.OnthelastdayshetoldCaisson to sneak away, but one of you caught him. China Sorrows. Shecaughthimandshewasgoingtokillhimifhismotherdidn’tstopfighting.”“Didhetellyouwhathappenednext?”“Hismothersurrendered.Youkilledher.”Skulduggery towered over him. “Thenwhat?What did he do after that?

Wherewasheraised?What’shelike?Whoishe?”“I…Idon’treallyknowhowtoanswer…”“Try.”“He’s… savage. Intelligent. Resourceful. I guess he’s everything you’d

expectfromsomeonewithparentslikehis.”“Whowashisfather?”Quidnuncswallowed.“TakemetoRoarhavenandI’lltellyou.”“Howaboutyou tell usnow?”Valkyrie said. “I don’t particularly like to

hurtpeopleanymoreunlessIabsolutelyhaveto,butSkulduggerystillfindsthehumourinit.”Skulduggery shrugged, and pulled his glove tighter round his right hand.

“I’mold-fashionedthatway.”“Don’thitme,”Quidnuncsaidimmediately.“Pleasedon’thitme.”Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“ForaproudmemberoftheSadists’Club,you

seemverysqueamishwhenitcomestoviolence.”

“Just violence perpetrated upon myself,” Quidnunc said. “It’s ironic, Iknow.Maybeevenhypocritical.Butifthat’stheworstthingpeoplesayaboutme—”“It’snot,”Valkyriesaid,cuttinghimoff.“Telluswhatwewant toknow.

Caisson’sfather.Hisname.”Quidnuncchewedhislip.“Andthenyou’lltakemetoRoarhaven?”“Pinkypromise.”“Vile,”saidQuidnunc.“HisfatherwasLordVile.”Valkyrieblinked.Adistantpartofhermindcountedtheblinks.Sheblinked

fourtimesbeforeturningtolookatSkulduggery.“Well,”Skulduggerysaid,“that’sinteresting.”

OceanofPDF.com

24

ValkyrietookholdofthecollarofQuidnunc’sbathrobeandhauledhimalongafterher.Sheopenedthewardrobe,shovedhiminandclosedthedoor,thencamebacktoSkulduggery.She hesitated amoment, then smiled calmly and, keeping her voice low,

said,“CanIaskapersonalquestion?”“Goahead,”Skulduggerysaid.“Remember when you were Lord Vile? Remember those days? Now, I

knowyouweredressedinarmourandeverything,andyouwereallbigandscary andwhispery and sinister, but youwere…youwere still a skeleton,right?”“Yes.”“So,andImeanthisinthenicestpossibleway,thereisabsolutelynoway

thatyoucouldhavehadakid…right?”“Right.”“Atall?”“Intheslightest.”“OK.”“Probably.”“What?”Valkyrie said.“There isprobably nowayyoucouldhavehad a

kid?Wheredidthis‘probably’comefrom?”“We’re talking aboutmagic,”Skulduggery said. “People do tricky things

withmagic.”“Ipaidattentioninbiology,allright?Well,Ididn’t,butmyreflectiondid,

andwhatIrememberaboutthewholebaby-makingprocessisthateggsdon’tfertilisethemselves.”“IfQuidnunc is telling the truth, thenCaissonwaseither lying tohim,or

AbyssinialiedtoCaissonabouthisfather.”“Yes,” Valkyrie said. “That makes sense. That seems obvious. Because

you’retotallynotthedad,right?”“Totally.”“OK.”

“Probablytotally.”Quidnuncknockedontheinsideofthewardrobe.“Hello?CanIcomeout

now?”Valkyrieopenedthedoor,pulledhimout.“Getdressed,”shesaid.“We’re

goingtowanttotalkaboutthisalotmorewhenyou’reinyourcell.”“Yes,”Quidnuncsaid,grabbinghisclothesoffthefloor.“Thankyou,yes.

CouldImakeonerequest?”“Norequests,”saidSkulduggery.“It’s just, as a co-operatingwitness, I thoughtmaybe I’d be granted one

smallrequest.”“You’renotaco-operatingwitness.You’reunderarrest.”Quidnunclookedsurprised.“AmI?”Skulduggery tilted his head. “Aren’t you? Didn’t we place you under

arrest?Wemay have forgotten. Doctor Quidnunc, you’re under arrest. Putyourtrouserson.”“Youhaven’tevenreadmemyrights.”“Whydoeseveryonethinkweoperateaccordingtomortalrules?Wedon’t

havemortal trials,dowe?WehaveSensitiveswhocanreadyourmindandproclaimyourguiltorinnocence.”“SoIdon’thaveanyrights?”“Notanywehavetoreadtoyou.Haven’tyoueverbeenarrestedbefore?”“No.”“Well,nowyou’llknowfornexttime.”Quidnunczippeduphisflyandpulledonashirt.Hepickedashoeupoff

thefloorandlookedaround.“Caneitherofyouseemyothershoe?Itlooksjustlikethisone.”“We know what a shoe looks like,” Valkyrie responded. “It’s under the

chair.”“Ah,”Quidnunc said,moving to the other end of the room.He put both

shoesonandstartedtyingthelaces.SkulduggeryheldthecarkeysouttoValkyrie.“You’dbetterbringthecar

round.”Sheraisedaneyebrow.“You’re trustingmewith theBentley twice in the

spaceofafewdays?”“I should stay with the doctor in case Abyssinia arrives. Pull up on the

streetoutsideandwe’llbewaiting.Donotcrash.”Valkyrietookthekeys,wenttosaysomethingbitinglyfunnytoQuidnunc–

butAbyssiniawassuddenlystandingbehindhim.

OceanofPDF.com

25

NeroandanotherwomanhadteleportedinwithherandSkulduggerymovedatonce,using theair to throwNerooffhis feet,butAbyssiniahadgrabbedQuidnunc before they could stop her. “Hello, my darling,” she said toSkulduggery.Skulduggeryfroze.“Hello,dear.”“AndValkyrie,”saidAbyssinia.Shewaswearingred.Itwastight.“It’sso

goodtomeetyou.Formally,Imean.WhenI’mnotsuckingyourlifeforceoutof you. I think perhaps thatwas rude.Aswas instructingCadaverousGantandJeremiahWallowtoremoveyouasapotentialobstacleonmypathbacktolife.Asitturnsout,youwerevitaltomyrebirth.Youhavebothmythanks,andmyapologies.”Valkyriedidherbesttoappearnonchalant.“Ithappens.”Abyssiniasmiled.Itwasabeautifulsmile,thoughitdidseemunsettlingly

wide.“Forgivenessistrulyasignofagoodsoul.”Nerostoodup,scowling.“Mysoulisnotgood,I’mafraid,”Abyssiniacontinued.“I’vealwayshada

problemwith forgiveness.Thismanhere, forexample…Isuppose Icouldforgivehimforwhathedidtomyson.”“Yes,”Quidnuncwhimpered,hisheadheldbetweenherhands.“Please.”“But then I think about all those experiments he carried out,”Abyssinia

continued,“andallthatpainheinflicted,andIamunabletothinkclearly.”“Ican tellyou things,”Quidnuncsaidquickly.“Icandescribe thepeople

whotookhim.”“Iknowwhotookhim,”Abyssiniaresponded.“Serafina’speople.Fiveof

them.Iknowtheyhavemyson inaprivateambulance,and they’redrivingthroughEuropeinafutileattempttostayaheadofme.”“Iknowotherthings,”Quidnuncsaid.“Iknowlots.”“Doyou?”Abyssiniaasked.Quidnuncwincedsuddenly,andValkyrie feltapressure in the room, like

shewasonaplanecomingintoland,andthenthepressurewaspiercedandQuidnunccriedout.

Abyssinia shook her head. “You lie, Doctor. There’s nothing else thatinterestsmeinyourmemories,apartfromallthosedecadesoftortureyouputCaissonthrough.”“Itwasn’tmyfault,”Quidnuncsaid,cryingnow.“Iwasordered todo it.

Serafinatoldme—”“I know what she told you to do,” Abyssinia said. “And, unlike you, I

knowwhy she told you to do it. I suppose you’re not the real villain here.You’retheinstrumentsheused.”“Yes,”Quidnuncsaid.“I’mjusttheinstrument.”She put her lips to his ear. “But even the instrument must be broken,

Doctor.”Quidnunc gasped and went pale, then purple, then yellow, his cheeks

hollowing, his eyesdryingup in their sockets, his body shrivellingbeneathhishalf-buttonedshirt.Glowingwithstolenhealth,Abyssiniaallowedthehuskofhisremainsto

fall at her feet and looked up. “It’s so good to be around you again,Skulduggery.ImissedyouwhenIwasaheartinabox.Imissedourtalks.”“Iwould imagine good conversation is hard to comebywhen you’re an

internalorgan.”“Yousee?Youunderstandme.Youalwayshave.”Sheswitchedhergazeto

Valkyrie.“Thisisnotthefirsttimewe’vespoken,either,isit?”“Isawyouinmyvision,”Valkyriesaid.“Youtouchedme.Howdidyoudo

that?”“I am the Princess of theDarklands. I can domany things.” She turned

slightly.“Nero,Skeiri,leaveus,please.”“Uh,isthatwise?”Neroasked.“Youaresuchasweetboy,”Abyssiniasaid.“Thankyou,butI’mperfectly

safehere.I’llcontactyouwhenIneedyou.Goonnow.”Neroglancedat thewomancalledSkeiri,but she remained impassive.A

momentlater,theyvanished.“There,”Abyssinia said. “Some privacy. I have to admit,Valkyrie, there

are…gapsinmymemorywhenitcomestoyou.IthinkithappenedwhenIdrewfromyourstrength.You’resomethingofamysterytome–whichIfinddelightful,bytheway.You’reabookIhaveyettoread.”“Noone’scalledmeabookbefore.”“I’vesensedyousincethatday,haven’tI?”“Notme,”Valkyriesaid.“Mustbesomebodyelse.”Shepressedonbefore

AbyssiniarevealedtoomuchinfrontofSkulduggery.“SothisDarklands–isthataplace,ormorelikeastate-of-mind-typething?”

“It’shere,Valkyrie.Allaroundus.TotheFacelessOnes,thisentireplanetistheDarklands.It’swhytheysoughtitout.It’swhytheyfoughtsohardtostay.Thisistheirholyland.It’swhytheywanttocomeback.”“Huh.Ihadn’theardthatbefore.”Abyssinia smiled. “Of course not. You haven’t read the Book of Tears,

haveyou?Youhaven’tlistenedtoitssermons.Iwouldrecommendit,ifyouhavethetime.Itcouldchangeyourlife.”“I don’t think so,” said Valkyrie. “To be honest with you, I never liked

goingtoregularchurch,letalonecrazychurch.”Abyssinia laughed. “You think the mortal religions sound any less

fantastical?Atleastourgodsarereal.Youfacedthem,didn’tyou?Youweretherewhentheyvisited,tenyearsago.”“Iwasthere,all right.Theycameback,myheadfelt like itwasgoingto

explode,andtheykilledabunchofpeople.Mostlytheirownworshippers,so…that’sonegoodthingaboutthem.Pityyoumissedit.”“Yes,itis.Idosoloveafamilyreunion.”Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Family?”Abyssiniabitherlip.“Hereitcomes–everythingIkeptfromyouwhenwe

were… dating. Could you call it dating? Let’s call it dating. I’m royalty,darling.MybloodlinecanbetracedbacktotheFacelessOnesthemselves.”Valkyriefrowned.“Idon’tgetit.”“MyfamilycomesdirectlyfromthefirstFacelessOnetotakehumanform.

Not to possess a human body, mind you, but to actually become a humanbody. It was to be the start of a whole new species, before the Ancientsrebelled.”“AndIthoughtwesharedeverything,”Skulduggerymurmured.“Oh,don’tbemadwithme,mylove.Myfathersworeusalltosecrecy.If

ourenemies,ofwhichthereweremany,learnedofourheritage, theywouldseektodestroyus.”“Wait,”Valkyriesaid.“Skulduggery,areyouactuallybelievingher?”Heshrugged.“You’redescendedfromtheLastoftheAncients–whycan’t

shebedescendedfromtheFacelessOnes?”“Becauseatleastmyancestorswerehuman,notaninsanegodwhoputon

ahumanfaceandwentoutandgotlucky.Abyssinia,areyousureyourfamilywasn’tjustfullofit?”Abyssinia’ssmiledimmed.“Donotspeakillofmyfamily.”“Soresubject?”“Mymotherwasabeaconoflove,andmyfatherhadthebloodofgodsin

his veins.You have no idea how better off the people of thisworldwouldhavebeenifmyparentsruledoverthem.”

“We’vebeentoaworldoverrunbytheFacelessOnes,”Skulduggerysaid.“Itwasnotafunplace.”“Myfatherhadnointentionofbringingthemback,”Abyssiniasaid.“Why

wouldhe?Theyhadtheirtime,andthattimeended.Nowitwasourturn.Athousandyearsago,myfatherwasabouttorevealthetruthtotheworldandrally the righteous to our banner. We would have overthrown the mortalcivilisations.We would have cured disease, ended famine, made countlesslivesbetter…”“Solongasthemortalskneltbeforeyou.”“Alittlekneelingneverhurtanyone,”saidAbyssinia.“Yourdad,”Valkyriesaid,“wouldhebetheKingoftheDarklands,byany

chance?”“Thatwashistitle,yes.”“It’snotanymore?”“WhenIwasstillachild,”saidAbyssinia,“myfatherwasbetrayedbyhis

mostgifted–andtrusted–student.Murderedonthecuspofgreatness.”“Ooh, I hate that,”Valkyrie said. “I hate beingmurdered on the cusp of

things.”“You’requiteaninsolentyounglady,aren’tyou?”“Ihavemymoments,”saidValkyrie.“Thisgiftedstudent,”Skulduggerysaid,“whowashe?”Abyssiniasmiledthinly.“Youhaven’tfigureditoutyet?”“Ihave,”saidSkulduggery,“butIwantconfirmation.Hekilledyourfather.

Bothyourparents? I imagineyourwhole family.Maybeyouwere theonlyone who escaped. He was probably unaware of this, as he wouldn’t havestopped hunting you if he’d known youwere alive. So thatmeans you, ormorelikelysomeonestillloyaltoyou,killedachildofroughlythesameageandappearanceandpresentedthebodytohimasyourown.”“Whoarewetalkingabout?”Valkyrieasked.“Thegiftedstudent,”Skulduggerysaid,“whowentontounitethedisciples

oftheFacelessOnesandstartawarthatwouldlastforcenturies.”“Mevolent,”Valkyriesaidslowly.ShelookedbackatAbyssinia.“Butthen

thatmeans…yourfatherwastheUnnamed.”“That’swhattheycalledhim.”Valkyrienodded.“Idon’tknowwhattodowiththatinfor-mation.”“SowhydoesMevolent’swifehaveyourson?”Skulduggeryasked.“Doesitmatter?”Abyssiniaresponded.“It’sSerafina.Serafinadoeswhat

Serafinadoes,andshealwayshas.Haveyoumether,Valkyrie?”“Ihaven’t.”

“Youwouldn’t like her.Would she, Skulduggery?Shewouldn’t like her.Serafinais…unlikeable,wouldn’tyousay?”“I’vealwaysthoughtso,”Skulduggerysaid.“Yes,she’sbeautiful,”saidAbyssinia.“Yes,she’salluring.Yes,everystep

shetakesisasensuousmomenttobesavouredbyallwhobearwitness…butthere are more beautiful. China Sorrows, for example. A more beautifulpersonIhaveneverseenthanChinaSorrows.Therearethosemorealluring,also,whose footsteps are evenmore sensuous thanSerafina’s.”She sighed.“Even so, as unlikeable as she is, shedoespossess a certain…something.Doesshenot,Skulduggery?”“Isupposeshedoes.”“WouldyousaySerafinaismorebeautifulthanme?”“Iwouldnot.”Abyssinialaughed.“Comenow,youcanbehonest.Withourhistory,with

what we’ve shared, honesty is surely the least we can expect from eachother.”“I am being honest,” Skulduggery said. “My criteria for judging beauty

havebroadenedconsiderably since the last timewespoke.Serafinamaybephysicallyattractive,butshe’samonster.”“Thisistrue.”“Ofcourse,”Skulduggerycontinued,“you’reamonster,too.”Abyssiniasmiled.“We’reallmonstershere.SuchdarknessIseebeforeme.

LordVile andDarquesse. Howmany innocent lives have you two snuffedout?Howmuchbloodisonyourhands?”“Plenty,”saidValkyrie.“Plenty,”Abyssinia echoed. “This is indeed true. Everyone knows about

you,Valkyrie.They fear you, don’t they?They resent you.Theypositivelyhateyou.ButSkulduggery’sdarksideremainsasecret.It’swhyIsentRazziaand Nero away. A secret is only fun when it’s kept. How would theSanctuariesaroundtheworldreact,Iwonder,tothetruth?MaybeIshouldtellthem…Oh,Skulduggery,howIwishyouhadaface!Iwouldlovetoseeifyouwerescared,ornervous,orresignedattheverynotion!Instead,allIgetis this…blankskull.Does itbotheryou,Valkyrie?Does itbotheryou thatyoucan’ttellwhathe’sfeeling?”“Icantell,”Valkyriesaid.Abyssinialookedather,anddidn’tsayanything.“Quidnunc let slip something interesting,”Skulduggery said. “Something

Caissontoldhimwhenhewasbeingtortured.”AbyssiniatookamomenttotakehereyesoffValkyrie.“Oh?”

“HeseemstothinkLordVileishisfather.Whywouldyoulietohimaboutthat?”“Youthinkit’salie?”“ImaynotremembereverysinglethingIdidwhenIworethatarmour,but

I’drecallfatheringanimpossiblechild.”“Not impossible, my love. There have always been ways to conceive a

childwithmagic,evenbackthen.”“I’mnothisfather.”“Oh,Skulduggery.Youdon’tknowwhatyouare.”“Whataboutyouranti-Sanctuaryfriends?Dotheyknowaboutanyofthis?

DotheFirstWavekids?Theyallknowyou’relookingforCaisson,obviously–butdotheyknowhe’sthefutureKingoftheDarklands?Dotheyknowofhisheritage?”“Weareunited,ifthat’swhatyou’rewondering.”“You’reunitedbecauseyou’relyingtothem,”Skulduggerysaid.“Yousold

themonasorcerers-rule-the-worldidea–butwhatyou’retalkingaboutnowis somethingdifferent.You’re talkingaboutyou ruling theworld.Your sontakinghisrightfulplaceon the throne,andyoustandingbehindhim.That’swhyyousentNeroandSkeiriout,isn’tit?You’reafraidiftheyfindoutwhatyou’rereallyupto,they’llleave.”Abyssinia smiled. “I suppose we all have our secrets. But that’s not the

onlyreasonIsentthemaway.Iseekatruce,Skulduggery.”“Aftereverythingyou’vedone?”“Notforme.ForCaisson.Youmurderedmebeforehe’deventakenaname

to protect himself. He’s never known amother’s love, let alone a father’s.He’shad thecruellestof lives, andonce Igethimbackhewill assume thetitle of the King of the Darklands – the same King that Auger Darkly isprophesiedtobattleandpossiblykill.Iimploreyou,Ibeseechyou,totalktotheDarklyboy,convincehimnottohuntdownourson.Inreturn,IwilltakeCaissonandleave,andyouwillneverhearfromeitherofusagain.”“Youwanttonegotiate?That’sunlikeyou.”“Notwhenitcomestoourson.”“Don’tcallhimthat.”“He’slikeyou,youknow.Hegrewuptall.”Valkyrieinterrupted.“Whydon’tyougoafterAuger?”“I’ve thought about it,” said Abyssinia. “It would, admittedly, solve my

problemstojustkilltheboy.Butpropheciesarecomplicatedthings.Who’stosaythatanattemptontheDarklyboy’slifewouldn’tleadhimtothisfatefulconfrontationwithCaissonthreeyearsfromnow?No,apeacefulsolutionisthemostdesirable,Ithink.”

“You’llwalkaway?”Skulduggeryasked.“You’llabandonthepeoplewhofollowyou?”“They’ll follow someone else. I’ve given them what they needed. I’ve

started themon the road.Someof themarealreadybeginning to turnawayfromme.Itwasinevitable,buttheyrefusedtoseeit.”“TelluswhereColdheartPrisonisandwe’lltalk.”“Oh, no, no, Skulduggery.This truce I offer is forme andCaisson only.

You’llhavetodealwithmyfriendsonyourown.Willyouletuswalkaway?”“I’msorry,Abyssinia–you’retoodangerous.You’vealwaysfelt that the

worldowesyousomething.NowthatIknowyouthinkitowesyoufealty,Ican’ttrustyou.You’reathreat.You’llalwaysbeathreat.”Abyssiniasighed.“Soyouareturningdownmyofferofatruce?”“Unfortunately,yes.”“Thenyouknowwhathastohappennow.”“Ido.”Valkyrietensed.Nero and Skeiri teleported in. Skulduggery pulled his revolver andNero

dived on him and they both disappeared. Valkyrie raised her arm, energycrackling,butSkeiri’spalmopened,justlikeshehadseenRazzia’sdo,andatentacle–justlikeRazzia’s,exceptgreen–shotout,andthattentacleplungedrightbetweentheopenzipofValkyrie’sjacket.Straightintoherchest.

OceanofPDF.com

26

Valkyriegasped.Steppedback.Bothhandsclosedroundthetentacle.Itwaswarm.Slick.Itpulsedwithlife.Shedroppedtoherknees.Insideherchest,theheadoftheparasitesquirmed.Skeiri held up her other hand. Her palm opened. The second parasite

readieditself.AimedrightatValkyrie’sface.ItlaunchedbutValkyriecaughtitone-handed.Itsnappedather.Withherfreehand,Valkyriegrabbedashardofbrokenvaseandslashed,

severingtheparasite’sheadfromitsbody.Skeiriscreamedandbothtendrilsretracted into her palms and she staggered back, clutching her right wrist,sobbing.BlooddrenchingherT-shirt,Valkyriegotup.Abyssinia tookholdofher,

threwheragainstthewall.Aframedpicturewasdislodged.Fell.Valkyrie’sweakknees.Hot blood against cold skin.Abyssinia’s hand on

Valkyrie’s head, her mind peering into Valkyrie’s thoughts. Confident.Arrogant.Vulnerable.Valkyrie’shandsclutchedAbyssinia’shead.

OceanofPDF.com

27

Valkyriedrownedinmemories.Theyoverwhelmedher.Shewaslosttothem,herownidentitynothingbut

adropinthevastoceanofAbyssinia.Painandloveandconflict,hatredandstrength,peaceandvengeance.FacesandvoicesValkyriehadneverknown,suddenlyassharpasthoseofherownparents.Valkyriewent under. Thiswas amistake.Doing thiswas amistake, but

therewasnowayoutnow.Shewasbeingcrushedbyalifeshe’dneverlived,whereeverythingwasnew,whereeverythingwasalien.Andyet,inallthatnewness,somethingfamiliar.Sheswamtowardsit.Shewasonahilltop,hunkeringinfrontofadyingman.Bloodseepedfrom

a wound in his belly. She prodded him in the chest with her finger. Hewinced,andopenedhiseyes.“Oh,no,”hesaidwhenhesawher.Valkyriesmiled.“Hello,”shesaid.No.ItwasAbyssinia.NotValkyrie.ThiswasAbyssinia’smemory,andyet

itwasValkyriewhospoke.“They left you behind, did they?” she said. “A terrible thing to leave a

comradebehind.Yougotothetroubleofattackingavillageandkillingallofthese fine, finepeople…and,at the firstwhiffofa stabwound to thegut,theyleaveyouintheirwake.Youhavemysympathies,bravewarrior.”“Please,”saidthedyingman,“Iknowwhoyouare.Helpme.”Valkyrielaidahandonhisshoulder,andlookedhimintheeye.“Iwillhelp

you. I would be honoured to help you. But first, I am in need of someinformationaboutthesefriendsofyours.”“Askmeanything,”saidthedyingman,butValkyrieshookherhead.“Youdon’thave tospeak,”shesaid.“Conserveyourstrength.Letmedo

thework.”Sheignoredhislookofconfusionandsentherthoughtsintohis,likethetip

ofaspearslidingintosoftflesh.Shefelthisalarmandshepushedittooneside, focusing instead on his memories. They opened before her, every

intimate detail of this dyingman’s life.But she cared little for the intimatedetails.Sheabsorbed the recentmemories.Themoment thedyingmanandhis eleven companions came across this village ofmortals. The death theybrought,withsteelandmagicandcudgel.Shewatched,throughhiseyes,asone of the mortals, a desperate woman defending her children, ran himthroughbeforeshe,too,wascutdown.“Theyabandonedyou,”Valkyriesaid,leavinghismind.“Afterallyou’ve

doneforeachofthem,theyleftyoutodieherealone.”“Please,”thedyingmansaid.“Helpme.”“Of course,” said Valkyrie, and rested her hand across his forehead,

drawingoutwhatremainedofhislifeandtakinghisenergyforherself.Theemptyshellofhisbodytoppledsidewaysandshestraightened.“Elevenofthem,”shesaid,“goingnorth.Sixhoursaheadofus.”Skulduggery stood over another corpse, his hood up, casting his skull in

darkness.Thewindpluckedatthetailofhiscoat.Hisswordlayheavyacrosshisback.Valkyriewalkedover.“DidyouhearwhatIsaid?”sheasked.“Elevenofthem,”herepeatedtoher.“Six-hourheadstart.”Valkyrie touched Skulduggery’s arm. “They’re just mortals,” she said

gently.“There’ssomanyofthemintheworldthatIdoubtanyonewillnoticetheirloss.”Heturnedhisheadtoher,eversoslightly.“YouthinkIgrieveforthem?”“Youdon’t?”“Maybe once I would have.Maybe once suchmindless slaughter would

havestirredgriefwithinme,orrighteousfury…”Valkyriebitherlip.“Butnolonger?”“NowIfeelnothingbutcontempt,”Skulduggerysaid.“Fortheirweakness.

Fortheirshort,vulnerablelives.Forthesheerpedantryoftheirexistence.”A smile broke across Valkyrie’s face. “My love,” she said. “You have

finallyjoinedme.”She pulled away from thememory, heaving herself back into the ocean.

Shewasherself again.ValkyrieCain.AndValkyrieCainhadparents andasister and a dog, and shewasn’tAbyssinia and she hadn’t been the one toencourageSkulduggery’sdescent.Because,ofcourse,Skulduggerydidn’tneedanyencouragement.Valkyrie was in darkness, watching, as Skulduggery donned the black

armour.Coldflameflickeredoffthewalls.Heworkedslowly,methodically,withbuckles and strapsandbelts.Piecebypiece thearmourwenton, eachsegment sliding into place, covering him, burying him, sealing him away,untilatlastthehelmetwentonandSkulduggeryPleasantwasgone.

AndtherewasonlyLordVile.No.Shedidn’twant tosee this.Shedidn’twant toseeSkulduggery like this.

Shedidn’twant thismemory. Itwasn’tevenhers. Itbelonged toAbyssinia,and Valkyrie wasn’t Abyssinia: she hadn’t watched her father die and shehadn’tjoinedMevolent’sarmyinordertogetclosetothemanwho’dkilledhim.She was in the hall, in the great hall inMevolent’s castle, and she was

talking,makingaspeechwhiletheyalllookedon.Shewasatthetoptable.Mevolent’swifemayhavebeenseatedathisright

side,butValkyriewasseatedtohisleft.Shecouldseetheresentmentintheeyes of the gathered sorcerers –Serpine in particular.BaronVengeouswaswithout expression, and beside him China Sorrows smiled, as if she wasdelightedthatValkyriehadbeenchosenasMevolent’sfavourite.Allherplanshadledhertothispoint.Asshespoke,Valkyrieglancedbehindher,towhereLordVilestood.Upon

hearing certain words, he would strike, plunging his sword throughMevolent’s back.And then,while he killed Serafina before she could evenstand,itwouldbesheherselfwhotookMevolent’shead.Andyet.Fatehadacruelsenseofhumour,itseemed.Herplans,ascarefulasthey

were,aspreciseintheirexecutionastheirplanning,hadscatteredbeforehermerehoursearlier,whenshehadlearnedofthechildgrowingwithinher.Suddenlyherthoughtsofvengeancewerenothingbutsmokeonthewind.

Mevolenthadrobbedherofherfamily–thoughhedidnotknowit–andyetshehadthepotentialforanewfamily.Shedidn’tneedtokillhim.Shedidn’tneed to take what was his. She could slip away in the night and seekhappinesselsewhere.Behindher,Vilewaitedforwordsthatwouldnevercome.Valkyriepausedinherspeech,tookadrinkofwine,andfoundherselfwith

herhandonherbelly.Shelookeddown,andsmiled.Thiswouldbeherfinalnightinthecastle.Anditwas.The tip of the sword slid through her chest andValkyrie frowned.There

werecriesfromthecrowd.Shewasliftedoffherfeetasthepainblossomed.Vile.Hehadbetrayedher.

Shealmostlaughed.Her feetkicked feeblyashecarriedher to thewindowon theendofhis

sword.Mevolent and Serafina, she noted, never even looked up from theirmeal.

LordVilethrewherintotheglassanditshatteredaroundherandshefellintodarkness,thewindsnatchingatherclothesandherhairandshefellandfellandtherocksmetheratthebottomandbrokeherbody.Sheblinkedupatthestars.Itwasallshecoulddo.Herstrengthhadsavedherfromanimmediatedeath,butthatstrengthwas

leakingfromherwitheverymoment.Shetriedtotouchherbelly,butcouldnotmoveherhands.Tearsmixedwiththebloodonherface.I’msorry, she thought, for her lips could not formwords. I’m sorry,my

child.Sadness overtook the pain and Valkyrie wept, and tore herself from the

memory, and gasped, and looked down at herself, and saw the hole in herchest.She was back in the East Room, back in the Sadists’ Club, back in

Roarhaven,andAbyssiniawasstumblingawayandValkyriesankdown,herbackagainstthewall,whileSkeiriwailedinthecorner.SkulduggeryandNerocameback,Nerocryingout,Skulduggerykneeling

on him, pressing the revolver into his head. He looked up, saw Valkyrie,immediatelyleftNerowherehelayandhurriedover.Neropushedhimself up, recognised a no-winbattlewhenhe saw it, and

vanished,alongwithAbyssiniaandSkeiri.“Valkyrie,” Skulduggery said, pressing his hand against the wound.

“Valkyrie,canyouhearme?You’regoingtobeOK.You’regoingtobefine.”Shetriedtospeakbutcouldn’t,andasheliftedherintohisarmstheworld

drewinanddarknessswallowedher.

OceanofPDF.com

28

The first classes of the day were business studies and double combat arts.Omendidn’tmindcombatarts.He’dbeenthroughitallbeforewhenthebesttrainers intheworldhadtaughtAugerhowtohitandOmenhowtogethit.Now itwas different.NowOmenwas no longer the punchbag, and it wasquite startling – to his classmates, to his teacher, to Omen himself – howmuchofthattraininghehadabsorbedovertheyears.TheonlythingthatpreventedOmenfrombeingoneofthebestintheclass

was thefact thatheappeared topossessabsolutelynoaggression.Atall. Intheslightest.Whichwasaproblemwhenitcametofighting.Thesetwoclassesturnedouttobemoretheorythanpractical,andnobody

brokemuchofasweat,whichmeantOmencouldskiptheweeklytortureofshoweringwiththerestoftheboys.Instead,hegotdressedquickerthanusualandfoundNeverinthecorridor.“Hey,”hesaid.Never looked up, hesitated, and smiled. His hair was tied back today.

“Hey.”“I was thinking,” Omen said, “about what we were talking about on

Friday.”Neverfrowned.“Remindme.”“Y’know…weweretalkingaboutthefactthatI’msittingaround,waiting

forSkulduggeryandValkyrietocallmeoffonanadventure.”“Thatwasyou?”“Iwasthinking,maybe…Imean,obviouslyyouhadapoint.”“Iamme.”“And, if I reactedbadly to it, then I’msorry. I just…Idon’twant tobe

boring.Idon’twanttobelikeeveryoneelseandIhadatasteofwhatit’sliketohavealifelikethat,likeAuger’s,andI…”Hesighed.“Don’tworryaboutit,”saidNever.“Well,Iamworryingaboutit,”Omensaid.“Andyouknowmebetterthan

probablyanyone,andyouwereonlytryingtomakemeseesense.”“Seeingsenseisgood,”Neversaid.

“Arewefriendsagain?”“Whendidwestop?”“Imean,wehaven’treallychattedin the lastfewdaysandI thoughtyou

weremadatmeorsomething.”“I’mnotmadatyou,monkey.I’vejustbeenbusy.I’maverybusyperson,

youknow.Like,rightnow?RightnowI’mbusy.”Omenlaughed.“Rightnowyou’retalkingtome.”“AndI’mbusy,so,like,wrapitup.”“Oh,”saidOmen.“Oh,right,sorry.Um…well,that’sit,Isuppose.”NeverputahandonOmen’sshoulder.“Goodtalk.I’mgladwedidthis.It’s

important,Ithink,tobeabletotalkaboutstuff.”“Sowhoareyouwaitingfor?”Nevertookhishandback.“I’mnotwaitingforanyone.”“Isitanewboyfriend?”“HowdoyouknowI’mnotstillwithWilder?”Omengrinned.“He’snotyourtypeatall.He’stooloud.”Nevershrugged.“Also,he’dneverbeenoutwithsomeoneasamazingas

me,soIthinkhegotintimidated.Ah,well,hisloss.”“Sowho’sthenewguy?”“Thereactually isn’tone. I’moff themarketat themoment. I feel Ineed

somespacetoreconnectwithmyself,torediscovermyownvitality.”“Whatkindofbookshaveyoubeenreading?”“Bookswithwordsandnopictures,sothey’dbeofnointeresttoyou.”He

checkedhiswatch.“OK,I’vegottogetgoing.Omen,youhaveagoodone.”Omenlaughed.“I’lltrymyverybest,butIwillfindoutwhatyou’re—”AndNeverteleportedaway.“Omen.”OmenturnedasAurniaranup.Heblinked,notexpectingtoseeherinthe

schoolcorridorlikethis.“Aurnia!Hi!Whatareyoudoinghere?”“I’m lost,” she said. Her eyes were watery, like she was about to start

crying.“Alloftheambassadorsarebeingbroughtintodiscussourconcerns,and Iwaswith thegroupand then Igotdistracted.This school is…huge.This is the biggest building I’ve ever been in. Back home our school is asingleroominmyuncle’shouse.”“Soyougotlost,”saidOmen.“OK,that’scool.Icanhelpyou.Comeon.”Theystartedwalking,Aurniahuggingherselfandstickingclosetohisside.

Henoticedhershrinkawayfromthepeopletheypassed,likeamistreatedcat.“Doyou rememberwhat roomyouwere supposed tobeheading to?”he

asked.

“No,”shesaid.“Iwasn’treallylistening.I’vebarelyheardanythingthat’sbeensaidsincewearrivedhere.Howdoesanyonegetanythingdonehere?”“Istillhaven’tfiguredthatoutmyself,tobehonest.”“Yousaidthatmortalshaveschoolshere,too–properschools.Aretheyas

bigasthis?”Omen shrugged. “It depends. I mean, I suppose some of them are, the

reallyexclusiveones,butmostofthemaren’t.”“Whatwasitlikegrowinguphere?”sheasked.“Oh, I didn’t. I grew up near Galway. Do you have Galway in your

dimension?”“Yes.”“Igrewupnearthere,inasmalltown,allverynormal.Myfamily’smagic,

but Roarhaven wasn’t a city back then so we lived among mortals andbasicallypretendedtobelikeeveryoneelse.Weevenhadmortalnamesandstuff.Ilikedit,actually,beingjustlikeeveryoneelse.IsupposeIfitinbetterasamortalthanIdoasasorcerer.”“Whydon’tyoufitinasasorcerer?”“I’mjustnotverygoodatit.Mybrother,Auger,he’sgoodatit.He’sreally

good at it. But then he’s so good at everything. Iwas nevermuch good atanything.”“Butyoucandomagic?”“Yes,”hesaid.“Notmuch,butIcan.Doyouwanttosee?”Aurnialookedalarmedandshookherhead.“OK,”saidOmenquickly.“That’scool.”Sheactuallysmiled.“Youusedthatwordagain.Cool.Whyiscoolagood

thing?”“Idon’treallyknow.Isupposeitcamefrom,maybe,America,fromback

inthe1960swheneverythingwascoolandgroovyandstuff.”“Ah,”saidAurnia,“sothat’swhywedon’tusethewordlikeyoudo.We

don’thaveanAmericawhereI’mfrom.”“Howcanyounothaveacountry?”Omenasked,frowning.“Well, we have it, it’s there, it exists, but no one lives there any more.

MevolentkilledeveryoneinAmericahundredsofyearsagoandpoisoneditall–theland,thewater,theair…”“Wow.”“Yes.”“Soyouguysdon’thaveElvisorJenniferLawrenceorSpider-Man…or

anyone.”“Idon’tknowwhotheyare.”

“Elviswasasinger,andJenniferLawrence is inmovies,andSpider-Manswingsfrombuildingsandstopscrime.”“Isheasorcerer,too?”“No,hewasjustbittenbyaradioactivespider.It’ssoweirdthatyoudon’t

havethosethings.”“Notreally,”Aurniasaid,shrugging.“FromwhereIstand,it’snormal,and

actuallyhavinganAmericawithpeople in it, that’s, likeyousaid, the thingthat’sweird.”Heledheruptheweststaircase.Shewasnolongerhuggingherself.With

everystepshe took,shewasgrowinginconfidence.Hewishedhewas likethat.She laughed suddenly. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I never thought thiswould

happen.”Hegrinnedalongwithher.“Whatwouldhappen?”“This,” she said, gesturing to their surroundings. “Sorcerers everywhere

andI’mjustwalkingthroughthemall.”“It’sadifferentworld.”“Yes,itis.”Axeliapassed,eyesonherphone,andOmenwavedtogetherattentionand

said,“Axelia,hey.”Shelookedup,smiledautomatically.“Hey,”shesaid.“Axelia,”saidOmen,“thisisAurnia.Aurnia’spartofthevolunteergroup,

fromthecamp?Doyouknowwheretherestofthemare?”“Iwas just helping outwith them,”Axelia said. “They’re inMeritorious

Hall.Themeetinghasn’tstartedyet,soyou’llbefine.It’sverygoodtomeetyou,Aurnia.”“Andyou,”saidAurnia.Axeliasmiledagainandwalkedon,andOmentookAurniarightanddown

acorridor.“She’sverypretty,”saidAurnia.“Isshe?”saidOmen.“Everyoneherehassuchwonderfulhair.Isitbecauseoftheshampoo?”“Youdon’thaveshampoowhereyou’refrom?”“Maybethesorcerersdo,butmortalsusesoap.Myfamilyreceivedabottle

ofshampooinoneofourcarepackages,though,andlastnightIwashedmyhairand…andit’swonderful.”“Yourhairdoeslookextrashinytoday.”Shelaughedagain.“Thankyou.”ThedoortoMeritoriousHallwasopen.Inside,sorcerersandmortalswere

findingtheirseats.

“Hereweare,”Omensaid.Aurniaclaspedherhands.“Thankyou,Omen.Thankyousomuch.”“Noprobs.Problem.Noproblem.”She lookedathimfora littlebit,and then lookedaway.“Well, I’dbetter

go.”“Wait!”heblurted.“Yes?”“Um…wouldyouliketodosomething?”“Iamdoingsomething.I’mwalking.”“No,like,dosomething.”“Idon’tthinkIunderstand.”“With me,” said Omen. “Would you like to do something with me?

Tomorrow,maybe? It’s just that I enjoy talking to you, and spending timewithyou,andIwaswonderingifmaybeyou’dliketo,um,doitagain?”Aurniafrowned.“Areyoutryingtocourtme?”“Idon’tknow.Ithinkso?”“Huh.”“So…whatdoyouthink?”“WehavestrictrulesforcourtingwhereI’mfrom,”saidAurnia.“First,you

mustaskmyparents.”“Yeah,right,thatmakessense.”“Andthenmybrother.He’sveryprotectiveofme,though,sothatmightbe

difficult.”“Icandoit.”“Andthenyouhavetoseekpermissionfromthetwelvevillageleaders.”“Alltwelve?”“And,before theymake their ruling,youmustdo theLoveDance in the

streets.”“Wow. I don’t have much rhythm but, well, I suppose I could get my

dancingshoeson.”“No shoes,” she said. “The Love Dance is performed without clothes.

When the dance is over, youmust sing the traditional ballads, also naked.Thenandonlythenwillwereceivetheblessingofmypeople,andweshallbewed.My familywill be expecting a childwithin the first year, sonaturallyyouwillhavetocommittoalifetimeof…”Shegrinnedsuddenly,agrinsoprettyitmadeOmen’sheartlurch.“I’mjoking.Wedon’thavestrictrulesforcourting,andwedon’thavetogetmarriedorhavebabies.Thelookonyourface,however…”Omenbarkedoutalaughandfeltthetensionrushfromhisbody.“Thatwas

mean.Thatwasverymean.”

“Iwouldliketotalktoyoutomorrow,Omen.Sotheanswerisyes.”Hegaveagrinofhisown.“Cool,”hesaid.

OceanofPDF.com

29

HereinthissmalltowninTuscany,wherethestreetswereimpossiblynarrow,waswheretheflawintheotherwiseflawlessroutethatSerafina’speoplehadplannedoutwouldbeexploited.ThiswaswhereCadaverouswouldambushtheambulance.Sitting in the shade, Cadaverous glanced at his watch. It was just gone

midday, the ambulance was almost here, and there were nomortals about.Thiswasbeyondperfect.“Shecutitoff,”Razziasaid.“Just…swish.Cutitrightoff.”Cadaverousdidn’trespond.Razzialookedup.“Shedeservedit,ofcourse.Skeiri,Imean.Ooh,I’mso

great,I’mtakingRazzia’splace…andnowshehasonelesstentacle.That’sthemoralofthestory,rightthere.”Neroteleportedin.“They’recoming,”hesaid.“Diditlooklikeithurt?”Razziaasked.“WhatValkyriedidtoSkeiri?”Nerosighed.“Areyoustilltalkingaboutthis?Itwasagesago,OK?Itwas

yesterday.HowamIsupposed to rememberwhathappenedorwhathurtorwhatdidn’t?AllIknowis,shewouldn’tstopmoaningaboutit.”Cadaverousstood.“Inpositions,everyone,”hesaid.Neroscowled.“Andwhyareyoutheonegivingorders?I’mtheonewho

shouldbeincharge.”“Isthatso?”Nero shrugged. “You’re all getting sidelined, now thatAbyssinia has her

pickofpeople fromColdheart. I’m theonly invaluableone. I shouldget tocalltheshots.”Ifyou’resoinvaluable,”Razziasaid,“howcomeyou’reherewiththerest

ofus?”“Ireallydon’tknow,”Neroanswered.“Pity,maybe?”“Or perhaps,” said Cadaverous, “for all your stupidity, you have still

managedtorecognisehoweasyitistofallfromAbyssinia’sfavour.Let’sbehonest, you didn’t exactly acquit yourself well during that encounter withPleasantandCain,didyou?”

Agloweringstare.“IdidOK.”“You’reheretoproveyourself,”Cadaveroustoldhim.“And,untilyoudo,

youtakeordersfromyourbetters.”“Whatever,”Neromuttered.“Destrier,”Cadaveroussaid,“ifyouwould…?”Destriernodded,andwalkedtothemiddleoftheroad.Fora fewseconds, therewassilence.Thewarmbreezekickedupa little

dustontheroad.“It’s not like I don’t have sympathy for her,” Razzia said from behind

cover. “I wouldn’t like to lose my guys. They’re my guys. But Skeirishouldn’thavetriedtotakemyplace.”“Razzia,”Cadaveroussaid,“maybeweshouldfocusnow,ifthat’sOK?”Shenodded.“Fairpoint,mate.Absolutely.”Shesettled,andCadaverousreadiedhimself.The ambulance, to all outward appearances a beaten-up old truck, came

round the corner. Upon seeing Destrier, the driver immediately picked upspeed.Thepassengerwindowwhirreddownandagunpokedout.ButbythenDestrieralreadyhadhishandraised.The ambulance slowed so much it looked like it had stopped, but

Cadaverouscouldstillseethewheelsturning,couldstillseethelittlepinecarfreshener–intheshapeofastrawberry–caughtintime-compressedlimboasittriedtoswingfromtherear-viewmirror.Thefacesofthemeninside,frozeninto grimaces, didn’t register Razzia strolling up and opening the driver’sdoor.Shereachedin,unbuckledthedriverandhauledhimout.Hisfallwasafall

throughtreacle,butRazziawasalreadykickingthepassengeroutoftheotherside.Thenshesettledinbehindthewheel,andgaveDestrierathumbsup.Destrier dropped his hand, and time around the ambulance returned to

normal.Thedriverandpassengerhittheroad–hard–andflippedandrolled,andRazziabroughttheambulancetoagentlestop.Cadaverous approached the back of the ambulance. The driver and

passengerweregroaning,moaning,tryingtogetup.Razziahoppedoutofthevan,brokethedriver’sneckandopenedherhandtowardsthepassenger,nowstumblingtohisfeet.Herpalmopened,andtheparasiteshotout,spearingthepassengerthroughtheneckbeforeretracting.Theambulancedoorsburstopen.Awoman lungedatCadaverous, fire in

herhands.Nero teleportedher awaybefore she couldactuallydoanything,andCadaverousclimbedin.Caissonlaystrappedtoagurney.Hewastall, thinandmalnourished.His

skinwaswaxy, his silver hair cut short, clumps of itmissing, showing his

scalp.Hiseyeswereclosed.Helookeddead.Cadaverouspulledawayallthetubesandelectrodesandundidthestraps.

Grunting slightlywith the effort, he pulled Caisson on to his shoulder andcrab-walkedtothedoor.Hedroppeddown.“Icouldhelp,”saidRazzia.“No,it’sOK,”Cadaveroussaid,noddingbehindher.“You’regoingtoneed

yourhandsfree.”Three sorcerers stood there, legs apart and fists clenched. They looked

impressivelyintimidating.“We’regoingtoneedthatback,”saidthebiggestone.“You mean Caisson?” Cadaverous responded, as Destrier and Razzia

movedtostandbesidehim.“No,no,no,we’renottakinghim.Wewouldn’ttakehimwithout asking.Howrude!We’re justborrowinghim.We’llbringhimback,honest.”“HeisthepropertyofSerafina.”“Thenwhere isshe?Ifhe’sso important toher, lethercomeandpresent

hercase.Wewillabsolutelyreturnhimtoyouifshedoesthat.IfSerafinagetsonherkneesandbegs.”Thebigone’seyesnarrowed.“Youshouldn’tsaythethingsyou’resaying.”“Why does she want him, anyway? Why is she doing this? Torturing

someoneforsixtyyears–that’sacommitmentfewpeoplewouldbewillingtomake.What’shedonethat’ssoterrible?”“YoucanaskSerafinayourself,providingweletyoulivelongenough.”“Ihatethetalkingbit,”Razziamumbled.“Sorry?”thebigonesaid,hisirritationrising.“Whatwasthat?”“The talking bit,” she repeated. “I hate it. It’s boring.Canwe get to the

killingbit?That’swherethefunis.”“Takeitfromme,beautiful,youdon’twantustogettothekillingbit.”Razziaswivelledherhead.“Didyoujustcallmebeautiful?”Thebigonesmiled.“WhatcanIsay,sweetheart?Ihaveathingforlunatic

blondes.”“Sweetheart.Beautiful.Lunaticblonde.”Razziashookherheadslowly.“I

haveaname.IknowIhaveanamebecauseIpickeditmyself.Now,whileImaybea sweetheart,and I sureambeautiful,and Iamundoubtedlybothalunaticandablonde,mynameisRazzia,andthatiswhatyou’llbegurglingasIkillyou.”Razzia ranat them.Destriermoaned reluctantlybut joinedher, andNero

appearedrightbehindSerafina’speople.Cadaverousjustturned,andcarriedCaissonawayfromtheambulance.

The breezewas picking up as he layAbyssinia’s son on the ground andonceagainsatintheshade.Hefacedawayfromthefighting.Hedidn’tneedtoseeit.NomatterhowgoodSerafina’screwwere,hehadfaithinhisown.They’d been through a lot together. For years, they’d worked behind thescenes,carryingoutAbyssinia’scommandswhenshewasnothingbutaheartinabox.Yes,backthenthey’dhadSmokeandLethetobolstertheirstrength,andyes,theirlosshadweakenedtheteamconsiderably.Buttheyweremorethanamatchfortheiropponents.Cadaveroustookagunfromhisjacketandflickedoffthesafety.Itwasa

pity,whatwasabouttohappen.When the last moan of pain was abruptly cut off, he stood and turned.

Destrier,Nero andRazzia: triumphant, as expected,walkingaway from thedeadbodiesoftheirenemies.“Myfriends,”saidCadaverousastheycameforward,“Iwouldjustliketo

takethisopportunitytotellyouhowmuchIappreciateyourtalents.Wemayhave had our disagreements over the years,wemay have exchanged angrywords,wemayhavesaidthingsweeachregret…”“Ihaven’t,”Neromuttered.“But there is no one else I would have even attempted this with,”

Cadaverous continued. “You are some of the best, the most loyal, and thestupidestpeopleIhaveeverhadthepleasuretoknow.”Nerofrowned.“What?”Cadaverous struck Destrier on the temple with the butt of his gun and

grabbedNerobeforehecouldreact,jammingthemuzzleunderhischin.“MydearRazzia,”hesaid,“ifIseeyouraiseanarm,Ipullthistriggerand

AbyssinialosesheronlyTeleporter.”Nerotriedtopullaway,“Whatthehellareyoudoing,oldman?”“Shutup,boy,”Cadaveroussaid,spinninghimroundandpressingthegun

intohisback.“Idon’tgetit,”saidRazzia,lookinggenuinelyconfused.“Sincerest apologies,”Cadaverous said, “butCaisson isn’tbeing returned

tohismother.Ifshewantshim,she’llhavetocometome.”“Istilldon’tgetit.”“Shedoesn’tcareaboutus,Razzia.We’redisposable.Shedoesn’tcare if

wegethurt.Shedoesn’tcarethatSkeirilostapet.Notreally.Youcan’tseeitbecauseyoudon’twanttoseeit,butsheliedtous,shemisledus,shetrickedus into findingherheart andbringingherback to life.Thoseplansofhers,wherewetoppletheSanctuariesanddoasweplease?Thatwasnevergoingtohappen.Shewasalwaysgoing to ruleoverusall–herandherson.Shebetrayedus,Razzia.”

“Kindalikehowyou’rebetrayingmerightnow.”“Iamsorryaboutthat.You’renotmyenemy–unlessyoutrytostopme.

Areyougoingtotrytostopme,Razzia?”“Notwhenyou’vegotagun,no.”“Peoplealwaysthinkyou’recrazierthanyouactuallyare.”“Oh,I’mprettycrazyallright,”Razziasaid,“butI’mnotcrazyenoughto

stealAbyssinia’skid.She’sgonnablowagasket,mate.She’sgonnaripyouapart.”“She’lltry.”Razziamadeaface.“Nero’scrying.”“Ishe?”Cadaveroussaid.“Nero?Areyou?”“You’regonnakillme,”Nerosobbed.“Youare,aren’tyou?You’regonna

makemeteleportyousomewhereandthenyou’regonnashootmetostopmefrombringingAbyssiniatoyoubeforeyoucanescape.Idon’twanttodie,MrGant.Pleasedon’tkillme.”“Oh,Iwon’tkillyou,Nero.WhywouldIdothat?Afterallwe’veshared?

RememberthatgentlemanwekilledinFrance,themanwiththethreeeyes?”Neromanagedahappygurgle.“TheThree-EyedWeirdo,yeah.”“Thosearespecialmomentsforme,Nero.I’mnotgoingtokillyou.You’re

going to teleport Caisson and me to that three-eyed gentleman’s airfield,rememberit?Ihaveasmallplanewaitingformethere.”“Whatareyougoingtodowithmethen?”“I’mgoingtohavetorenderyouunconscious.”“You’regonnahitme?”“Ameretap.You’llwakewithaheadache,nothingmore.”“Youdon’tknowthat,”Neroargued.“Youmightgivemebraindamage.”“Iguessthat’strue–butit’seitherthatorIshootyou.”Nerosagged.“Youcanhitme.”“Thankyou.”CadaverouslookedbacktoRazzia.“Don’tcomeafterme.”“Iwon’thaveto.”“Youtakecarenow.”“Enjoybeingalive,”shesaid.“Whileitlasts.”

OceanofPDF.com

30

Valkyrieopenedhereyes.“Welcome back,”Reverie Synecdoche said, barely raising her gaze from

thechartatthefootofthebed.“Hey,”Valkyriemuttered,hertongueheavy.TheywereinReverie’sclinic,

abuildingValkyriewasgettingtoknowwell.Shehadabandagetapedtoherchest.Shewashookeduptoadrip.Thebedwascomfortable,thepillowcool.ItoccurredtoValkyriethatthepillowsintheclinicwerealwayscool.“Skulduggery told me to tell you that he’s over at the High Sanctuary,

waiting to talk to the SupremeMage,”Reverie said. “He doesn’t fancy hischances.”“Doyouhavemagicpillows?”Valkyrieasked.“Whywouldwehavemagicpillows?”“Becausethey’realwayscool.”“Weflipthemalot.Howareyoufeeling?”“Disappointedaboutthepillows,butotherwiseOK.”Shefrowned.“Ifeel

drunk.”“Thatwillfade.Youhadquiteanastyinjury.”“Oh,no.”“Youwerelucky.Itmissedyourheart.”“I’mverylucky.”“Yes,youare.”“Iwentintohermind.”“Didyou?”Valkyrienodded.“Abyssinia’smind.Iwentin.Sawhermemories.”“That’snice.”“Itwasn’t really. I’mnotused to feelingdrunk,youknow. I don’t drink.

Well, Imean, Ihavedrunk,youknow. Ihave imbibed thealcohol. I’m justnotusedtoit.Idon’tlikebeingdrunk.”“Ofcourseyoudon’t,”Reveriesaid,comingcloserandcheckingthedrip.

“You’reacontrolfreak.”

Valkyrie’s eyeswidened. “I am offended. I am not a control freak.Howverydareyou.Ijustlikebeingincontrolofthesituationatalltimes.Isthatbad?Isthatwrong?”“Notatall,”Reveriemurmured,makinganoteontheclipboard.“Things have a habit,” Valkyrie continued, “of spiralling out of control.

You think everything is one way, and then it goes poof, and it’s alleverywhere.Iliketokeepahandleonit.Trytokeepitalltogether.Youknowwhathappenswhenthingsgoalleverywhere?Badthingshappen.I’veseenit.SoItrytoscoopitallbackintothebasket.DidImentionthebasket?Therewasabasketsomewhereinthisanatomy.Anatomy?”“Analogy.”“Analogy,yes,thankyou.TherewasabasketthatIforgottomention.The

basketwasholdingeverythingandthen…”Shesighed.“Anyway.I’mnotacontrolfreak.”Hereyeswidened.“IcutoffoneofSkeiri’sthingies.”“Thatdoesn’tsoundnice.”“Herthingy.Her…thing.Withthesnappingandthebiting.Thesameas

Razzia.Razziahasthesamesnappyandbiteything.”“Thisisaninterestingconversation.”Valkyriewavedherarmlikeasnake,herhandsnatchingattheair.“Ah,”saidReverie.“Theparasite.”“Yesssss,”saidValkyrie.“Icutitoff.Ifeelsobad.Doyouthinkit’slikeI

killedherpet?Idon’twanttokillherpet.Iloveanimals.”Reverie replaced the chart at the endof thebed, checkedherwatch, and

lookedatValkyrie.“Wastheparasitetryingtoattackyou?”“Oh,yes,Reverie,itreallywas.Itwasall…”Shemadeascaryface.“Wellnow,”Reveriesaid,“itsoundstomelikeyouhadnochoice.”“ButIloveanimals.”Valkyriestartedtocry.Reveriepattedherhead.“It’sOK.Youdidtherightthing.”“Doyouthinkit’llgrowback?”“Theparasite?”“Doyouthinkit’llgrowback,likeafoot?”“Feet don’t grow back, Valkyrie. You’re thinking of lizard tails. The

parasitewon’tgrowback,I’mafraid.”“Oh,noooo.”“Youweredefendingyourself.If thisSkeiripersonreallycaredabouther

parasites,shewouldn’thavesentthemtoattackyou,wouldshe?”“I suppose not.” Valkyrie sniffled, and wiped her nose. “When can I

leave?”“I’ll haveanurse comeby in about twentyminutes, take the tubeoutof

yourarm,andyou’llbefreetowalkoutofhere.”

“Cool.CanItakethepillowswithme?”“No.They’reours.”“Justoneofthem,then.Thisone.”“No.”“Whataboutthatone?”“No.”“Both?”“Neither.”“Half?”“Anursewillbeinsoon.”“You’remean.”“They’renotyourpillows,Valkyrie.”“You’restillmean.”

Halfanhourlater,Valkyriewasfeelingalotlessdrunk.Shegotdressedandthenursegaveherfreshgauzetochangeherdressing.MilitsaGnosiswaswaitinginthelobbywhenValkyriewalkedout.“I heard you’d been injured,” she said. “Thought I’d call round. I was

goingtobringflowersandgrapes,butitoccurredtomethatyoudon’treallyseemlikeaflowersperson.”“I’mreallynot,”saidValkyrie.“ButIdolikegrapes.”“Ishouldhavebroughtgrapes,then.Youwanttogoforacoffee?”“Tobehonest,”Valkyriesaid,“Iwouldloveto.”Theystoppedat thefirstcoffeeshoptheycametoandtookatableat the

back.“Sowhatwasitthatinjuredyou?”Militsaasked.“Bullet?Knife?Arrow?”“Tentacle.”“Seriously?”“Atentaclewithteeththatshotoutofalady’shand.”“Wow.”“Yeah.It’saparasite.It’scalleda…well, it’scalledwhateverit’scalled,

butmostpeoplejustcallitaparasite.”“Shehot?”“Theparasite?”“Thelady.”“Um…Isuppose.AlthoughRazzia’shotter.”“That’stheAustralian?”“Yep. They both have the parasites, but Razzia has the most beautiful

mouth.Ithinkyou’dlikeher.”

“Ihave always been partial to a bad girl,” Militsa said, and sipped hercoffee.“Youwanttotalkaboutit?”“Aboutwhat?Gettinginjured?I’malwaysgettinginjured.”“Well,”saidMilitsa,“youwerealwaysgettinginjured,butthenyouwent

awayandyoudidn’tgetinjuredforyears.”“Ah,Istillgotinjured,”Valkyriesaid.“Istilltrained.Myinstructordidn’t

exactlytakeiteasyonme.”“Oryoudidn’ttakeiteasyonyourself.”“Meaning?”Militsa took another sip. “I’ve known you, what, six months? Seven?

Aroundthat?Imightbewayoffhere,butwhenyouleftIrelandyouweresowrappedup inguiltoverwhatDarquessehaddone,overwhatyouyourselfhaddone,thatyouwerelookingforexcitingnewsystemsofpunishment.Soyouhidforfiveyearsfromthepeoplewholovedyou,and…what?Howdidyouspendyourtime?”“Ifixedupanoldhouse.”“OK.”“Igotadog.”“Good.”“Ireadalot.”“Excellent.”“AndItrained.”“Youfought?”“Itrained.Iworkedout.Isparred.”“Andyougothurt?”“Youcan’ttraintofightwithouttheriskofgettinghurt.”Militsashrugged.“OK.Igetthat.Whowasyourinstructor?”“SomeoneIfound.”“You found someone good enough to train you, after you’d spent years

trainingwithSkulduggery?That’sahighbartomatch.”NowitwasValkyrie’sturntoshrug.“Igetthefeelingyoudon’twanttotalkaboutthis,”Militsasaid.“Mymind’sjustnotonit, that’sall.There’salotgoingon–andnotjust

withme.Like,whereveryou look there’sdrama.Whatdoyou thinkof thiswholerefugees-from-another-realitything?Isn’tthatnuts?”“Haveyouseenit?Theportal?”“Yeah. I usually view dimensional portals as a bad thing, but the people

comingthroughjustlooksoscared…”“We’re helping them out at the Academy,” saidMilitsa. “It started with

food and blankets, but the High Sanctuary seems to have handed us full

responsibility for theirwell-being –which, you know, because they’re stillcomingthroughisalotmorethanwecanhandle.”“Areyouincharge?”“Well,I’mspearheadingit,yes,butthere’saloadofvolunteers.”“Thenit’llbefine,”Valkyriesaid.“Solongasyou’reinvolved,they’llbe

allright.”“Thanks for the vote of confidence,”Militsa said, smiling. “But it is not

whatIsignedupfor.I’maresearcherandateacher.Icanbarelyorganisemydesk,letalonereliefaidforthousandsofterrifiedmortals.Ikeepimaginingthat one of these days I’ll growup and become someonewho knowswhatthey’redoing,butsofarthathasn’thappened.Doyoueverthinkaboutthat?Growingolder,Imean?”Valkyrie shrugged.“That’s thegood thingaboutmagic, isn’t it?Growing

older isn’t something we’ll have to think about for another few hundredyears.”“That’sgrowingold.Wewon’thavetoworryaboutgrowingold.Growing

olderisdifferent.Westilldothat.”“Isuppose,”Valkyriesaid,herminddriftingtoAlice–wonderingwhatit

wouldbeliketowatchherlittlesistergrowupandagenaturally,reachingherthirties,herforties,whileValkyriestilllookednineteen.“SometimesIlookatpeopleliketheSupremeMage,”Militsawassaying,

“ortheheadmaster,orevenSkulduggery…Allofthesepeoplearehundredsofyearsoldand,Idon’tknow,Istarttowonderwhateffectthathasonthem.”Valkyriedrankhercoffee.“I’mnotsureIgetwhatyou’retalkingabout.”“Istudymagic,”Militsasaid.“It’swhatIdo.It’swhatIlove.But,whenI

look at sorcerers who’ve been alive for centuries, I start to ask questions.Aboutwhetherornotit’sworthit.”“Iamsonotgettingthis.”Militsalaughed.“Nevermind.I’mtalkingnonsense!”“No,no,”saidValkyrie,“comeon.Whatdoyoumean?”Militsahesitated.“Theylosesomething,Ithink.Themorelifetimesgoby,

theless…humantheybecome.Idon’tmeanthatinabadway–atleast,notin general. But I think there’s a sacrifice you make when you embracemagic.”“Maybethereis,”Valkyriesaid,“butIdon’tagreewithyouabouttheless

humanthing.Yeah,OK,China’sabitofamystery,butSkulduggery’sagoodperson.”“Toyou.”“Totheworld,whichhehassavedafewtimes.”“Ididn’tmeantooffendyou.”

“I’mnotoffended.Really.”“I just think … there’s a price to pay. We’re not immortal, and yet

compared to the mortal people we grew up with, our old friends andneighbours, compared with those poor people from the Leibniz Universe,immortal is exactlywhatweare.And I think there’s a sacrificewehave tomakeinordertolivelikethat.Apieceofyourselfyoucutaway.Howelseareyougoingtobeabletowatchthemortalsinyourlifegrowoldanddiewhileyoustayyoung?”Valkyriesmiled,andleanedforward.“Idonotwishtothinkaboutthisright

now.”Militsaleanedforward,too.“Idonotblameyou.Letusneverspeakofit

again.”“Thatworksforme,gorgeous.”Militsablushed.Ablushonaredheadwasextremelynoticeable.“You’rescarlet,”Valkyriesaid,andlaughed.“Shut up,” Militsa replied, looking away, to the front of the café. “Oh,

thankGod.Achangeofsubject.”Valkyrielookedround.Skulduggerynoddedtoherfromthedoor.She smiled atMilitsa. “Be right back,” she said, and joinedSkulduggery

outside.“Howareyoufeeling?”heasked.“Sore.DidyoumanagetospeakwithChina?”“Ididnot.Ishouldhavestayedattheclinic.Ishouldhavebeentherewhen

youwoke.”“What for?You’veseenme inonehospitalbed,you’veseenme in them

all.Ilookedintoherhead,youknow.”“Abyssinia?”“Itookherbysurprise,Ithink.She…It’slikesheopenedthedoorintomy

thoughts,butinsteadofherwalkingthroughintomymind,Ibargedstraightintohers.”“Whatdidyousee?”Valkyriehesitated.Skulduggerynodded.“Yousawme.”“Yeah.Sorry.Ikindofusedyouasananchortogetthroughhermemories.

IsawyouputonVile’sarmour,Isawthenightyoustabbedherandthrewherout the window… It’s weird because it was me. I was experiencing hermemoriesasher,soitwasmeyoustabbed.”“Oh.That’smostunfortunate.Isincerelyapologise.”“I’moverit.”“That’sgoodtoknow.Didyouhappentoseeifthechild…”

“Is reallyyours? Ididn’t.Doyou thinkhecouldbe?You toldAbyssiniayoudon’tremembereverythingyoudidasLordVile.Ididn’tknowthat.”“Thereareperiodsthatarehiddentome,”Skulduggerysaid.“Blankspots

inmyrecollections.”“Butyouremembereverything.”“Apparentlynot.”“Skulduggery…isCaissonyourson?”“Idon’tknow.”“Wouldyouwanthimtobe?”Skulduggerywatchedatrampass,anddidn’tanswer.“Militsa’swaitingforme,”Valkyriesaid.“Callmeinthemorning,OK?”“Iwill.I’mgladyou’realive,Valkyrie.”“Metoo.”Shewentbackinside.

OceanofPDF.com

31

Omenwavedfrantically,butneitherSkulduggerynorValkyriesawhim,sohesat back in his seat, oddly dejected.A fellow trampassenger glared at himdisapprovingly.ThetramstoppedatShudder’sGateandhewenttherestofthewaytothe

CityofTentsonfoot.Sorcererspassedwithoutevenglancingathim,andtheCleavers stood silently on either side of the path. He could see his ownreflectionintheirvisors.Helookednervous,andhisshirthadcomeuntucked.Hetuckeditintohisjeansagain,triedtosmoothdownhishair,andfixed

hiseyesstraightaheadashewalked.Hedidn’tparticularlylikehisreflection.It reminded him of what other peoplewere seeingwhen he’dmuch ratherforgetaboutthingslikethat.Therewas a fencenow surrounding the camp, but he found the entrance

andmadehiswaytothemarket.HewentuptoAurniaatherstall.“Hi,”hesaid,unabletostopasmilefromspreadingacrosshisface.“How

areyou?Youlookreallynice.”“Hi, Omen,” Aurnia said. She sounded deflated at the prospect of their

date,and,asmuchashecouldn’tblameher,hedidkindoffeelhurt.Still,hepressedon.“I was thinking that I could take you on a tour of Roarhaven,” he said.

“Therearesomereallycoolparts,especiallyaroundtheArtsDistrict,thatarejustawesome.”“Ican’tgo.”“Oh,”hesaid.“Oh,OK,that’sfine.”“No,ImeanIcan’tphysicallygo.Theywon’tletme.”“Who?”Omenasked.“Thevillageleaders?”“Wedon’thavevillageleaders,”Aurniasaid.“Thatwasajoke.Butno,it’s

notanyofmypeople.TheGreycoatswon’tletusthrough.”“TheCleavers?Whynot?”“We’renotallowedtoleavethecampwithoutofficialsupervision.Ithink

they’reworriedthatwewon’tgoback,ormaybethatwe’llstealsomethingorcausetrouble.”

“Butyou’llbewithme.”“Imentionedyournametothemanintheuniform.Heaskedifyouwere

the Chosen One, then another man in uniform said no, the Chosen One’snamewasAuger,andhedidn’tknowwhoyouwere.”Omensagged.“Igetthatalot.Well,maybeyoucanshowmearoundthe

camp,instead?MaybeIcouldmeetsomeofyourfriends?”Aurniahesitated,andnotinagoodway.“Ornot,”saidOmen.“Myfriendsdon’tunderstand,”Aurniasaid.“Myfamilydoesn’t,either.”“Understandwhat?”“You. To them, all sorcerers are the same. They’re all dangerous. I tried

explainingthatyou’renot like that. I told themaboutyou.I told themwhatyouwerelike.”“Oh,really?”Omensaid,tryingnottosmile.“Whatdidyousay?”“Itoldthemyouwereharmless.”Hefrowned.“Well,Imean…I’mnotharmless.Harmlessis,like,apuppy,

ora…babycow.”“It’scalledacalf.”“I’mnotacalf.Imean,I’mnothreattoyou,orthem,butI’m…”“Ididn’tmeanitasaninsult.”“No,no,ofcoursenot.ButI’vedonestuff.Bravestuff.Afewmonthsago,

mylifewasindangerandIwasfighting.Ievenbrokeaguyoutofprison.”“Whydidyoudothat?”“No,no,hewasagoodguy,anditwasabadprison.Mypointis,I’mnot

…Idon’twantyoutothinkthatI’mboring.Imean,yes,mostof thetime,I’mnothing,butIamcapableofmore.”“I’vehurtyourfeelings.”“Youhaven’t.”“Ihave.I’mreallysorry.”Omenshrugged.“Don’tworryaboutit.Really.Iactuallyknowsomepretty

important people – I could talk to them. I’m sure I can arrange something.And,evenifIcan’t,theCleaversaren’tgoingtokeepyouconfinedforever,right?Onceeverythingiscool,you’llbeableto,like…”“Gofree,”Aurniasaid.“Well…yeah.”“Maybewewill.Ifwe’reallowed.”“It’s really not like that, though. They’re keeping you all in one place

becauseit’ssafer.”“Forwho?Wecan’thurtyou.You’resorcerers.”“Saferforyou,then.”

“Ithoughtyousaidweweresafehere.”“Youare,butsomepeople,theydon’tknowiftheycantrustyou.Justgive

themtime,Iswear,andthey’llrealisethatyou’renotathreatandeverythingwillbecool.”Aurnianoddedslowly,andsteppedback.“Itwas…veryniceseeingyouagain,”saidOmen.“Yes.”Hedidn’tknowwhatelsetosay,sohegaveheralittlewave,andwalked

backtoShudder’sGate.Hetookatrambacktoschool,butatthestopattheCirclehesawhisbrothersprintpast.Omenjumpedup,squeezingthroughthedoors right before they closed. Already Auger was disappearing round thecorner.Omenranafterhim,followedhimintoasidestreetandlosthimdownan

alley.Omenchoseaturnatrandom,thenanother,andwasabouttogiveupandheadbackwhenheheardtheunmistakablesoundsoffighting.Unable to think of any use he might actually be in a fight, Omen

nonethelessfollowedthesoundsdownanarrowcanyonofbrickandcement,steppingthroughstagnantpoolsofwater,hisfistsclenched,hisheartbeatingmadly.SuddenlytherewasarushoffootstepsandthenMahalawasthere,hereyes

glowing green, and she barged into him, and Omen hit the wall and shesprintedon.She’dbarelyevennoticedhe’dbeenthere.“Omen,”saidAuger,limpingup.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”Omenscrambledup.“Isawyou,”hesaid.“IthoughtI’dcomeandseeif

youneededanyhelp.AreyouOK?”“I’mfine,”Augersaid.Hisshirtwasripped.“DidyouseeMahala?”Omennodded.“Hereyesweredoingthatglowingthingyoutalkedabout.”Augersighed.“Yeah.That’sprovingtobeaproblem.”Kaseshuffledby,hisfaceamessofcutsandbruises.“Hey,Omen.”“Hi,Kase,”Omensaid,andKaseshuffledon.“Sinceyouoffered,”saidAuger,“youmindhelpingmewalkforabit?I’m

alreadyhealing,butIcouldusetheassist.”“Sure,” said Omen, and took his brother’s weight as they made for the

street. “And hey, you knowwhat you’re doing and everything, and I don’twant to intrude where I don’t belong… but shouldn’t you call someone?Like,notevenSkulduggeryorValkyrie,buttheCityGuard,maybe?”“Weweregoingto,”Augersaid.“Idon’tknowifyou’venoticed,butthe

City Guard are not the most thoughtful of people. This is Mahala we’retalkingabout.It’sgoingtotakesomeprettyweirdmagic,afewmorepunchestotheface,andsomegoodold-fashionedfriendship,butwe’regoingtohelp

her andwe’re going to banishwhatever’s possessing her back towhateverhellitcamefrom.”“Right,”saidOmen.“Yeah,Icanunderstandthat.Doyouneedanyhelp?”Augerlaughed.“Dude,fromwhatI’veheard,you’vegotenoughonyour

platealready.”“Whatdoyoumean?”“IheardaboutAxelia.”Omensighed.“Ofcourseyoudid.”Augersmiled.“She’sacoolgirl.Asmartgirl.”“Smartenoughtoturnmedown.”“Heynow,comeon,don’tbehardonyourself.”“Ah,I’mOKaboutit.Iknewshewasgoingtosayno.”“Soyouknewitwasgoingtoendbadly,butyoustillhadtotry,huh?Iwill

neverunderstandpeoplewhosaywe’renotalike.”They emerged from the alley.Kasewaswaving a green amulet about. It

startedtovibrateinhishand.“Shewentthisway,”hesaid.Augerstoodonhisown.“Wegottago.”“Areyousureyoudon’tneedmyhelp?”askedOmen.“We’vegotthis,”saidAuger.“Kase,youagree?”“We’vegotthis,”saidKase.“Andwhat’llIsayiftheteachersstartaskingwhereyouare?”Augergrinned.“Justtellthemwe’rebackwherewebelong,”hesaid,and

Kaselaughedandtheystartedjoggingaway.Omenwatchedthemgo,anddidn’tbotherwonderingwhatthehellAuger

wasonabout.

OceanofPDF.com

32

Skulduggery called at a little after nine the nextmorning, shakingValkyriefromadream.“DidIwakeyou?”heasked.“No,”shecroaked.“ItsoundslikeIwokeyou.”“Holdon.”Shegrabbedthebottleofwaterfromherbedsidetable,downed

whatwasleft.“OK,”shesaid.“Icantalknow.”“AbyssiniahasCaisson.”Valkyriesatup.“Dammit,”shemuttered.“Five dead sorcerers,” Skulduggery said, “all connected in someway to

Serafina,were recovered in Italyyesterday evening.Theprivate ambulancewasempty.”“Soshehashim.Well,that’swonderful.”Valkyriesighed.“Whatdowedo

now?”“WetalkwithChina.”“Anyideawhyshe’sbeenavoidingus?”“Afew,”hesaid.“IfIcan’tarrangesomethingbytheendoftheday,I’m

kickingdowndoorsuntilIgettoher.”“Well,” Valkyrie said, getting slowly out of bed, “you have fun kicking

thosedoors,OK?I’mstillrecoveringfromgettingstabbedintheheart.”“Youdidn’tgetstabbedintheheart.”“Closeenough.”“Itwasfivecentimetresaway.”Shewenttothemirror,examinedthebandage.“Fivecentimetresisn’tvery

much when you’re getting stabbed,” she said. “Anyway, today I’mrecuperating,andspendingtimewithmysister.”“WhatifIrequireyourassistance?”“Temperwillhelpyou.”“Temperhashisduties.WhatifIrequireyourassistance?”“Ifit’sreallyimportant,givemeacall.”“WhatifI’mboredandjustwantsomeonetotalkto?”

“Thenyouneedmorefriends.”“Mostofmyfriendsaredead.”“Andthat’sexactlythecheerystarttothedayI’vebeenlookingfor.”Shehungup.XenawaswaitingforValkyriewhenshewentdownstairs.Shepouredfresh

foodintothedogbowlandhadherbreakfast,thenwentwalkingthroughthewoods that surrounded the house. Xena disappeared into the undergrowth,dartingacrossherpatheverynowand thenon the trailof somemysteriousscent.Valkyriehadalatelunch,gotinthecaranddrovetoHaggard,whereshe

parkedacrosstheroadfromheroldprimaryschoolandwalkeduptothegate,barely resisting the urge to go in and take a look around. There’d been anextensionbuiltsinceshewasapupilhere,whichessentiallytripledthesizeofthe place. She wondered if her old classroom was the same, or if her oldteacherswerestillthere.More cars pulled up and parents walked over. The end of school was

approaching.“Stephanie?”Valkyrie turnedasHannahFoleycameforward,clad inyogapantsanda

hoody,herblondehairtiedbackintoaponytail.Valkyrierealisedtheywerehuggingafewsecondsafteritstarted.“Ohhhhh,”Valkyriesaid.“Hi…”Hannahsteppedback,handsonherstomachandasmileonherface.“How

areyou?JaneyMac,Ihaven’tseenyouinages!”“JaneyMacindeed,”saidValkyrie.ThewayHannahwaspattingherbelly,

it was like she was inviting Valkyrie to comment on the rather obviouspregnancy.Instead,Valkyriesaid,“Sowhathaveyoubeenupto?”“Well, I’m pregnant!” Hannah said, laughing. “I know what you’re

thinking:again?I justcan’tgetenoughof it!Ididn’tknowyouhadachildhere.”“Idon’t,”saidValkyrie.“I’vegotasister.”“Asister?”Hannahsaid,clearlyastonished.“Whatageisshe?”“Seven.”“That’squiteagap!”“Isupposeso.”“Sotellmeaboutyou,Steph!Whatareyoudoingwithyourself?”Valkyriekepthersmile.“Keepingbusy.”“Atwhat?Sure,youdon’tevenneedajob,doyou?Don’tyouhaveyour

uncle’smoney?Iremembereveryonetalkingaboutthatbackinschool–we

wereallsojealousthatyouwereamillionaire.Wecouldn’tunderstandwhyyoukeptcomingin,though!”ValkyrienoddedalongwhileHannahlaughed,andsaid,“Moneycan’tbuy

friendship.”“Ah, now this is true,”Hannah said. “And it can’t buyhappiness, either,

isn’tthatwhattheysay?”“I’vedefinitelyhearditsaid.”“Imean,don’tgetmewrong, I imagine itwaswonderful to suddenlybe

rich–butwaittillyoustarthavingchildren,Stephanie–thenyou’llfindoutwhatrealhappinessis.”“Yeah.”“I’m due to popwith this one in sixweeks – though, knowingme, it’ll

probablyarriveafewdaysearly!”She laughedagain, like thatwas funny,andValkyrie sneakedaglanceat

herwatch.“Noengagementring,Isee,”Hannahsaid,calmingdown.“Istherenoone

specialinyourlife,orhashejustnotbotheredtogetaclaimin?”“I’mnotlookingtogetmarried,”saidValkyrie.“Oh,youshould,Stephanie,youshould!Marriagewasthebest thingthat

everhappenedtome–afterbecomingamom,ofcourse.”“Ofcourse.”“Finding someone special, sharing your lifewith them, bringing life into

the world… That’s true happiness. You can have all the money you everwanted,youcanhavemillionsandbillions,butifyoudon’thaveafamilyofyourown,what’sthepoint,isn’tthatright?”Valkyriegaveatight-lippedsmileandshruggedwithhereyebrows.HannahtookinValkyrie’scar.“Isthisyours?Abittooflashyforme.You

wouldn’tfitababyseatintheback!That’smineoverthere,thepeoplecarrier.We’redeterminedtofillit,asyoucanprobablytell!”“Youcertainlyhavealotofchildren.”“It’shardwork,believeme.Onone level, I envyyou.Your time isyour

own,youhavenoresponsibility,youcanheadoffonholidaywheneveryouwant–butthereisnowayIwouldtradeplaces.Ijustwouldn’t.Youlooklikeyoudon’tbelieveme!”Valkyriewasprettysureherexpressionwascompletelyneutral.Hannah continued. “I didn’t inherit millions, but I’m rich in kisses and

hugsandsmilesandlaughterandlove.”Valkyrieblinkedather.“Rightthen.”Thebellrang,signallingtheendoftheschoolday,andsuddenlytherewere

kidsswarmingoutofthedoor.Itwasalarming.

“Stephanie!”Alicesquealed,launchingherselfintoValkyrie’sarms.Valkyrie laughed, picked her up as easily as she’d pick up a doll. She

turnedtoHannah.“Well,gottago.Goodluckwiththepregnancything.”“Oh,thankyou!Janey,I’manoldprobynow!”Valkyrie hurried to the car before Hannah could invite her to meet her

child.“Whoisthat?”Aliceaskedfromthebackseatasshebuckledherbelt.“Anoldfriendofmine,”saidValkyrie.“Issheamommy?”“Sheis.”“Whyaren’tyouamommy?”“BecauseIdon’twanttobe.”“WhydidshecallyouJaney?”Valkyrie smiled. “She didn’t. She meant JaneyMac. It’s just something

peoplesay.”“Whatpeople?”“Irishpeople,”Valkyriesaid,pullingoutontotheroad.“Whydotheysayit?”“I’mnotsure.It’sjustsomethingtheysay.”“Whydon’tyouwanttobeamommy?”“Becausechildrenaregrossandyucky.”Alicelaughed.“I’machild!”“No,you’renot,”saidValkyrie.“You’re,like,eighty.”Alicegiggled.“I’mnoteighty!I’mseven!”“Areyousure?”“Yes!”“Icouldhaveswornyouwereeighty.”“I’monlyseven!”“Thenwhydoyoulooksoold?”“Idon’tlookold!”Valkyrie pointed at anoldwoman theyweredrivingpast. “Seeher?The

oldwomanwiththewrinklyfaceandallthatlooseandsaggyskin?Youlookexactlylikeher.”Alice gasped theatrically. “Is thatwhat I’m going to look likewhen I’m

yourage?”“Oi!” Valkyrie said, and Alice giggled, and Valkyrie found herself

strugglingtokeephersmile.Ineightyyears’time,Alicemightverywellenduplookinglikethat–whileValkyriewouldn’thavechangedonelittlebit.She shook the thought fromhermind. “Want tograb amilkshakeon the

wayhome?”

Alicecheered.

OceanofPDF.com

33

In the small room filled with cleaning equipment on the east side of theLacunaUndergroundCarPark,thewallrumbledandslidopen,revealingthetunnelbeyond.Tantaluspeeredintothedarkness,andfrowned.“ThisleadsintotheDark

Cathedral?”“Yes,itdoes,”saidSebastian.“TheCathedralisfullofsecretpassageways

likethis.”“Andhowdidyouknowaboutit?”Sebastianshrugged.“Itoldyou,I’vehadaninterestingpast.”Tantalus turned tohim. “Oryou’reoneof them.You’re adiscipleof the

Faceless Ones – you’re one of Creed’s agents sent to take us down fromwithin.”“Tantalus, come on,” Bennet said. “WhywouldArch-CanonCreed even

careaboutwhatwe’redoing?”Tantalusglared.“Foronething,we’reabouttobreakintohisCathedraland

stealoneofhisartefacts.Foranother,ifDarquessereturns,theneveryonewillturnawayfromhisgodsandstartworshippingher,justlikewedo.”“I’mnotworkingforCreed,”Sebastiantoldhim.“Anddoesitreallymatter

howIknowthatthistunnelishere?Wehaveawayin,don’twe?Sowhyarewestandingaroundtalkingaboutitwhenwecouldbefindingthescythe?”Tantalusraisedhisfinger,pointeditrightintoSebastian’sface,socloseit

almosttippedagainsthismask.“Idon’ttrustyou.You’vegotsecrets.”“Weallhavesecrets.”“Notlikeyours.Youwon’ttelluswhereyou’refromorwhatyou’reafter.”“IwanttobringDarquesseback,justlikeyou.”“Guys,”saidBennet,“wedon’thaveanawfullotoftimehere.”“Shutup,Bennet,”saidTantalus.“Thebeakedweirdoheremayhavewon

overyouandyourequallygullible friends,but I’mnot sostupid. I’vebeenwatchingyou,PlagueDoctor.I’vebeenlisteningtoyou.Youthinkyouhavealltheanswers,don’tyou?”“Notevenremotely.”

“And,afterallthistime,youstillwon’tletusseeyourface.Whyisthat?”“Tantalus,” said Bennet, “we’ve been through this. The Plague Doctor’s

uniformisapressurisedsuit thatkeepshimalive.Ifhetakesitoff,hedies.OK?Now, ifwe’regoing togo through the tunnel likeweplanned,canwepleasedoitbeforewe’rediscoveredandsomeonecallstheCityGuard?Whatdoyousay?”Tantalus glared again, then grunted, and clicked his fingers, summoning

flameintohishand.Bennetdidthesame,andSebastiantookoutatorchandflickediton.They walked along the tunnel, pushing the darkness ahead of them,

watchingitsqueezebyandfillupthespacebehind.“WhatarewegoingtodowhenwegetintotheCathedral?”Bennetasked.

“Imean,weprobablyshouldn’tsplitup,right?”“We’resplittingup,”saidTantalus.“Aw.”“We’llfindthescythefasterthatway,pluswe’llhavelesschanceofbeing

caught.”“But ifwe are caught,” Bennet argued, “staying togetherwouldmake it

easiertofightourwayout.”Tantalusscowled.“Wewon’thavetofightourwayoutifwe’renotcaught

inthefirstplace.Bennet,Itoldyounottocome.Iknewyou’ddothis.”“Dowhat?I’mnotdoinganything.”“Youdon’twanttosplitupbecauseifyou’recaught,youknowyoucan’t

fight.”“Icanfight.”“Closingyoureyesandflailingyourfistsisnotfighting.”“Idon’tfightlikethat.”“Yes,youdo.It’sridiculous,andsoareyou.”“Hey,”Sebastianinterjected,“hey,let’scalmdown.”“I’mnotridiculous,”Bennetmuttered.“Whatwasthat?”Tantalussaid,steppingcloser.“Whatwasthatyousaid?”“IsaidI’m…I’mnotridiculous.”“Really?” Tantalus said, and laughed. “So out of everyone here, Bennet,

whosewife lefthimforaHollowMan?Eh?Granted,wedon’tknowif thePlague Doctor’s wife left him for a Hollow Man because we don’t knowanythingaboutthePlagueDoctor–”“I’mnotmarried,”Sebastiansaid.“–butweknowforcertainthatmywifedidn’tleavemeforawalkingbag

ofgreengasbecauseIleftheryearsago.Sothatonlyleavesyou,Bennet,asthemostridiculousmanhere.”

Bennetblinkedquicklyandsaidnothing.Theycarriedonwalking.SebastianglancedatBennet.Hisheadwasdown

and his lip was quivering. There was an unspoken rule in the group thatnobody should mention what happened between Bennet’s wife and theHollowMan–arulethatTantalushadjusthurledtothefloorandkickedtodeath.Tenminuteslater,theycametoawall.“Allright,”Tantalussaid,“howdowegetthrough?”“Lookforaswitch,”saidSebastian,movinghishandsoverthesurface.Tantalus sounded surprised. “You mean the all-knowing Plague Doctor

doesn’tknowwhereitis?”“It’llbeheresomewhere.”“Iamshocked,”Tantalussaid.“Myfaithinhumanityhasbeendestroyed.

Whowill I believe in now that the omnipotent PlagueDoctor has revealedhimselftobejustanother—”“Willyoustop?”Bennetshouted.“Willyoujuststop?”Tantalusturnedtohim.“What?”“I am sick of the sarcasm and the constant petty remarks,” Bennet said.

“Whatareyou,achild?No,forgetthat,mysonwasneverasbadasyou.OK,wegetit,youfeelthreatenedbythePlagueDoctor’spresence.”Tantalusbristled.“I’mnotthreatened.”“But you know what the rest of us are doing, while you’re acting out?

We’regettingonwiththings.Yes,wedon’tknowwhathelookslike.Yes,wedon’tknowmuchabouthim.Buthehasbroughtmorepurpose toour littlegroupinthelastsevenmonthsthanwehavehadinthelastsevenyears.Sogetoverit,allright?”“Don’t…don’tyouspeaktomelikethat.”“You can’t order me around, Tantalus. You know why? Because we’re

about to go sneaking through a very scary place run by some genuinelydangerouspeople. Ifwe’re caught,doyouknowwhat’sgoing tohappen tous? I don’t. No one does. Because people who go sneaking through thesekinds of places are generally never heard from again. Faced with thissituation, do you really think I’m going to be intimidated by a bully likeyou?”“Bennet,you’dbetter—”“I’d betterwhat?”Bennet said, stepping right up to Tantalus. “I’d better

watchmymouthoryou’llinsultmeagain?You’llmockme?You’llbringupthe fact that my wife left me for a Hollow Man? Go ahead. You knowsomething?I’mgladOdettaiswithConrad,becauseIwasalousyhusband.Hecanat leastgiveher the loveandcomfort that Inevercould.That’smy

fault.That’sonme.Butyoudon’tgettousethatagainstme,youunderstand?You ever mention them again and I will close my eyes and flail my fists.Yeah,itmaynotbethecoolestwaytofight,butIcanguaranteeyou,someofthatflailingwillactuallyhityou.Sogoahead,Tantalus.Makemyday.”ThetunnelwascoldandquietasTantalusdecidedonhisnextmove.Heturnedaway.“You’reridiculous,”hesaid.“Yeah,”Bennetsaid,“I’mridiculous.”“Youare.”“That’sright.”“Soridiculous.”“Yeah.”Sebastianwaiteduntilthey’dfinished,thensaid,“I’vefoundtheswitch.”Theydidn’tsayanythingtothat,sohepulledtheleverandthewallparted

like curtains. They stepped through into an empty corridor, the overheadlightsflickeringonasthetunnelsealedbehindthem.Therewasnomorearguing.Theyweredeepinenemyterritory.Tantalusturnedtothem.“Youknowwhatwe’relookingfor.Lilysaidthe

scythe’sondisplaywithabunchofotherFacelessOnesjunk.Oncewehaveit,wesendoutamessage,andweallmeetbackhere.Ifsomeoneseesyou,pretend that you’remeant to be here.Act casual.Only run as a last resort.Bennet, you go left. Plague Doctor, you go right. I’m going this way.Questions?OK.”Hetookadeepbreath.“Goodluck.”Theysplitup.Sebastianfoundsomestairsandfollowedthemtoahigher

floor.TheCathedralwasquiet.Heduckedbackwhenpeoplepassed–clergy,mostly. They wore red with black piping, stylish robes designed to attractpotentialworshippers,astarkcontrasttothedrabgarmentswornbytheArch-Canon,DamoclesCreed.“Stop.”Sebastianfroze.“Turnround.Slowly.”Sebastian did as he was instructed. Two Cathedral Guards approached,

theirblackarmourmouldedtotheirpecsandtheireyesglaringfrombeneaththeirhelmets.“Whoareyoumeanttobe?”oneofthemasked.“Um,I’mthePlagueDoctor,”Sebastiansaid.“Howdoyoudo?”“Takeoffthemask.”“I’mafraidIcan’tdothatforhealthreasons.”“Areyoumeanttobehere?”“Yes.Definitely.”“Doyouhaveapass?”

“Theysaidthey’dgetmeone,but theyhaven’tyet.Theytoldmetowaithere.”“Whotoldyou?”“Uh…Jimmy.AndClive.”Theguardsglancedateachother,thenthetalkativeonepressedabuttonon

thewall and a security door slid down behind Sebastian, leaving himwithnowheretorun.Theycamecloser.“Putyourhandsoveryourhead.”“Butthat’swheremyhatis.”“Putyourhandsup!”“Hey,” another Cathedral Guard said, coming up behind them. “What’s

goingon?Whoisthis?”The other two stood to attention. “We caught an intruder,ma’am.We’re

bringinghiminforinterrogationnow.”“I’mnotanintruder,”Sebastiansaid.“I’mwaitingforJimmyandClive.”“Idon’tknowaJimmyoraClive,”thefemaleguardanswered.“You don’t?” Sebastian said. “Jimmy’s short? Clive’s tall? Clive has a

moustacheandhewalkswithalimp?You’resureyoudon’tknowthem?”“Pretty sure,” she said, and gestured to the security door. “Why is this

shut?”“Um… this iswhatwe’remeant to do ifwe find an intruder,” said the

talkativeone.“It’sstandardoperatingprocedure.”“Oh,yeah,”saidthefemaleguard.“Soitis.”She kicked the guard behind her, just spun and threw her leg up and

whackeditintohishead.Shecontinuedthespin,droppedlow,sweptthefirstguard’slegsfromunderhim.Hefellandsheswungherstaffintohisfacesohardhishelmetflewoff,andnowbothguardswereunconscious.Shestraightenedup,tookoffherhelmetandturnedtoSebastian.“Now,”saidTanithLow,“justwhothehellareyou?”

OceanofPDF.com

34

Sebastiandidhisverybestnottowave.“YoucancallmethePlagueDoctor,”hesaid.Tanithnodded.“ThePlagueDoctor.Right.What’syourrealname?”“That’stheonlynameyouneedtoknow,”Sebastiansaid,andsquawkeda

little when Tanith grabbed the beak of his mask and yanked it down low,bendinghimover.Shestartedpullinghiminacircle.“I’mafraidthat’snotgoingtocutit,”shesaid.“I’llhavetoinsist.”Sebastiantriedtopullherhandsaway,butshewastwistinghismaskandit

was hurting his neck. “Ow.Stop. Please. I’m thePlagueDoctor.Youdon’tneedtoknowmyname.”With her other hand, she batted the hat from his head and rapped her

knucklesonhismask.Itechoedloudlyinhisears.“Don’ttrytotellmewhatIneed,allright?Whoareyou,andwhywereyousneakingaround?”“Whyareyousneakingaround?”Sebastiancountered,because it seemed

like a good idea at the time. She twisted his beak again and he cried out.Again.“I’m sneaking around because I’m here to do bad things,” Tanith said.

“Whyareyouhere?”“Ihavetostealsomething!”“What?”“Ican’ttellyou!”“Whydoyouhavetostealit?”“Ican’ttellyouthat,either!”Hefinallybrokefree,stooduptohisfullheightandreadjustedthemask,

glaringather through theglasseyeholes.“Iamhere,”hesaid,“ona secretmission. It looks likeyouarehereona secretmission, too. I can’t tell youwhatmymissionis,justlikeI’msureyoucan’ttellmewhatyourmissionis.”“I’mheretokillsomeone.”Sebastianblinked.“Oh.It…it’snotme,isit?”“Well,Idon’tknow,”saidTanith.“Maybeitis.What’syourname?Ifit’s

notthenameofmytarget,I’llletyoulive.”

“Really?YouthinkI’mthatstupid?I’mnottellingyoumyname,andthatisfinal.”Hedidn’tknowwhyhedidit,butashewasspeakinghewatchedhishandcomeup,onefingerextended,andashesaidthewordfinalheproddedTanith once, in the chest.He immediately regretted it.He regretted it evenmorewhenshegrabbedthatfingerandtwisted,forcinghimtohisknees.“Please!”hecried.“Don’tbreakmyfinger!Ineedittopointatstuff!”“Yourname.”“Ican’ttellyou!”“Yourname.”“Sebastian!”hehowled.“SebastianTao!”Shereleasedhimandhecradledhishand.“Hello,Sebastian,”shesaid.“Hello,Tanith,”hemoaned.“YouknowwhoIam,then.”Hegotup.“Yes.Ofcourse.Everyoneknowswhoyouare.”“Andyou’renotgoingtoaskwhyI’mheretokillsomeone?”“Idon’thaveto,”Sebastiansaid.“Iknowyou’reaKnifeintheDarkness.I

know you went back to them after Desolation Day. If you’re here toassassinatesomeone,I’msuretheyhaveitcoming.”“Youseemtoknowalotaboutme.”“Well,”saidSebastian,shakingouthissorehand,“Iknowalotaboutalot

ofpeople.It’soneofmygifts.Ipromiseyou,we’reonthesameside.”“I’ll make up my mind about that. Seeing as how you know so much,

Sebastian,doyouknowhowtogetthissecuritydooropen?Icancrackjustaboutanylock,butthisdoordoesn’tseemtohaveone.”“Isthatwhereyourtargetis?”“Itwillbe.”“Ithinkthat’swhereIhavetogo,too.Maybewecouldteamup.”“Yeah?Youwanttohelpmekillsomeone?”“Uh,well,notquite,but…Actually,Iwasthinkingmorealongthelinesof

youprotectingmeuntilIfindwhatIhavetofind,thenwekindof…goourseparateways.”“Tempting,”saidTanith.“Sotempting.OrIkillyou.”Sebastianfrowned.“What?Whywouldyoukillme?”“BecauseyouknowwhoIam.Youmighttellsomeone.”“Iwon’t.Iswear.”“Iwanttobelieveyou,Sebastian.Ido.Youhaveanhonestmask.Butlook

at this frommy point of view: life would just be a lot easier if I kill youbeforeyouhaveachancetomessanythingupforme.”

“UnlessIknowhowtoopenthisdoor,right?Like,ifIopenthedoor,youdon’tkillme?”“Idon’tkillyou.”“Atall?”“Rightnow.”Sebastianhesitated,thennodded.“I’llopenthedoor.BecauseItrustyou.”“It’snicetobetrusted.”Hewenttothespotonthewallhe’dseentheCathedralGuardpress,and

foundthebutton.Thesecuritydoorslidopen.Tanithputherhelmetbackon,andmarchedin.Sebastianfollowed.“Whatareyoudoing?”Tanithasked.“Comingwithyou,”saidSebastian.“Ithoughtyouwantedmenottokillyou.”“Tanith,listen.Ican’ttellyouwhatI’mafter…actually,Ican.It’sascythe

theyhave in theircollectionhere.But Ican’t tellyouwhyI’mafter it.YoujusthavetotrustthatI’mdoingtherightthing.”“Therightthingforwhom,exactly?”“Iprobablyshouldn’ttellyouthat.”“You’re a man of mystery, Sebastian, in a completely non-alluring way.

But,seeingashowanyalarmyouraisewouldalertmytarget,youcanstickwithmeuntilyoufindyourscythe.”“Thankyou.”“Thenyougetoutofmyway,”shesaid.“OrIwillkillyou.”

OceanofPDF.com

35

Valkyrie roamedarounddownstairswhileAlicewent toher roomtopackasmallovernightbag.Shestoppedatthemirrorinthehall,pulleddownherT-shirttocheckthegauze,thenchewedonaleaftokeepthepainaway.Shewentintothelivingroom,smilingattheframedfamilyphotographson

the mantelpiece. She came to one of her nana and suddenly missed herterribly.Aliceraninbehindher,baginonehand,Sparklesintheother.“Willyou

teachmehowtodomagic?”sheasked.Valkyrieturnedslowly.“What?”“Iwant to learn,” saidAlice. “I’m good at learning.MissDonohoe says

I’mherprizepupil.”“What,uh,whatkindofmagicdoyouthinkIknow?”Aliceshrugged.“Magicmagic.”“Oh,right.AndwhydoyouthinkIcandomagic?”Alicelaughed.“Becauseyoucan!MomandDadarealwaystalkingabout

itwhentheythinkI’mnotlistening,butI’malwayslistening.”“Whatelsehaveyouheard?”“Skulduggery ismagic,andhe’sarealskeleton.ButI’mnotsupposedto

saythattoanyoneexceptyouandMomandDad.Yougethurtalot.”“DoI?”“That’swhatMomsays,andDadtellsher thatyou’rebigandstrongand

abletohandleyourself.SometimesMomcriesaboutit.”“Isee.”“Sowillyouteachme?”Valkyrie hesitated, then sat. “I don’t know if I should. Some magic is

dangerous.Itcanhurtyou.”“I’llbeverycareful.”“I knowyouwill, but somemagic can hurt you even if you’re themost

carefulpersonintheworld.”“Thendon’tteachmethatmagic,”Alicesaid.“Teachmethesafemagic.”“Sweetie,Idon’tknowifIcan.Maybewhenyou’reolder.”

“WhenI’meight?”“Maybealittlebitolderthanthat.IwastwelvewhenIfirstlearnedmagic.”“Butthat’sagesaway!That’s…”Shecounted.“Fiveyearsaway!”“You’reverysmart.”“Iknow,”Alicesaid,andgrinned,andthenlookedserious.“Butthat’stoo

long.Iwanttolearnnow.”“Ican’tteachyouuntilyou’retwelve.Sorry.It’stherules.”“Thencanyoushowmemagic?”“Um…well,Isupposeso.”Valkyrie held up her hand, and sent energy crackling between her

forefingerandthumb.“Wowwwww,”saidAlice.“CanItouchit?”“No,”Valkyriesaid,“it’dhurtalot.Youreadytogo?”Aliceheldupherbag.“Yes!”“IsSparklesreadytogo?”AliceheldupSparkles.“Yes,sheis!”Valkyrie’sphonerang.ItwasSkulduggery.“Holdonjustasecond,”shesaid,andanswered.“What’sup?”“China’sfreeforachatinanhour,”Skulduggerysaid.“Shecanfinallyseeyou?”“Shedoesn’tknowityet,butyes.”Valkyriestoodup.“Youdon’thaveanappointment,doyou?”“No, but I took a look at her schedule, and she doesn’t have an

appointment,either.Sowhatdoyousaywedropbyunannounced?”“Ican’t,”saidValkyrie.“I’mwithAlice.”“Bringherwithyou,”Skulduggeryresponded.“Chinahasn’tmetheryet,

hasshe?It’llbeagoodice-breaker.We’llprobablyneedone.”“There’snowayI’mdoingthat.”“Ineedyouthere,Valkyrie.Chinaactuallylikesyou.I’mnotgoingtoget

anyanswersifyou’renotthere.”Valkyriesmileddownathersister.“Idon’thaveababysitter.”“Alicewillbefineonherown.”“She’sseven.”“That’snotoldenoughtobeleftalone?”“No,itisn’t.”“Thencanyoudropherbacktoyourparents?”“I’minHaggardrightnow–IsaidI’d takeherfor thenight, remember?

It’stheiranniversary.”“Oh.Well,howaboutaskingFergusandBeryltomindher?”“What?No.Iwouldneverdothattoher.”

“Isn’tthereanyoneelse?”heasked.“Ineedmypartnerwithme.”Valkyrie sighed. “Unless you know of anyone offering a babysitting

service,Ican’tthinkof…”“Valkyrie?”Sheshrugged.“Ithoughtofsomeone.”“Oh,”Skulduggerysaid.“Me,too.”

OceanofPDF.com

36

Omen raised his hand to volunteer, and Mr Peccant chose someone else.Omen put his hand down. He’d known the answer. It wasn’t often that ateacheraskedaquestioninclassthatOmenknewtheanswerto,sohelikedtoseizethechancewheneveritcroppedup.Butteachers,likelife,hadahabitofpassinghimby.October Klein gave the wrong answer, which turned out to be the right

answer, and Omen was glad now that he hadn’t been picked, but still feltaggrievednonetheless.Hesanklowerinhischair,anddeeperintodespondency.Neverhadbeen

right.Omen had beenwaiting for Skulduggery andValkyrie to call him toadventure,andofcoursetheywerenevergoingtodothat.Thelasttimewasafluke.They’dneededsomeoneinconspicuoustospyonagroupofstudents.Thatwasaveryspecificsetofcircumstances,unlikelytoeverberepeated.Omenhad to face it –he’dhadhis adventure. It hadbeen terrifying and

exhilaratingandbrilliantand terrifying,and then ithadended.SkulduggeryandValkyrieandAugerwerebottomlesscupsintowhichadventurecouldbepoured and theywould never fill up.Omen’s cup had already spilled over,andasusualhewasleftwithasoggymessandawideningpuddle.He turned toNever, a fewseatsaway,andmouthed thewords:Youwere

right.Neverfrownedbackathim,andmouthed:What?Youwereright.Iwaswhite?Youwereright.Aboutwhat?Whatyousaid.WhatdidIsay?Aboutmewastingmytime,waitingtobecalledonanotheradventure.Neverstared.What?Thestuffweweretalkingaboutlastweek.Useshortersentences,muppet.

Youwereright.Igotthatmuch.Aboutme.Yes.Wastingmytime.Pleasehurryup.Waitingforadventure.You’rewaitingforadenture?Adventure.Adenture?Adventure.Iwasrightaboutyouwaitingforadventure?Yes.Neverfrowned.Iknow.Oh.That’swhyIsaidit.IjustwantedyoutoknowthatIagreewithyou.What?Iagreewithyou.So?Iwantedyoutoknowthat.Isthatall?Yes.Canwestopdoingthisnow?OK.Nevernodded,andwentbacktopayingattentiontowhateverPeccantwas

sayingwhileOmenthoughtalittlemoreaboutwhathe’dbeenthinkingabout.Whenhe’d finished,he tried tocatchupwith the restof theclass,but theywereallscribblingfuriously.“MrDarkly,”Peccantsaid.Omenlookedup.“Yes,sir?”“Youlookconfused.”“No,sir.”“You’renotconfused?”“No,sir.”“Sothat’sjustyourface,then,isit?”“Yes,sir.”“That’sgoodtoknow,”Peccantsaid,andwentbacktowhateveritwashe

wasdoing.

Omen managed to not get in trouble until the bell rang for the end ofschool. He went to talk to Never, but she turned a corner and vanished,leavinghimaloneinthecrowd.He sawMahala approaching and he shrank back, barged into someFirst

Years,finallystumbledtothebenchalongthewall.Hesat,watchingherpass,diggingforhisphonetocallAuger–butthenhisbrotherappeared.Mahaladidn’t attack him. Come to that, her eyes weren’t glowing green. Omenwatchedthemtalk,veryintently,andthenAugernodded,smiledgrimly,andwatchedMahalahurryaway.If thathadbeenOmenstanding there, thecrowdwouldhave thrownhim

aboutlikealeafinastream.ButthestreampartedforAuger.Auger sawhimand raisedahand ingreeting, thencameover, satbeside

himonthebench.“Iseeyou’vegotMahalaback,”Omensaid.“Yes,”saidAuger,andamomentpassedandhenodded.“Yes.”“Um…how’sshedoing?”“She’s good. She’s doing OK. Back to normal, at least. She’s blaming

herselfforeverythingshedidwhenshewaspossessed,butIthinkthat’sonlynatural.”“Andthethingthatwaspossessingher?Didyoubanishitbacktothehellit

camefrom,likeyou’dplanned?”Augerhesitated.“Notquite.”“Oh?”“Wegot the spirit out ofMahala,whichwas great, but then itwent into

Kase.SonowKaseispossessedandhe’s,like,extra-angry.Soifyouseehim,andhiseyesstartglowing…justrun.OK?Justgetthehelloutofthere.”“I’lldothat.”“I’lltakecareofit,youknow?Ijustneedalittletimetocomeupwitha

newplan.”“AnyhelpIcangive…”“Iknow,dude.Thanks.”Heshookhimselfoutofhissombremood.“So,

hey,who’sthismortalgirlyou’vebeenshowingaroundtheschool?”Omensighed.“Ofcourseyouheardaboutthat.Hername’sAurnia.”“Doyoulikeher?”“She’sverynice.”“Yougonnaseeheragain?”“Idon’tknow.Hopefully.Imean,itcan’tgoanywhere,Iknowthat.”“Whynot?”“Areyoukidding?”Omenasked,and laughed.“Canyou imaginewhat’d

happenifMumandDadheardaboutit?”

“Sowhatiftheyfreakout?Don’tlistentothem,dude.She’sstillaperson,right?You’reallowedtolikeher.”“Idon’tthinkIam,though.WhenyoufallinlovewithaNecromancergirl

oryoustarttodateamermaid,theypretendnottonotice,butifItriedtogoout with a mortal girl from another dimension they’d be terrified that it’dtarnishtheDarklyname.”“Hey,”Auger said, holding up a finger. “I never dated themermaid.We

just…hungout.”“Ialwaysmeanttoaskyouaboutthat,actually.”“Ah,”Augersaidwithashrug,“don’t.”Omen laughed. “You know something? I can’t wait for you to face the

KingoftheDarklands,becausecanyouimaginewhatthey’llbelikeonceyoubeat him and the prophecy is complete?All those centuries ofwaiting andexpectationwillbeover,and they’llno longerbe theparentsof theChosenOne. They’ll just be normal sorcerers again. I can’t wait to see their faceswhentheyrealisethat.”Augernodded,butOmennoticedthatthesmilewasgone.Hesoftenedhis

tone.“Um,whatareyougoingtodoafterwards?”heasked.“AfterIfacetheKing?”Augersaid.“AssumingIsurvive?”“Youwillsurvive,”saidOmen,frowning.“Youhaveto.Theydon’tmake

propheciesaboutpeoplewhofail–theymakethemaboutheroes.Heroeswhowin.”“I’vebeenthinkingaboutthismoreandmore,”saidAuger,lookingaround.

“Youknow,I’mkindofinvinciblerightnow.I’minvincibleforthenextthreeyears,until I’mseventeenandIgoupagainst theKing.Until then,nothingmuchcanstopme.Itdoesn’tmeanthatI’mnotcareful.Icanstillbehurt.Icanstillbeinjured.Andhell,Icanstillbekilled,because,aseveryoneknows,no prophecy is guaranteed. But in general, as long as I’m smart, I’minvincible.”“Thatmustbeprettycool.”“Itis.Mostly.ButI’vebeenwondering…whathappensafter?IfIdefeat

the King of the Darklands, I’ll emerge alive, yes – but I’ll have lost thatinvincibility.SuddenlyIcantripandfalloffacliff,orgethitbyabus,orgetsickorsomething.Suddenlyanythingcankillme.”“You’llstillhavethetalentsyouwerebornwith,”saidOmen.“You’llstill

befasterandstrongerandsmarterthanmostpeople.”“Butnoneofthathaskeptmegoing,”Augerreplied.“Theonethingthat

has propelled me through all of these crazy adventures I’ve had is theconfidencethatI’llsurvivethem.That’smysecret.It’snotpowerorability,

it’sjust…Idunno.Purebeliefinmyself.That’swhoIam.Itkindadefinesme.”“Iwouldlovethat.”“Iknowyouwould,dude.SometimesIwonderwhatyou’dbelikeifyou

hadevenatenthofmyconfidence.That’swhatholdsyouback,youknow.”Omen waved his hand. “We’re not talking about me right now. So you

think that once the prophecy has been fulfilled and the King is defeated,you’ll,what…loseyourself?”“Maybe,yeah.”“I’veneverthoughtaboutitlikethat.”“See,IknowwhoIamrightnow.I’vealwaysknownwhoIam,whyI’m

here,whatI’mmeantfor…ButIdon’tknowwhoI’llbeonceit’sover.”“Whodoyouwanttobe?”Augerlookedupsuddenly.“What?”Omenblinked.“DidI…didIsaysomethingwrong?”“No,”Augersaid,staringathim.“It’s just…Idon’t thinkanyone’sever

askedmethatbefore.”Hisphonebeeped,andhelookedatitandsighed.“Thecalltoaction,”hesaid,andstood.“Goodtalkingtoyou,bro.”“Becareful.”Hegrinned.“Invincible,remember?”Auger hurried away, and themoment hewas out of sightOmen’s phone

rang.ThescreenlitupwithValkyrie’sname,andhejumpedtohisfeet.“Hello?”hesaid,hismouthdry.“Omen,”Valkyriesaid,“hey.”“Hi,”saidOmen.“Hi,howareyou?What’sup?Isanythingwrong?”He heard her hesitate. “Would you happen to be doing anything right

now?”“Nope,”Omensaidimmediately.“Nothing.”“Areyoubusyforthenext,maybe,twohours?Threeatthemost?”A teacherwalkedbyandOmen turnedaway,keepinghisheaddownand

talkingquietly.“I’mfree.I’mready.Whatdoyouneed?”“Ineedyourhelp,tobehonest.I’mabitstuck.”Hefroze.“Oh,God.You’retrapped?”“No,no,nothinglikethat.Howareyouwithkids?”Omenfrowned.“Like…fightingthem?”“What?No,Omen.Mindingthem.Ineedababysitter.Youin?”Hesagged.“Omen?”Thecalltoaction.“I’min,”hesaid.

OceanofPDF.com

37

Valkyriegotchangedintoherblackclothes,andzippedherjacketallthewayup.Onherwaydownstairssheglancedthroughthewindow,sawNeverandOmen standing beside her car. Never was looking irritated, and teleportedawaywhileOmenwasstilltalking.ValkyriewaiteduntilOmenknockedbeforeopening thedoor.Shewaved

himin.“Hey,”shesaid.“Thankyoufordoingthis.Seriously.”“Ofcourse,”hesaid.“IseverythingOKbetweenyouandNever?Heseemedannoyed.Isitme?

Iknowhedoesn’tlikemeawholelot.”“No,”Omensaid.“No,it’sdefinitelynotyou.OK,itmightbe,justalittle,

butmostly… I don’t know. He’s been acting a little odd lately, that’s all.Keepingsecrets,maybe.”“Weallhavesecrets.”“Isuppose.”Alicepokedherheadoutofthekitchen.“Alice,comeoverhere,”saidValkyrie.“She’snotusuallythisshy.Alice,

thisismyfriend.HisnameisOmen.”Alicehesitated,thenhurriedover,andOmenwaved.“Hi,Alice.”AlicewavedfrombehindValkyrie’sleg.“There’sfoodanddrinkinthefridge,”Valkyriesaid,grabbinghercarkeys,

“andprobablysomesnackssomewhereinthekitchen.Ifyouwantapizzaorsomething, I think there’s amenu floatingaround,but I’llonlybegone fortwohoursorso.”“I’llbefine,”saidOmen.“We’llbefine.”“JustputtheTVon,”Valkyriesaid.“Or,Idon’tknow,shemightwantto

dohomework.Couldyouhelpherwiththat?”“IthinkIcanmanage,”Omensaid,tryingtosoundconfident.“Right,”saidValkyrie,“OK.Iwouldn’tbedoingthisifitwasn’timportant,

sothankyou.”

“Noproblem.”ValkyriebentdowntoAlice.“Iwon’tbegonelong.Omenwilltakecareof

you–he’sreallynice,you’llreallylikehim.”“Ishemagic,too?”sheasked.“Wedon’ttalkaboutmagic,remember?”“Yeah,butishemagic,too?”Valkyriesighed.“Alittle.Omen,don’tshowheranymagic.”Henodded.“Probablywise.”“You’regoingtobenicetoOmen,aren’tyou?You’regoingtobehaveand

dowhathetellsyou?”“Yes.”“WhenIgetback,we’llgotomyhouseandI’llshowyouyourroom,OK?

Thatsoundcool?”“Yes.”“AndwhenyouspeaktoMumandDadaboutthistomorrow…?”“I’mnottotellthemyouleft,”Alicesaid.“Goodgirl.That’svery important.”Valkyrie straightenedup. “Right. I’m

off.Begood.”She left the house, got in her car, and drove to Roarhaven. She met

Skulduggery in theHighSanctuary’s lobby and together they slipped awayfromthesorcererswhowerenotdoingagoodjobofkeepingasurreptitiouseyeonthem.Usingtheirpersonalcloakingspheres,theypassedbetweentheCleaversstandingguard,andwaitedatthedoubledoorstoChina’sRoomofPrisms.Skulduggerycheckedhispocketwatch.“Anymomentnow,”hesaid.Valkyrieheard footstepson theother side, and thehandle turned and the

leftdooropened.Shedodgedback,avoidingthemanwhocamethrough.Hewent to close the door after him, but Skulduggery put a hand to it andValkyrieslippedunderhisarm.Thesorcerer frowned,butSkulduggerywasalreadyfollowingValkyriein.Thedoorclosedbehindthem.They deactivated their cloaking spheres as they walked between the

hundredsofthincolumnsofmirroredglass.China,readingthroughafileasshe sat upon her throne, gave no indication that she saw their shiftingreflections,untilsheclosedthefileandleanedback,asingleeyebrowarched.“ArbiterPleasant.ArbiterCain.TowhatdoIowetheetcetera…?”“It’s been awhile, China,” Skulduggery said. “Wewere almost thinking

youwereavoidingus.”China smiled, and stood. Her dress was an extravagant affair, a low-cut

thingofpurpleandindigo,tighteverywherebutthesleevesandstuddedwith

beading that slowly changed its colours. Her dark hair was longer thanValkyrieremembered,andarrangedindeceptivelysimplebraids.“Nothing quite so dramatic, I’m afraid,” China said, coming down the

steps. “I’ve just been busy. It’s not easy running a city and overseeingpractically every Sanctuary around the world. Every hour brings freshchallenges. Disputes, power struggles … even violence. And then we getchallengesnoonecouldhaveprepared for, like thosepoorpeople from theLeibnizUniverse.”“Aretheyallthrough?”Valkyrieasked.“Thankfully,” saidChina, kissing her cheek. “Our technicians shut down

the portal device this morning. Astonishing thing, apparently. Discoveringhowitworkswillbequiterevelatory.”“What’sgoingtohappentothemortals?”Skulduggeryasked.“Thathasyet tobedecided. Iwish therewereaneasyoption, Iwishwe

couldallowthemtoassimilatewiththemortalsofourworld,butI’mafraidthey pose a substantial risk to our continued safety.Come,” she said. “Youlook like you have things on your minds. I have to rush off to my nextmeeting,butwecantalkasIgetready.”Sheledthemawayfromthethrone.“I’ve heard the First Bank of Roarhaven is about to open its doors,”

Skulduggerysaid.“Congratulations.Iknowyou’vebeenworkingat thisforyears.”ValkyriecaughtChina’sthinsmilereflectedinthemirrors.“Thankyou,”Chinasaid.“Allmyhardworkisfinallycomingtofruition.”“I have to admit,” Skulduggery continued, “I didn’t think Grand Mage

Vesperswas going to pull it off.The last I heard, the entire enterprisewasfloundering.Wheredidhefindnewinvestorsatthislatestage?”“Therewillalwaysbepeoplewilling to takeachanceonsomething they

believein.”“I heard some of the names of these investors,” Skulduggery said.

“Familiarnames,actually.Peoplewith,shallwesay,ahistory.”Thewallopenedbeforethem,andtheysteppedontoaraisedplatform.It

slowlybegantoriseintothedarkness.“Youwent toArch-CanonCreedforhelp,didn’tyou?”saidSkulduggery.

“ThemembersofhisChurcharesomeof therichestsorcerers in theworld.Thebankwasabout tofailbefore ithadevengotstarted,andheconvincedhisflocktoinvestandswoopedintotherescue.Whatdidhegetinreturn,Iwonder?”“TheReligiousFreedomAct,”Chinasaid,turningtofacethem.“We’llbe

announcingitnextmonth,butit’salreadyineffect.”

“Isee.CanIassumethattheActallowspeopletopractisewhatevertheirfaithdemands,nomatterhowmurderousitmightbe?”“It gives churches autonomy, yes.” Something new flickered behind

China’seyes.Doubt,maybe.“Itmakes thegroundsofeverychurchsacred,andaccordingtoourlaws—”“Sacred ground remains outside everyone’s jurisdiction,” Skulduggery

finished, “Arbiters included.You’ve given him free rein to dowhatever hewants.”“Actually,we’rekeepingaverycloseeyeonhim,”Chinasaid.“Wehave

insistedthatGrandMageVespersbeallowedtooverseeallChurchpractices.NothinghappenswithoutVespers’consent.”“Andyou’vegotyourpreciousbank.”“Roarhavenneedsitifweeverwanttoreachourtruepotential.”Theplatformcametoagentlestopandthedoorsopened.Theywalkedout

into China’s chambers, a luxurious apartment on the very top floor of theHighSanctuary.“Isthatwhyyouwanttotalktome?”Chinaaskedasshewalkedtowards

thebedroom.“Financeandinvestments?”“Actually,wewanttotalktoyouaboutAbyssinia.”Sheopenedtheclaspsofherdressandletitfalljustasshewalkedoutof

sight.“Goon,”shesaid.SkulduggeryandValkyriestayedatthedoorway.“Abyssinia has spent the last seven months searching for her son,”

Skulduggerysaid.“AmannamedCaisson.He,inturn,hasspentthelastfewhundred years being experimented on at Serafina’s pleasure.Last night,webelievemotherandsonwerereunited.”Therewasnoanswerfromthebedroom.Irritated,Valkyriewalkedin.Chinastoodwithherbacktoher,lookingat

clothesinhervastwardrobe.“Caisson is the King of the Darklands,” Valkyrie said, “the one in the

DarklyProphecy.Abyssinia’sfatherwastheUnnamed.China,thisisserious,andSkulduggeryandIare theonlypeopleinvestigating.WeneedCleavers.Weneedyou.”China turned.Her facewore a slack expressionValkyrie had never seen

before.Unguarded.“He’sstillalive,”shesaidsoftly.Valkyriefrowned.“Whois?What?”China stood taller, became more alert. She pulled an outfit from the

wardrobe,threwitonthebed,begantodress.“WhentheDiablerieteamedupwiththeDeadMen,”shesaid,“wereyoutoldaboutthis?”

“Yes,” saidValkyrie. “About tenyears afterVilebetrayedAbyssinia, sheturnedupalive.Startedkillingpeopleonbothsidesofthewar.TheDiablerieandtheDeadMendecidedtoco-operate,trackedherdownandkilledher.”“Wekilledhereventually,”saidChina,pullingontrousers,“afterbattling

her for days. She had somehow become extraordinarily powerful in theinterveningyears.During thecourseof thisbattle, Ibecameseparated fromtheothers.Ididn’tstandachanceagainstheralone.Butshedidn’tkillme.Isuppose,inourway,wehadbeenfriends.Sowetalked.”“Aboutwhat?”China buttoned her top. “Her son. I knew her well enough to recognise

genuinelovewhenIsawit.Shemayhavebeenabletowithstandourattacks,andmaybeevendefeatus,buttheboywasvulnerable.Iofferedherachancetosparehislife.”“How?”“Bysacrificinghers,”saidChina.“Shewouldallowherselftodie,andher

son would live. A fair trade, I thought. Abyssinia, being Abyssinia, had acondition.”“Whichwas?China?Whatwasthecondition?”Chinalookedather.“ThatIraisetheboyinsecret,”shesaid.Valkyriestared.Skulduggerywalkedintotheroombehindher.China continued. “Naturally, if I’d had any choice in thematter, Iwould

havelaughedandwalkedaway,butmylifewasbeingthreatened,soIassuredher that itwouldbeanhonour tocare forherchild. Imiraculouslyescapedher clutches, she told the boy what was about to happen, and he allowedhimselftobecaptured.”“Afterwhich,”Valkyriesaid,“AbyssiniasurrenderedandSkulduggerycut

outherheart.”“And I took Caisson in,” China said. “I passed him off asmy servant’s

child,butIwastheonewhoraisedhim.”“I’veneverpicturedyouas amother,”Valkyrie saidasChinaputonher

shoes.“Icanbenurturing.Inurturedyouwhenwefirstmet,didn’tI?”“YouforcedmetodonothingwhenSerpinewastorturingSkulduggery.”“Imeantafterthat.I’msurethereweremomentsofnurturing.”“Youmightbethinkingofsomeoneelse.”“Perhaps,”saidChina.“DidAbyssiniatellyouwhohisfatherwas?”Skulduggeryasked.Chinalookedathim.“ShesaiditwasLordVile.ButIneverbelievedit.”ThepainfromValkyrie’sinjurywasstartingtonagather,soshetookaleaf

fromher pocket and started chewing. “What kind of amotherwere you to

Caisson?”“Awonderfulone,Ishouldimagine,”Chinasaid,crossingtothedresserto

changeherearrings.“Iwaseducational,informativeandsuccinct.”“Allthehallmarksofagreatmum.”“Thankyou.”“Whatwashelike?”Skulduggeryasked.China paused. “Troubled. I was part of the group that killed Abyssinia,

after all, so there was a sustained period of adjustment. Nevertheless, heprovedhimselfacapableyoungman,soIkeptmypromise,asdangerousasitwas.IfMevolenthadknownthatthesonofAbyssiniawasinhisowncastle,he’dhavehadhimkilledwithout even thinkingabout it.But itwasgettingharderandhardertostopCaissonfromdrawingattentiontohimself–andhishatredofMevolentwasgrowing.SoItookhimaway.Wesneakedoutundercover of night. I sent word to my brother, who arranged a meeting withEachanMeritorious.ItwasagreedthatIwouldprovidetheSanctuarieswithvital information in the war against Mevolent, and I would be allowed toreturntoIreland–understrictconditions,ofcourse.”“Caissoniswhyyoudefected?”Valkyrieasked.“Essentially.”“Huh. I never would have thought it’d be because of someone… else.

Someonethatisn’tyou,youknow.”Chinanodded.“BecauseI’msolegendarilyselfish.”“Well…yeah.”“So it surprisesyou, toknow that I’mcapableof sacrificingsomuch for

someoneelse?”“Itdoes.I’mactuallyimpressed.”China’s smile dropped away. “Don’t be,” she said. “In this story, I may

havecometolovetheboy,butIreverttomyselfishwayseventually.”“Whathappenedafteryoudefected?”Chinapulledonajacket.“Despitemyverybestefforts,Caissongrewinto

anangryyoungman.HehatedMevolent,becausehe thoughtMevolenthadforcedhis father,LordVile, toattackhismother,andhehatedSkulduggeryforsubsequentlykillingher.Sorryaboutthat,Skulduggery.”“Understandable,”heresponded.“MevolentwasbeyondCaisson’s reach for themoment,butSkulduggery

provedaneasiertarget.Orsohethought.”Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“Hecameafterme?”“And you beat him, easily and emphatically. You almost killed him, in

fact.”“Whenwasthis?”

“Idoubtyou’dremember.Somanypeoplehavetriedtokillyouover theyears.CaissonwouldundoubtedlyhavediedofhisinjuriesifawomannamedSolacehadn’tdiscoveredhimonmydoorstepandnursedhimbacktohealth.Theyfellinlove.”“Howsweet,”saidValkyrie.China walked out of the bedroom. They followed. “For a long time, I

thoughtthelovetheysharedwasenoughtohealthemboth.Notofphysicalwounds,buttheinvisiblewoundsweallcarryaroundwithus.Solacewas,inher own way, as troubled as Caisson. She had been one of Serafina’shandmaidensbefore fleeing thatwretchedplace. Iactually thought theyhadfoundtheirpeacewithineachother.Almostahundredandsixtyyearswentby. Ididn’t seemuchofeitherof them.And thenanotheroneofSerafina’shandmaidens happened to glimpse Solace on a quiet street. A chanceencounterthatchangedeverything.”“Theygrabbedher?”Valkyrieasked.China nodded. “And took her back toMevolent’s castle, where Serafina

plannedtotortureherforherdisobedience.Serafinahasalongmemory,anddoessolovetotorture.”“AndCaissonwentafterthem.”“Of course.He’d spent his teenage years in that castle – he knew every

secret it possessed.He sneaked in, intent on hismission to rescue his ladylove… but I don’t think he could resist the opportunitywhen it presenteditself.”“Whatopportunity?”Valkyrieasked,frowning.“CaissonkilledMevolent,”Skulduggerysaid.“He did,” saidChina. “Stabbed him repeatedly toweaken him, and then

drained his life force. Then he rescued Solace and they returned home. Ahappyending…untilSerafinacameknockingonmydoor,fullofquestionsand accusations. She thought it was Solace who had somehow killedMevolent,yousee,anddemanded toknowwhere to findher. I toldher thetruth,however,thatithadbeenCaissonwho’ddonethedreadfuldeed,andItoldherwheretofindhim.”“You…youbetrayedhim?”Valkyriesaid.“IwarnedyouthatIwouldreverttomyselfishways.”“Butyouraisedhimlikehewasyourownchild.”“Buthewasn’tmychild,”Chinasaid.“Rememberthat.”Shelookedather

watch.“Ihavetogo.”Shewalkedbythem.Skulduggeryhadhisheaddown,asstillasastatue.Helookedupsuddenly.“You’retheSupremeMage,”hesaid.“Youdon’t

have to worry about being late for an appointment.Who are you meeting

that’ssoimportant?”Chinasmiledcoldly.“Itwassonicetoseeyoubothagain,”shesaid.“Do

keepmeupdated,won’tyou?And,ifyouneedanyhelp,justask.”ThedoorsslidopensilentlyandChinasteppedontotheplatformandturned.“Youcanletyourselvesout,”shesaid.Thedoorsclosed.ValkyrieandSkulduggerylookedateachother.“Sayit,”shesaid.“Yousayit.”“She’schanged.”“Yes,shehas.”Theywalkedoutonto thebalcony,andSkulduggerytookValkyrie inhis

armsandtheydroppedslowlydownthesideofthebuildingtothestreetfarbelow.“I’mjustthinking,”Valkyriesaid,herheadrestingonhisshoulder.“Ididrecommendmoreofthat.”“There is a possibility, asweird and unlikely as itmay be, that you and

Chinaarekindof…”“Parents,”hefinished.“Yes.ShemaynotbeCaisson’smother,butyoucoulddefinitelysayshe’s

his stepmother.Awicked stepmother,which I thinkwould surprise noone.Doesthischangeanythinginhowwegoforward?”“It might,” Skulduggery replied. “China’s emotional reserves may never

have been overflowing, but they do exist. Her connection to Caisson mayaffectherdecisionsinthismatter.”“Sowecan’trelyonher.”“Ifweevercould.”“Andwhataboutyou?Whataboutyourconnection?”“Sowe’rebelievingAbyssinianow,arewe?”“No,notbelievingher.Butnotnotbelievingher,either.”“Idon’tknow,Valkyrie.Idon’tknowwhattothink.”They toucheddownon thestreet.Passers-bygave themguarded looksas

theyveered round them.“Gohome,”he said. “Spend timewithyour sister.TellherIsaidhello.”“Whatareyougoingtodo?”“Temperhaspromisedmeanupdateonthepreliminaryexaminationofthe

portaldevice.”“Ooh,”Valkyriesaid,“thatsoundslikefun.”“Iknowyou’rebeingsarcastic,butI’mquitelookingforwardtoit.”“Suchanerd.”“That’swhyyouloveme.”

Sheshruggedasshewalkedoff.“Oneofthereasons.”

OceanofPDF.com

38

Itwasn’teasyentertainingaseven-year-old.Foronething,Aliceflittedfromactivitytoactivitylikeabright-eyedbutterfly.Atfirst,sheseemedcontenttowatchTV,butquicklygrewbored.Thenshewanted toplayagameonhertablet.Afterthat,shewantedOmentoplayagameonhertablet,andlaughedashetriedtofigureoutwhattheruleswere,whatthecontrolswere,andwhatthepointwas.Eventually,sheaskedhimifhewantedhertoputonashow.Shesangtwo

Disney songs,oneof them twice, thenbits andpiecesofEdSheeranandasongOmendidn’tknow.Itwascute,butgotboringveryfast.WhenAliceswungherarmswideandboweddramatically,Omenclapped.“Welldone!”hesaid.“Thatwasbrilliant!”“Thankyou,”saidAlice,noddingathiswisdom.“Whatwasyourfavourite

part?”“Thebitatthestart,andthenthemiddle,andthatbitattheend.Itwasall

great,itreally—”“Doyouwanttoplayhide-and-seek?”“Um,sure.”“Doyouknowhowtoplay?”“Ido.”“Didyouusedtoplayhide-and-seekwhenyouweresmall?”“Idid,yes,withmybrother.”“Isyourbrotherolderoryoungerthanyou?”“He’solder,butonlybyafewminutes.”“Mysisteriseighteenyearsolderthanme.”“Iknow.”“Ismysisteryourgirlfriend?”Omenlaughed.“No.She’smucholderthanme,too.”“Doyouhaveagirlfriend?”Hethoughtaboutit.“Ithinkso.”“What’shername?”“Aurnia.She’sverynice.”

“Doyouloveher?”“Ha.Notyet.”“Howcanshebeyourgirlfriendifyoudon’tloveher?”“BecauseIlikeheralot.”Alicenodded.Thisanswersatisfiedher.“Sodoyouwanttoplayhide-and-seek?”Omenasked.“No,”shesaid.“Doyouwantmeto,uh,readyouastoryorsomething?”“Yes.”“Doyouhaveanybooks?”“Wekeephalfofmybooksinmybedroom–they’reforbedtimestories–

andhalfinthatbookshelf.They’refordaytimereading.”“Well, OK,” Omen said, wandering over to the bookcase and hunkering

down. “What one do you want? Jack’s Amazing Shadow? Little Legends?Alice?Whichbookwouldyou…?”Alicedidn’tanswer.Shewasstaringoutofthebackwindow.“Alice?Whatareyoudoing?”Shepointed.“Therewasamanthere.”Omenstraightenedup.“Where?”“Outsidethewindow,”shesaid.“Hewaslookingin.”Fear’s cold fingers immediately started to tap their way down Omen’s

spine.Hewenttothewindow.“Whatdidhelooklike?”“Hewasold,”saidAlice.“Haveyouseenhimbefore?”Shenodded,andherelaxed.“Oh,good,”hesaid.“Wherehaveyouseenhimbefore?”Shepointedbehindher.“Atthatwindowoverthere.”Thefearcameback.Itwasprobablynothing.Itwasprobablyaneighbour,ormaybesomeone

hadbrokendownandneededtocallatowtruck,andtheyhadn’theardthateveryonehadmobilephonesthesedayssotherewasnoreasontoleavetheircar.Hesteppedintothehallandfroze.Thefrontdoorwasopen.Omenbackedaway.“Alice,”hesaidsoftly.“Alice,comehere.”Shewanderedoverandhetookherhandandkneltdown.“Iwantyoutobe

veryquiet,”hewhispered.“Canyoubeveryquietforme?”Shenoddedearnestly.Hetookouthisphone.“Thisisasurprise.”

Omencriedoutandwhirledround.CadaverousGantstoodbythestairs.“I was expecting parents,” Cadaverous said, “feeble mortal minds that I

could command to deliver my message. Instead, I have the lesser of theDarklybrothers.Ican’tcommandyou,canI?Butwhatdoyoudowhenlifehandsyoulemons?Youmakelemonade.”“Whatdoyouwantwithme?”“Idon’twantyou,littleboy.Iwanther.”HesmiledatAlice.“Hellothere.”Omen pulledAlice behind him. “You’remaking amistake,” he said. “A

hugemistake.”Cadaveroussmiled.“Yousee,it’sthatkindofthinkingthatmeantthishas

neverhappenedbefore.Untilnow,noonebotheredtofollowValkyriehome.Noonebotheredtofindoutwhereshelived,whoherparentswere,ifshehadanycuteandadorablesiblings.Atfirst,IfullyexpectitwasbecausetostrikeatValkyrieCainwould be to incur thewrath of SkulduggeryPleasant.Butthatchanged,I think,andsuddenly itwas thewrathofValkyrieherself thatfrightenedpeopleoff.“ButI’mnotscaredofMissCain,andI’mnotscaredoftheskeleton.I’m

notscaredofanyone,nowthatIcometothinkaboutit.NotevenAbyssinia–notanymore.”“Whydoyouwanther?She’sonlyakid.”“There’snoneedforyou toworryabout thewhysandwherefores. Iwas

going touseherparents todeliver themessage,but I can just aseasilyuseyou.Yourcorpsewillmakeitevenmoredramatic,Idaresay.”Omendartedtothefireplace,grabbedthepoker,helditbeforehiminboth

hands.“Stayaway.”“I’mnotoneforfisticuffs,littleDarkly,butwebothknowthatI’mstrong

enoughandfastenoughtowhipthatpokeroutofyourhandsbeforeyoucanswingit.So,please,havealittledignityinyourfinalmoments.”“Alice,”saidOmen,“whenItellyouto,youruntotheneighbours,OK?”Outofthecornerofhiseye,OmensawAlicenodding.“Run!”Omenyelled,andlaunchedhimselfatCadaverous.TheoldmanbattedthepokerawayandthenslappedOmensohardhespun

andcollapsed,histhoughtsfallingsilentforamoment.Dimly aware of Cadaverous speaking, when he blinked and looked up

again,Alicewaswalkingcalmlybackintotheroom.“Goodgirl,”saidCadaverous.“Don’tbescared,AliceEdgley.Don’tpanic.

Don’ttrytorun.”Omen looked around for the poker, but couldn’t find it. He clicked his

fingers,doinghisbest tosummona flame intohishand,butallhedidwas

attractCadaverous’sattention.“Didyoueverthink,littleDarkly,thatperhapsmagicjustisn’tforyou?”Omengottohisfeet.Cadaverouswalkedtowardshim,backingOmeninto

thecorner.“Youdon’thavetokillme,”Omensaid.“I’llmakeitquick.”“Youcantiemeuporlockmeawaysomewhere.”“Hushnow,”Cadaveroustoldhim,“andcomehere.”“Pleasedon’tkillme.”Omen’sbackhitthewall.Tearsrandownhisface.Cadaverousreachedfor

him–andstopped.Theystoodthere,frozen,whileCadaverousconsideredhisoptions.“I’mnotgoing tokillyou,”he said suddenly. “Iwasgoing tokillyou. I

stillmight.ButIprobablywon’t.ItmightbemorefunforCaintocomebackandlistentoyourpatheticexcuses.”Heheldouthishand.“Phone.”Omenwipedhiseyes.“Sorry?”“Yourphone,boy,”Cadaveroussaid.“Giveittome.”Omenpassed itover.Cadaverousdroppeditandslammedhisheel into it

three times. Then he took another phone out of his pocket and tossed it toOmen.“Thereisonenumber in thatphone,”hesaid.“WhenCaingetsback, tell

hertocallit.Whenissheduehome?”“Uh,halfanhour,maybe.”“Perfect.Youaretowaithere.Youarenottocallanyoneoralertanyone.

Youarenottostepoutsidethatdoor.Doyouunderstandme?”“Yes.”“Iftheskeletoncomesinwithher,makeanexcuse.DonotletSkulduggery

Pleasantknowwhatisgoingon.Alice’slifewilldependonit.”“OK.Ipromise.”“Sitonthecouchthere,likeagoodlittleboy.Sitandwait.”Thenhewasgone,andAlicewasgonewithhim.

OceanofPDF.com

39

Likeshadows,theydriftedthroughtheDarkCathedral.Or at least, Tanith did. She was magnificent to watch. She became the

darkness,melted into it.Shewalkedalongwallsandceilings.Shevanishedwhenshehadto.Sebastianwaslesslikeashadow,morelikesomeonewearingaleathersuit

that creakedwhen hemoved,with an awkwardmask that curtailed a gooddeal of his peripheral vision.He alsodidn’t quitemelt into thedarkness somuch as lunge desperately.But hemanaged not to be seen,whichwas themainthing.Tanithhadanotheradvantageoverhim–sheknewwhereshewasgoing,

and led him straight to the display area. Set out in a large room like amuseum,therewereallmannerofexhibitsandbooksandstuffhedidn’tcareabout – and in themiddle of it allwas the scythe, turning slowlywithin aglass case andheld aloft by the small sigils carved into thebase.Sebastianreachedforit,andTanithsmackedherstaffagainsthishand.“What iswrongwithyou?”sheasked.“Areyouactually trying togetus

caught?”Henarrowedhiseyes.“Youthinkit’sriggedtoanalarm?”“Yes,Sebastian,Ido.”“Um…wouldyouknowhowtodismantleit?”Shelookedathimlikehewasanidiot.“Whydidyoucomehere,whyare

youdoingthis,ifyou’renotpreparedforexactlythissortofthing?Areyoualwaysthisill-equipped?”“Notalways,”Sebastiansaid.Tanithsighed,andpassedherhandoverthelock.Itclickedopen.“Cool,”Sebastiansaid,andonceagainTanithhithimwiththestaff.“Ow,”hesaid.“I’veunlockedit,”shetoldhim,“butthealarmisstillactive.”“Oh.”“Youknow,I’mnotentirelyconvincedthatyou’recutoutforthis lineof

work,”shesaid.“Youare,andIhaverefrainedfromusingthesewordsuntil

rightthissecond,incrediblyincompetent.”“Bitharsh.”“Notreally. Iknowyouthinkyouhaveamission,but Isincerelybelieve

thatyou’dbebetterleavingittosomeoneelse.”Beneath hismask, Sebastian smiled. “Iwish I could, Tanith. I really do.

Butnooneelsecanseewhat’sgoingon,andnooneelseunderstandswhathastobedone.”“Thenyoushouldreallyjustthinkaboutquitting,becauseyou’regoingto

getyourselfkilled.”“Maybe.ButIhavetotry.”“Whatareyouafter,Sebastian?Whyareyoudoingthis?”“Theworldneedshelp.”“Surelytherearemorequalifiedpeopletoprovidethathelp.”“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” He examined the glass case. “Do you

thinkwecouldcutthewiresorsomething?”“Thealarmisn’telectronic,”Tanithsaid.“Seethatsigil,inthecorner?The

little one? The moment the scythe is touched, that little sigil will startscreaminglikenothingyou’veeverheard.”“Canyoudisableit?”“Idon’tknowawholelotaboutsigils.”“PityChinaSorrowsisn’there.”“Thatwouldbeincrediblyhandy,”Tanithmurmured.“Youronlychance,as

farasIcansee,istograbitandrunasfastasyoucan.”Sebastianpeeredather.“That’sit?Youradviceistograbitandrun?”“As fast as you can, because theCathedralGuardswill be right on your

heels.Youhaveawayout?”Sebastiannodded.“ThenI’ddosomewarm-upexercisesandgetreadytosprint.”“Huh,”hesaid.“ThisheistplanisnotasintricateasI’dbeenhoping.”“Oh, don’t worry, I’m going to provide a distraction,” Tanith said. “I

probably won’t be able to get to my target without witnesses, so, when Istrike,thealarmwillberaised.That’syourcue.”“Anddoyouhaveawayout?”“Ofcourse.”“So,what,Iwaithereuntiltheassassination?”“Unlessyouwanttohelpmekillsomeone.”“Notreally.”“Nooffence,butIwouldn’thaveacceptedyourhelpevenifyou’doffered

it.Findsomewheretohide,Sebastian.You’llknowwhenmytargetisdead.”Shestartedtowalkaway.

“Hey,Tanith?Thankyou.”Sheturned,lookedback.“Idon’tknowwhatyourmissionis,butIhopeit

worksoutforyou.”“Samehere. Imean,y’know,good luckkilling theperson. I’msure they

deserveit.”“Ifanyonedeservesit,”saidTanith,“it’sChinaSorrows.”

OceanofPDF.com

40

Valkyriepulledupoutsideherparents’home,strugglingtowrenchhermindaway from thoughts ofAbyssinia andCaisson and all this history thatwassuddenly starting to infect the present. So many secrets. So many hiddenlives.Shewasnostrangertothat,ofcourse,butshehadtokeepitseparate,hadtokeepitawayfromAlice.Valkyrietriedsmiling.Triedagain.Onthethirdattempt,ittook.Shegotout,enteredthehouse.“Hey,”shecalled.Thehousewasquiet.Omensataloneinthelivingroom.

“Thanksforthis,”shesaid,walkingin.“Seriously.Wassheanytrouble?”Omenstood.Itwasprettyclearhe’dbeencrying.“What’swrong?”sheasked.Thenshelookedaround.“Where’sAlice?”“Hetookher,”Omensaid.Valkyrietookastepforward.“What?”Hehesitatedbeforeanswering.“CadaverousGant.”Shewasonhimbeforehe’dfinishedspeaking,herhandscurling intohis

shirt,forcinghimback,pinninghimtothewall.“What?”“I’msosorry,”Omensaid,cryingagain.“Hewasgoingtokillme.Hesaid

I’vetogiveyouthis.”He had a phone in his hand. She released him, grabbed the phone. The

screen litup.Therewasonenumber, readytobedialled.Shehit thebuttonandwaited.“Hello,Valkyrie,”saidCadaverous.“Bring her back,” Valkyrie said, walking away from Omen. “I’ll do

whateveryouwant,justdon’thurther,andbringherback.”“You’ll bewanting to shut up now,” Cadaverous said. “I hear oneword

from you that isn’t an answer to a question, and I’ll end this right now bykillingher.Isthatunderstood,youarrogantbrat?”Shestiffened.“Yes.”“For the duration of this phone call you will refer to me as sir. Is that

understood?”“Yes,sir.”

“That’smuchbetter.Asyouhaveprobablyguessed, I tookyour sister inordertoleadyouintoatrap.”“Youdon’thavetoleadmeanywhere.Iwillwillinglygowherever—”“Ididn’taskaquestion.”Valkyriefroze.“Sorry,”shesaid.“Sorrywhat?”“Sorry,sir.”“OK,”Cadaveroussaid.“That’syour firstandonlywarning.Youdo that

againand I’llkillherand throwherbody inaditch.We’regoing toplayalittlegame,Valkyrie.Doyoulikegames?Ihopeyoudo.Thisisafungame.IcallitLet’sSaveAlice.Theobjectiveissimple.You’vegottofindherbeforemidnight. That’s it. The rules are: you have to do this alone. Omen didn’tfactorintomyplans,butlet’sfaceit–evenifyoutakehimwithyou,you’restillbasicallyalone.So,whenthiscallends,youleaveyourownphonewhereitis,youleavethoselittleshocksticksofyoursbehind,youdon’ttellanyone–especiallynottheskeleton–andyouandtheDarklyboygetinyourcarandyoudrive.Areyouwithmesofar?”“Yes,sir.”“Good. I’mnot going to tell youwhere your sister is – that’s for you to

figureout.YourfirststopwillbetoseeamancalledPalter.He’swaitingatTheIronBar,inRoarhaven.He’llletyouknowwhatyouhavetodoonceyougetthere.Isthatclear?”“Yes,sir.”“If I find out that you are cheating, or if you fail to retrieve her by

midnight,yoursisterdies.Whattimeisit,brat?”Valkyriecheckedherwatch.“It’salmostsix,sir.”“Thenyouhavejustoversixhours.We’llbewaiting.”Hehungup.Shestaredatthephone.“I’msosorry,”Omensaid.Valkyrie turned. She’d forgotten he was there. “Did he say anything?

Anything about where he was taking her or what he was going to do?Anythingatall?”“No,”Omensaid.“Hejusttoldmenottocallanyone.HesaidAlice’slife

dependsonit.”“Yeah,Igotthatpart.”“I’msosorry.Ilethimtakeher.Ididn’tevenfighthim.”“He would have killed you.” Valkyrie pulled her keys from her pocket.

“OK,comeon.”Shestalkedoutofthehouse.Hefollowed.“I’mcomingwithyou?”

“You’repartofthisnow,”shesaid.“Closethefrontdoor,thengetin.”Shegotin.Startedtheengine.Herhandsgrippedthewheel.Herheartwas

coldandpounding.Shewasn’tsureifshewasthinkingclearly.Omengotinbesideher.Shepulledoutontotheroadashewasbuckling

hisbelt.“Wasshescared?”Valkyrieasked.“I don’t think she knew what was going on,” Omen said. “He was

controllingher,tellinghernottobeafraidandtokeepcalm.”Shenodded.Thatwasgood.The ideaofher sisterbeingout there,alone

andterrified,wouldhavebeentoomuchforhertotakerightnow.

OceanofPDF.com

41

HefollowedTanithatadistance,tryingtofigureoutthebestwaytogoaboutwhathehadtodo.Hismind,never thebestplace togofor ideas, remainedstubbornlyblank.He watched Tanith crouch by a balcony. Making sure he wasn’t seen,

Sebastianscurriedtothenearestcurveofthesamebalconyandlookedover.Walking below and deep in conversation was the Arch-Canon, DamoclesCreed.BesidehimwasChinaSorrows.Sebastianstartedtocreeproundthecurve.Whenhecametothebroadestpart,hecouldseeTanithagain,herbackto

him. She was focused on Creed and China, preparing to vault over thebalcony.Hedidn’twanttodothis.Hereallydidn’twanttodothis.Hecharged.Tanithheardhimand turned, sawhimcoming,madea face,gestured for

himtogoaway.Hestoppedchargingbecause itwasstupid,and insteadwalkedup toher.

Shestraightened,andmovedawayfromthebalcony.“Whatthehellareyoudoing?”shewhispered.“I…I’msorry,Tanith,”heanswered,speakingsoftly.“Ican’tletyoukill

her.”Tanithobservedhimcoolly.“Iunderstandthatyouhaveyourreasons,”hecontinued.“Igetthat,Ido.

ButIneedChinatostayalive.Ican’t…Ican’thavethedisruptionthatherdeathwouldbring.Doyousee?FormyplantoworkouthowIneeditto,shehastostayalive.I’msosorry.”“Youthinkyou’regoingtostopme?”Tanithasked.“I’mhopingyou’lljust…walkaway.”“AndifIdon’t?”Heswallowed.“ThenI’llhavetodomybesttostopyou.”Tanithsteppedcloser.“Doyouhaveanyideawhatshe’sdone?Anyidea,at

all, about the people she’s had killed? She was bad enough before she

crownedherselfSupremeMage,butnowthatshehasactualpower?She’samonster,Sebastian–andyouwanttosaveher?”“Ican’tletyoukillher.”Tanithsighed,andshookherhead.“Fine,”shesaid,layingherstaffonthe

ground.“Stopme.”Sebastianwinced.“Iamreally,reallysorryaboutthis.”“Whatever.”Hefeintedlowandwenthighandshehithim,squareinthesolarplexus.

Hissuitdidadecentjobofabsorbingthepunch,butitstillforcedsomeofthewindfromhislungs.Helungedandshecaughthiswrist,twistedhisarm,ledhimonewayand

thenflippedhimontohisback.Hegottohiskneesandgrabbedforherleg,butshemovedsidewaysand

kickedhimandhewenttumbling.Sebastian got up and ran at her.At first, it looked like shewas going to

dodge, but then she rammed her elbow into his chest, hit him a few timesabouttheheadandcaughthimwithanotherkickthatsenthimflying.Hecametoarollingstop,andbelowthemheheardadoorclose.Tanith’s eyes widened, and she hurried to the balcony and looked over.

Sebastianwatchedherstiffenwithfury,andshestalkedover,standingabovehim.“Youmadememissmytarget,”shesaid.“I’msorry,butIcouldn’tletyou—”“Whoareyoutostopmefromdoinganything?You’dhavebeenhauledoff

in shackles if it wasn’t forme.You’d have been interrogated and tortured.That stupidmaskof yourswouldhavebeen cut fromyour face, and,whentheyweredonewithyou,they’dhavedumpedyourbodyinashallowgravesomewhere.Isavedyourlife,youlittletoad.”“IneedChinatostayalive.”“She’satyrant.”“I’msorry.Iam.”“Ishouldkillyouforwhatyou’vedone.”“Areyougoingto?”Shelookedsomadthathewasactuallysurprisedwhensheshookherhead.

“Thiswasmychance,”shesaid.“ChinaneverleavestheHighSanctuary.”“Youknow therewas no guarantee you’d have actually been able to kill

her,right?She’sprettypowerful.Plus,you’dhavehadtodealwithCreedaswell,andhe’s…formidable.”“Youknowhim?”“We’vecrossedpaths.”

Tanithtookamoment,andshookherhead.“Youoweme,SebastianTao.”“Iknow.”“Goon,”shesaid,pullinghimup.“Gobackandgrab thescytheandget

outofhere.”“Thankyouforyourhelp.Seriously.”“IwishIhadn’tmetyou.”“Yeah.”ShewalkedovertothebalconyandjumpeditaseasilyasSebastianwould

takeabreath,andshewasgone.He hurried back the way he’d come. As he moved, he sent Bennet and

Tantalusamessage,tellingthemtomeethimatthetunnel.Heputhisphoneawaywhenhereachedtheglasscase.Hepreparedhimself,goingovertheescaperouteinhishead.Andthenhe

grabbedthescythe.Thealarmsplittheairandhewasoff,sprintingthroughcorridors,barging

pastclerics,stayingaheadof theCathedralGuardswhogavechase.Helostthem,tookthestairsdown,hislegsburning.HefoundTantalusinthetunnel,wavinghimon.HeraninandTantaluspulledtheleverandthewallclosed,sealingthemin

darkness.Sebastiandoubledoverandfoughttogethisbreathback.“Is that it?” Tantalus asked, summoning a flame into his hand. “Letme

see.”Sebastianlethimtakethescythe,andstraightened.Hetookouthistorch,

swungitaround.“Where’s…Bennet?”“Isenthimonahead,”Tantalussaid,examiningtheblade.“Therewasno

pointinbothofusriskingourlivestowaitforyou.”Sebastiandidn’tsayit,butthatlittlebitofnobilitysurprisedhim.Tantalus

guessedwhathewasthinking.“Idon’tlikeitthatwedon’tknowyournameoryourface,”hesaid.“Butyou’reoneofus,andwelookoutforeachother.”“Thankyou.”“ButIstilldon’tlikeyou.”“Understood.”“Atall.”“Gotcha.”“OK,”Tantalussaid.“Thisseemstobethegenuinearticle.”Hehesitated,

thenhandeditback.“I’vegotaverygoodreasonforhidingmyidentity,youknow,”Sebastian

said,hisbreathingundercontrol.“Icanonlyimaginehowharditmustbetotrustme,butitwillallmakesenseeventually.Ipromise.”

“Trustisn’teasy,”saidTantalus.“Especiallyforus.OncemostpeoplefindoutthatweworshipDarquesse,they…they’requicktojudge.”“Igetthat.”“But you’ve come through for us,” Tantalus continued. “Tracking

Darquessethroughdimensionsisyouridea.Andwhenyouarrivebackwiththescythe,whenBennetandIbothfailedtofindit…Anyremainingdoubtswillbesweptaway.”“Ihopeso.”“You’llestablishyourselfasaguidinglight.They’llprobablywantyouto

leadus.”“I’mnoleader.”“What’sthatline,abouthowsomepeopleareborngreat,whileothershave

greatnessthrustuponthem?”“Ithinkthat’sit,yeah.”“That’syou.Thereluctantleader.”SebastianshonethetorchatTantalus,abouttoreassurehimthathehadno

intention of replacing him, and the light glinted off the knife. He trieddodgingbutTantalusgrabbedhim,jabbedthebladeathisbelly.Sebastianfeltthe sharpness throughhis clothes, but theywere toughand thebladedidn’tget through.Hedropped the scytheand the torch, the light spinningcrazilyacross the ground, and seized Tantalus’s wrist with both hands and theytrippedovereachother.SebastianfellwithTantalusontop.Theyrolledintodarkness,rolledbackintolight.AllthoseyearsSebastian

hadtrainedforthisandallhecoulddowasholdTantalus’sknifehandawayfrom him. If that blade cut through his suit, his mission would be over,followedquicklybyhislife.Sebastianjerkedhisheadup,thepointofhisbeakstabbingTantalusinthe

eye. Tantalus cried out and Sebastian heaved, turned them over, one handpinningTantalus’sknifehandtothegroundwhilehepunchedwiththeother.Hisfisttwistedwiththefirstimpact,buthehissedagainstthepainandkeptgoing.Finally,Tantalusdroppedtheknife,andSebastianswipeditaway,thenfell

backasTantalusscrambledup.Sebastiangrabbedthetorchandstraightenedup.“Whatthehell,man?”Tantalus, one eye squeezed shut, had both hands pressed to his nose as

bloodranbetweenhisfingers.“I’lltelltheothersofthis!They’llknowwhatyou’vedone!”“Youattackedmewithaknife,younutball!”Tantalusshookhishead.“You’vegotnowitnesses.AndIdidn’tevendo

that.”

“Juststop,allright?”saidSebastian.“Youcan’tpretendyoudidn’tattackmewhentheattackfails.That’snothowthisworks.Iknowwhatyoudidandyouknowwhatyoudid.”“Youattackedmefornoreason.”“There’sonlythetwoofushere!Whyareyoulyingaboutthis?”“You’retheonewho’slying.”“Youactuallytriedtokillme!Why?BecauseI’dbetheonebringingback

thescythe?”Tantalusshookhisheadagain.“Areyousoinsecure?Areyousolonely?”Tantaluspointedatremblingfinger.“Youarrivewithyourstupidmaskand

yourstupid‘CallmethePlagueDoctor’,andallyourplansanddirection,andwhatamIsupposedtodo?Thisismygroup!Istartedit!I’mnotgoingtoletyou take that away fromme!When theothershearwhat you’vedone, thatyouattackedmefornoreason,they’regoingtokickyouout.”“You’reinsane,youknowthat?You’redeluded.”“I…Icastyouout.”“What?”“From the group. As leader, I cast you out. You’re gone. You’re not

allowedtocometoourmeetingsanymore.”“Tantalus,stopembarrassingyourself.”“No.”Sebastian sighed, and rubbed his wrist. He was afraid he might have

sprainedit.“Fine.Dowhatyoulike.You’reanidiot.”Hebenttoretrievethescythe.“Leavethat,”Tantalussaid.Sebastianpaused,thenslowlypickeditup.“Ifoundit.I’mtakingit.”“Giveittome.”“Notachance.What,areyougoingtoattackmeagain?Thatdidn’twork

outtoowellforyoulasttime,didit?”Tantalusclickedhisfingers,summoninganotherflame.“My suit’s fire-resistant,” Sebastian said. “Do yourself a favour – walk

away.We’lleachgiveourversionofeventstotheothers,andseewhotheybelieve.Thatsoundgoodtoyou?”Tantaluslookedaround,hiseyessettlingontheknife.“Don’tdoit,”Sebastiansaid.“Dude,seriously,don’t.I’vegotascythe.”“It’sbeeninaglasscaseforyears.”“It’saCleaverblade.Theystaysharpforever.Everyoneknowsthat.”“Idon’t.”“Thenyou’retheonlypersonwhodoesn’t.It’swovenrazor.”

Tantalustookasteptowardstheknife.Sebastian sighed.“Youknowwhat?This is the second fight I’vebeen in

today,andI’vehadenough.I’mtakingthescythe,andI’mgoinghome.”HeturnedawayfromTantalus,andstartedrunning.

OceanofPDF.com

42

It was dark by the time they got to Roarhaven, and they wasted twentyminutes driving around before they found The Iron Bar. Omen sat veryquietlywhileValkyriecursed.Shewasscarywhenshewasangry,andrightnowshewasraging.And,ofcourse,itwasallhisfault.He hadn’t done anything. He’d just let Cadaverous take Alice. He’d

allowedittohappenwithoutevenputtingupanythingremotelyresemblingafight.Nooneelsewouldhavedonethat.Augerwouldhavealreadysavedtheday

bynow.“Finally!”Valkyriesaid,yankingthewheeltotheleft.Thecarmountedthe

pavementand she jumpedout, ignoring theangrybeepsof thecarsbehind.Omenreachedover,turnedofftheengineandtookthekeys,thenranafterherintothepub.“Palter,”shewassayingloudly.“I’mlookingforPalter.”Itwas a smallplace,with a stage in the corner thatwasobviouslynever

usedandahandfulofsurlypatrons.Omencountedeight,plusthebartender.“Palter!”Valkyriesaidagain.“Don’tknowanyoneofthatname,”thebartendertoldher,talkingslowly.

“Maybeyoushouldrunalonghomebeforesomeonerecognisesyou.”Valkyriewalked up to him. “I don’t have time for this. Palter.Where is

he?”Thebartender chuckledwithouthumour. “I swear I don’tknowwhoyou

mightbetalkingabout.”Heraisedhisvoice.“Anyonehereknowanyonebythenameof…Palder?Walter?Whatwasitagain?”Valkyrieputonehandonthebarandsprangoverit.“Hey,”thebartendersaid,“youcan’tcomebackhere!”Shehithim.Itwhippedhisheadroundandhestumbledback,brokeafew

glasses. She kicked him in the shin and he howled, and she grabbed him,smashedhishead into the fridge.Thebottles insidewere still rattlingashecollapsed.“Palter!”shecalled.

Outof thecornerofhiseyeOmensawahand lightup.Hewasabout toshoutawarning,butValkyriewasalreadyduckingthestreamofenergythatsmashedthemirrorbehindher.Shethrewaboltofwhitelightninginreturn,caughttheguyinthechest,senthimflyingbackwards.Itallwenttohellafterthat.Valkyriesprangbackoverthebar.OmenwatchedasfistsflewandValkyrie

caught them,dodged them,blocked themorgothitby them.She threwherown in return, alongwith some elbows, alongwith some headbutts. Therewasatussle,andtheywereontheground,andshesnarledandsnappedandbitandtheyyelpedandcriedoutandgaveway,onebyone,fallingwhileshekeptgoing,awhirlwindofrage.Shesmashedandcrackedandbashedthem.Shesentthemtothefloor,tothewall,sentthemoverthebar.The lastone ran tohis coat, triedpullingagun fromoneof thepockets.

Omenchargedathim,gotshovedaway,hitabrokenbarstoolandfellevenasValkyrieblastedtheguyandhewentdown,thegunspinningacrossthefloor.“Palter!”Valkyriescreamed.“Palter!”“I’m Palter,” said a man with long hair, stepping in through the door,

frowningatthecarnage.“I’mPalterGrey.SorryI’mlate.Thetrafficwas…Whathappenedhere?”Valkyriegrabbedhim,pinnedhimagainstthewall.Hedroppedthebaghe

washoldingandlookedterrified.“Where’smysister?”shesnarled.“I don’t know anything about a sister!” he said. “Iwas just…Listen, I

thinkthere’sbeenamisunderstanding,OK?I’mjustherebecausethisoldguypaidme!Idon’tevenknowhisname!”Omen scrambled up and hurried over.Keeping his voice soft, he said to

Valkyrie,“He’swhowecameheretosee.Maybeyoushouldlethimspeak.”Valkyrietookamoment,andsteppedback.“Gant,”shesaid.“Theguywho

paidyouisCadaverousGant.”Palter gave a cautious shrug. “Cool.You’reValkyrie Cain, aren’t you? I

recogniseyou.YoulookjustlikeDarquesse.”“WhatdidCadaverouspayyoutodo?”Palterfrowned.“He…hedidn’ttellyou?Aw,man…hesaidhetoldyou.

HesaidyouwereOKwithit.”“OKwithwhat?”“Um,well…”Valkyriesteppedcloserandheflinched.“Idon’thavetimeforabiglong

thing.WhenIaskaquestion,yougivemeanimmediateanswer.Gotit?Whatdidhepayyoutodo?”“Ihavetocarvetwosigilsintoyou,”Paltersaidimmediately.

“A tattoo?” Valkyrie said, frowning. “You’re here to give me a tattoo?Whatdoesitdo?”“It…Idon’treallyknowhowtosaythis…”“Bettersayitquickly.”“I’mreallysorry,thisisn’thowitshouldgo,but…hewantsmetocarve

sigilsintoyoureyes.”Valkyriestared.“What?”“Ithoughtyouwerecoolwithit.”Omensteppedforward.“Hewantsyoutotattoohereyelids?”“Nothereyelids.Hereyes.”“Jesus,”saidValkyrie.“Imean,Icandoit,”Paltersaid.“Youdon’thavetoworry.I’mnotgoing

toblindyou.Theywon’tinterferewithyourvisionatall,andtheywon’tbevisiblewhenthey’redone.”“What’lltheydo?Thesigils?”“Um…they’lllethimseewhatyousee.”Omenlookedather.“Hewantstospyonyou.”“It’snot,asyoucanimagine,it’snotaverycommonsigiltocarve,”Palter

said. “A fewhundredyears ago, they’dbe carved into the eyes of convictsreleasedfromgaol,sothatSanctuariescouldmakesuretheywerestayingoutoftrouble.Butthesedaysthat’slookedonasbeingalittlebarbaric,so…”“Right,”Valkyriesaid.“Fine.Howlongwillittake?”Palterfrowned.“Notlong.Notlongatall.About…Idon’tknow,maybe

fifteen, twentyminutes.Butwait – if you didn’t know about this until justnow,whywouldyougothroughwithit?”“HewantstomakesureIdon’tbreaktherules.Comeon,wheredowedo

this?”“Wejustneedachair.”Valkyriepickedoneupandsatdown.“Let’sgetitoverwith.”Palterhesitated,thenopenedhisbagandtookouthistools.“Omen,”Valkyriesaid,“standatthedoor.Makesurenobodycomesin.”Omennoddeddumblyanddidashewastold.Hewasgladshe’dsenthim

away.Hedidn’tthinkhe’dhavebeenabletowatchsomethinglikethat.HewishedAugerwashere.Augerwouldknowwhattodo.OrevenNever.

NevercouldteleportstraighttoSkulduggeryandSkulduggerywouldsortthisout.Valkyriewastooclosetoit.Shewaspanickingtoomuchtothinkstraight.

HerloveforhersisterputherindangerofmakingamistakethatmightcostherorevenAlicetheirlives.

Nobodytriedcomingintothepub,andby7.30itwasdone.OmenwalkedbackasPalterpackedhisinstrumentsaway.“Howareyoufeeling?”Valkyrieblinked.“Eyesight’sblurry.”“That’llpass,”saidPalter.“Ithink.”Omenfrownedathim.“Youthink?”“I’veneverdonethisbefore.”“But you did it right, didn’t you? You haven’t damaged her eyes or

anything?”“I didn’t damage anything, I promise. I did everything the way I was

supposedto.Hereyesightshouldclearinafewminutes.”Valkyriestood,andwent to thebrokenmirrorbehind thebar.“Sohecan

seewhatI’mseeingnow,isthatit?”“Yes,” said Palter. “I’ve already carved a corresponding sigil on to him

which will basically receive what you’re transmitting. I doubt he’ll bewatchingeverysinglesecond,though–hehastofocusonyouinordertoseethroughyoureyes.”“Buthecan’thearus,canhe?”“No,”saidPalter.“It’svisualonly.”Valkyrieglaredatherreflection,glaredrightintoherowneyes,andOmen

knewshewashopingCadaverouscouldseetheangerboilingbehindthem.“This isn’t cool,” saidPalter. “Iget the feeling thatyou’rebeingcoerced

into all this. Do youwantme to call someone?You hang aroundwith theSkeletonDetective,don’tyou?Wantmetocallhim?”“Don’tcallanyone,”Valkyriesaid.SomethinginPalter’sbagstartedbeeping.“Isthatabomb?”Omensaid,backingaway.Palter took out ametal box. “It’smymoney.He’s unlocked it remotely.

NowIjusthaveto…”Hetappedinacodeonthekeypadandthelidclicked,andheopenedit.Athickbundleofcashlayinside.“Idon’tfeelrightabouttakingthis.”“Take themoneyandgoback toyour life,”Valkyriesaid.“Hedidn’tsay

anything, did he? About where I have to go next? About where my sistermightbe?”“He didn’tmention anything about that, sorry.” Palter took out the cash,

shoved it in his pocket – then frowned, rubbing his thumb and forefingertogether like he was wiping off residue. “Aw, man,” he mumbled, andcollapsed.Omenstared.Valkyrie hurried over, checked Palter’s pulse. “He’s dead,” she said.

“Moneymusthavebeenpoisoned.”

“OhmyGod.”Thephone rang.Valkyrie took it outofherpocket. “I’mhere,” she said.

“Givememysister.”ShepacedawayfromOmen,andstopped.“Sir,” she said, struggling to be polite. “Yes, sir.Yes.”Another pause.A

longerone.“What?Youcan’t…Ican’tdothat.”Shelookedround,lockedeyeswithOmen.Hedidn’tsayanything.“Yes,sir,”shesaid,thenhungup.“Valkyrie?”Omensaid.“Stayhere,”sheresponded,andwalkedquicklyintothe

gents’toilet.

OceanofPDF.com

43

Itreekedinthere.Valkyriewentstraighttothesink,grippedthesides,staredatherreflection

inthewater-fleckedmirror.Cadaverouswaswatching,sheknewhewas.Shesnarledathim,thenlookeddown,andfocused.Sheclosedhereyes,controlledherbreathing, reachedoutwithhermind.

The world was amass of grey, but there was a single light shining in thegloom and that’s where she sent her thoughts. Then she felt it – anacknowledgement.She opened her eyes again. Kept staring down at the sink. At the filthy

plughole.“Ow,”Kessaidfrombehindher.“Whatdidyoudo?”“Icalledyou,”saidValkyrie.“Iwasn’tsureifIcoulddoit.”“Well,don’tdoitagain–myheadissplitting.Whatthehelldoyouwant?

Jesus,areweinthemen’stoilets?Thisplaceisdisgusting.”“CadaverousGanttookAlice.”Amoment.“OurAlice?”“MyAlice,”Valkyriesaid.Then,“OurAlice,yes.”“Let’sgogetherback,”Kessaid,urgencybitingintoherwords.“Whereis

she?”“Idon’tknow.Notyet.Omen’swithme.”“Why?Thekid’suseless.”“Cadaverous toldme to bringhim.Nowhe…Nowhewantsme to kill

him.”“What?”Valkyrie struggled to keep her voice down. “In order to get to Alice,

CadaverouswantsmetokillOmen.”“Areyougoingto?”“Ofcoursenot.That’swhyIcalledyou.”“Whyaren’tyoulookingatme?”“HecanseewhatIsee.”“What?”

“He had a guy tattoomy eyes,” Valkyrie said. “He sees what I see. HewantstowatchmeshootandkillOmen.”“That’simpressivelysick.SowhatcanIdo?”Valkyriedidn’tknow.Shewasmakingthisupasshewentalong.“Doyou

think I see you?” she asked. “Like, do you actually think I’m seeing youphysically?”“Yes,”saidKes.“That’showseeingthingsworks.”“Butnooneelsecanseeyou.”“Yeah,becausenooneelseistunedtomyfrequency.Andyoucanonlysee

mewhenIwantyoutoseeme.”“ButamIseeingyouthroughmyeyes,”Valkyriesaid,“oramIseeingyou

withmymind?”Keshesitated.“Ah.”“If I’m seeing youwithmymind, thenCadaverouswon’t be able to see

you.”Kes moved behind her, like she was pacing. “I don’t know, Valkyrie. I

don’tknowhowthisworks.Itmightbeamindthing,itmightbeaneyething,oritmightbeboth.Why?What’syourplan?”“IfCadaverouscan’tseeyou,”saidValkyrie,“thenyoucanstandinfront

ofOmenwhenIshoothim.”“Whatgoodwillthatdo?Thebulletwilljustpassthroughme.”“Notifyoucatchit.”Keswentquietforamoment.“OhmyGod,”shesaid.“Youwanttoshoot

me.”“Youcanhealyourself.”“Youwanttoactuallyshootme.”“Butyou’llsurvive.Omenwouldn’t.”“I’vejustteleportedhere,andnowyouwantmetousemyweakreserves

ofpowertobecometangible,andthenyouwanttoshootme.”“Yes.”“No.”“Kes—”“Nowayinhell.”“He’sgoingtokillAliceunlessIdothis.”“Thendoit,”saidKes.“ShootOmen.Killhim.It’snotlikeanyone’sreally

goingtomisshimwhenhe’sgone.”Valkyrieclenchedherfists.“I’mnotgoingtomurderaninnocentboy.”“Butyou’refinewithmurderingme?”“Youcanhealyourself.”

“Youthink.Wedon’tknowthatI’llbeableto.Ican’tevenremaintangibleformorethanafewseconds.Besides,sowhat?SayIdostandtherelikeanidiotandyoushootmeinsteadofOmen–whatthen?Haveyouhadachancetodiscussthiswonderfulplanwithhim?Doesheknowthathe’llhavetofalldownandplaydead?”“No,”Valkyrieadmitted.“You’llhavetozaphim.”Keslaughed.“Zaphim?”“LikeyoudidwithLethe.WhenIfire,youzapOmen,makehimfall,make

himloseconsciousness.”“That’smorepowerformetouse,Valkyrie. I’dbestretched thinas it is,

just becoming tangible.But healingmyself and zapping him?How do youknowIwouldn’t justfadeawayafterwards?YourplanissomethingImightnotrecoverfrom.”“Wedon’thaveachoice.”“Yes,wedo,”Kessaid.“KillOmen.”“I’mnotgoingtodothat.”“It’sOmenorit’sAlice.Pickone.”“It’sOmen,it’sAlice,orit’syou.”Keslaughedwithouthumour.“Wow.”“Youcandothis.”“Youdon’tknowthat.”“Ido.You’restrongenough,andwedon’thaveanymoretimetotalkabout

it.Please.”“Youwon’tkillOmen,butyouwillkillme,isthatit?”“I’mwillingtoriskyourlife,yes.JustlikeI’dbewillingtoriskmine.”“AllofthismeansnothingifCadaverouscanseeme.”“Iknow,”Valkyriesaid,andturned,lookingKesstraightintheeye.“Well,

heeitherseesyourightnow,orhedoesn’t.”Kesdidn’tsayanything.Valkyrieheldthephone,andwaitedforittoring.Whenitdidn’t,sheputitbackinherpocket.“Please,”shesaid.Kesfoldedherarms,anddidn’tanswer.Valkyriewalkedout.“Whatdowedonow?”Omenasked.Valkyriepickedupthefallengun.Shecheckeditwasloaded,andturned.“Uh…Valkyrie?”“I’msorry,”shesaid,aiming.“Cadaverousneedsmetodothis.”“Dowhat?”Omensaid,hisfacegoingpale.“You’re…you’renotgoingto

shootme,areyou?Imean…that’dkillme.You’dbekillingme.”“I’msorry.”

Heheld uphis hands. “But, now,wait. I don’t understand.Whydoes hewantyoutokillme?Icanbeuseful.Icanhelp.Ican…Idon’tknowwhatIcando,butIcandoitandyouwon’thavetokillme.Valkyrie,please.Youcantiemeup.Youcantiemeupandlockmeinaroom.”“He’sgoingtokillAliceifIdon’tdoit.”Omen’s facecrumpled,and tears started to fall.Hestayedstanding,even

thoughhislegswereshaking.“Pleasedon’tkillme.”Herhand,thehandthatheldthegun,wassurprisinglysteady.Shethumbed

backthehammer.“Thisisatest,”shesaid.“IfIfail,he’llkillAlicerightnowandI’llneverseeheragain.”Omenwipedhistearswithhissleeve,butmorefell.Helookeddown,his

liptrembling.Thenhelookedup,andnodded.“OK,”hesaid.“Getyoursisterback.”“What?”“I’ddoit,”Omensaid,“formybrother.OrI’dwantto,atleast.Probably

wouldn’tbebraveenough.Probablymessitup.It’smyfaultanyway.Ishouldhaveputupmoreofafight.She’ssevenyearsoldandIlethimtakeher.”“Thisisn’tyourfault.”“Doit.It’sOK.Youcandoit.”“Thankyou,Omen.”Henoddedagain,andclosedhiseyes.“Iforgiveyou.”“Whydoeshehavetobesoinsufferablynice?”Kesmuttered,andstepped

infrontofhim,herhandsoneithersideofhishead.“Three,”shesaid,“two,one.”Powerpulsed fromher fingertips andOmen’s entirebody jerkedbackas

Valkyriefired, thebulletcatchingKesin theback.OmenfellandKescriedout,twisted,andvanishedbeforeshehittheground.Valkyrielookedawayimmediately.Afewsecondslater,thephonerang.“Ididn’tthinkyouhaditinyou,”Cadaveroussaid.“Hewon’tbethelastpersonIkill.”Cadaverous chuckled. “So many delightful promises. It really is quite

disconcerting,youknow,lookingattheworldthroughyoureyes.”“Where’sAlice?”“Ah-ah,notyet,I’mafraid.Youstillhavemilestogobeforeyousleep,and

stopstomakealongtheway.”“No,” she said, anger rising.“Ikilledaboy foryou. Imurdered foryou.

Tellmewheremysisterisandlet’sfinishthis.”“Itseemsthatsomeoneisforgettinghermanners.”Valkyriebitherlip.Hard.Thenshestartedagain.“Iwouldliketoseemy

sisteragainassoonaspossible,”shesaid.“Please,sir.”

“Soon,Valkyrie,”Cadaveroussaid.Shecouldhear thesmile inhisvoice.“But,beforethat,I’mgoingtoneedyoutodrivetothehomeofsomefriendsofmine.TheaddressisintheboxPalteropened.Turnround.Goodgirl.Seeitthere?Onthefloor.”Awhitecard.Shepickeditup,shoveditinherpocket.“This is fun,” saidCadaverous. “I imagine this iswhat it’s like toplaya

video game – although this is infinitely more entertaining. And pick upOmen,there’sagoodgirl,andlet’sgetbackontheroad.”Valkyriefrowned.“Omen’sdead.”“AndIcan’tverywellhavehiscorpsefoundatthisearlystage,canI?The

CityGuardwilldiscoverthissceneofcarnageandbestumpedforafewvitalhours.ButifweleaveOmenhere,theskeletonwillhearaboutitandlinkittoyouandme.No,no,it’sbettertocleanupafterusaswego.Takehimwithyou,there’sagoodgirl.”

OceanofPDF.com

44

Temper Fray barged past the jerk in the robes and pushed the doors open.Creed’soffice, here at thevery topof theDarkCathedral,was just ashe’dimagined:bare,functionalandalittlebitcreepy.Therewasadeskwithacircularwindowbehinditandtherewerechains

onthewalls.Actualchains.Onthewalls.“Whyaretherechainsonthewalls?”heasked.“You cannot come in here!” the jerk in the robes shrieked. “You are

infringingupon—”“Leaveus,”saidArch-CanonDamoclesCreed,whohadn’tevenlookedup

fromthepapershewasreading.Thejerkwhimpered,andbackedout,closingthedoorsafterhim.“Thewalls,”saidTemper.“Whyaretherechainsonthem?”“Theyactasareminder,”Creedsaid.“Areminderofwhat?”“Theshacklesthatbindus.”“It’sweird.That’sallI’mgonnasayaboutit.It’sweirdandoff-putting.It’s

weird and off-putting and kinda unsettling. Do you have many visitors uphere? Idoubtyoudo. Idoubt therearemanypeoplewhowant tocomeformeetingsintheofficewithallthechainsonthewalls.”Creed sighed, and finally raised his big bald head. “I had forgotten how

muchyoutalked.”“Iamatalker.”“WhatcanIdoforyou,OfficerFray?Iamverybusy.”“I’d say you are,whatwith all the hijinks you’re getting up to.You got

yourfingersinsomepies,don’tyou,Damocles?”Creed’s eyes were heavy-lidded, which gave him the air of someone

permanently unimpressed. But Temper had been there during Creed’ssermons,when thoseeyeswidenedsomuch they threatened tobulgeoutofhishead.“We’reonafirst-namebasis,arewe?”Creedasked.“Ican’trememberus

everbeingsoinformal.”

“I’m tryingsomethingnew,”saidTemper.“I figured I spentenough timedeferringtoyouwhenIwasoneofyourmindlesslittledronesthatIshouldgivedisrespectashot.Youknowwhat?I’mkindalikingit.”“Youwereneveradrone,Temper,”Creedsaid.“Youwerealwaysoneof

myfavourites.”Hesatbackinthechair,hissimpleshirtstretchedtightacrosshis chest. “But now look at you, standing there in a uniform.Obeying thesamerules,enforcingthesamelaws,boundbythesamerestrictions…Ithinkyou’vefinallybecomethemindlessdroneyoufearedyou’dbecome.”“Those restrictions youmentioned – they happen to be connected to the

ReligiousFreedomAct?”“Ah,”saidCreed,“that’swhyyou’rehere.”“Wewere just toldabout it.Apparently,all religiouspracticesand rituals

arenowprotected.”“TheSanctuariesshouldneverhavebeenabletodictatehowanyreligious

orderisallowedtoworship.TheSupremeMageagreeswithme,andweareallthebetterforit,notjusttheChurchoftheFaceless.”“But,asfarasIknow,theChurchoftheFacelessistheonlyreligiousorder

toadvocatehumansacrifice.”“That’saridiculousaccusation.”“Iwasnextonthelisttobesacrificed.”“Wedonotkill.”“TheKithareasgoodasdeadandyouknowit.”Creed sighed and stood, coming out from behind the desk, reminding

Temperofjusthowmassivehewas.“TheKithwillbefirstinlinetomeettheFacelessOnesupontheirreturn.Youwoulddenythemthishonour?”“Iwould.”“Thenitisagoodthingthatyouhavestrayedfromthepath,Temper.You

areunworthy.”“If I hear that’s what you’re up to – if people start goingmissing? The

ReligiousFreedomActwon’tsaveyou.”Creedloweredhishead,hisheavybrowthrowingashadowoverhiseyes.

Hismouthwidened into a smile that creased his face.There. That glint ofmadness.“Doyouknowwhat theReligiousFreedomActmeans,Temper?What it

reallymeans?ItmeansIcouldkillyourighthere,withwitnessesjustoutsidethedoor.ItmeansIcouldtearyouapartandhaveeveryonehearyourscreams–andyourcolleaguesintheCityGuardwouldn’tbeabletoarrestmeforit,eveniftheywantedto.”Timeslowed,andthespacebetweenthemturnedjagged.

Temper drew his gun and Creed batted it from his handwith surprisingspeed.Temperhithim–anelbowtothesolarplexusthatCreeddidn’tseemto feel – and stepped back to pull his sword. Creed closed his hand roundTemper’swristandsqueezed,andTemper’sfingerssprangopen.Thesworddropped and Creed kicked him in the chest and Temper hit the wall, thechains rattling.Herebounded,winded, ragecoursing throughhim, tookonestepandpreparedtounleash–andfroze.Creed’s thin smile hadnever left his face, andnow it split, revealinghis

teeth. “You could kill me if you wanted,” he said softly. “Tear me apart.Decorate this room with my innards. But what would it cost you, OfficerFray?Everything?Ormore?”Tempercutoffhisanger.Starved itofoxygen.Hestraightened.Adjusted

hisuniform.Creed walked back round his desk and sat, resumed reading the papers.

“Getout,”hesaid.“Andclosethedoorafteryou.”Temperpickeduphisweaponsandleft.Hedidn’tclosethedoor.

HereturnedtotheVault,thatconcreteblockofabuildingthathousedtheCityGuard, and changed out of his uniform and into some civilian threads.Skulduggerywaswaitingforhimoutside.“SorryI’mlate,”Tempersaid.“Ihadathingtodobeforemyshiftended.”“Takeawalkwithme,”Skulduggery said, andTemper shruggedand fell

intostep.“Hastherebeenanybreakthroughwiththeportaldevice?”“Not yet,” said Temper, “but the guy who’s in charge of the reverse-

engineering isconfidenthecanfigureouthowitworks.A littleguynamedForby.Niceenough,ifalittleweird.”“Iheardtheportalitselfwasshutdownthismorning.”“Yeah. What you may not have heard is that there were another ten

thousandmortalswaitingontheothersidewhenthebuttonwaspushed.”Skulduggery tilted his head. “I was under the impression that they’d all

comethrough.”“I’m afraid you were misled. Mevolent’s forces were getting too close,

apparently.Rather than riskaconfrontation, thedevicewasdeactivatedandour people pulled out –which left those ten thousandmortals prettymuchdefenceless.”“Chinagavethatorder?”“Icanonlyassumeso.”“Thosepeoplewillhavebeenslaughtered.”“AsCommanderHocpersonallyremindedmewhenIbroughtupthatexact

point–theyain’tourmortals,anditain’tourproblem.”

“That’s theCommanderHocIknowandadore,”Skulduggeryresponded.“SoallourhopesliewiththisForby,dothey?”“They do,” said Temper, “and I don’t envy him having to deliver on

everythingthat’sexpectedofhim.Ifhedoesn’tfigureouthowtostopportalslike that fromopeninganywhere at any time, there’ll benothing topreventMevolent from attacking. Hell, we could be talking a full-scale globalinvasion.Skulduggery?”“Yes?”“I’mtalkinginvasionsandyou’rebarelylistening.”“I’llhaveyouknowthatIwaslisteningtoeverywordyousaid.ButIwas

also checking on the gentlemanwho’s been followingme for the last half-hour.”Without looking round,Temper said, “Theguy in thebaseball capor the

guyinthegreenjacket?”“Thegent in the jacket ismerely lost.Ourbaseball-cap-wearing friend is

theonewe’reinterestedin.”“Areweleadinghimsomewhere?”“Weare,”saidSkulduggery.Theyturneddownasidestreetandwaitedfortheguyinthebaseballcapto

hurryby.Skulduggerysteppedoutfrombehindcoverandgrabbedhim,threwhim against the wall. The cap came off. The guy beneath was scruffy andstartled.“ArgosyPelt,”Skulduggerysaid.PelttriedtorunoffandTempershovedhimback.“Youknowhim?”“I’veglancedathisfile,”Skulduggerysaid.“Hehadbeenincarceratedin

ColdheartPrisonwhenAbyssiniatookitover.”“ForacrimeIdidn’tcommit!”Peltblurted.“Shutup,” saidTemper,and frownedatSkulduggery.“Didyouglanceat

thefilesofalltheinmates?”“Ofcourse.”“Howmanywasthat?”“Sevenhundredandthirty-two.”“Andyourecognisedhisfacefromhismugshot?”“It’samemorableface.”“Isit?”“Lookatit.”“I am, but I’m forgetting it evenas I’m looking at it.Doyou remember

anythingyoureadinhisrapsheet?”Skulduggeryshrugged.“He’sbeenarrestedbefore,multipletimes,spenta

totalofthirty-sevenyearsinvariousgaolsforassault,robberyandmurder.”

“Ineverassaulted,robbedormurderednoone!”Peltscreeched.“HewassentencedtonineteenyearsinColdheartforkillingamortalina

barfightthreeyearsago.”“I’minnocent!”Pelt roared.“Iwasn’tevenin thatbar!Myreflectiondid

it!”“Andhealwayssayshisreflectiondidit,”Skulduggerycontinued.“Itdid!”“You’ve been examined by Sensitives, Mr Pelt. They all say you

committedthosecrimes.”“Myreflection’sgotthemallfooled!”Peltroared.“Listentome,OK?My

reflectionsneaksoutofmymirroratnightwhileI’msleeping.Itgoesoutandcommits crimes. Then it sneaks back into my house and transfers itsmemoriesbacktome,andthatiswhatthebloodypsychicsseewhentheygopokingaroundmyhead!I’maninnocentman,Itellyou!”“Thenwhyhaven’tyouthrownoutthemirror?”Temperasked.“I can’t. The reflection’s blackmailing me, see. It’s committed worse

crimes,andit’sgotevidence,andifIgetridofthemirrorthentheevidencewillbesenttotheSanctuaryandI’llbelockedawayforever.”“Thatisonehellofadeviousreflectionyougotthere,MrPelt.”“Iknow,”Peltsaid,hiseyesbrimmingwithtears.“Iusedittoomuch,see,

whenIwasyounger.Ibrokeit,andnowit’sevil.Or,youknow,smarterthanme.”“Whyareyoufollowingme,Argosy?”Skulduggeryasked.“I’massuming

youweresentbecauseAbyssiniathoughtIwouldn’trecogniseyou.”Pelt nodded. “I was told to stay at a distance, but keep you in sight. It

wasn’teasy.IthoughtI’dlostyou,like,atleastthreetimes.”“You did,” said Skulduggery. “And then you were following the wrong

manfortenminutes.”“Iwas?”“Thetallmaninthebrownsuit.”“Thatwasn’tyou?”“Ismysuitbrown?”Pelt looked at Skulduggery’s suit. “Oh,” he said, “it’s blue. But – but I

foundyouagain,didn’tI?”“Iletyoufindme,Argosy.”“Oh.”“Whywereyoufollowingme?”“It wasn’t anything bad, I swear. I wasn’t sent to kill you, or anything.

Abyssinia just told me to keep you in sight, and she’d call when she wasreadyandI’dtellherwhereyouwere.”

Pelt’sphonerang.HelookedatSkulduggery.HelookedatTemper.Hetwisted, lungingforhisphone,rippingitfromhispocketashelashed

out, hitting no one, managing to trip over himself while Temper andSkulduggeryjuststoodandwatched.“Theycaughtme!”heyelled into it. “It’sa trap! It’sa trap!”Hestopped

rollingaroundonthegroundandlistenedforamoment,thenheldthephoneouttoSkulduggery.“She’dliketotalktoyou,”hesaid.Skulduggerytookthephoneandheldittohisskull.“Hello,”hesaid.TemperpulledArgosyPelt tohisfeet.“Yourreflection is framingyou, is

it?”“Iswearitis.Iswear.”Tempernodded.“I’lllookintoit.”“Thank you. Thank you so much! I’m going to run away now, if that’s

OK.”“Yeah,sure,man,whatever.”Pelt smiled gratefully, and fled.Temper turned back asSkulduggerywas

tellingAbyssiniawhatstreettheywereon.Thenhehungup,anddroppedthephone.Temperraisedaneyebrow.“Thisisrisky.”Skulduggeryadjustedhistie.“Shewantstotalk.”Temperlookedround,sawNeroandAbyssiniateleportinontheotherside

ofthestreet.Shewaswearingaredbodysuitthatpracticallysparkledintheafternoonsun.Shespokeafewquietwords,andNerostayedwherehewaswhileshewalkedover.TemperandSkulduggerytookouttheirguns.Abyssinia held up her hands. “Don’t shoot,” she said. “As unlikely as it

sounds,Icomeinpeace.”Skulduggery thumbed back the hammer. “I think I might shoot you

anyway.”“I’mherebecauseIneedyourhelp.CadaverousGanthasCaisson.”“Isn’tCadaverousonyourside?”Temperasked.“Hewas,” saidAbyssinia. “He’snot anymore.Call itwhatyouwill – a

disagreement,afalling-out,abetrayal–theendresultisthesame.IneedtofindCaisson,retrievehimsafely,andkillCadaverous.”“And to do this,” Skulduggery said, “you need my help. This is an

interestingrequest,Abyssinia,seeingashowIcan’tseewhyonearthIwouldeverpossiblyhelpyou.”“Becausehe’sourson,Skulduggery.”“Wait,”saidTemper,“what?”

“Skulduggeryisthefather,”Abyssiniasaid.“Well,it’seitherhimorLordVile,Ican’tbetoosure.”Shesmiled.“ButIknowwhichoneI’dprefer.”TemperstaredatSkulduggery.“Isthistrue?”“Sosheclaims.”Temper took amoment toprocess thepossibility.Hehad a friendwho’d

used magic to have a kid. It wasn’t exactly common, but not unheard of,either.Heshrugged.“Congrats.”“She’sundoubtedly lying,”Skulduggerysaid,“andhasyet toprovideme

withagoodreasonnottoshackleherrighthere.”Abyssinialoweredherhands.“Becauseyou’regoingtoneedmyhelp,too.

IfCadaveroushasgonesofarastomakeanenemyoutofme,thenheknowshistimeistickingaway.Whichmeanshewillattempttotieupanyunfinishedbusinesshemighthaveleft.”“Meaningwhat?”Temperasked,butSkulduggerywasalreadypullingout

hisphone.Temperwatchedhimdialand thenput thephoneagainsthisskull.When

nooneanswered,SkulduggerymarcheduptoAbyssiniaandpressedhisguntoherforehead.“Where’sValkyrie?”“I assure you, I don’t know,”Abyssinia answered calmly. “Butwherever

sheis,oursonwillprobablybethere,too.SoI’mcomingwithyou.”“Theonlywayyou’recomingwithusisifyoucanhelpus,”Skulduggery

said.“Ifyoudon’tknowwherehe’stakenValkyrie,thenwhowould?”

OceanofPDF.com

45

Ittookunderanhourtogettotheaddressonthewhitecard.ValkyriepulledupoutsidethesmallcottagejustoutsideFerbaneinOffalyjustastheclockonthedashboardturned8.30,withOmenstillunconsciousinthebackseatofthecar.ThreeandahalfhourstogetAliceback.Valkyriegotout,joggeduptothedoor,andawhite-hairedoldwomanina

floraldressandaheavycardiganopeneditbeforeshecouldknock.“Comein,comein,”saidtheoldwoman.Valkyriehesitated,thenentered,walkingintoawarmkitchenwhereafire

burnedinanancientstove.“I’mRosemary,”theoldwomansaid,closingthedoorbehindthem.“That

uselesslumpoverthereisPádraig.”The oldman in the armchair smiled and gave a nod, thenwent back to

readinghisnewspaper.Rosemarywavedataricketychairbythetable.“Sure,takeoffyourjacket

thereandhaveaseat.CanIgetyouacupoftea?”“I’mOK,thankyou,andIwon’tbestayinglong.”“Notevenforacup?BeGod,butit’swarminhere.Areyounotroasting,

altogether?”“My,uh,myjacket’sprettylight.”Rosemarypeeredcloser.“That’ssomeoutfit,thatis.What’sitmadeof?Is

it leather?” She reached out, caught a crease between her thumb andforefingerandrubbedgently.“No,notleather.Muchsofter.Whatisthis?”“Idon’treallyknow,”Valkyriesaid,resistingtheurgetomoveaway.“Pádraig,comeoverhereandfeelthis.”Pádraigrolledhiseyes.“I’msurethenicegirldoesn’twantusfeelingher

clothes,Rosemary.ForGod’ssake,leaveheralone.”“Shedoesn’tmind,”Rosemarysaid.“Youdon’tmind,doyou?CanItryit

on?”IttookamomentforValkyrietoanswer.“Myjacket?”Pádraiglaughed.“Sure,that’snotgoingtofityou,woman!You’rehuge!”

“Shutup,you!”Rosemarysnapped.“I’monlyaskingtotryiton!”“You’reembarrassingher,”Pádraigsaid.“No,I’mnot!HowamIembarrassingher?”ShesmiledatValkyrie.“I’m

notembarrassingyou,amI?”Pádraigloweredhispaper.“She’shardlygoingtosayyes,nowisshe?She

doesn’twanttoinsultyou.”“Andhowwouldsheinsultme?”“Bytellingyouyou’rewaytoobigtobewearingajacketthatsize.Lookat

her,wouldyou,andthenlookatyourself.She’sagrandgirl,bigandstrong,butcomparedtoyoushe’sastick.Andyou?You’retheoppositeofastick.”“Oh,really?”Rosemarysaid.“Andwhatexactlyistheoppositeofastick?”“Ah,Idon’tknow,”Pádraigresponded.“Therestofthetree,I’dimagine.”“AndIsupposeyou’resomefinespecimenofaman!”Rosemarysaid.“I

supposeyou’reperfectineveryway,areyou?Withyourearsandyournoseandyourbighairybelly?”Pádraiggrinnedandpattedhisstomach.“It’sasighttobehold,allright.”“I’msorry,”Valkyriesaid,“butI’minabitofahurry,soifIcouldjustget

whatwaslefthereforme…”Rosemary flapped her hands at the notion. “That’s the problemwith the

worldtoday,inmyopinion.Everyone’sinahurrytogetsomewhereelse.SitdowntherenowandI’llmakeyouthatcupoftea.”“Thanks,butIreallyhavetogetgoing.”“Justonecup!”“Sorry,no.”“Ah,you’llhavejustonecup,won’tyou?”“Goon,goon,”mutteredPádraig,andlaughed.“Shutup,youbigeejit,”Rosemaryscowled,thenturnedhersmilebackon.

“You must think we’re awful thicks. It’s just … we’ve been very excitedabout this.We knowwho you are.The Valkyrie Cain. I’ve heard somuchaboutyou.MrGantnever stopsgoingonabouthowmuchhewants tokillyou,howmuchhewantstobashyourbrainsin.”Shelaughed.“ButI’msureyou’reusedtothatsortofattention,aprettygirllikeyou.Probablyhavemenliningupdownthestreettogetachancetobashyourbrainsin.”“You’reembarrassingthegirlagain,”Pádraigsaid,notlookingup.“You have something for me?” Valkyrie asked. “Something from

CadaverousGant?”“Yes,wedo,”Rosemarysaid,“yes,wedo.Hehasyoursister,doesn’the?

Hetoldusaboutthat.Isn’tthisexciting?Hehasyoursisterandhe’sgoingtokillher.Ooh!”

Valkyrie stopped herself from throttling this woman. “Could I have it?Whateverheleftforme?”“Yes,yes,”saidRosemary,andstartedlookingaround.“Pádraig.Pádraig!”Pádraigsighed.“Iheardyouthefirsttime.Whatisit?”“Where’sthecard?”Rosemaryasked.“Whatcard?”“Thecard,youdafteejit!Thecard!Thecard!”“You can repeat yourself till the cows come home,” Pádraig said, “but I

stilldon’tknowwhatitisyou’relookingfor.”Rosemaryfroze,likeshe’djustbeenremindedofsomething,thenturnedto

Valkyriewithaworriedlookonherface.“You’vegotthosesigils,don’tyou?MrGanttoldusaboutthem.Onyoureyes?Sohecanseewhatyousee?”“Yeah.”Immediately, Rosemary straightened up and started tugging at her hair.

“Pádraig!”shewhisperedloudly.“MrGant!Hecanseeus!”“Ah,Jaysis,”Pádraigsaid,throwingthenewspapertoonesideandgetting

tohisfeet.HesmootheddownhisscruffyV-neckjumper.“MrGant,”Rosemarysaidloudly, lookingValkyriestraight in theeye,“I

would just like toonceagain thankyoufor thehonourofbeing included inthese activities. I have led a humble life, as has my husband, but we areendeavouringto—”“Hecan’thearyou,”Valkyriesaid.Rosemaryfaltered.“Begpardon?”“Hecannothearyou.”“Well…maybenot,butI’msurehecanlip-read.”“Right,”saidValkyrie,“I’vebeenaspoliteasIcanwithyoupeople,butI

don’thavetimeforthis.CadaverousGantgaveyousomethingtogivetome.SogiveittomebeforeIlosemygoddamntemper.”Rosemary’shandflutteredtoherchest.“Oh!Oh,well…!”Pádraig hurried over, patting his wife on the back. “You’re OK there,

Rosemary.”“I’m in shock, Pádraig,” Rosemary said, sagging against him. “Shock, I

say!”PádraigglaredatValkyrie.“Lookwhatyou’vedone,andinourownhome,

noless!”Rosemaryclutchedathim.“Oh,Pádraig!IthinkImightfaint!”White lightning toreachunkoutof thewallbehind them,andRosemary

andPádraigcriedoutandwhirledtoValkyrieasenergycrackledbetweenherfingertips.Theyblinked.

“Pádraig,”Rosemarysaid,hervoicequiet,“gogetthatcard,there’sagoodman.”Pádraig made sure Rosemary wasn’t about to fall over, then went into

another room.Rosemary tookamoment tocomposeherself, andwalked tothecutlerydrawer.“MrGantleftsomethingelse,aswell,”shesaid.“Toldustomakesureyou

putitonbeforeyou’regiventhecard.”Shetookoutabraceletmadeofburnishedgoldmetalandpasseditover.Therewere sigils carved into themetal – sigilsValkyrie recognised. She

got the sense that Cadaverous was looking through her eyes right at thatmoment,sosheputthebraceleton,madesurehecouldseeitclickshutroundherleftwrist.Thesigilsglowedonceandshefelthermagicdull.“Canhestillsee?”sheasked.Rosemaryfoldedherarms.“What?”“Thebraceletbindsmymagic,”Valkyriesaid.“Doesithaveanyeffecton

thesigilsonmyeyes?”“Doyouknownothing?”Rosemaryresponded,asneeronherlips.“Those

arepassivesigils.Passivesigilscan’tbeboundquitesoeasily.Sodon’tyoubeworrying, girly,MrGant can still seewhat you see, so you better keepbehavingorhe’llcutyourlittlesister’sthroat.”ValkyrieshovedRosemaryback.“Saythatagain,”shesaid.“Sayonemore

thingaboutmysister.Seewhathappens.”Rosemary’seyesnarrowed.“You’reanastygirl.Iknewitthemomentyou

steppedinhere.You’redirty,aren’tyou?Dirtygirlsareallthesame.Harlots.You’reprobablyoozingwithdiseases,aren’tyou?Dirty,filthygirl.”Pádraigwalkedback into theroom,holdingupan identicalwhitecard to

theoneinPalter’smetalbox.“Foundit,”hesaid.Valkyriestrodeover, snatched itoutofhishand.“Is that it?Thebracelet

andthecard:that’sallhegaveyoutogiveme?”“That’sallhegaveus,”saidPádraig.“Andhedidn’tsayanythingelse?”“He did say one other thing,” Pádraig replied, and frowned. “Rosemary,

whatwasthatlastthing?Afterwegiveherthebraceletandthecard,whatdidhesaywehadtodo?”“Whateverwewanted,”Rosemarysaid.“Ah,yeah,”Pádraigsaid.“That’sright.”Valkyrie stuffed the card into her jacket pocket and turned for the door.

“Well,I’llleaveyoubothtoit,then.Haveanicelife,youfrickin’psychos.”“Where are you going?” Rosemary asked, and swung something hard

againstValkyrie’shead.

Valkyriestumbled, trippedon theedgeof therugandfell, turnedoverasRosemaryadvanced.“MrGanttolduswecoulddowhateverwewantedwithyou,”shesaid,and

swungthepokeragain.

OceanofPDF.com

46

Temperdidn’tlikebeingteleported–itmadehimfeelqueasyandoffbalance.He especially didn’t like being teleported by amurderous little psychopathwithbleachedhair.Thatjustupsethimatafundamentallevel.But, most of all, he didn’t like being teleported straight into Coldheart

Prison, where hundreds of convicted killers, terrorists and generalwhackadooswalkedfreelyandwithoutshackles.The convicts stared down at them from the higher tiers as Temper and

Skulduggery followed Abyssinia to the dais that hovered over the deadlyenergyfield.“WhathasCadaverousbeendoinglately?”Skulduggeryasked.“Wherehas

hebeenspendinghistime?”“I’mafraidIdon’tknow,”Abyssiniareplied.“Hewouldget inthatblack

car of his and disappear for days. As for what he’s been doing, I’ve beenassigninghimhisduties–dutiesthathedeemedunworthyofhisskills.”“Hewasunhappyhere?”“Apparently.Iwilladmit,Ididnoticehisgrowingdiscontentasmysearch

foroursoncontinued.”“Don’tcallhimthat.”“Ican’twaitforyoutomeethim.”“Let’sgetbacktoCadaverous.”“Ofcourse,”saidAbyssinia.“Traitor,”Neromuttered.Temperlookedoverhisshoulder.“Yousaysomething,buddy?”Neroscowled.“Youbetrayedus.”“How’dyoufigurethat?”“Youpretendedtobeoneofus.”“Iwasundercover,jackass.Pretendingtobeoneofyouiswhatundercover

means.Ican’tbetrayyouifIwasneveroneofyoutobeginwith.”“Yousaidyouweremyfriend.”“Ifitmakesyoufeelanybetter,youstillholdaspecialplaceinmyheart.”“Shutup.”

“Needahug?”“Shut.Up.”Tempergrinned.“Cadaverous killed one ofmymost promising sorcerers,”Abyssiniawas

saying,“Ithinktospiteme.AwonderfulyoungmancalledAvatar.Isuspectthathisbodywasthrownoverboardorvaporisedintheenergyfield.Speakingofwhich–watchyourstep.”She came to the end of thewalkway and hopped over the gap on to the

dais.Skulduggerydid the same,andTemper followed,keepinghis eyesoffthecracklinglakebeneath.Whentheywereallonthedais,itstartedtorise.Theypassedtierupontier

ofsilentconvicts,itchingtotearthemapart.The dais stopped at the very top andAbyssinia led theway off.A huge

convictsteppedoutofhiscellonceAbyssiniahadwalkedby.“The Skeleton Detective,” the big guy sneered. “You got some nerve

cominginhere,comingintoourhouse.Youthinkwe’regonnaletyouleavehereinonepiece,littleskeleton?Youthinkwe’regonnaletyou—”Skulduggerygrabbedhim,twisted,andthrewhimoverthebalcony,andthe

bigguyscreamedallthewaydown.“Sorry,”SkulduggerysaidtoAbyssinia,“youweresaying?”Theyresumedwalking,andTemperwavedtotheconvictsherecognised.“Nero,RazziaandDestrierwerewithCadaverouswhenhetookCaisson,”

Abyssiniasaid.“I’velookedintotheirminds–theyhadnoideawhathewasplanning.”“We’llneedtospeaktothem,”Skulduggerysaid.“Iassumedasmuch.”Theycametoalargecellfilledwithbooksandacomfortable-lookingbed.

RazziaandDestrierstoodattheopendoor.“These are Cadaverous’s quarters,” Abyssinia said. “We haven’t yet

conductedasearch.Ithoughtyouwouldliketobethefirstonetodoso.”“Verymuchappreciated,”Skulduggerysaid.“Razzia,verygoodtoseeyou

again.”Shesmiledback.“G’day,Skulduggery.”“Cadaverous’shome—doyouknowwhereitis?”Razziafrowned.“You’relookingatit.”Skulduggery shook his head. “Cadaverous’s home is his castle. He

transforms it into whatever his imagination can conjure. That’s where he’sgone. That’s where he’s taken Caisson, and that’s where Valkyrie is. He’sdrawing us in towhere he has all the advantages.” Skulduggery glanced at

Abyssinia. “Your powerwon’tmean awhole lot in there.You realise that,yes?”“Itdoesn’tmatter,”sheanswered.“Hehasmyson.”“Ilikedyoubetterwhenyouwereevil,”Razziasaid.“Youweremorefun.

Youthreatenedtokillpeoplemore.”“I’mstillfun,Razzia.Youjusthavetogivemeachance.”“Hespokeaboutitonce,”Destriersaid.Skulduggeryswivelledhishead.“Cadaverousspokeabouthishome?What

didhesay?”Destrier’seyeswereonhisshoes.Hishandswereintertwined.Hisfingers

tapped nervously against each other. “Not much,” he said. “He thought Iwasn’t listeningbut Iwas. Ihear everything,butmostof it doesn’t interestme.Notverymuchinterestsme,apartfromthethingsthatdo.Theyinterestmeverymuch.Hedidn’tsaywhereitwas,buthesaidhehadanewhome.”“Whenwasthis?”Temperasked.“Fiveyearsandtwomonthsago.Andtwelvedays.”“Anyideawhichcountryitwasin?”Destriershookhishead.“Cadaverous has been preparing for this for a long time,” Skulduggery

said.“Ifthat’strue,”Abyssiniaresponded,“thenhemanagedtokeepitfromme

whenIwasinsidehishead.Acleverboy,thatCadaverous.Trulycunning.”Skulduggery stepped into the cell, and went straight to the bookcase.

“Shakespeare’splays are all in chronologicalorder apart from thisone,”hesaid,takingTheTempestfromtheshelf.Heflickedthroughit,caughtawhitecardasitfellout.“Anaddress,”hesaid.Abyssiniaclappedherhandsdelightedly.“We’vefoundhim!”Temperraisedaneyebrow.“Abittooeasy,don’tyouthink?”“I’dagreewithTemper,”Skulduggerysaid.“Butit’salead.”“Thenwe’llfollowitwhereverit takesus,”saidAbyssinia,andsmiledat

Skulduggery.“Togetheragain,eh,mylove?Thewayitwasalwaysmeanttobe.”

OceanofPDF.com

47

Sheliftedfromthemurkandtheworldsharpened,andsheopenedhereyes.Shelayonthefloor,herhandsboundbehindherwithtape,herlegsboundattheankles.Ithurttomoveherhead.Valkyrieturnedover,ontoherside.Pádraigwasworkingatthestove.“MrGantisn’tgoingtobehappy,”Valkyriesaid.Pádraig lookedround,andsmiled.“You’reawake!Youmusthaveahard

head!Anddon’tyouworryaboutMrGant.Hetoldusthatoncewe’dpassedoverthecardwecoulddowhateverwewantedwithyou.Andwe’regoingtoeatyou.”Heturnedbacktoshovemorewoodintothestove.“I’msorry?”Valkyriesaid.“We’regoingtoeatyou,”Pádraigrepeated.“We’vebeeneatingpeoplefor

yearsnow,RosemaryandI.”“You’recannibals?”Pádraiglookedatheroverhisshoulder.“Ah,now,wedon’tliketheword,

so we don’t. We don’t like it. It has unpleasant connotations. But yes,essentially, cannibals arewhatwe are.Butwe only eatmagical folk. Theytastethebest.”“Areyougoingtoeatmealive?”Pádraiglaughed.“Jaysis,no!Wouldyoueatachickenalive?Oracowora

pig?No,no,no.We’regoingtocookyouandtheneatyou.Well,firstwe’regoingtoboilyou,andyou’llbealivewhenyou’rebeingboiled,butIdoubtyou’llstaythatwayforverylong.It’sourwayofmarinatingyoubeforewestartthecooking.”“MrGantwantstokillmehimself.”“Yesandno,”saidPádraig.“Thisisatest,yousee.Ifweeatyou–andwe

will– thenyou’llhave failed the test, and so itwouldn’tbeworthhis timekilling you. If you escape us – and you won’t – then you’ll have provenyourselfworthy.Youunderstand?”“AmIgoingtobegivenanykindofafightingchance?”

Pádraiglookedpuzzled.“Thisisyourfightingchance.”Satisfiedwiththestove,hetookacookbookfromtheshelfandlaiditonthetable,andstartedflickingthroughthepages.“Whattimeisit?”Valkyrieasked.Hecheckedhiswatch.“Almostnine.”She groaned. “I’ve only got three hours left. OK. Could you hurry this

along?Ireallydon’thavetimetowaste.”Hechuckled.“You’rereallynotgettingthis,areyou?It’sover.You’reover.

You’re tied up and you’ve got nomagic. D’you knowwhere Rosemary isright now?She’s on the toilet, emptying herself andmaking room for you.Becauseinthreehoursyou’renotgoingtobesavingyoursister.You’regoingtobeamidnightfeast.”Valkyrieturnedoverontoherknees.Shegothertoesunderherandrocked

backontoherheels,thenstood.Pádraiglookedup,andsighed.“Whatareyoudoing?”“You’renotgoingtostopme.”“IfIletyousitinthearmchair,willyouquitbeingsilly?”“Sure.”Pádraigcameforward,armsouttoguideher.“You’regoingtohavetohop

overthere.I’mnotasstrongasIusedtobe.”Valkyriewaiteduntilhewascloseenough,thenslammedherforeheadinto

thespace rightbetweenhiseyes.Bright light flashedbehindhervisionandshehadtojumpmadlytostopfromtopplingover,butwhensheregainedherbalance Pádraigwas sprawled out on the floor, hands tapping feebly at hisface.Bloodgushedfromhisbrokennose.“Guessyou’reright,”shesaidasshehoppedover.“Idohaveahardhead.”She jumped, came down on his bellywith both knees. Pádraigwhooped

andshefellsidewaysashecurledupinsilentagony.Sheranherhandsdownthebackofherlegs,strugglingalittletogetthemoverherbootheels.Whentheywereover,shesatup,drewinherfeet,startedtorakeatthetaperoundherankles.Itwasthick,butshemanagedtoscratchasmallholeinit,andshekeptgoing,makingtheholebigger.Sheheardatoiletflush.Valkyrie lookedaround.Under the tablewasafork.Sherolledover to it,

grabbedit,satupagainandusedittotearintothetape.“Ifeel tenpoundslighter,soIdo,”Rosemarysaid,walkingin.“Pádraig?

Pádraig,whereareyou?”Rosemary’s heavy footsteps came closer, heading for the stove. Any

momentnowandshe’dseeherhusband.Valkyriehacked.

“Pádraig!” Rosemary cried, and stumbled into view, about to fall to herkneesatherhusband’sside.ButatthelastmomentshesawValkyrieandshestraightenedup.“You!”shesnarled.“Howcouldyoudothistohim?He’sanoldman!”Valkyriedidn’tbotheranswering.Shejustkepthacking.IttookamomentforRosemary’seyestoflickerdownwards,torealisewhat

Valkyriewasdoing.“Oh,no,”shesaid.“Oh,noyoudon’t.”Rosemary clicked her fingers, summoning a ball of fire into her hand.

Valkyrieturnedoverasshehurledit,feltitstrikeherback,andthenValkyriewas on her feet, tearing her ankles apart while Rosemary grabbed a meatcleaver.Valkyrie kickedRosemary in the chest, hearing bones crack and sending

theoldwomanflippingover the table.She landedon the flooron theothersideandstartedyellinginpain.Valkyrieignoredher,exchangedtheforkforthesharpestknifeshecouldfindandused it tocutawaythe taperoundherwrists.Herphonerang.Shefreedherselfandanswered.“They’realwaystryingtoeatpeople,”Cadaveroussaid,chuckling.“Iwas

introducedtothemthroughafriendofafriend.They’renotfriendsofmine,perse–Itrynottoassociatewithknowncannibals–buttheydohavetheircharms,don’tthey?”Valkyriepulledthecardfromherpocket.Therewasanaddressprintedon

it.“DoIgoherenow?”“Valkyrie,Valkyrie…yousoundimpatient.”“I’mjustkeenlyawareofhowlittletimeIhave.”“Oh,Iguessyouhaveapoint.Yes,Valkyrie,that’swhereyougo,andit’s

thelaststopbeforeyougettoyoursister.It’sfortyminutesawayifyoudrivereallyfast.Tick-tockgoestheclock,Valkyrie.’Pádraigmoaned asValkyrie hurried past. She didn’t even bother to kick

him.She got in the car, swung back out on to the dark road, the headlights

splittingthenight.Sheheardanothermoannow,frombehindher.Shefixedhereyesstraight

ahead.“Omen,”shesaid.“Omen.Omen.”“Uhhh…”“Don’tsitup.”Themoaningstopped.“Valkyrie?”“You’re meant to be dead,” Valkyrie responded. “So no sitting up,

understand?”

“You…didyoushootme?”“Do you have a bullet in you? No? Then I didn’t shoot you. But

Cadaverousthinksyou’redead,andwe’renotgoingtodoanythingtobreakthatillusion.”“Myheadfeels—”“Idon’tcare.”“Youdidn’tshootme.”“Ofcoursenot.”“Ishe…ishelookingthroughyoureyesrightnow?”“Idon’tknow.Idoubthe’slookingeverysinglemoment,butIhavenoway

ofknowing,soI’massumingthathe’sconstantlywatching.”“Wherearewegoing?”“I’vegotonemorestopbeforehetellsmewhereAliceis.Iexpectthere’ll

besomeonetherewho’sgoingtotrytokillme.”“Valkyrie?”“What?”“Thankyoufornotkillingme.”Shesoftened.“Noproblem.Thankyouforunderstanding.”“ShouldIsneakawayandcallSkulduggery?”“No,”shesaid.“Wecan’tcallanyone.IfCadaverousevengetsawhiffthat

I’mnotplayingbyhisrules,he’llkillher.”“So…soyoudon’thaveanyback-up?Atall?”“Ihaveyou,don’tI?”“Isuppose.WhatshouldIdo?”“Liebackthereandpretendtobedead.”“ButImustbeabletohelp,”Omensaid.“Imean,Cadaverousholdsallthe

cards,right?Thisishisplan,he’sastepahead,buthedoesn’tknowthatI’malive.So,like,thisiswhereweturnthetables.”“I appreciate the optimism, Omen, but you’re not my secret weapon. I

don’twantyoudoinganything,atanytime.Iwantyoutostayinthecarandnotmove.That’sall.”“Idon’tknow,Valkyrie–thatseemslikeawaste.Wehavetheelementof

surprisenow.Shouldn’tweuseit?”“No,notreally.”“Iwouldn’tletyoudown.”“Iknowyou’dtryyourverybest,and,alotofthetime,that’dbeenough.

ButAlice’slifeisindanger.Ican’ttaketherisk.”“Yeah,”Omensaidsadly.“Igetit.”

OceanofPDF.com

48

NeroteleportedthembacktoRoarhaven,totheBentleyparkedbythesideofthestreet.“Whyarewetakingacar?”Neroasked,confusionriddlinghisprettyface.

“Icangetusanywhereinaneyeblink,remember?”TemperwatchedasSkulduggeryturnedandputahandonNero’schestto

stophim.“You’renotcomingwithus.”“Oh,youthinkso,doyou?”Skulduggery seemed unimpressed with Nero’s sudden posturing. “I only

barelytrustoneTeleporterwithsillyhair,Nero,andthat’snotyou.Abyssinia,sendhimaway.”“We’llbemuchfasterwithNerothanwithacar,”Abyssiniasaid.“Sendhimawayorthispartnershipendsrighthere,rightnow.”Abyssiniasighed.“Yes,fine.Nero,shoo.”“Youwantme togo?”Nero said, frowning. “But…butyouwon’thave

anyback-up.”“I’mthePrincessoftheDarklands.Idon’tneedback-up.Goonnow.”“Yeah,”Tempersaid.“Shoo.”Neroglared,andvanished.While Skulduggery got behind the wheel, Temper opened the passenger

door, pulled the seat forward, and motioned for Abyssinia to climb in theback.Shepeeredin.“Youwantmetogetinthere?Butit’ssocramped.”“I’vealreadycalledshotgun,I’mafraid,”saidTemper.“Inyougo.”Sighing,Abyssiniamanoeuvredherwayinwithnosmallamountofgrace.

Temperreturnedtheseattoitsoriginalpositionandgotin.

OceanofPDF.com

49

Thecountryhouse,everydetailcapturedinthewarmglowoffloodlights,wasasbigasGrimwoodandevengrander.IthadafountaininthedrivewaythatValkyriecircled,beforeparkingfacingtheexit–incasesheneededtomakeaquickgetaway.Shelookedintherear-view.Someonewaswalkingover.“Staydown,”shesaidtoOmenassheundidherseatbelt.Shegotout.Themanwhoapproachedworefox-huntinggear–agreenjacketwithfour

brassbuttons,ridinghat,jodhpursandpolishedboots.Helookedtobeinhisforties.Hewastall,andobservedherdisdainfully.“Youarelate.”Valkyrie ignored thevoice inherhead that toldher topunchhim.“What

amIherefor?”Heobservedherforabitlonger,thensighedandturned.“Thisway.”Shefollowedasheledherroundthehouse,towherethecountrysiderolled

tothestarryhorizonondarkwaves,spottedhereandtherewiththelightsofisolated houses and passing cars. A line of thirteen horses stood directlybehind the house, their riders in an assortment of black, green and tweedjackets. Standing in front of the horses were maybe twenty people. Theylookednervous.Jittery.At the bottom of the hill was woodland, and built into that woodland,

twisting in and around the trees, was a massive hedge maze, like nothingValkyriehadeverseen.ThemaninthegreenjacketindicatedthatValkyrieshouldstandbesidethe

scaredpeople.Shedidso,asheclimbedintothesaddleofthebiggesthorse.Now that she could see themproperly,Valkyrie realised the riderswere allwearinggrotesquemasks.She sighed, and turned to the woman next to her. “We’re going to be

hunted,aren’twe?”Thewomanmet her eyes, and laughedwith an excitement that Valkyrie

founddisturbing.“At thecentreof thatmaze,” theman in thegreen jacket said loudly, “is

safety.Anyonewhoreachesitwilllive.Anyonewhodoesn’twilldie.”

Valkyriesteppedforward.“DoIhavetodothis?Youseemtohaveathinggoingonhere,butI’mjustlookingformy—”“Backinline!”roaredthemaningreen.Valkyrieglared,andsteppedback.“For thosewho reach themiddle,”he continued, “youwill join theWild

Huntatournextmeet.Youwillbeoneofus,withall theprivilegesthatgowith that. Every hunter you see before you has been where you are. Weunderstand your fear.” He glanced at Valkyrie again, and irritation washedoverhisface.“Asforyou,thereisacardinthemiddleofthemaze.Writtenonthatcardisanaddress.Intheunlikelyeventthatyousurvive,thatwillbeyourreward.”Hetookoffhisridinghat,pulledonacarvedmask,andputhishatonover

it.“IamtheMasteroftheHunt,”hesaid,“andItellyoutorun!”ThemenandwomenaroundValkyrieran.Shehesitatedlongenoughtosee

thehuntersdrawcurvedswords,thenboltedafterthem.Thegrasswaswetandslippery.Alreadysomeofherfellowtargetshadlost

theirfootingandweretumblinguncontrollablydownthehill.Valkyriepassedtheexcitablewoman,whoreachedouttograbher.Valkyrieshovedherawayandkeptgoing.Behind them, a horn blew, and the night trembled with the thunder of

approachinghooves.Someone fell in Valkyrie’s way and she leaped over him, reached the

bottomofthehillandsprintedon,findingherselfnearthefrontofthecharge.Thereweresomeseriouslyunfitpeoplerunningfortheirlives.Shepassedawheezingwomanwhowas slowingwith each step.Shewas about to reachoutandpullheralongwhenanarrowthuddedintothewoman’sheadandshedroppeddead.Valkyriestartedzigzaggingassheran.Therewere screamsbehindher as thehorses caughtup to the stragglers.

Valkyrie glanced back, caught the flash of a curved blade, saw an arc ofblood.Anarrowhithershoulderandbouncedoff.Anotheronepiercedtheground

ather feet.A third landedaheadofher,but thisoneexploded inaburstofliquid.Asimilararrowhitamantoherleft,madehimstumblebutdidn’thurthim.

Heranon,hisbackdrenched,disappearingthroughtheentrancetothemaze.Somethinghitherinthesmalloftheback.Shereachedbehindher,feltthe

wetness,andthenshewasthrough,intothemaze.Valkyrie slowed down to catch her breath. Outside the maze were the

screamsofthedying–insidewasthehushedpantingofthedesperate.They

plungedonwithout thought,without strategy,bargingpastValkyrie in theireagernesstowinaplaceintheWildHunt.Psychos,shedecided.Huntersandhunted,bothasbadaseachother.Therewas a rule aboutmazes, she knew therewas.Keep right,maybe?

Keeptrailingyourhandalongthewalltoyourrightanditwillleadyoutothecentre?Orwasitleft?She looked back as the hunters streamed into the maze on foot, swords

glinting.Sheturnedrightandran.The hedges ranged from knee-height to threemetres tall. Soundworked

differently here. All around her were the sounds of the pursuers – theirfootsteps, their calls, their laughter, their shouts – and the sounds of thepursued–theirfootsteps,theircries,theirsobbing,theirscreams–butthesesoundscreptupfromoddangles.Sometimestheywerebehind,sometimesinfront.Sometimesabove,andsometimesjustoverhershoulder.ThedeeperValkyriewent,thefurtherfromthelightsshemoved,thedarker

itgot.Shecrouched,listeningtosomeonebeggingnearby.Therewasalaugh,andasudden,gurgledmoan,andthebeggingstopped.Therewassomeonecomingforher.Valkyriemovedon,keepinglow.Shetuggedatthebraceletroundthewrist,

buttherewasnowayitwascomingoff.Shestopped.Herhand.Itwasluminousorange.Shetwisted,lookingdownatherself,hissingacurseunderherbreath.Her

jacket, her trousers, drenched with that liquid, now glowed in the dark, abeacontothehunterswhowereclosingin.Footsteps.Rushingher.Valkyriespunandthehunterstoppedrunning.He

laughedbeneathhismask.Shesagged.“Comeonthen,”shesaid,allowinghervoicetotremble.“Get

itoverwith.Ifyou’regoingtokillme,killme.Just…justmakeitquick.”Sheraisedherchinandturnedherheadalittle,givinghimacleanswingat

herneck.Hemarchedforward,confidentinhersubmissionandhisinevitablevictory. He raised the sword as he walked, and when he was in range heswung.Valkyriesteppedintohim,leftarmwrappingroundhisrightwhileherotherhandcrackedintohischin.Hestumbledbutsheheldon,hithimafewmoretimesashewentdown,thenhithimafewmoretimesafterthat.Shestraightened,lookedaroundforthesword.Ithadflownfromhisgrip

andwasnowlostinahedgesomewhere.“Here!”anotherhuntershouted,andValkyriebolted.

She tore off her jacket as she ran, dropping it, thankful that the T-shirtbeneathwasblack.Shetookacorner.Thereweretwohuntersahead,hackingamantodeath,andValkyrieduckedbehindthenextcornerbeforetheysawher,thenslippedbackwardsintotheshadows.Shecrouched,doingherbesttohidethepartsofherthatglowed,andheldherbreath.Thehunteronhertailranpast.“Shecomethisway?”thehunter,awoman,barked.“Who?”oneoftheotherhuntersasked.Thewomandidn’tbother answering.Shehurriedback to the corner, and

Valkyriesquirmedfurtherintothedarkness.Thewomanpassed,swordinhand,andValkyriesteppedout,wrappingan

arm round her throat – but the hunter grabbed her arm and twisted andValkyrieflewoverhershoulder.Shemanagedtopullthehunterdownwithherandtheybothhittheground.

Thewomandidherbesttoscrambleup,butValkyriedivedonher,grabbingthewristthatstillheldthesword.The hunter squirmed, scratching Valkyrie’s face, trying to push her off.

Valkyrie kept control of the woman’s sword hand, worked her way into adominant position, and started to ram her elbow into the hunter’s jaw. Thehunterwasstrong,roughlythesamesizeasValkyrieherself,butitdidn’ttakemuchtoputherout.Valkyrie swapped her trousers for the hunter’s jodhpurs and pulled her

bootsbackon.Someonescreamed.Someoneelselaughed.Valkyriecarriedon.Shegot through thenext fewminuteswithoutmeetinganymorehunters.

When she came to smaller hedges, she climbed over them, heading for thelightshecouldseeeverynowandthenthroughtheleaves.Shequickenedherpace,andherfeethitsomethingandshetripped,wenttumbling.“Shush!”saidthemanshe’dtrippedover.“Shhhh!”Valkyrieglaredatwhoeveritwas.“Yousawmecoming,”shewhispered.

“Youcouldhavewarnedmeyouwerethere.”“Youshouldlookwhereyou’regoing!”“It’sdark!”“That’s no excuse!” theman said, straightening up. “Now I have to find

anotherhidingspot!”Heturned,walkedrightintoaswordthrust.“Eryx?”hesaid,gasping.Thehunterpeeredcloser.“Pyramus?”hesaidthroughhismask.“Itisyou.

Hey.Uh…oh,man.Sorry.”Pyramusgurgled,andfelldown,andEryx thehunterturnedtoValkyrie.“Hewasafriendofmine,”hesaid.“Iencouragedhimtotakepart.Ifeelreallybadnow.”

Valkyrienodded,andran.Heranafterher.Shescrambledforthecorner,sprinteddownanotherpath,turnedthecorner

andimmediatelyduckedandspunandcrouched.SheheardEryxrunningup.Gettingcloser.Closer.Shepoweredoutofhercrouch,catchinghim in thesideashe turned the

corner.Hewent flyingand she slippedon thewetgrass.The sword landednexttoher.ShegrabbeditasEryxcameuptohisknees,holdinghisribs,strugglingto

breathe.Helookedaroundforhissword,sawitinValkyrie’shandsandfroze.Shestood.Hehelduphishands.“Pleasedon’tkillme,”Eryxsaid.“Takeoffthemask.”Hedidashewastold.Hisfacewasunexceptional,andshinywithsweat.“Handsonyourhead,”saidValkyrie.“Interlacethefingers.”“Oh,God,”Eryxsaidashecomplied.“You’regoingtokillme,aren’tyou?

Youare.Justsayit.Justtellme.You’regoingtokillme.”“Shutup,Eryx.”“I’llbegifIhaveto.”“You’realreadybegging.”“I’llbegmore.I’llbegbetter.Pleasedon’tdoit.Ihaveafamily.Ihavea

wifeandchildren.”“Isthatso?”Valkyriesaid,steppingcloser,tappingthetipoftheswordon

oneofthebrassbuttonsonEryx’sjacket.“What’syourwife’sname?”Heblinked.“She…she’smyex-wife.”“What’syourex-wife’sname,Eryx?”“I…Ican’tremember.”“Ithinkyou’relyingaboutthefamily,Eryx.”He shook his head. “I love them very much. Please don’t deprive my

childrenoftheirfather.Theyneedastrongmalerolemodelintheirlives.”“Youmurderpeople,Eryx.”“Youcan’tblame themfor that.Please.Thinkofmykids.Thinkof little

Timmy.”“IthinklittleTimmywillbefinewithoutyou,Eryx.”“Hewon’t,”Eryxsaid,crying.“He’suseless.”“Doyouknowthismaze,Eryx?HowdoIgettothemiddle?”Sobbing,helookedaround.“We’requiteclosetoit,”hesaid.“Keepgoing

that way. Look for the openings to get narrower. The narrower the better.They’lltakeyourighttothemiddle.”

“Thanks for that,” Valkyrie said, and hit him behind the ear with thepommelofthesword.Eryxfellforwardandshecarriedon.Shefollowedhisadvice,chosethenarroweroftheoptionsavailabletoher,

and in under three minutes she stepped into a clearing. Before her was afountainsurroundedbyasmallhedge.Nooneelsewashereyet,butupontheledgeofthefountainlayawhitecard.Andthenabladepressedagainstherthroatfrombehind.

OceanofPDF.com

50

Valkyriedroppedtheswordandturnedso,soslowly.Twohuntersstoodthere–awomaninablackjacketandamaninagreen

one. The Master of the Hunt. It was the woman’s sword that scraped herwindpipe.“Ireachedthemiddle,”Valkyriesaid.“No,”saidtheMaster.“That’sthemiddle.Overthere.Youhaven’treached

it,whichmeansyou’regoingtodie.”“Cadaverouswon’tbehappywithyou.Hewantstokillmehimself.”“YouthinkIcarewhatCadaverousGantwants?”theMastersaid.“Iowed

him.Iagreedtoincludeyouintonight’shuntinordertorepaymydebt.Nowwe’resquare.Infact, I ratherenjoytheideaofkillingsomeonehewants tokillhimself.Ireallydon’tlikehim.”Valkyrielickedherlips.“I’llpayyou.”“Wedon’tdothisformoney.”“Well,holdonnow,”thewomanintheblackjacketsaid.“Tellmemore.”“Arelativeleftmealotofmoney,”Valkyriesaid.“Hewasawriter.Gordon

Edgley–youheardofhim?”Thewomanloweredhersword.“TheGordonEdgley?”Valkyrie nodded. “He leftmehis fortune. I canpayyou, bothof you, to

walkaway.”TheMasterlookedatthewoman.“Hypatia,no.”“Howmuch?”Hypatiaasked.“Alot.”“You’relying,”theMastersaid.“She’slying.”HewenttostabValkyrie,butHypatiaheldhimback.“Howmuch?”“Mostofitistiedupininvestmentsandpoliciesandthings,butI’mpretty

sureIcangetyouamillion.Each.”“Notinterested,”saidtheMaster.“Maybeyou’renot interested,”Hypatiasaid,“becauseyou’vegotmoney.

You’vebeenaroundfor twohundredyears.But I’myoung.Amillioneach,yousay?”

“Incash.”“Youexpectustotrustthatyou’llliveuptoyourend?”“Thisisabigreward,”Valkyriesaid.“You’vegottotakeabigrisktogeta

bigreward.”“Stop this,” said the Master. “This very conversation is cheapening the

name of the Wild Hunt. Hypatia, maybe I was wrong about you. Maybeyou’renotoneofus,afterall.IthinkI’llhavetotalktotheothers.”Hypatia stuckher sword through theMaster’s chest.Hegavea surprised

sigh,andcrumpled.“Twomillion,”Hypatiasaid.“Forme.”Valkyrienodded.“Agreed.”“Ifyoutryandcheatme…”“Iwon’t,butI’mgoingtoneedsomewaytocontactyouwhenIhavethe

money.”Hypatiatookoutherphoneandhelditup.“I’mrecording,”shesaid.“Give

meanemailoranumberorsomething.”Valkyrie recited her number and Hypatia put her phone away. “Three

days,”shesaid.“Agreed,” Valkyrie said, and ran to the fountain. Upon the card were

printedfivewords:

MidnightattheMidnightHotel

Shespun.“Whattimeisit?Thetime,quickly!”Hypatialookedatherphone.“Tentoten.”“Isthereashortcutoutofhere?”Valkyrieasked,hurryingback.“Ineedto

gettomycar.”“Fortwomillion,”Hypatiasaid,“IthinkIcangiveyoualift.”ShewrappedanarmroundValkyrie’swaistandbroughttheairin,boosting

themhighoverthemaze.Theyleapfroggedlikethisallthewaybackupthehill,comingtoastopatthecountryhouse.“You know,” said Hypatia, “you did reach the middle of the maze, so

technicallyyou’reinvitedtojointheWildHunt.”“Isthiswhatyoudo,then?Huntingdownpeopleandkillingtheonesyou

catch?”Hypatiashrugged.“It’snotallwedo.We’rean interestinggroup. I think

you’dlikeus,ifyougaveusachance.”“Thanks,butI’vegotenoughfriends.”Valkyriestartedrunningforhercar.

“Youcanneverhaveenoughfriends!”Hypatiashoutedafterher.“I’llcallyou!”Valkyriejumpedinthecar.“Iheardhorses,”Omensaidfromthebackseat.“Alice is in the Midnight Hotel,” Valkyrie said, starting the engine and

puttingherfootdown.Thecarkickedupstonesasitspedfortheroad.“Huh,”saidOmen.“Supposethatfits.”“Youknowaboutit?”“Yes,”heanswered.“Well,kindof.Wejustcovereditinschool.”“Thenyouknowwhereitis?”“Itchangeslocationeverytwelvehours.”“Iknowthat–Imeandoyouknowwhereit iswhenit’s inIreland?I’ve

been there, butSkulduggery always drove and I didn’t really pay attention.Doyouknowtheaddress?”“Um…”“What?What’swrong?”“I,uh…I’mnotverygoodatrememberingfactsaboutthings.Iknowthat

the hotel is planted at each new location. There are these green seeds thatgrowinthebushesaroundthehotel–youputoneinthegroundandyouaddwaterandanewhoteljust…sproutsup,andthepeopleinsideareteleportedstraightintoit.Theexistinghotel,like,wilts,orwhateveritisitdoes,withersaway to nothing. I saw a video of it, taken back before people had properphones.Theyhadthecameralookingoutthewindowandeverythingoutsideissobig,becausethehotelisonlygrowing,youknow,andeveryoneinsideistiny? It only takes a fewminutes for it to reach full size, though, and thenthere’sabrand-newhotel.It’sprettycool.”“Omen.Ineedtheaddress.”“I…Idon’tknow.”“I know roughlywherewe’re going, but I really need you to think now,

OK?Ineedtheexactaddress?”“It’s… um… it’s in…Wait.” He frowned. “OhmyGod,” he said. “I

knowthis.Iactuallyknowthis!I’verememberedsomethingfromschool!”“Studentofthegoddamnyear,”Valkyriesaid,andgunnedtheengine.

OceanofPDF.com

51

The address on the card led them to a small apartment building that hadpoppedupbehindanewsagent’sinsomewherecalledMountmellick–whichwasinLaois,apparently.TemperhadneverbeentoLaoisbefore.Itseemedlikeaniceenoughplace.Skulduggeryactivatedhisfaçadeandwenttopickthelockofthesidedoor,

but Abyssinia just kicked it open and strolled through. Temper watchedSkulduggery lecture her on the way up the stairs. Abyssinia agreed witheverythinghesaid,butwasobviouslyignoringhim.Itwaskindofamusing.TheyreachedthedoortoCadaverous’sapartment.“If this isCadaverous’s home,”Skulduggery said, “wemight bewalking

intosomethingwe’renotreadyfor.”“Let’sgo,”saidAbyssinia.“Holdon,”Skulduggerysaid.“HelikestosaythatinhishomeheisGod.

And,whilethatmaybegrandiose,it’snotuntrue.”“Let’sgoinandfindout.”“Justwaitasecond,wouldyou?”She grabbed Skulduggery, slammed him against thewall. “Our son is in

there!”“Wedon’tknowthat,”Skulduggeryrespondedcoolly.“Also,handsoffthe

suit.”“Icouldcrushyou,”Abyssiniasnarled.“Hands.Off.Thesuit.”Thedoortotheneighbouringapartmentopened,andamanwithashaggy

beardcameout,aknapsackoveroneshoulder.Helookedatthethreeofthem.“Howyeh,”hesaid.Temperwaved.“Hithere.”Thebeardedmanhesitated,thenclosedhisdoor,walkedbetweenthemand

movedontothestairs.Whenhewas gone,Abyssinia releasedSkulduggery and stepped back, a

smilesweepingtheangerfromherface.“You’remaddening,”shesaid.“You

never used to be like this.Razziawas right.You’remore funwhen you’reevil.”“Aren’twe all?” Skulduggery said, straightening his tie.He knelt by the

doortopickthelock.AbyssinialookedatTemper.“Wewereinlove,”shesaid.Tempernodded.“Loveisnice.”Skulduggeryputhis lockpicksaway,andstood.“WhenIopen thisdoor,

anythingmighthappen.Cadaveroushashadfiveyearstobuildthenightmareofhisdreams–wecouldliterallybewalkingintohell.”“I’mready,”saidAbyssinia.“Icouldwaitinthecar?”saidTemper.Skulduggerydeactivatedhisfaçadeanddrewhisgun.“Thenlet’sgo.”Temperdrewhis, too, andwhenSkulduggerypushed thedooropen they

swarmedin––toanemptyapartment.“Huh,”saidTemper.Therewasoneitemoffurniture–atablewithawhitecardplaceduponit.

Temperreadwhatitsaid.“Abyssinia–youdidn’tthinkitwouldbethiseasy,didyou?We’regoing

toplayalittlegame,youandI.IcallitLet’sSaveCaisson.Theobjectiveissimple. You’ve got forty-eight hours to find him, and you have to do thisalone.NoTeleporters.Noback-up.Yourfirststopwillbeto—”Abyssinia snatched the cardout ofTemper’s hand and read the rest of it

herself.“Hethinkshecanmakemeplayhisgame?Theinsolenceoftheman!Iwillfindhimandcrushhim.”“Again with the crushing,” Skulduggery muttered, coming out of the

bedroom.“IfhisplanwastodrawAbyssiniainlikethis,”Tempersaid,“thenmaybe

he’sdonethesamethingwithValkyrie.”“CallOmen,”Skulduggery said, checking theemptycupboards. “Hewas

babysittingAlicethisafternoon.”TemperdialledOmen’snumberandwaited.“Whatareyoudoing?”AbyssiniaaskedSkulduggery.“Lookingforclues,”hesaid.“Areyoufindingany?”“Notreally.”“Thenyou’rejustwastingtimewhileCaissonisinthehandsofalunatic.I

heardthatyouhadbecomethisgreatdetectiveinmyabsence,but,asidefromfindingacardinabook,Ihaveyettoseeyoudetectinganything.”

Temperputhisphoneaway.“Omenisn’tanswering.YouthinkCadaveroushasAlice?”“Ido,”Skulduggerysaid.“YouthinkhehasOmen?”“IfOmenislucky–yes.Ifheisn’tlucky,he’salreadydead.”“Damn.Omen’sagoodkid.”“WhocaresabouttheDarklyboy?”Abyssiniasnapped.“Heisn’teventhe

importantone!Noonewillmournforhim!Wehavetofocusonwhatmatters– finding Cadaverous before he kills Caisson. Everything else is anirrelevance.”Skulduggeryopenedthecupboardunderthesink.“Nothingis irrelevant,”

hesaid,steppingbacktoletthemseethebodycurledupagainstthepipes.“Aclue!”Abyssiniacried.Skulduggery pulled the body out. Now little more than a skeleton, it

crumpledtoapileofbonesonthekitchenfloor.“Thismustbekindaweirdforyou,”Tempersaid.“Notreally,”Skulduggeryreplied,pickinguptheskull.Hetiltedhishead.

“IthinkIknowhim.”Temperfrowned.“Howcanyoutell?”“Irecognisehimfromsomewhere.”“I don’tmean to be…uh,whatever…but how can you recognise him

whenhe’s…likethis?”Skulduggery lookedatTemper. “Youdon’t thinkall skulls lookalike,do

you?”“Kinda,yeah.”“Youdo?”“Ofcourse.”Skulduggerystartedsearchingitsclothes.“DidIevertellyouthatIlostmy

skullonce?”Tempersighed.“Yeah,youdid.Goblinsranawaywithit.”“AndforyearsafterwardsIworeareplacementskull.Foryears,Iwalked

around with a different head. The jaw was different, the cheekbones weredifferent, the nasal aperturewas hilariously off – I’m still surprised peoplerecognisedmeatall.”“Maybethefactthatyouwereaskeleton…”UnabletofindanyID,Skulduggerytoreoffalargestripofthedeceased’s

shirt.“Thepointis,askullisasuniqueasthefacethatsitsuponit.”Skulduggerylaidtheclothoverthehead,andmanipulatedmoistureoutof

the air to dampen it until it clung to the skull. Then he put both hands up

underthejawandeversogentlytheairbegantoflow,fillingoutthecheeksandtheeyesocketsfrombeneath.“No,”Skulduggerymurmured,“thatisn’tit…”Temperwatched as the cloth face billowed slightly, somehow giving the

corpse lips, lending it the appearance of substance. Every so often,Skulduggerywouldgiveanothermurmur.Hewaslikeasculptor:happywithone part of the face, he’dmove on to the next, until it became somethingdefinite.“SatrapBeholden,”Skulduggerysaid,removingtheclothfromthecorpse’s

skullashestood.“Ihaven’theardfromhiminyears.Haven’tseenhiminadecade.”“Yousureit’shim?”“There’snomistakingSatrap.”“Whowas he?”Abyssinia asked. “Andwhy is he dead in Cadaverous’s

apartment?”“Hewouldhavetoldyouhimselfthathewasnobodyofconsequence.He

stayedoutofthewar,hedidn’tbotheranyone…”“Howdidyouknowhim?”“ImethimwhenhewasgoingoutwithAntonShudder,”Skulduggerysaid.

“Therelationshiplastedfiveorsixyears.HehelpedAntonruntheMidnightHotelbeforetheybrokeup.”“Whenwasthis?”Temperasked.Skulduggeryturnedhisheadlikehewas

listeningtosomething,butdidn’tanswer.“Hello?”“The Midnight Hotel,” Skulduggery said softly. “When Anton died, it

wouldhavebeenpassedontohisnextofkin.Antondidn’thaveanyfamily.If he’d named Satrap in the will, he mightn’t have had time to change itbeforehisdeath.”“So Satrap here inherited the Midnight Hotel,” Temper said. “And

Cadaverouskilledhimforit?”“WhatisthisMidnightHotel?”Abyssiniaasked.“It’s a building that moves,” Skulduggery said. “Every twelve hours, it

growsinanotherlocationaroundtheworld,andeveryoneinsidegoeswithit.Forsomeonewhosepowerisrootedinwheretheylive—”“Amovinghouseisadreamcometrue,”Abyssiniafinished.Sheheldup

thewhitecard.“Hethoughthewouldleadmeonatreasurehuntthatwouldtakemeforty-eighthours.Instead,wecangostraightthere.”“Andcatchhimoffguard,”Skulduggerysaid.“Tothecar!”Abyssiniaannounced,tearingthecardintwo.“Icall–what’s

thephrase?–shotgun.”Shewalkedout.

OceanofPDF.com

52

AllthelightswereonintheMidnightHotel.Valkyriedroveupslowly,thetyrescrunchingongravelandtwigs.Atwo-

storeybuilding.Fadedwhiteplaster.Darkwoodendoorandwindowsills.“Arewehere?”Omenaskedquietly.“Keepyourheaddown,”Valkyriesaid,gentlypressingthebrake.Hereyesflickeredtotheclockonthedash.Anhourandthirty-fiveminutes

untilmidnight.Alicewas still alive – providingCadaverousGant could becountedontokeephisword.“What’swrong?”Omenasked.“Hislasthomelookedcompletelynormalontheoutside,too,buttheinside

wasallmetalwalkwaysovera lakeof fire.Themoment Igo in there,”shesaid,“he’sgotallthepower.”“Well,” Omen responded, “and I don’t want to bemean, but doesn’t he

haveallthepoweranyway?He’sgotAliceandheknowsyou’recoming.Thisisahugebigtrapthatyouhavenochoicebuttostepinto.Theonlyadvantageyou’ve actually got, and I know I’ve said this before and you’re probablygetting sick of it, but the only advantage you’ve got is that he thinks I’mdead.”“You’renotcomingwithme,Omen.NowthatI’mhere,you’vegottofind

yourwaytoaphoneandcallSkulduggery.”“Cadaverouswillkillyou.”“Notimmediatelyhewon’t.”“I’mnotgoing.”“Yes,you—”“Youweregoingtoshootme!”heblurted.“Imean,Iknownowthatyou

weren’treally going todo it, but Ididn’tknow that then,did I?So I stoodthereandthoughtyouweregoingtokillme,andIwasgoingtoletyoudoit.Iwaswilling todie,Valkyrie,because I thought itwouldgetAlicebackandalso, kinda, because it was my fault she was taken. Valkyrie, please. Youdon’towemeanything,butyousortofowemethis.Letmehelp.”“Omen…”

Shestopped.CadaverousGantsteppedfromtheshadowsatthesideofthehouse.Hewavedtoher,smiling,thenturnedandwalkedaway.“Staydown,”shesaid,andeasedoffthebrake.Shestartedtocirclethehotel,givingitawideberth.Attherearofthebuildingwasagarage.Cadaverousstoodinfrontofthe

roller door,waving to her.His smilewas a rictus grin. The door started toopen.“Seatbelt,”Valkyrie snarled, gunning the engine and spinning thewheel,

thecar fishtailingslightly,andnowshewas lookingat theoldmanstraightdownthebonnet.Therollerdoorbehindhimhadrisentowaist-height.“Braceyourself!”sheshouted,andstompedontheaccelerator.Cadaverous duckedunder the door andValkyrie followed right after, her

eyestightlyshutasthecarhitthedoorandcrashedthrough,thewindscreencracking,theairbagexploding,knockingherbackinherseatasshebraked.Herfootstillonthebrake,shereachedout,putthecarinneutral.Shesat

there for a moment, her eyes still closed, the engine’s low growl the onlysound.Whenshewaslikethis,thewindscreencouldhavecrackedbecauseeither

therollerdoorhadhitit,orbecauseCadaveroushad.Whenshewaslikethis,theoldman could either havebeen injured and alive in front of the car, ordeadbeneathherwheels.Anythingwaspossible, so longas shestayed likethis.LikethecatinSchrödinger’sbox,theoldmanwasbothaliveanddead.Untilsheopenedhereyes,shewasbothagoodpersonandakiller.Alice.ShehadtofindAlice.Alicewastheonlythingthatmattered.Omengroanedbehindher.She pushed the deflating airbag to one side, squinting against the harsh

garagelightasshekickedthedooropen.Shewashalfwayoutwhenhereyesadjusted.Thelightwasn’tcomingfromabulb.Itwascomingfromablazingsun.It

wasn’tagaragefloorshehadsteppedoutonto.Itwashard-packeddirt.Shestood,andlookedbackthewayshe’dcome.Thegaragedoorwasstill

open,andthroughitshecouldseethetreesandthesmallroadandthedarksky,couldstillmakeoutthetrackshercarhadmadeinthemud–butthedoorwascutintoavastwallofrock.Itwasacliffface,wideenoughtovanishintodistanthorizonsoneitherside,tallenoughtoreachthesky.Shesteppedback,craningherneck.Itdidreachthesky,andthenitfolded

back,becamethesky.Thesky,ratherthananinfiniteexpanse,wasaceilingashighasacathedral’s,withdriftingcloudsanditsownsun–brilliantbutnotblinding–directlyoverhead.Andonthesurfaceofthesun:clockhands,countingdowntomidnight.

ThesheerimpossibilityofValkyrie’ssurroundings–anenvironmentmuchtoobigforitswallstocontain–madeherdizzyandshealmoststumbled,hadtoleanagainstthecarforsupport.Ahotbreezestirred.Shewasonadirtroadonahill.Thedirtroadleddown,becomingareal

roadafewmilesfurtheron.Theroadswervedthroughaforestofdarktreesand then narrowed, became themain street of a small townon the edge ofwater. Thewaterwas black, the reflection of the sun on itswaves sendingsplintersofamigrainedeepintoValkyrie’sbrain.Beyond the townwasabridge toasmall island. Itwas too far forher to

makeanythingout,butsheknewthatwaswherehersisterwas.Hereyeswidenedandshejumpedawayfromthecar.Thebonnet,though

scraped,was clear of any deadman’s body. She dropped to her belly. Theunderneathwasclearalso.Nocorpse.NoCadaverous.Shegotupagain,slowly,brushingthedustoffautomatically.A phone rang. A payphone, right there on the side of the dirt road. She

lookedatitwhileitrang.Letitringagoodlongtime.Thenshewalkedover.Slowly.Shereachedouttopickitup,anditstopped.“Realmature,”shemurmured.Shekepthereyesonit.Aminutewentby.Sheturnedtogobacktothecar

anditrangagain.Sheanswered.“Welcome,”Cadaveroussaid,“tomyhumbleabode.”

OceanofPDF.com

53

“I’mhere,”Valkyriesaid.“Imadeit.Givememysister.”“Ah-ah, you haven’t made it quite yet,” Cadaverous responded. “Just a

littlebitfurther,that’sall.Thewoodsarelovely,darkanddeep.Butyouhavepromisestokeep—”“Andmiles togobefore Isleep,”Valkyrie finished.“Yeah, Iknowafew

poems,too.Wannahearone?ThereoncewasamanfromNantucket—”Cadaverouscutheroffwithalaugh.“Youareprovingtobeeverybitthe

adversary I had been hoping for, Valkyrie. This wouldn’t be nearly assatisfyingifyouweren’tuptothetask.”“I’mgladyou’reenjoyingyourself. I’llbe interested tosee ifyou’restill

havingagoodtimewhenIdragyououtofhere.”“Now,now,webothknow that’s not going tohappen.This ismyhome,

Valkyrie. Granted, it’s a little different from my last one, but I needed achange.Doyoulikeit?Iknockeddownafewwallstomakemoreroom.”“Icanseethat.”“Ispentalongtimeonthisplace,Valkyrie.Fiveyears,infact.Ipouredmy

heart andsoul into it. I constructedeverypebble, every speckofdust.Thatbreezeyou’refeeling?Thattooktwoweekstogetjustright.”“Onceagain,youproveyourselfthemasterofhotair.”“Masterofmydomain,Valkyrie.Rememberthat.Inhere,IamGod.”“Sowhydon’tyoustrikemedown?Huh?I’mstandingrighthere.Come

getme.”Cadaverouschuckled.“No,no,no,Valkyrie.That’snothowthisisgoingto

workatall.Yourjourneyisn’toveryet,andtimeisstillcountingdown.”“Bull,”Valkyriesnarled.“Yousaidgettoyourhousebymidnight.I’mhere

withanhourandahalftospare.”“Butthat’snotthehouseImeant,”Cadaveroussaid.“ThehouseImeantis

attheendofthisroad.You’dbetterhurry.Yoursisteriswaiting.”Hehungup.Valkyrie slammed the phone back on to its cradle. Picked it up and

slammed it back down again. A shout of frustration welled up inside and

escaped,andshekickedatoneofthosepebblesthatCadaveroushaddesignedand watched it skip across the road, raising little puffs of Cadaverous-designeddustasitwent.“Valkyrie?”Omensaidfromthecar.“Staythere!”shesnapped,andstormedbacktothecar,pullingthedeflated

airbagfromthesteeringwheel.Shegotinandslammedthedoor,putthecarinto gear. She glared into the rear-view mirror, hoping Cadaverous waswatching,andgavehimthefinger.Thecarshotforward.

OceanofPDF.com

54

TheBentleypulledupoutsidetheMidnightHotelandtheygotout.Skulduggery stopped at the front door and drew his gun. “OK,” he said.

“Whenwegoin—”“Enoughtalk,”Abyssiniasaid,marchingpasthimandintothehotel.Skulduggerymutteredsomethingandfollowed,andTempercamelast.Theyweresuddenlyinthemountainssomewhere,anditwasdaytime.The

airwascrisp,theskyblue,thetreestall.Temperlookedback.Thedoorwaywas the mouth of a cave. Through it, he could see the dark sky and theBentley.“ThisisliketheTARDIS,”hesaid.“I don’t know what that is,” Abyssinia responded, still looking around.

“We’reintheCarpathianMountains.”“Yourecognisethis?”Skulduggeryasked.“IrecogniseitfromthetripsItookintoCadaverous’shead.Thisiswhere

he spent the first eight years of his life before moving to America. He’sreplicateditexactly.Eventhe…”Shetrailedoff.“Abyssinia?”“Myson ishere,” she said, and startedwalking, away from thepath and

intothewoods.Temperstartedafterher,thenturnedtoSkulduggery.“Youcoming?”“Thesun,”Skulduggerysaid,lookingup.“There’saclockinthesun.”

OceanofPDF.com

55

The road was wide and smooth and there were signs everywhere, all withAlice’snameonthem,allpointingstraightahead.“Howfastarewegoing?”Omenaskedfromthebackseat.“Shutup,”saidValkyrie.“OK.”Herfooteasedupontheaccelerator,though.Justalittle.She’dbenogood

toherlittlesisterifshecrashedbeforeshegottoher.She passed a sign different from the others – small, sticking out of the

groundbythesideoftheroad.IthadHelpscrawledonit.Therewasasimilarsignahead,besideabiggeronethathadAlice’sname

inlights.Again,itsaidHelp.The road turned slightly, then straightened out again. More big signs,

goading Valkyrie on. But more small signs, too, this time with arrows, allpointingleft.Aminutelater,Valkyriecametoaleftturn.Sheslowed.Thebigsignstoldhertogostraighton,toldherthatAlicewas

waitingahead.But thesmallsigns, theoneswrittenbyhand, toldher togoleft,downanarrowerroad.“Iseverythingallright?”Omenasked,andValkyrieignoredhim.Sheturnedleft.Theydrove for fiveminutes, until a city roseup in thewindscreen.Cars

passed and people walked. Valkyrie pulled into the kerb and waited. Herfingerstappedthewheel,gentlybutquickly.“CanIsitup?”Omenasked.“No.”“It’snotverycomfortablelikethis.”“Idon’tcare.”“Arewethereyet?”“Idon’tknowwhereweare,orwhothesepeopleare.”Acarturnedtowardsher.Sheresistedtheurgetoduckdown.Itslowedas

itapproached. Itwasanoldcar.Boxy.Itbelonged in theeighties. Itpassedandshegotalookatthedriver.

“Cadaverous,”shesaid.“Where?”Omenasked.“Hejustpassed.”Sheputthecaringear,preparedtomakeaU-turn,maybe

smash into the back of him, drag him out and kick his head in, but rightbeforeshestompedontheacceleratorsheglimpsedamaninanovercoatoutforawalk.Cadaverous.Again.Valkyrieturnedinherseat,watchedtheboxycardriveaway,thenlooked

backattheotherCadaverous.“What’swrong?”Omenasked.“Valkyrie?”“Therearetwoofthem,”shemuttered,thenturnedofftheengineandgot

out.“Givememysister,”shesaid,stridinguptoCadaverous.Heblinkedather.“I’msorry?”Sheslappedhim,theheelofherhandslammingintothehingeofhisjaw.

Cadaverousfellbackwards,unconsciousbeforehehitthepavement.Valkyriefrowned.Shehadn’texpectedittobesoeasy.“Hey!”someoneyelledfromacrossthestreet.Awoman,inaflowingskirt

andheels,ranover.“Getawayfromhim!Isawwhatyoudid!That’sassault!”Thewoman got closer andValkyrie jumped back. ItwasCadaverous, in

lipstickandeyeshadow,withlonghair,wagginghislong,bonyfingerather.“I’llcallthepolice!Isaweverything!”Valkyriestaredathim.“Whatareyoudoing?”Cadaverous knelt down beside the other Cadaverous. “This poor man!

Whatdidyoudotohim?”Three people hurried closer – a businessman and a couple in jeans and

jackets.AllthreeofthemwereCadaverousGant.“She attacked him!” the Cadaverous in the dress said. “An unprovoked

attack!”Valkyriebackedoff.“Where do you think you’re going?” said theCadaverous dressed as the

businessman.“I’m calling the cops,” said one of the Cadaverouses wearing jeans.

“Where’sthenearestpayphone?”Valkyrieran.She ducked into an alley, sprinted its length, splashing through a puddle

and nearly falling over an old-fashioned dustbin, the galvanised steel kindshe’d only seen inmovies.A trash can, really.Crossing the next street shecameto,shehurrieddownanotheralley.Shegothalfwaythroughwhenshe

stopped. There was a puddle ahead of her. Beyond that, an old-fashioned,galvanisedtrashcan.Thekindshe’donlyseeninmovies.Sheranahandalongthewall.Itlookedrough,uneven,butitwassmooth

to the touch. Shewalked back theway she’d come, back through an alleyidentical to theoneshe’djust left.Howmanyof theseidenticalalleys therewere in this city, she couldn’t begin to guess. Cadaverous had designedeverythinghere–shesupposedsheshouldn’thavebeensurprisedtofindthathe’dusedduplicatesforsomeofit,andhadn’tbotheredwithexactdetail inthepartsthatdidn’tmatter.Maybe that applied to the people, too.He needed a population, after all,

andshesupposedthattheeasiestthingwouldbetopopulateitwithversionsofhimself.Itwasweird,sure,butkindofunderstandable.She turned left, feelingcalmernow,heading for thecarsandpeople.She

reachedthecornerandstoodthere,watching.People passed, all wearing Cadaverous’s face. They ignored her, for the

mostpart,butitdidn’tseemtobeoutofspite.Rather,theyeachappearedtobe caught up in their own thoughts. Like regular people. Those who didhappentoglanceather,tocatchhereye,didn’tflyintoarageorcallontheothers to attack. Instead, they gave a quick nod and carried on walking,chatting or driving. A city of Cadaverous Gants, and not one of themrecognisedher.ACadaverous shuffledby,usingawalking stick.Valkyriewalkedbeside

him.“Excuseme?”shesaid.Helookedather,irritated.“Yes?”“I’mterriblysorry,butIthinkI’mlost.”“Sowhyareyouapologisingtome?”She smiled. He was a mean-tempered old grouch. “Could you tell me

whereweare?Thenameofthiscity?”He grunted, eyes returning to the pavement on which he was walking.

“Citiesdon’thavenames.Everyoneknowsthat.”“Oh,”saidValkyrie,“ofcourse.What’syourname?I’mValkyrie.”“That’sastupidname.”“What’syours?”“Whydoyouwanttoknow?”“Ithinkwecouldbefriends.”Hegruntedagain.“Charlie,”hesaid.“I’mCharlie.”“Hi,Charlie.Whereareyouoffto?”“Home.”“Isthatclose?”

“Roundthecorner.”“I’m looking for someone. Maybe you’ve seen her? Her name’s Alice.

She’smysister,andIthinkshe’ssomewherehere.”“Don’tknowanyAlice,”Charliesaid.“She’sonlyseven.Haveyouseenanykids?Charlie?”Hestopped,reluctantlygivingherhisfullattention.“Whydoyouwantto

befriendswithme?Eh?EveryonehatesmeandIhateeveryone.”“I’msurenoteveryonehatesyou.”“Ofcoursetheydo,”hesaid,barkingoutalaugh.ACadaverousinascarf

walkedby.“Hey,you,doyoulikeme?”TheCadaverousinthescarfglared.“Ihateyou,”hesaid.“Everyonedoes.”

Andhewalkedon.“See?”Charliesaid.“Nobodylikesme.Notincollege.Notinwork.Notin

life.”“Whatdidyoudo?Forajob?”“I taught,” he said, chest swelling a little. “I’m retired now, but I taught

Englishliteraturetoidiotsandairheads.Gavethemalittleculture,notthatitdid them any good. Ungrateful lot. Do you know the problem with theyounger generation? They’re victims. They think they’ve got it worse thananyonewho’severcomebefore them.Theycollectweaknesses likebadges,wearthemforalltosee.”“I’myoung,”saidValkyrie.“I’mnotavictim.”“Youcouldbe,”Charliesaid.“Justaseasily.Youcouldbe.”Helookedat

herforalongwhile,thengrunted.“Asister,eh?IthinkI’veseenalittlegirlsomewherearoundhere.”Valkyrie’seyeswidened.“Isshehere?Issheclose?”Hestartedwalkingagain.“Comealong.Comethisway.”Valkyriewantedtopickhimupandrunwithhim,butsheforcedherselfto

matchhispace,agonisinglyslowthoughitwas.Theyturnedthecornerontoaresidentialstreet,linedwithidenticalhouses.Perfectlyidenticalhouses.Two-storeyed.Wooden.Dark.Thecurtainswere

drawnateverywindow.Charlie shuffledup to his front door. “Inhere, I think,” he said. “I think

she’sinhere.”Heledthewayin.Valkyriefollowed.Insideitwasdark.Musty.“Whata

nicehouse,”shesaid.“Yes.ThehousewhereIgrewup.Comenow.Yoursisterisinhere.”Heopenedanotherdoorandstoodthere,walkingstickinhand,waitingfor

hertorushpast.Hiseyeswerebright.Helookedeager.Expectant.

“Youhadanotherhouse,didn’tyou?”Valkyrieasked.“Biggerthanthis,I’dsay.”He shook his head. “Lived here my whole life,” he said. “Come now.

Hurry.”“Youhadanotherhouse,”shesaidagain.“Ithadalotofdifferentbuilders

working on it. There were doors that led nowhere. Hidden stairs. Hiddenrooms.Traps.Yourememberallthat,Charlie?”He frowned. “You must be … you must be getting me mixed up with

someoneelse.”“Yousureitdoesn’tringabell?ItwaswhenyouwerelivinginMissouri.”“I…I’venever…”“Yes,Charlie?”“I’veonlyeverlivedhere.I’veneverlivedin…”Heshookhishead.“I’ve

neverlivedinStLouis.”“Ididn’tsayyoulivedinStLouis.IsaidyoulivedinMissouri.”Herubbedhisforehead.“Whatareyoudoingtome?”hemuttered.“What

areyoudoingtomyhead?”Shewalkedup.“Idon’tthinkyouarewhoyouthinkyouare,Charlie.Parts

ofyouaremissing.Whydidyouwantmetocomeinside?Wereyougoingtokillme?”“No.”“I think youwere going to try and killme, just like you killed all those

otherpeople.Mostofthemwereyourstudents,weren’tthey?Theidiotsandairheads who didn’t appreciate what they were being taught? You invitedtheminand thenwhatdidyoudo?Didyouhunt them?Didyouhunt themthroughyourlittlehouseofhorrors?”AsmilebrokethroughCharlie’sconfusion.“Yes,”hesaid.“Youhuntedandkilledthem,didn’tyou,Charlie?”“Yes,”hesaid,eyesbrightening.“You’renotwhole.There’ssomethingmissing.Youcanfeelit,right?”Charlienodded.“I’mnotme,”hesaid.“I’mnotwhoI

am.”“There’s aman out there,Charlie.His name isCadaverous.He’s got all

your thoughts andmemories, and hemade you.Hemade this city, and allthese people. But he didn’t bother making you whole. He left bits out.Importantbits.Thebitsthatmakeyouwhoyouare.”“Thebitsthatmakemehappy.”“Yes.Yes, thosebits.He’sasloppycreator.He’swaitingforme,Charlie.

He tookmysisterandhewantsme togo tohim.Hewants tohurtme.Hewantstokillme.”

“Killyou.”“ButIthinkmysistergotawayfromhim.Ithinksheleftmesignstocome

here.Isshehere?Wherewouldshehide,ifshewerehere?”“Kill you,” Charlie muttered, and swung his walking stick at Valkyrie’s

head.Shedodgedback instinctively, andCharlie launchedhimself at her, teeth

bared.Shestumbled,wrestlingwithhim,thengotahandtohisthroat,pushedhimbackandkneedhimbetweenthelegs.Hejerked,andstiffened,andthencrumpled slowly, unable to even gasp. He sank to his knees and Valkyrieresistedtheurgetobreakhiswalkingstickoverhishead.“You’vegottohelpme.”Valkyrieturned.Ateenageboystoodinthedoorway.Hewasdressedinfrayedtrousersand

a threadbare shirt. His shoes were heavy. Looked uncomfortable. SherecognisedCadaverousinhisfeatures,butnothiseyes.Hehadsadeyes.“Youputupthosesigns?”sheasked.“I’m sorry,” he said.His accentwasAmericanwith a hint of something

else–Russian,maybe.“Ihadtotalktoyou,butIcannotleavethiscity.HewillfindmeifIdo.”“Whowillfindyou?Cadaverous?”Theboynodded.“HedoesnotknowI’mhere.Hethoughthe’ddestroyed

me,longtimeago.Healmostdid.I’mnothingtowhatIwasonce.”“Listen,I’msorry tobe theoneto tellyouthis,buthe’sseeingyouright

now,throughmyeyes.”“Yes.AndIfeelhisrage.Buthecannotfindme.Thiscity,forhim,it’stoo

confusing.”“Buthebuiltit.”“Hedid, tostore thoughts, toput themawayandnever think themagain.

This land he’smade, it’s him.Hismind. To create something so big… issomethinghehasnevertriedbefore.Hecontrolsmostofit,butthereareareaswherehefearstotread.”“IneedtofindAlice.”“She’swaitingforyou,inhishouse.Ontheisland,beyondyourtown.”“Mytown?”“He spent five years building this land, but he kept a space for you.He

builtitspecially.It’spoweredbyadistortedEchoStonethatwilldrawfromyourmemoriesandconstructyourtownwhenyougetclose.Hewantstohurtyou.HewantstokillyouforwhatyoudidtoJeremiah.”“I didn’t do anything to Jeremiah,” Valkyrie said. “He attacked me. He

fell.”

“You’reresponsible,”theboysaid.“I’m not arguing about this,OK?You gotme here, fine.How do I beat

him?”“Inhere,youcan’t.Youhavetogethimoutside.”“Canyouhelpmedothat?”“Ican’tdoanything.”“Thenwhatdoyouneed?HowcanIhelpyou,ifIcan’tbeatCadaverous?”“Youcan’twin,”hesaid.“Hehasyoursisterandhewillkillher.This is

goingtohappen.Whenhedoesthis,Ifear,you’llattackhim.Thenhe’llkillyou, too. And this place will go on, and I’ll stay here and hide here andnothingwilleverchange.Unless…”“Unlesswhat?”“Unlessyouacceptyoursister’sdeath.”“No.”“Youmust.Doitnow,sothat,whenithappens,youareready.Don’tplay

his game.When she is dead, run.Leadhimout of this place, andkill him.Whenhedies,destroythisland.”“I’mgettingoutofhere,withmysister.”“No,”theboysaidsadly,“you’renot.”Hefrowned.“You’dbettergo.The

cityisstartingtonoticeyou.”Hestoodaside.Valkyriehesitated,thenwentpasthim,emergingontothe

street.A car slowed, then stopped. The driver, Cadaverous, looked straight at

Valkyrie.Acrosstheroad,peoplestoppedwalking.Theylookedover.“You’dbetterrun,”saidtheboy.Valkyriewantedtogetbacktohercar,buttherewasacrowdcominground

thecorner so shedartedacross the road.Acarpulledup,narrowlymissingher.Cadaverousopenedthedoorandtriedtograbher.She ran. There were people chasing her. There were people in front,

running at her. Cadaverous lunged out of a doorway just ahead and shejumped,slammedakneeintohischest.Hewentdownandshestumbledoverhim,managedtostayonherfeet.Ranon.Therewasaparkonherleft,butthefencewastoohightoscale.Sherolled

acrossthebonnetofaparkedcar,avoidingthehandsthatreachedforher.Shelandedon theother side, punched someone.Someone elsegrabbedher andshe headbutted him, tore free, sprinted. The streets surged with people,everyone wearing Cadaverous’s face, like antibodies flushing out a virus.They were right behind her. She couldn’t turn back. The road ahead wasblocked.Crowdsfloodedinfromeitherside.Shestoppedrunning.Nowhere

torunto.Sheturned.Turnedagain.Theywereallaroundher.Theyclosedin,readytotearherapart.Aphonerang.The city stopped. It just … stopped. The people, all those snarling

Cadaverouses, stopped moving, stopped snarling. Not a sound but for theringingphone.Nodistantcarengines.Notonesingingbird.Nothing.Justthatringingphone.The telephoneboxstoodnext toastreetlamp.Likeeverythingelse in the

city,itlookedlikeitwasfromtheeighties.Herbreathingundercontrolafterallthatrunning,Valkyriewalkedtowardsitslowly.AllthoseCadaverouseyeswatchedher,butnotoneofthoseCadaverousfeetmoved.Shepulledthedoortooneside.Itopenedlikeanaccordion,foldinginon

itself.Shepluckedthereceiverfromthecradleandheldittoherear.“You’renotsupposedtobethere,”saidCadaverousGant.“Itookadetour,”shetoldhim.“Talkedtoaniceyounggentleman.”“Heshouldn’thavedonethat.NowIknowwhereheis.”“Heseems to thinkyou’reafraid tocomehere. Is that true?Whatwould

happenifyoudid?Wouldyougetlost?Wouldyoubeconsumedbyalltheseversionsofyourself?”“IshouldkilllittleAlicerightthissecond.”“Whatdoyoucallthisplace,anyway?”Valkyrieasked,hervoicedripping

withaconfidencethatsprangfromsomewheredesperate.“Cadaverousburg?Gantville?Yeah,itlookslikeaGantville.”“Didn’tyouhearwhatIsaid?”“You’renotgoingtokillher,”saidValkyrie.“Youdothatandthegame’s

over.I’vestillgotanhourtogettoyou.Thosearetherules.”“You’dbetterhurry.”“I’llgettoyouwhenIgettoyou,”shesaid,andhungup.

OceanofPDF.com

56

After five minutes of trampling through the Carpathian Mountains asremembered by Cadaverous Gant, they came to three wooden shacks in aclearing.“Recognisethese?”Skulduggeryasked.Abyssinia shook her head. “I was never able to get this far into

Cadaverous’smind.Treadcarefully.”TherewasarustleofmovementandTemperturnedintimetoseeahatchet

swingforhishead.He jerked back and his attacker, a scrawny man in filthy clothes with

hatchets inbothhands, swungat himagain andkept swinging, hisbeardedfacecontortedinfury.OneofthehatchetsswishedbyTemper’sfaceandhesteppedin,hiskneebucklingtheguy’slegwhilehisfistcrackedagainsttheguy’sjaw.Hisattackerhittheground,oneofhishatchetsspinningoutofhisgrip.He

scrambledupandlaunchedhimselfbackintothefightandTempersenthimtothegroundagain,thistimewithanarmtwistedandTemper’skneeonhischest.“Thankyou,”TempersaidtoSkulduggeryandAbyssinia.“Thankyoufor

juststandingthere.”“Youhaditcovered,”Skulduggerysaid.Abyssiniawalkedover,lookeddownatthesquirmingwildman.“Andwho

mightyoube,myunshavenfriend?”He snarled at her in a languageTemperdidn’t know. It soundedvaguely

Russian.AbyssinialookedatSkulduggery.“You’rethegenius.What’shesaying?”Skulduggerytiltedhishead.“I’mexpectedtoknowallthelanguages?”“You’refourhundredandfiftyyearsold.Whatelsehaveyoubeendoing

withyourtime?”“Punchingpeople,mostly.”The wild man tried to break free, but Temper wrestled him down, then

glancedatAbyssinia.“Can’tyoureadhismindorsomething?”

“Oh,heisn’treal,”shesaid.“Heisnomoreself-awarethanthatrock,andeventhatrockisn’treal.EverythingyouseeherehasbeenconjuredinsomefashionbyCadaverous,andactsaccordingtotherulesofthisworld.”“Icanunderstandroughlyeverythirdwordthathe’ssaying,”Skulduggery

said.“Heisnotpleasedtoseeus,andhe’scallingussomeverybadnames.”Abyssiniaraisedaneyebrow.“Howdareyou.Iamroyalty.”“Nowhe’sthreateningus.Hedoesn’tseemparticularlyperturbedtobein

the presence of a talking skeleton, by the way, but I put that down to thelimitationsofhisprogrammingrather thana truereflectionofwhoeverhe’smeanttobe.”Therewasascreechbehindthem,andakidofaboutsixtorefromthetrees,

ahatchetinhishand.“I’mnothittingachild,”Tempersaidimmediately.“Well,I’mnotdoingit,”saidSkulduggery.“I’lldoit,”saidAbyssinia,andsteppedforwardtokicktheboyintheface.Heflippedoverbackwards,unconsciousbeforehe’devenlanded.“Jesus,”Tempermuttered,thewildmangoingnutsbeneathhim.“Idosolovekickingchildren,”Abyssiniasaid.Shelookedup.“Oh,come

on.He’snotevenreal.”“He’srealtothisguy,”Temperresponded,twistingthewildman’swristin

anefforttocontrolhim.“Askhimwhereoursonis,”Abyssiniasaid.“He’sclose.Icansensehim.”“Forthelasttime,”Skulduggerysaid,“stopcallinghimourson.”Abyssinia smiled.“Admit it,darling.You’recoming round to the ideaof

beingafatheragain,aren’tyou?”“Areyougoingtostop,oristhispartnershipover?”“I’llstop,”saidAbyssinia.“Fornow.”Skulduggeryspoketothewildman,andthewildmanrespondedwithhis

usualsnarls.“He claims not to know,” Skulduggery said, then asked the wild man

somethingelse,mentioningValkyrie’sname.Thewildmansnarledandspat.“Youaremostdisagreeable,”Skulduggerymurmured.Hebabbledfurther.“What’shesayingnow?”“I’mnotsure.”Skulduggerylistenedforanotherfewseconds.“Something

aboutanaxe.Amanwithan–no,anAxe-Man.”“IshetheAxe-Man?”Abyssiniaasked.“No.HesaystheAxe-Man’scoming.”

“Well, that’ll be nice,” Abyssinia said. “The Axe-Man sounds friendly.Maybehe’lltelluswheremysonis.”Ashapemoved,outbythetrees.Forafewseconds,therewasnothing,andTemperwasabouttolookaway

when aman appeared.Hewasmadeofmuscle, close to eight feet tall andcovered in bloodwith a sack tied over his face.Hedragged a gigantic axeafterhim,theblademakingfurrowsinthedirt.“Um,”saidTemper.Abyssinialookedround.“What?”“Icouldbewrong,”hesaid,“butIthinktheAxe-Man’shere.”

OceanofPDF.com

57

The town ahead of themwavered, like itwas caught in a heat haze, but itsolidifiedastheygrewcloser.Bushes,trees,hedges,lowwallsandlampposts– landmarks that had evolved sinceValkyrie’s childhood, lining the road toHaggard.Theypassedthegraveyardandthewidegatesofthenursery,passedtheservicestationon their leftand thecottageson their right, thebusstop,and theChinese restaurant that everyone still regarded as the newChineseplaceeventhoughithadbeenthereforthelasttenyears.Therewerepeople,too,andcarsontheroad.“They’vestoppedlookinglikehim,”saidOmen.“Down,”shesaid,keepinghereyesawayfromtherear-viewmirror.“I’m just peeking,” Omen said. “Look at the people. They’re not like

Cadaverousanymore.”“No,”saidValkyrie.“They’retakenfrommymemories.”Shehadbecomeawareofapressure,somewhereinthebackofhermind,

like the tentativeproddingoffingers.Sheeasedherfootoff theaccelerator,letthecarslowrightdownasshefocused.“AreyouOK?”Omenasked.“Quiet.”“Sorry.”She’d had a few lessons on how to shield her thoughts from a psychic

assault, and she tookwhat she’d learned and built awall aroundhermind.The townspeople flickered inandoutofexistence.Shebuilt thewall taller,madeitthicker,andthestreetemptiedofbothpeopleandcars.Omenlookedaround.“Where’dtheygo?”ThecardriftedandthefrontwheelhitthekerbandValkyrieveeredoffand

braked.Thepeopleweresuddenlyback.“Thisissoweird,”Omenwhispered.Theystayedwheretheywere,pulledintothesideoftheroad.Carsbehind

her slowed, waited for the opposite lane to clear, and overtook. All verynormal.Valkyriefocused,buildingthewallupagain.

“Um,”Omen said, sitting forward and pointing. “Is that realAlice or anAlicefromyourmemories?”Valkyrie lookedupasAlice crossed the road in frontof them,got to the

pavementandranoff.Tearingoffherseatbelt,Valkyriethrewopenthedoor,forcingapassingcar

to swerve.The driver honked his horn, but she ignored him as she jumpedout.“Valkyrie,wait,”Omensaid.“Itmightnotreallybeher!”“Staythere!”Valkyrieshoutedback,andranafterhersister.Shepassedaneighbour,outwalkingherdog.Shepassedheroldfriend,J.

J.Pearl,whonoddedahelloshedidn’t return.Shegot to thecorner justasAlicedartedthroughthedoorintoHogan’sFlowers,andValkyrieslowed.The frontwindowwas filledwith flowers of extraordinary colour.Every

Valentine’s Day as a kid, she’d accompany her dad as hewent to buy hermumabouquet.She’dhelphimpickouttheperfectselection,andthenthey’dtellMrHoganandhe’dchuckleandstartpickingandpluckingandarranging.Everytime,everysingletime,he’dtakealollipopfromthejarbesidethetillandhold itout toher, and she’dwalkup shylyand take it fromhim.Thenhe’dchuckleagainandgobacktowork.But therewas something aboutMrHogan that had always unnervedher.

The look inhis eyes,maybe, or the fact thatwhenheheldout the lollipophe’dnever step forward.Shealwayshad togo tohim.Then therewas thatafternoon she’d been playing hide-and-seek with her friends up and downMainStreet.She’dducked into the flower shop tohide andMrHoganhadflownintoarage,hadgrabbedherbythearmandyankedherintothecorner.His fingers, like steel, roundher arm,his face, contorted in anger, heronlywayoutblockedbyhisbulk…She’dhada recurringnightmareabout thatmoment.She’dforgottenthat.Valkyriesteppedintotheflowershop.“Alice?”shecalled.“Alice,comeout.”Theinsideoftheshopwasdark.Flowerslinedthewallsandspilledfrom

the shelves.Hanging baskets swayed slightly on thin chains. Therewas anopeningtoacellarinthemiddleofthefloorthatshedidn’trememberbeingthereintherealshop.Greasyyellowlightbledoutfromthegloom.MrHoganshuffledoutofthedarkness,apottedplantinhishands.Hesaw

herandchuckled.“Lookwhoitis,”hesaid.“LittleStephanieEdgley.Haven’tseenyouaroundinages.”Hermouthwas dry. “I’m looking formy sister,” she said. “She came in

here.”

“Did she now?” Mr Hogan said. “Well then, she must be somewhere,mustn’tshe?Feelfreetotakealook.”Valkyrietriedtobuildawallagain,triedtomakehimvanish,butthebricks

werecrumblingevenbeforetheycouldset.She walked forward on stiff legs, quickly checking behind shelves and

peering into alcoves. She turned and cried out as she jumped back – MrHoganwasstandingthere,ayellowlollipopinhishand.“Wantasweetie?”heasked.That’swhatheused tosaywhenshewasakid.Only,no, itwasn’tquite

right.Therewassomethingelse,somethingheusedtocallher…“Wantasweetie,sweetie?”heasked.Valkyrieshookherhead.“Ijustwantmysister.”Hechuckled.“She’sprobablydownstairs,then.”Hesteppedback,allowing

heraclearpathtothestepsleadingdowntothecellar.Shewasshaking.Shewasshakingandherkneeswereweakening.“Isshe

downthere?”“That’swheretheyallgo,”saidMrHogan,shufflingaway.Thiswasallwrong.She’dneverbeenthisscaredofMrHoganbefore.He

was a creepy old man who turned nasty when there weren’t any adultsaround,but this fearwas coming fromsomewhere else.Thiswas akindoffear she’d only become familiarwith recently, in the last few years. It hadsidled up to her, lain at her feet like a dog, had started to accompany herwherevershewent.Itwasthekindoffearthatweakenedher.Thatparalysed.Thestepsdown to thecellarwereoldandwooden.Thesmellof flowers

waspungent in thehumidair, like theywereripe, like theywerestarting torot.Valkyriesteppedontothedarkfloor,intothemulchofpetalsandleavesandstalksthatcovereditlikeacarpet.Cratesandwoodenboxeswerestackedawayfromthesinglebulbthatdidn’ttryveryhardtopiercethegloom.Someofthoseboxeslookedlikechildren’scoffins.“Alice?”Valkyriecalled.Hervoicewasquiet.Itsoundedscared.Shewalkedfurtherawayfromthelightbulb.Furtherawayfromthestairs.

Thedarknessbeckonedher.Shestopped.Steppingintodarknesswasbeyondstupid,sosheallowedher

voice togoonahead.“Alice,”shesaidagain, louder this time.“Alice?Areyouhere?”Nothing.Ithadn’tbeenher.Alicewouldhaveanswered.Alicewouldhave

comerunning.Valkyriewascertain.Sheturned,headedbacktothestairs.Andyet…MaybeAlicewasfrightened.Maybeshewastoofrightenedtoemergefrom

hiding.Maybeshewascrouchedsomewhere,tearsinhereyes,waitingforher

bigsistertocomeandfindher,countingonherbigsisternottobescaredofthedark.Goddammit.Valkyriewenttothestairsandlookedup.“MrHogan,”shecalled,“doyou

haveatorchIcouldborrow?”Nosoundfromupthere.Nomovement.“Right,” she said, still speaking loudly as she turned and strode into the

gloom.“Alice,I’llberightthere.Holdupyourhandwhenyouseeme.Calloutforme.Canyoudothat?Ofcourseyoucan.You’reabravelittlething,aren’tyou?”Into the gloom, into the darkness, checking the corners, moving aside

crates,thecloyingsmellofflowersmakingherfeelsickwitheverymomentshespentdownhere.Stillshemoved,stillshemarched,makinglotsofnoise,talkingallthetime,pretendingtobebrave,pretendingtobeheroldself.The groundwas getting softer.With every step,Valkyrie had to pull her

footoutofthesicklysweet-smellingmuckthatsuckedatherboots–andthenthegroundgavewayandherlowerlegplungeddownintoit.Whensheputherweightonherotherlegtotryandfreeherself,thatfootbegantosink.Sheimmediatelystoppedwhatshewasdoing,butitwastoolate.Shelookedaroundforsomethingtograb.Therewasatablebesideher.She

reachedforit,butitwastoofaraway.Shecoiled,thensprang,butthegroundhadherandwasn’tlettinggo.Shesplasheddown,triedtopushherselfupandnowshe’dlostherleftarmuptotheshoulder.Panicsquirmeddeepinherbelly.Themulchwaslikequicksand.Shehadnobaseunderher,nosolidground

from which to stabilise. She craned her neck, keeping her chin above themuckasherbodysanklikealeadweight.“Help,” she said. Then again, louder. “Help.” She wasn’t even able to

scream.Screamingrequiredmovementandshecouldn’taffordtomove.Mucktippedoffherchin.Itwascold.“Someone,”shesaid.“Helpme.”Shetriedtotwist,triedtolunge,andthatwasamistake.Withalast,desperatebreath,shewentunder.

OceanofPDF.com

58

“Idon’tgetit,”Tempersaid,hisbackbracedagainstthedooroftheshackastheAxe-Man’sfistspoundedonitfromtheoutside.“Whydoesn’thejustusehisridiculouslylargeaxetobreakthrough?”The shackwas small.Rusticwouldhavebeengenerous.Therewere two

beds–oneof them tiny– in thecorners.A rockingchair, covered inpelts,stoodnexttothefireplace.Abyssinia,sittingatthesmalltableinthemiddleoftheshack,crossedher

legs.“Maybehe’sstupid,”shesaid.“Skulduggery,perhapsyou’llbeabletousehisstupidityagainsthim.Itmightbemoreeffectivethanyourbullets.”Skulduggery, who had already used the Axe-Man as target practice,

reloadedhisgun thoughtfully.“Ifyou think that’sapracticaloption,please,tosshimabookofSudokuandwe’llsneakawaywhilehepuzzlesoverit.”“I don’t knowwhat Sudoku is,” Abyssinia responded, looking up at the

ceiling and sounding bored. “I’ve been a heart in a box for two hundredyears.”“Asyounevertireofremindingus.”“AreyouimplyingthatItalktoomuchofthetimeyoutriedyourverybest

tokillme?”“I’ve tried to kill lots of people,” Skulduggery replied. “You don’t hear

themcomplainingaboutit.”“Excuse me,” Temper said, “could you two possibly stop bickering and

comeupwithawaytogetoutofwhateverthehellisgoingonhere?Also,thekid’sawake.”Theylookedoverattheboy,lyingonhisbedinthecorner,armsandlegs

bound.“Trynottokickhiminthefaceagain,”Skulduggerysaid.“He’stiedup,”Abyssiniareplied.“There’snosportinit.Askhimwhohe

is.”“Ialreadyknowwhoheis.ThisisCadaverousGantyou’relookingat.”Abyssinia raised her eyebrows with renewed interest. “It is? My, my.

Runningaroundwithahatchet,strangeAxe-Mencomingtokillhim…No

wonderhegrewuptobeaserialkiller.”“So this is a memory?” Temper asked. “An eight-foot-tall lunatic who

doesn’tmindgettingshotreallydidattackhishousewithanaxe?”SkulduggerypeeredoutofthewindowastheAxe-Mancontinuedtopound

thedoor.“Wedon’tknowthat,”hesaid.“Forallintentsandpurposes,we’reinside Cadaverous’s mind right now, so we shouldn’t be too surprised ifthingsgetalittlemuddled.Temper,youshouldprobablymoveawayfromthedoor.”Temper nodded and straightened up, just as the axe blade came through

rightwherehisheadhadbeen.“He’susinghisaxenow,”Skulduggeryexplainedhelpfully.

OceanofPDF.com

59

Dark.Wet.Cold.Valkyrietriedbringingherhandstoherface,butthemuckwastoothick.

Shewasstillsinking.Shecouldfeelit.Triedtoturn.Couldn’t.Theearthwasin her nose and ears and mouth. Her lungs begged to inhale something.Anything. Even muck. They didn’t care. She could feel her body start torespond. Against every command she was issuing, her body was going tobreatheinthefilthandthenshewasgoingtodie.Shetriedtokickherselftothesurface,eventhoughthiswasn’twater,even

thoughshecouldn’tmoveherlegs.Apartfromherfoot.Herrightfoot.Itwasmoving.Shecouldmoveit.Andnowherleft.Onemomentitwasjustthefoot.Thenitwastheankle.Shekeptsinking.Themoreshesank,themoreshecouldmove.Herrightknee.Shecouldbendherrightknee.With her lungs burning,Valkyrie kicked out, felt herself sink faster. She

wasemerging fromtheotherside,whatever itwas,wherever itwas, soshesquirmed,andherhipswerefreenow,andshesquirmedmore,andmore–– and she fell, dropping, gasping, and she splashed into mud, mud that

grabbedather,pulledather,andshewipedhereyesclear,sawthatshewasstill in the cellar, and before themuck claimed her she looked up, saw themuckontheceiling,andthenshewassubmergedonceagain.This time she didn’t try to raise herself up. This time she focused on

burrowingherselfdown,andafteramomentherfootbrokefreeofthemud,justlikelasttime.Shewasgoingtosinkandfallandsinkandfall,anditwasgoingtogoon

untilshedrowned.Her hips were free, and she could picture her legs dangling from the

ceiling.Shekickedthemupbehindher,plungingthemintothemudevenashertorsokeptsinking.

Therewasamomentwhenshethoughtshe’dmessedup,amomentwhenshehungthere,onthevergeofdroppingbutnotbeingableto,andthenshewasoutandfallingonceagain.Thistimeshecoveredherfacewithherhands,twistedherbodyandsuckedinadeep,deepbreath.Shehitthemudwithherelbowsfirst,herheadwentinshouldersdeep,her

bodysplashingdownbehind.Squirmingtogofaster,shekeptherfeetoutofthemudforaslongasshecould.Shesankheadfirst.Whenshecouldn’tmoveherfeetanymore,sheknew

shewasclosetobeingthrough.Secondspassed.Long,longseconds,andalotofthem.Again,shebecameafraidthatshe’dmiscalculated.And then she emerged. She gasped, took her hands away from her face,

clearedhereyes,blinkingrapidly.Thecellarlookeddifferentfromuphere.The tablebeside themuck. Ifshecouldgrab it,shemightbeable topull

herselfoutofthiscrazycycle.Whenherwaistwasfree,shestartedswaying,andby the timeher thighswereemergingshewas swayingbackand forth,tryingtotimeitright.Suddenlyshewasfalling.She reached out, stretchedwith both arms.Her hand slapped against the

tableandthenshewasinthedirtagain–withonehandclosingroundatableleg. She went to pull herself out, but only succeeded in yanking the tablecloser.Shestartedsinkingagain.Shepulledthetableround,graspingthesecondlegwithherfreehand,and

tuggedthembothintothemuck.Withherfullweightpressingdown,thisendofthetablesankquickly.Onceshe’dmadearamp,Valkyriestarteddraggingherselfup.She clamberedon to the table,welcoming thepainful knocks, and rolled

across,landingonthefloor.Despiteherexhaustion,shedidn’tstaydownincasethemulchherestartedpullingonher,too.Sheheavedherselftoherfeetandstumbledtothestairs.Shealmostcriedwhenherfootfoundthefirststep.Howfirmitwas.Howsolid.Shestartedup,andashadowfellacrossher.“Wantasweetie,sweetie?”MrHoganasked.His bulk blocked out the light, transforming him into a shape of pure

darkness.Thenhegrunted,andfellforward,andValkyriedodgedbackashecrashed

downthesteps.Omenpeereddown.“Whathappenedtoyou?”

OceanofPDF.com

60

The Axe-Man was shredding the door to splinters. Temper was not happyaboutthisturnofevents–nothappyatall.EvenAbyssiniawasonherfeet,thoughstilllookingbored.“Whydon’tyoudosomething?”Temperaskedher.Hehadtospeakloudly

tobeheardovertheracket.“You’reallsuperpowerfulandstuff,right?”“I am super powerful, this is true,” she responded, “but we’re in

Cadaverous’sworldnow,andhereI’mprobablyjustascompletelyweakanduselessasyouare.”“Right,”saidTemper.“Thanks.”Skulduggerywalkedovertothewildmanandstarteduntyinghim.“Whatareyoudoing?”Temperasked.“Theenemyofmyenemyismyfriend,”Skulduggerysaid.“Notallthetime,”Abyssiniacountered.“Well,no,notallthetime,butdefinitelysomeofthetime.”Abyssiniamadea face.“That’sdebatable.A lotof the time they take the

opportunitytotrytokillyou,too.”“Thisisalsotrue,”Skulduggerysaid.Hepulledawaythelastoftherope.

“Buthopefullynotinthiscase.Temper,handhimhishatchets.”Temperstared.“Thehatchetshetriedtokillmewith?”“Unlessthereareothersyoucansee.”“Hetriedtokillmewiththem,Skulduggery.”“ButIdoubthe’lltryitagainwhenthere’sablood-drenchedmanwithan

axetryingtogetinandhe’sgothissontoprotect.”Temper grabbed the hatchets, hesitated, and tossed them over. The wild

mancaughtthem,butdidn’tattackanyofthem.Yet.Skulduggeryuntiedthekid,wholeapedupandbackedintothecorner.Thedoor,orwhat little therewas leftof it,brokeapartand theAxe-Man

camethrough,heftinghisgiantaxeinhisgianthands.SkulduggeryglancedatAbyssinia.“Doyouwanttotryfirst?”Sheseemedtoconsiderit,thenshookherhead.“Notespecially.Ivotewe

allattacktogether.Unusproomnibus,omnesprouno.”

Temperfrowned.“Saywhat?”“Oneforallandallforone,”Skulduggerytranslated.“Ah,”Tempersaid,“TheThreeMusketeers.”“Idon’tknowwhatthatis,”saidAbyssinia.Thewildmangaveawarcryandranforward,hatchetsattheready,butthe

Axe-Mancuthimintwowithonemightyswing.Asbothhalvesofhisbodyhitthefloor,Abyssinialetoutasigh.“DoesnoonespeakLatinanymore?”Temper scooped up one of the fallen hatchets as the Axe-Man stepped

furtherintotheshack.LittleCadaverouswhimperedinthecorner.Skulduggery adjusted his cuffs, and took a single step towards theAxe-

Man.HesaidsomethingTemperdidn’tunderstand.Hewavedhishands.Thetone of his voice indicated that he was making a joke. The Axe-Man,however,appearedimmunetoSkulduggery’scharms,andSkulduggeryhadtododgebacktoavoidthebladethatcutdeepintothefloorboards.“Gethim!”Tempershouted,leapingforward.“Whilehisaxeis—”TheAxe-Manpulledhisaxeouteasily.“Nevermind,”Tempersaid,leapingawayagain.TheAxe-Manturnedhissack-coveredheadinhisdirection.“That,”Tempersaidtohim,“isareallynicesack.Skulduggery?”“Lovelysack.”“Abyssinia?”“It’sasack,”shesaid.“I’mnotgoingtosayit’sanythingspecialwhenit’s

justasack.”TheAxe-Manturnedtoher.Shefoldedherarms.“Don’tactoffended.Youwearabagonyourhead.”The Axe-Man swung, impossibly fast, and Abyssinia barely ducked in

time.SkulduggerysnappedhispalmagainsttheairandtheairrippledandtheAxe-Man stumbledbackwards.But thenhe charged,knockingSkulduggeryoffhisfeet.Abyssiniacrashedintohim,triedtosuckouthislifeforce,buttheAxe-Man’smassivearmsweptherintothewalllikeatidalwave.Shefelltoherknees,gasping.Temperturned,grabbedthelittleboy,andranforthedoor.TheAxe-ManimmediatelylostinterestinSkulduggeryandAbyssinia,and

startedthunderingafterthem.Temperranroundthecorneroftheshack,plungingintothetreesbeforethe

Axe-Mancaughtsightofhimagain.Thekidclungtohim,terrified.Tempermovedquickly,stayinglowandkeepingtothetreeline.Hewaited

for the sounds of the Axe-Man crashing through branches before he crept

backoutofthetreesandracedovertothesecondshack.Thedoorwasopenandheranthrough,puttheboydown,puthisfingertohislips.Thekid,CadaverousGantasachild,nodded.Hehadbigeyes.Theywere in a small barn. Therewas a table ladenwith rough farming

toolsandafewclothsacks in thecorner.Thereweremore tools leaningupagainstthewall,butnowheretohideiftheAxe-Mancamelooking.Temperturned back to the door to peek out, saw theAxe-Man coming straight forthem.Cursing,he jumpedback, reached for thekidandcouldn’t findhim.The

littlecreepwasdigginghiswayunderagapinthefarwall.TheAxe-Manhadtoturnsidewaystofitthroughthedoor.Temperbackedoff,buttheAxe-Manwentstraightfortheboy.Grabbinga

pitchfork,Temper ranupbehindhimandsank theprongs intohisback.Hegotanelbowinthefaceforhistroubleandthatknockedhimtotheground,toostunnedtodoanythingbutregistertheAxe-Manturninginhisdirection.Atthelastmoment,henoticedtheaxerising,andhisbrainkickedintogearandhe rolledunder the table.Theaxecame straight through, sent the farmtoolsclattering,butTemperhadalreadygottohisfeetontheotherside.TheAxe-Manpulledthepitchforkfromhisbackandflippeditinhisfree

hand.HekickedtheremainsofthetabletoonesideandTemperbackedoff,hisavenuesofescapecutoff.TheAxe-Man thrust thepitchforkathimandTemperskippedsideways,almostfastenoughtododgeit.Almost.Two prongs sliced into him and he gasped as the Axe-Man forced him

backwards. He hit the wall and stayed there, eyes wide, the pain justbeginningtoblossom.TheAxe-Manletgoofthepitchforkandstrodeacrosstheshack,grabbingthekidbytheanklesandhaulinghimback.Thelittleboyscreamedandstruggled.Temperwenttohelp,butthepitchforkwaspinninghimtothewall.The Axe-Man lifted the sack on his head, exposing a huge, misshapen

mouththatseemedtogrowasitwidened––andhedroppedthekidintoit.Temper stared. The Axe-Man let the sack cover his head again, and

adjusted the rope that secured it. Then he paused, and looked at the wall.Cockedhishead.Hestrodeoutoftheshack.Temper pulled the pitchfork from his side, cursing in pain as he did so.

With his hands over thewounds, he stumbled to the hole the kid had beentryingtoescapethroughanddroppeddown.HecouldseeacrosstheclearingtowhereAbyssiniawas approaching the third shack.TheAxe-Man’s boots

passedinfrontoftheholeandTemperjerkedback,stiflingamoan.HegotupasSkulduggeryappearedatthedoor.“You’rehurt,”Skulduggerysaid.“Hestuckaforkinme.I’mdone.”Temperlaughedwithouthumour.“He’s

goingafterAbyssinia.”“Where’sthechild?”“Heswallowedhim.”“Heatehim?”Tempershrugged.Eventhatwaspainful.“Ididn’tseeanychewing.Ijust

sawswallowing.”Fromoutside, the soundofa fight,butSkulduggerywasn’tmoving from

thedoorway.“Are we going to help?” Temper asked. He had a packet of leaves

somewhereonhim.Heknewhedid.“I’vebeenthinkingaboutthat,”Skulduggerysaid.Bloodwas soaking throughTemper’s clothes as he searched his pockets.

“Youwantthebigguytokillher.”“Idoubthe’dbeabletokillher,”Skulduggerysaid,“buthemightbeable

toinjureherenoughsothatIcancutoutherheartagain.”Temper found the leaves, stuffed them in his mouth. The pain lessened.

“Man,”hesaid,“thatiscold.”“Youobject?”“Me?Naw.Butthatdoesn’twarmitupany.”“Isupposenot.”Therewerecrashesnow.Thesoundofwoodsplintering.“Andwhat dowe do if he does beat her?”Temper asked. The painwas

nothingmorethananirritationnow.“Howdowestophim?”“Wedon’thavetostophim,”Skulduggerysaid.“Weavoidhim.Wewalk

away. He hasn’t actually killed anyone – not anyone real anyway. If hedoesn’tposeathreattoinnocentlife,whywoulditbeourproblem?”“Iguessso.Course,nowIfeelstupidforriskingmylifetosaveakidthat

doesn’texist.”“Heexistedonce.”“Not like this, though. I mean, this can’t be a memory if Cadaverous’s

younger self gets swallowed whole by the big guy. Unless he manages totunneloutsomehow.Whichisjustweird.”“Thisisn’tpurememory,”Skulduggerysaid.“Ithinkit’sareinterpretation

ofthedayhisfatherwaskilled.”“Sowho’stheAxe-Man?”

“RightnowI’mthinkingitmightbethephysicalmanifestationofhisownviolenturges.”“Man, I hate those,” said Temper, and then Abyssinia came crashing

throughthewallinanexplosionofwoodandsplinters.

OceanofPDF.com

61

ValkyrieusedOmen’sjackettowipethemudfromherfaceandarmsasshedrove. She handed his jacket back to him and he thanked herunenthusiastically.HerT-shirtwassoaking,andclungtoher,andthejodhpurswerestainedblack.Sheturnedontotheroadthatsweptbythepieranduptoher family’shouse–but slowedas shecame to the turn.Thepierwasn’t apier. InCadaverous’sworld, itwasawoodenbridge that crossed thewater,linkingupwiththeislandinthedistance.Shemanoeuvredthecarontothebridge–itwasnarrow,withnorailings–

and drove slowly, the dark water lapping on either side. She glanced upthrough the windscreen. The sun hadn’t moved its position, but, when theclockhandtickedover to11.15, thesun immediatelydarkenedtoaburningamber that infected the sky, and a multitude of blazing reds and orangeswashedoverandbanishedtheblue.“Cool,”Omenwhispered.Forty-fiveminutesleft.Forty-fiveminutestosavehersister.

OceanofPDF.com

62

Abyssiniadustedherselfoffand,withoutlookingateitherofthem,said,“Oneforallandallforone,huh?”“Wewerejustabouttogoandhelp,”Skulduggerysaid.ShelookedatTemper.“Andyou?”Heshowedheralltheblood.“I’minjured.Ineedmedicalattention.”“I’mdisappointedinyouboth.Ithoughtwewereateam.”“Weweremakingplans,”saidTemper.“Discussingtheories.Skulduggery

thinkstheAxe-Manisametaphor.”“SoIwasthrownthroughawallbyametaphor?”Abyssiniaasked.“Well,

that’snice.”“Speaking of whom,” Skulduggery murmured, and walked to the hole

Abyssiniahadmade.Temperjoinedhim,andtheypeeredout.Theskyhadbecomeapaintingof

bleeding red and burning orange. The sun was darker, too, but still in thesameposition.TheywatchedtheAxe-Manwalkbacktothecabin.Hestartedswingingtheaxeintothefrontdooragain.“Thedoor’sbeenfixed,”Tempersaid.“Howdidthedoorgetfixed?”“Idoubtthat’stheonlythingthat’sbeenreset,”Skulduggerysaid.“Youthinkthegentlemanwiththehatchetsandthechildareinthere,don’t

you?”Abyssiniaasked.“Ithinkthey’reonaloop,yes,”Skulduggerysaid.“Good,”saidAbyssinia.“Nowthathe’sdistracted,Icantakealookinside

thatrevoltinglittleshed.”Shewalkedout.SkulduggeryandTemperfollowed.Theycrossedtheclearingtothesmallestshack.Abyssinialedthewayin.

Temperwent last, and immediatelygaggedat the smellof rottingmeat andcongealingblood.Theshackwassplitintotworooms.Inthefirstone,animalcarcasseshung

fromchainsandblackcloudsoffliesrosefrommoundsoffursandpelts.Alargetable,stainedwithbloodandscarredwithnotches,tookupmostofthespace.Despitethehistoryofdeathcarvedintoit,thetablewasneat.Orderly.

Notsothesmallertable,forthesmallerhunter,thatsatinthecorner.Thistable was littered with the butchered remains of animals. There was noevidenceofthepractical,pragmaticskinningandpreparingofprey.Herewasevidenceofapsychopath’sdelight.Abyssiniaignoredallthis.Shewentstraighttotheotherroomlikeshewas

pulledthere.“Caisson!”shecried.TemperandSkulduggeryglancedateachother,andfollowedherin.

OceanofPDF.com

63

The bridge narrowed even further, and Valkyrie had visions of the tyresslippingoffthesideandthecarplungingintothesea.Shetookadeepbreathandcontinuedon.The island was a flat, grassy pebble. There were no trees, no other

vegetation.Shestoppedthecar.Thetwo-storeyhouseattheisland’sexactcentrewas

tallanddarkandpointed.Theporchwaswide,supportedbysquarecolumns.Therewasarockingchairbesidethedoor,whichstoodopen.“IsupposeIshouldstayhere,”saidOmenfromthebackseat.“No,”Valkyriesaid.“Imightneedyourhelp.”“Really?”She turned tohim.“Omen, ifwe findAliceandyouget thechance,you

grabherandgetthehellout,OK?Youforgetaboutmeandyourun.Doyouunderstand?”Omenhesitated,thennodded.Theygotoutofthecar.Valkyrierakedherfingersthroughherhair,coming

outwithfistfulsofdryingmudthatsheflungatthegroundastheyenteredthehouse.Most of the doorways on the ground floorwere arched, and lacking any

actualdoors.Valkyriecouldseestraightthroughtothecorridorsthatstretchedto the rearof thedeceptively largebuilding.Corridors linedwith toomanycloseddoorsforallofthemtoactuallyleadanywhere.A wide staircase rose lazily along the wall to her left, its bottom step

beginning just beyond the doorway to the living room – a wood-panelledroomwithalargefireplaceandasinglearmchair.Totheirright,throughacorridor,thekitchen.“Alice?”shecalled.“Alice,whereareyou?”Foramoment,therewasnothing,andthen—“Stephanie?”“Alice!”Valkyrieshouted,stridingforthestairs.“Stephanie!I’mhere!”

Valkyrietookthestairstwoatatime,Omenrightbehindher.“Whereareyou?Describewhereyouare!”“I’m in a room!”Alice shoutedback from far away. “It has a bed and a

chairandabedsidetablewithalamp!”Valkyriegottothelanding.“Isthereawindow?”“No!Butthere’sadoor!”“Bangonthedoor,Alice!Letmehearyou!”Somewhereinthehouse,sheheardlittlefistsbeatinguponadoor.“Keepdoingthat!”sheshouted,movingagain.“I’llfindyou!”Theyfollowedthesounddownacorridor,pickingupspeed,runningnow,

feetonfloorboardsthatcreakedsharplywitheachstep,nowontoathinrug,thenback to floorboards, thenback toa rug thatgavewaybeneathherandValkyriedropped,hermomentumslammingher intothesideof thepit.Shehungthere,fingersdigginginforpurchase,legsdanglingasthepitswallowedtherestoftherug.Sheglanceddown,sawanotherholebeneathher,revealingadroprightintothebasement.Omenreacheddown,grabbedher,andpulledherup.“Traps,”hesaid.Shenodded.“Thishousewillbefullofthem.”Theymovedon,morecautiouslythistime,andfollowedAlice’svoicetoa

door.Valkyrietriedthehandle.Itwaslocked.“Alice,I’mhere.”“Stephanie!Letmeout!!”“Standbackfromthedoor,OK?Standagainstthewall.”Valkyriesteppedback.“OK!”Alicecalled.“I’magainstthewall!”Valkyriekickedand,althoughthedoorshuddered, it feltassturdyashell

underherboot.Shekickedagain,andagain,andthenrammedhershoulderintoit.Thathurt.“Holdon,Alice,”shesaid,andturnedtoOmen.“Findsomethingto—”AdooropenedbehindOmen,andValkyriegrabbedhim,pulledhimbehind

herasCadaverousGantsteppedout.TherealCadaverousGant.“You made it,” Cadaverous said. “And it’s not even midnight. But you

seem to have broken the rules. Omen Darkly, aren’t you supposed to bedead?”“LetAlicego,”saidValkyrie.“Whateverplansyouhaveforme,letAlice

go.Shecan’thurtyou.”Cadaveroussmiled.“Neithercanyou,Valkyrie.Not inhere. Inhere,you

areasineffectualasafive-year-old.”“I’mseven,”Alicesaidfrombehindthedoor.

Thesmilewidened.“Kids,eh?”

OceanofPDF.com

64

“Caisson,”Abyssiniawhispered,kneelingbyherson.“Whathavetheydonetoyou?”Caissonwasunconsciouson the floor,next to the rearwallof the shack,

andwasinnoconditiontoanswer.Hissilverhairwaslongandmatted.Hisfacewasdrawn,hisskinanunhealthypallor.Heworeanoldhospitalgown,andhiswristswereshackled.TemperandSkulduggerywatchedAbyssiniacheckhersonforanyobvious

injuries.“Hedoesn’tlookawholelotlikeme,”Skulduggerysaid.“Iwouldn’t take itpersonally,”Abyssinia responded.“Myfamily’sgenes

havealwaysbeendominant.Ihopeyougettomeethimproperlyoneday–assumingyousurviveyourencounterwithCadaverous.”“You’releaving,Itakeit.”AbyssiniascoopedCaissonintoherarms,andstood.“Aspreciousas this

little team of ours is, yes, I am. I feel our special bond ended when youdecided to let that monster with the axe try to kill me. I hope you findValkyrie.I’dhateforhertomissthatparticularsensationofyoubetrayingherthewayyoubetrayedme.”“IthoughtyoucameheretorescueCaissonandkillCadaverous.”“Oh, I did, but if you love someone youmust prioritise, and our son is

muchmoreimportanttomethanthechancetoexactsomechildishrevenge.”SkulduggeryturnedtoTemper.“Gowithher,”hesaid.Temperfrowned.“What?Why?”“You’rehurt.”“Ifeelfine.”“You’rehurt,andyou’relosingtoomuchblood.IcanfindValkyrieonmy

own.”“Seriously,man,Icandothis,andyouneedtheback-up.I’vegotplentyof

leavestokeepmegoing.”“Yourpacketisempty.”“No,it’snot,”Tempersaid,takingitfromhispocket.“See?”

SkulduggerypluckeditfromhishandandclickedhisfingersandTemperwatchedtheleavesflareandburn.“Icannotbelieveyoudidthat,”hesaidsoftly.“There’smore leaves in theBentley,”Skulduggery said,handinghim the

keysbeforewalkingtothedoor.“Betterhurryoryouwon’tmakeit.”Temper watched Skulduggery leave the shack and rise off his feet,

disappearingfromsight.Abyssinia carriedCaisson to the door and, too late,Temper saw a string

that ran fromCaisson’s shackles to thewall. Itwent taut, andhe started toshoutawarningwhenthestringbroke,andatinybellsounded.That’sall.Notrapwassprung.Nopitopenedbeneaththem.Abyssiniakeptonwalking,andTemperfrownedandfollowed.

OceanofPDF.com

65

Cadaverous halted, his head turning slightly, like he was listening tosomethinginthedistance.“Huh,”hemuttered, “she’s early.”He smiledatValkyrie. “I’mafraid I’ll

have todividemyattention.But youwill stayhere,won’t you?Youwon’tfind someway to escape? If you do, I promise I’ll tear your little friend’sarmsoff.”Movingimpossiblyfast,hegrabbedOmenandshovedValkyrie.Shespun

backwards,rightingherselfjustintimetoseehimdraggingOmenthroughadoorthatslammedshutafterthem.

OceanofPDF.com

66

Omenwentstumblingforward,fallingtohiskneesonthedirtasCadaverousstrodebyhim.Hewasoutside, inaclearingwithafewricketyoldwoodenshacks. He was in the mountains. He looked around. Definitely in themountains.Someonemovedinthedoorwayofthenearest–andsmallest–shack,and

Abyssiniasteppedoutintothesunlight.Shecarriedanunconsciousmanwithhairassilverasherown.Caisson.“YouplayedmygamebetterthanIanticipated,”Cadaveroussaid,smiling.“Ah,”saidAbyssinia,“Iwaswonderingwhenyou’dappear.Thankyoufor

keepingmysonsafeforme.”“Itwasentirelymypleasure,”Cadaveroussaid.“Wasita joyfulreunion?

Weretheretears?”“Iwaspracticallyovercomewithemotion.”TemperFrayemergedfromtheshackbehindher.Hiseyesnarrowedwhen

hesawCadaverous,thenwidenedwhenhesawOmen.“You’realive,”hesaid.Omendidn’tknowhowtorespondtothat,sohenoddedandsaid,“Yes,I

am.”Abyssiniaturned,andpassedCaissontoTemper.Hegruntedashetookthe

weight.“Takemysonoutofhere,”shesaid.“Ifyouharmhim,orleavehimbehind,Iwillcrushyou.Doyouunderstand?”Temper didn’t appear to have anything much to say to that, so he just

noddedandsaid,“Yup.”CadaverousandAbyssiniametinthemiddleoftheclearing.“Isthismypunishment?”sheasked.“Forneglectingyou?”“You didn’t neglect us,” Cadaverous replied. “You abandoned us. You

promised us glory, power, redemption … but the moment we helped youcomebackyouforgotitall.Youbetrayedus.”TempermotionedquicklytoOmen,andOmengotup

andscurriedovertohim,givingawideberthtothetwoevilnutballs.“Youkeepsayingus,”Abyssiniasaid,“yetallIseeisyou.”

Cadaveroussmiledagain.“I’mtheonlyonewhoisn’tscared.”“Inhere,youmean.Outthere,youwouldneverdaresaythesethings.”“But we’re not out there, are we? Out there, you would rip me apart

withoutathought.ButIbroughtyouhere,straighttomyhome,whereIholdthepower.Igaveyoumorecredit,Abyssinia.I’mdisappointedinyou.”“Idosohatetodisappointmychildren.”Cadaverouslaughed,andattackedher.OmenreachedTemper.“Howdidyougethere?”hewhispered.“I camewith Skulduggery. He flew off to find Val. Here, helpme with

this.”Omen did his best to take Caisson’s weight while Temper repositioned

himself. When he straightened up, Temper was carrying Caisson in afireman’slift.“We’regettingouttahere,”hesaid.OmentookhiseyesoffCadaverous,whowasthrowingAbyssiniaaround

like she was a broken doll, and noticed Temper’s bloody shirt. “You’reinjured.Oh,God, you’re injured.Do you have your phone?We could callNever.”“Myphone doesn’twork in here, slick.We’re gonna have to do this the

old-fashionedway.”“You’re…bleedingreallybadly.”Tempergrimaced.“ThenIguesswe’dbetterhurry.”

OceanofPDF.com

67

Valkyriefoundapokerdownstairs,andusedittotrytoforcethedooropen.Thewoodsplinteredbutdidn’tgive.“Alice,”shesaid.“Hey,sweetie.What’stheroomlike?”“Um,” Alice replied. “It’s square. The walls and the floor are made of

wood.”“Isthereanyfurniture?”“No.Canyougetmeoutofhere?”“Iwill,Alice,Iwill.Ipromise.Howyoudoing?Areyouworried?”“No,I’mOK.”Valkyriesmiled.“Goodgirl.That’swhatIliketohear.I’llhaveyououtas

soonasI…”Sheturnedherhead,frowning.Thenshehearditagain,closerthistime.Skulduggery,callinghername.“Uphere!”sheshouted.“I’muphere!”Sheheardhimrunningupthestairs

andshouted,“Becarefulofboobytraps!”Skulduggerycameroundthecorneratspeed,hisfeetcentimetresabovethe

ground,floatingovertheholeshe’dfalleninto.Sherantohimashelanded,hugginghim.“Sogladyou’rehere.”“Ofcourseyouare,”hesaid.“You’recoveredinmud,bytheway,andthis

isanexquisitesuit.”“Sorry,”shesaid,releasinghim.“Howdidyoufindus?”“Yourcarisparkedonanislandjustoffwhatappearsto

beanexactreplicaofyourhometown.Whereelsewouldyoube?“Alice,”Valkyriesaid,bangingherfistagainstthedoor.“Standback.”“Istillam!”Aliceresponded.Skulduggery swept his armwide and the door flung open, and Valkyrie

scoopedAliceupinthebiggesthugshecouldmanage,noticingSkulduggeryactivatinghisfaçadejustintime.“Thetwoofyouhavehadadventures,”hesaid.“Omen’s here, too,” Valkyrie said. “Cadaverous took him, just a minute

ago.Skulduggery,youneedtoflyAliceoutofhere.”

“I’m sure I canmanage that,” he said, his hand onAlice’s back as theyturnedforthestairs.ButadooropenedbeforethemandCadaverouscamethrough,dragginga

broken and batteredAbyssinia after him. “Andwhere do you think you’regoing?”heasked.SkulduggerytossedafireballintoCadaverous’sface,thenpushedattheair.

Cadaverous’sclothesrippledwildly,buthedidn’tevensway,soSkulduggerystrodeuptohimandlashedakickintohisknee.Cadaverous laughed, swung a punch that Skulduggery ducked, laughed

againasSkulduggerykickedathisotherknee.Itdidn’tsomuchasbuckle.Keeping Alice behind her, Valkyrie watched as Cadaverous grabbed

Skulduggeryandmarchedhimbackwards.Withhisfreehand,heslappedthewall and the wall opened, and Cadaverous shoved Skulduggery into thedarkness beyond.He slapped thewall again: it closed up, and he turned toValkyrieasshepickedupAliceandran.His laughter following her, Valkyrie leaped over the pit and kept going

towardsthestairs.Halfwaytothebottomtheytrembledbeneathher.Shegrabbedthebanister

withherfreehandandjumped,jammingherfeetagainstthewallasthetopofeach step slid back into the riser, exposing theupturned rustynailswaitingbeneath.“Hold on,” she said toAlice, and sprang over the banister, adjusting her

grip as she did so. Her feet hit the wall below. She let herself hang, thendroppedtotheground.Sheheftedhersisterinherarms.“YouOK?”Alicenodded,andValkyrieranforthefrontdoor,butahatchintheceiling

openedandCadaverousdroppedthrough.Valkyriehissed,turned,sprintingintothenearestcorridor.Theyfollowedit

round,anditnarrowedastheyreachedthedooratthefarend,whichopenedtowardsthem.Beyondwasmorecorridorandanotherdoor.Valkyrieglancedbehind.NosignofCadaverous.Shecarriedon,buthad toputAlicedown.The seconddoorwas smaller

than the first.Through theywent,and round thecorner.The thirddoorwassmallerstill,andValkyriehadtoduckherheadtogetthrough.Thecorridorwastight.Hershouldersbrushedthewallsoneitherside.Alicehurried through thenextdoorwithoutan issue,butValkyriehad to

benddouble.Theyhadnochoicebuttomoveinsinglefilenow.Anothercornerturned,andtheycametoawallwithatinydoor.Valkyrie lay flat, pushed it open. The corridor returned to normal

proportionsontheotherside.“Goon,”shesaidtoAlice.“Wrigglethrough.”

Aliceobeyed,crawlingthroughquicklyandeasily.Valkyriestuckherheadinafterher.Therewasaropeonthewallnexttoher,loopedroundabracket.Shecouldn’tlookupfarenoughtoseewhatitwasconnectedto.Hershouldersbrushedthetopofthesmalldoorasshepassedthrough.She

tried toheaveherself in the restof theway,buther rear endhitwithmoreforce than her shoulders and she heard a clack and suddenly the ropewasunravelling.“Grabtherope!”sheshouted,andAlicelunged,gotherhandstoitandthe

ropewenttaut,jerkedheroffherheelsforamoment.Valkyrietwisted,lookedup,sawtheguillotinebladehoveringabove.“Yourbumistoobig,”Alicesaid.“Apparentlyso,”Valkyriewhispered.“Thisropeisheavy,”saidAlice.Valkyrieheldoutherhands.“Giveittome,”shesaid,smiling.The normal-sized door at the other end of the room opened, and

Cadaverouscamethrough.“Thereyouare,”hesaid,smiling.Valkyrieyankedontherope,triedtowrigglethrough,butCadaveroushad

alreadytakenAlice’shand.“Leaveheralone,”Valkyriesaid.“Alice,comeback!”Butthenhewasleadingheraway.Andthentheyweregone.

OceanofPDF.com

68

Temper stumbled over a tree root, falling to one knee. “Aw, hell,” hemurmured.OmentriedtocatchCaissonbeforehedroppedoffTemper’sshoulder,but

allhecoulddowasslowhisdescenttotheground.“I may need urgent medical attention,” Temper said. His breath was

laboured and he was sweating. His clothes were drenched in blood. “Alsosomethingforthepain.Andpossiblyastretcher.”“Howfaristheexit?”Omenasked.“Notsure,”saidTemper.“Orifwe’reevenontherighttrack.”“Youthinkwemightbelost?”Omenasked,panicrisinginhischest.“But

youjustcamethisway!”Temper wiped his forehead. “Slick, I can navigate my way through any

urbanjunglewithoutanoverabundanceofhassle.Butoveramountain?Allthese trees look the same. All these rocks look the same. See that bush? Idon’tknowif it’smyfirst timeseeing thatbushor thefourth.Wemightbetotallyscrewedhere,kid,andIhavetoadmitIain’tthinkingsostraight.”“OK,”Omensaid,noddingfiercely,“I’lltakecareofit.I’llgetusout.”“You’re taking charge,” said Temper. “That’s what I like to see. That’s

good.Ifeelbetternow.ThoughImightneedalie-down.”“Youcan’t,”Omensaid,pullinghimupwhenhetriedtosit.“You’relosing

toomuchblood.Ouronlychanceistokeepgoing,allright?Weneedtofindtheexitandgettothecar.”“Ican’tcarrythisguyanymore.”“Maybe,um,maybeIcould.”“Idon’tseethathappening.”“Then… then how aboutwe drag him?We each take an ankle and just

draghimbehindus?”Temperwipedthesweatfromhisbrow.“Yeah,wecouldtrythat,Iguess.

Helpmeup.”Omenheardaloudtick,andlookedup.Throughthetreeshewatchedthe

sunfliplikeacoin,revealingthemoononitsotherside,andtheskychanged

toadeep,darkanduglypurple.Ithadjustturned11.30.

OceanofPDF.com

69

Both hands gripping the rope, Valkyrie pulled, raising the guillotine blade.She turnedslightly,squirmed through, tuckingherknees toherchestasshereleased her hold. The blade thunked into the ground behind her and sherolledtoherfeetandranon,bargingthroughthedoor.“Alice!”sheshouted.“Skulduggery!”Lightswereflickeringonalloverthehouse,throwingbackthedarknessas

Valkyrie panicked. She shouted for her sister, shouted again – and finallyheardAlicerespond.“Alice!”Valkyrieyelled,burstingintothelivingroom.Cadaverous was sitting in the armchair. There were suddenly roaring

flamesinthefireplace,butnosignofAliceorSkulduggery.Valkyriestalkedover.“Wherearethey?”Cadaveroussmiled.“Closeby.”“Ifyou’vehurtthem—”“Why would I have hurt them already?” Cadaverous interrupted. “You

thinkI’dgo toall this troubleandnotevenhaveyoupresentforsomethinglikethat?No,no,no.Youhavetowatch.Youhavetoseetheminpain;youhavetoseethemdie.Then,andonlythen,willIallowyourpaintoend.”“Andthat’sit,isit?Thenit’salldone?”“Thenit’salldone.”Hestood.“Areyouready?”“No.”“Well,fortunately,it’snotuptoyou.”“That’s notwhat Imeant,”Valkyrie said. “When I spoke to the boy, the

youngerversionofyou—”“He’snotreal,”Cadaveroussaidirritably.“Heneverexisted.”“He’srealsomewhere.Somewhereinyourhead,thatboyisreal,andheis

you,aversionofyouthatdidn’tsinkintoallthisevil.WhenIspoketohim,hetoldmesomething.Hetoldmenottoplayyourgame.”NowCadaverouslaughed.“Mydeargirl,inhere,mygameisallthereis.”“Iknow,”saidValkyrie.“Whichiswhyweshouldn’tbeplaying.”

She backed off, turned to a door, lunging through, Cadaverous’s laughfollowing her into the hall. She ran to the kitchen, careful not to touchanything,waryofboobytraps.Sheignoredthebackdoor.In theoldhouse,the real house, in St Louis, the back door had been rigged to deliver anelectric shock. Instead, she clambered up beside the sink, kicked at thewindow,crackedit,kickedagain,smashedit,theglasstryingtogetthroughthe jodhpurs. She cleared the edge with her boot and crouched, then slidthrough,droppingintoweedsandscrubthatsnatchedatherankles.Roundthecornerofthehousesheran,sprintingforhercar.The front door opened and yellow light spilled out and from that light

Cadaverouscame,jumpingdownthesteps,snatchingather,butsheduckedhimandhisfoothitherownandtheybothwentdown,sprawlingawayfromeachother.Valkyrierolled,cameupwithherkeysinherhand,leapedontothebonnetandslidacross.Pulledthedooropen.Keyintheignition.Engineroaring.Knockedthecar

intoreverseandthewheelsspun,throwingdust,Cadaverouspunchingahandthroughthepassenger-sidewindow,reachingforher.She yanked the wheel, spinning the car, leaving Cadaverous to stagger,

leavinghimforthegloomtoswallow,andshegunnedtheengineandwasoff.Sheflickedontheheadlights,litupthebridgeamomentbeforeshereachedit,andthenthewoodenslatswerethunderingbeneath,andoneithersidewerethedarkwatersofCadaverousGant’smind.Theothersideofthebridgeapproachedquicklyandthenshotby.Nomore

thunder. Just the enginenow, and the familiar crunchof tyreson tarmac asValkyriefollowedtheroadupintothetownthatwasn’tHaggard.Beforesheswerved on to Main Street, she raised her eyes to the rear-view mirror.Glimpsedheadlights.“Comeon!”sheshouted.“Comeandgetme!”MainStreetwasemptynow.Shedrovedownthemiddleoftheroad,gotto

thebendoppositetheservicestation,nearlyjumpedthekerbandhitthewall,butsheforcedthecarbackundercontrolandkeptgoing,bitingdownonherlower lip the whole time. From here on, it was a straight blast to thegraveyard,andherfootgotheavieronthepedal.Thedarknessblurredby.Theengine’sroarfilledherears.Valkyriegripped

thewheel andkepther elbows locked.At this speed,onemistake,one tinymistake,wouldflipthecar,wouldbringthismanufacturedworldcrashinginontopofher.Herseatbelt.Shewasn’twearingherseatbelt.Thegraveyardapproached.Shedidn’tlethereyesflicker.Once beyond the graveyard, Valkyrie eased off the accelerator. The roar

decreased.Sheturnedthewheelslightlyandthecarslid,andshetriedturning

intotheskid,butthenthecarwasspinning,andshecrackedherheadagainstthewindowandcametoasudden,rockingstopinthemiddleoftheroad.Amomenttositthere,justamoment,tomakesureshehadn’tcrashed,she

hadn’t killed herself, then a glance around to establishwhere shewas.Thetownthatwasn’tHaggardinfrontofher.Thewayoutbehind.And,speedingtowardsher,CadaverousGant’sCadillac.Reverse.Footdown.Onehandonthewheel,theotheracrosstheheadrest

of the passenger seat, looking behind as much as in front. The Cadillac’sheadlightsfilledthecarlikewater.Bumpertobumper,shefledandhechased.Reflectedlightgaveheraglimpseofthatgrinning,manicface.Her free hand, pulling the seatbelt across her body. Switched hands.

Clicked it in. Braced herself. A foot on the brake and a sharp turn of thewheel.TheCadillachitherandshespunandtheCadillacsweptbyandnowshewasfollowingit,cursingatit,rammingintothebackofit.Theyfollowedthecurveoftheroad,uptothewoods.Uptothenarrow,narrowroadintothewoods.She pulled alongside the Cadillac, going faster with every heartbeat. He

bashed into her, shaking the car. Shebashed into him, harder.Did it again,nudginghimover,makinghimgiveupthemiddleoftheroad.Sheaimedthecarat thegapbetweenthetreesandwentfaster,faster,waytoofast–Jesusshewasgoingtokillherself,goingtohitoneofthosetreesoneithersideandgoupinafireball,everythingblurring.OnetipfromthatCadillacanditwasallover––andthenshewasplungingbetweenthetrees,herrear-viewflashingwith

theCadillac’sswoopingheadlightsasCadaverousswervedawaytoavoidanimpact.Valkyrie’s footeasedoff theacceleratorand tapped thebrake.Stillgoing

fast,butmanagingit.Controllingit.Slowingdownmoreasshecametothebendintheroad.Shehadtime.Shetookonehandoffthesteeringwheelandflexedthepainfromherfingers.Didthesamewiththeotherone.Shetastedbloodinhermouth.Herbottomlipwasbleeding.Sheslowedfurther.TheendofthewoodlandwasjustaheadandValkyrie

rolledtowardsit,andstopped.Sheturnedofftheengine,andgotout.Shestoodbesidethecar,eyesonthe

bendintheroadbehind.Listening.Thiswouldn’tworkifhe’dgivenup.Thiswouldn’tworkifhe’dalreadygonebacktokillAliceandSkulduggery.Pleaselethimnothavegoneback.Through a gap in the branches, high overhead, she could see the clock

moon.Itwastwentyminutestomidnight.

“I’mhere!” she shoutedat thedark trees. “I’m righthere!Comeandgetme,youcoward!Comeon!”In the woods, there was no warm breeze. In the woods, there was only

stillness.Andthenheadlightssnappedonatthebendintheroad,likeagreatbeast

openingitseyes,andtheCadillaccameroaringforher.

OceanofPDF.com

70

Valkyrie jumped in the car, twisted the key and floored it. The car leapedforward, but theCadillac still bashed into the back of her. Shewas thrownaboutinherseatasthecarfishtailed,scrapedatree,ricochetingfromonesidetotheother,theCadillacbehindherstraightasanarrow.Outofthetreeshercarscreamedandnowtherewasthehill,therewasjust

thehill,andthenshe’dbeout,andthat’swheresheledhimandthat’swherehe followed, so determined to catch her, to kill her, that maybe he didn’tnotice,maybehe didn’t care howclose theywere to the exit.TheCadillaccameuponherrightandcrashedintoherinashriekoftorturedmetal.Stilltheyspedon,lockedtogether.Upthehill.Towardstheexit.Cadaverousreachedthroughherwindow,fingersclosingroundValkyrie’s

soddenT-shirt.Shecursed,triedtobreakthehold,buthewasalreadypullingheroutofthecar.Herfootlefttheacceleratorandherhandleftthesteeringwheel and the car turned on its own, flipped, left the ground and rolledthroughtheairastheCadillacspedon,leavingValkyrie’scartocrashtothegroundbehindthem.Now, instead of trying to break free of his hold, Valkyrie held on,

desperatelykeepingherfeetoffthespeedingroad.Theywereatthetopofthehillnow,passingthepayphone,andCadaverous

brakedhardandtheCadillacswervedandskiddedtoahalt,astone’s throwfromtheexit.Theenginewasturnedoff.Suddensilence.Valkyrie letherfeet touchtheground.Cadaverouspulled

herincloseandsmiled.Hisbreathwashot,likethebreeze.Shegrabbedhiswrist,triedtotwistit.Shedugherthumbintohiseye.He

didn’tevenflinch.Helaughedatherstruggles.HewasGodhere,afterall.Butoutthere,outthroughthatgarage-door-sizedholeinthecliffface,he

wasjustaman.ValkyriemanagedtopullherT-shirtloosebutCadaveroussnarled,grabbed

atheragain,yankedoutaclumpofherhairthatbroughttearstohereyes,butshewas freeandshewas running.Sheheardhim jumpoutof theCadillac,

heardhimrunafterher,butshewasrightthere,shewassoclose,justanotherthreestepsandshe’dbeout.Hekickedatheranklesandshehittheground,bitinghertongue,thehard-

packeddirtscrapingatherskinassheskiddedandbounced.Herelbows,scratchedandcutandbleeding,restedonthecementlipofthe

MidnightHotel’sgarage.Itwascoldouthere,outintherealworld.Theairwaschilled.Fingersclosedroundheranklesanddraggedherback.Valkyrietwisted,triedtobreakfree,buthejustlaughed,swungheralittle

andlethergo.Thistime,whenshehittheground,shedidherbesttoroll,butshewas so tired, so exhausted, thatwhile shemanaged to comeupon oneknee,sheimmediatelyfellback.“Are you quite done?” Cadaverous asked, standing between her and the

exit.Shespatbloodanddidn’tanswer.Shesuckedinadeepbreath,turnedover

andgotupvery,veryslowly.ShenoddedatthebatteredCadillac.“Lasttimesomeonedamagedyourcar,youwentspare.”“Spare?” Cadaverous said, raising an eyebrow. “Must be an Irishism I

haven’tsampledbefore.Ididindeed‘gospare’,butonlybecausemycarisathingofbeauty.Thevehicleyouseebeforeyouisn’tmycar.TherealCadillacisparkednearbyandisquitesafe,Iassureyou.ThisismerelytheCadillacIconstructedforuseinhere.They’realmostidentical,aren’tthey?Almostbutnotquite.Theinteriorandthegrillearedifferent,andthewheelsarenot—”Valkyrieheldupherhand.“Iwasjustmakingsmalltalkbeforeyoukilled

me.Ireallydon’tcareaboutyourstupidcar.”“Howmany times do I have to tell you?You’re not going to die before

yoursisterand theskeleton.Thatwouldspoil thefun.”Hewavedhishand,andthebootpopped,andslowlyopened.“Inyougo,”hesaid.“I’mnotgettinginthere.”“Icouldthrowyouin,ifyou’dprefer,oryoucouldclimbinyourselfand

maintainsomedegreeofdignity.”“Dignity’snotgoingtodomeanygoodstuckinacarboot.”“Verywell,”hesaid,andwalkedtowardsher.She tried to dodge past him, but he grabbed her easily, his hand closing

round the back of her neck. His fingers squeezed so tight she went light-headed,almostdidn’tnoticehimdragginghertowardstheCadillac.Shegotherfeetbackunderher,tookherownweight.Hisgriploosenedslightly.Notenoughforhertobreakfree,butenoughsothatshewasn’tgoingtoblackout.“… today’s generation,” Cadaverous was saying. “No dignity. No self-

respect.Youdon’twork for anythinganymore.You just expect it all tobe

handedtoyou.Dignityisearned.Itcomesfromperseverance.”Valkyriemanageda laugh.“Your little friendJeremiahdidn’tshowmuch

dignitywhenhedied.”Cadaverousstoppedwalkingforamoment.BeforeValkyriecouldstartto

prisehishandaway,however,he lungedat theCadillac, slammingher faceintotheside.He held her there, pinned, unable to do anything about it, and then he

leaneddown.“Don’tyoutalkabouthimthatway,”Cadaveroussaid.She didn’twant to say anything else. She didn’twant to utter onemore

word.Allshewantedwastostayquietandlethimdumpherintheboot.Allshewantedwasforhimtostophurtingher.Instead,shemadeherselfsmile.“Hesquealed.”Cadaverousleaneddown.“Whatdidyousay?”“Whenhefell,”shesaid.“Or,whenIlethimfall,Imean.Hesquealedall

thewaydown.”His eyes positively bulging from his gaunt face, Cadaverous hauled her

back,andnowallshecouldseewastheCadillac.Thepretty,prettyCadillac,alldentedandbashedandscrapedandcovered indust from thechase.Thepassenger’s sidewindowwas rolled up. It was the one part of the car shecouldseethathadyettosustainanydamage.Then it was hurtling towards her and she closed her eyes and theworld

crashedandwentdark.

OceanofPDF.com

71

TheCaingirlhadgonelimpinhishands.Cadaverousdroppedher,disgusted,andshecrumpled–lesslikeahuman

body,morelikeasackofhumanremains.Bloodranfreelyfromthecutsonherface.Atleastshewasn’tsayinganythinganymore.Atleastshehadshutupnow,hadstoppedspewingallthoseliesaboutJeremiah.Ofcourseshehadlied.Itwasn’tevenherfault.Shewasawoman.Itwasintheirnature.Hehadlearnedthisa long, longtimeago,hadlearneditasachild.Hismotherhadbeena liar.Shehad lied tohis fathersomany times that ithadreduced themantonothing.Sharpwordswerelikethebladeofanaxe–enoughswingsandtheywouldchopdownthetallestoftrees.Hetookholdof thegirl’sankle,draggedhereasily,enjoying thestrength

hishomeprovidedhim.Hisbackdidn’tspasmwhenhebentdowntopickherup, andhismuscles didn’t strainwhenhe liftedher into the trunk.His agedidn’tmeananythinginhere.Inhere,hisenergywaslimitless.Heshutthetrunk,wentroundtothedriver’sside,gotinbehindthewheel.

He paused for amoment,wondering if he’d killed her.He didn’twant herdeadjustyet.Thatwouldspoilhisplans.He focusedon looking throughhereyes,expectingnothingbutdarkness.

Instead,hesawaredlight.Theinteriorofthetrunk.Shewasconsciousagain,andshewasalive.Hewasn’tsurprised.Shehad

survived a lotworse than getting her head smashed through a carwindow.Shewastough.Itwasoneofthethingshealmostrespectedabouther.He lefther to the red light, thesteeringwheel swimmingback intoview.

Jeremiahhadn’tbeentough,notlikethat.Inmanyways,infact,Jeremiahhadbeenweak.Sometimesevenpetulant.Buthe’dbeentalented,andthathadmeantalot.Thewayhe’dworkedhad

been a wonder to behold. Watching Jeremiah, Cadaverous had often beenremindedofhimselfasayoungman.He started the car,made aU-turn,was almost to the payphonewhen he

glancedintherear-viewandsawthatthetrunkwasopen.

Hebraked.Leapedout.SprintedafterValkyrieCainasshestumbledfortheexit.Shepassedthrough.Hefeltherleaveandithithimlikeheartache.He stopped, right at the doorway. She turned to him. Bloodmasked her

face,raninrivuletsdownherthroat,mixingwiththemudthatcakedherT-shirt. She stood just out of reach.Tograb her, he’d have to step out of hishome.He’dbevulnerablethere.He’dbestrong,andfast,butnotthisstrong,notthisfast.Onemorestepandshe’dhaveachancetostophim.“I’llkill them,”hesaid.“I’llkill theskeletonfirst.I’ll tearhimapartand

burnhisbones.I’llscatterhisashes.ThenI’llkillyoursister,yourhelpless,terrifiedlittlesister.”“You’re going to kill them anyway,”Valkyrie responded, spraying small

dropsofbloodeverytimeherlipsmoved.“Ihavetokillhim,”Cadaveroussaid.“Formyownfuturesurvival.Ican’t

have Skulduggery Pleasant running around after I’ve killed the great andterribleValkyrieCain.ButIdon’thavetokillher.Icanlethergo,solongasyoucomebackinside.Igiveyoumyword.”“Youexpectmetotrustyou?”“Ihaveneverbrokenmyword,”Cadaverous toldher.“Idonot intend to

startnow.”“Everythingyousayisalie.”Cadaverousshrugged.“Youcanbelievethat, ifyouwish.If itmakesyou

feel better. If it lets youwalk away.But, if you dowalk away, then Iwilldefinitelykillher.Ifyouleave,youwillbecuttingyourownsister’sthroat.”“Ifyouhurther,IsweartoyouI’llkillyou.”“Maybeyouwill.But thatwon’tbringherbacktolife.AndIcanstayin

hereamightylongtime.”Valkyrieraisedahandtoherhead,asifshewasjustnoticingherinjuries.

Shelookedatherhand,lookedatthebloodthatcoveredit,andherlegsgaveoutandshestumbledbackwards,collapsed.Cadaverous fought the urge to lunge at her during this moment of

weakness.Evenwithhermagiccutoff,shewasaformidableopponent,andhecouldn’tbesurethatshewasn’tfakingthisvulnerabilityinanattempttodraw him out. So he stayedwhere hewas, watching her as she got to herhandsandknees.“Webothknowyou’renotgoingtorunaway,”hetoldher.“It’snotinyour

nature.You’regoingtoexchangeyourlifeforyoursister’s,soletusforgothepretenceandgetitoverwith.Midnightisalmostuponus.”She stood. She looked genuinely unsteady, and her face – what little he

couldseeofherskinbeneathallthatbloodanddriedmuck–wasstartlingly

pale.Hebegantothinkthatmaybeshewasn’tfakingit,afterall.Hetookastepovertheborder,intotherealworld.ValkyrieusedherdirtyT-shirttowipesomeofthebloodoffherface.Her

cutswerestillbleeding,though,forgingnewriversthatdrippedintohereyes,off her nose, off her chin. She was blinking rapidly, half blind, two stepsaway.Justtwosteps.Cadaverous reached for her and saw a grin start to form and he jumped

backovertheborder,safeintheworldinwhichhewasall-powerful.AndValkyrielaughedsohardshedoubledover.“You’resuchacoward!”

she cried. “You’re such a typical little bully! Scurrying back to your safeplace!”Cadaverousfeltthatoldangerrisingup.Shewasstartingtosoundlikethe

restofthemnow.“You’rebigandstrongwhenyou’reonhome turf, aren’tyou?” she said,

tauntinghimin thatwaytheydid,wheretheirwordsneedledintohismind,prisedawayhiscontrol.“Butthemomentyoustepoutintotherealworldyourealisehowsmallyouare.Howpathetic.”“Shutyourmouth,”Cadaveroussnarled.“Howinsignificant.”“I’llkillher,”hesaid,walkingbacktohiscar.“Yoursisterisgoingtodie

andit’syourfault.Youcouldhavesavedher,butyouweretoobusyshowingoff.”“Jeremiahdiedscreaming!”Cadaverousspun.“Youshutyourlyingmouth!”“He took after you,”Valkyrie said, a snarl of her own on her face. “He

talked toughand then it all fell apart.Hebeggedme tohelphim.Whenhewasabouttofall.Hebeggedmetohelp.Hewascrying.Knowwhatelsehesaid?Hesaid,‘Please,MrGant,pleasesaveme.’Howpatheticisthat,huh?AndthenIlethimgo,andhefell,screaming,begging,withyournameonhislips.”Hisfistswereclenched.Hismusclesknotted.“Iknowwhatyou’retrying

todo.You’retryingtogetmetolosecontrol.”“No.I’mtryingtogetyoutobeaman.”Ascreechrosefromsomewherewithin.“Whoareyoutoquestionme?”Valkyrieshrugged.Aninnocent,insouciantlittleshrug.“Noone,”shesaid.

“I’mjustagirl.Justaweak,helplesslittlegirl.Idon’tevenhavemymagictodefendmyself with. Butwho are you?You’re a big, full-grownman.Andyou’retooscaredtocomeandgetme.Youkilled,what,adozenwomenbackwhenyouwereaserialkiller?Andhowmanypeoplehaveyoukilledsinceyoudiscoveredmagic?Doyouevenremember?Isupposeitdoesn’tmatter,

becauseobviouslynoneofthem,notaone,everchallengedyou.Notoneofthemwas inaposition to fightback.And thenyoumeet someone likeme,someonewhoisgoingtofightback,andyou’re tooscaredtocomeandgetme.”Helookedather,andhisfistsunclenched,andhechuckled.Shefrowned.“You’ve overplayed your hand,my dear,” he said. “Itwas close. Itwas.

Youalmostgotme.Maleprideisasurprisinglyfragilething,especiallywhenaweak,helplesslittlegirllikeyouispokingatit.But,ofcourse,you’renotaweak and helpless little girl, are you? You’re dangerous, and you have ahistoryofsnatchingvictoryfromthejawsofdefeat.Soforgiveme,Valkyrie,if I’m not prepared to play your little game tonight.” The Cadillac’s dooropenedashewalkedovertoit.“Coward!”sheshoutedathim.Heglancedatthemoon,thenbackather.“Youhavetenminutes,andthen

theskeletonandyoursisterdie.Who’sthecowardnow,Valkyrie?”

OceanofPDF.com

72

He left her there, drenched in blood and impotent, and drove through thewoodland, through the town and across the bridge. He stopped outside thehouseandwalkedupthestepstothefrontdoor.Acalmnesshadsettledoverhim.She’deitherfollowhimandhe’dkillher,orshewouldn’tandhe’dkillhersister.Eitherwayhe’dwin.Eitherwayhe’dbeatenher.The housewhispered to himwhen he entered,welcoming him back.He

patted the table as he passed. The floorboards creaked and he smiled. Theceilinggroaned.Hepaused,swappinghissight forValkyrie’s. Itwasdarkwhereshewas.

Hewatchedherhandspullingapartweedsandbranches.Shewaslookingforsomething.Hermovementsdesperate.Good.ThelivingroomswambackintoviewandsuddenlyAbyssiniawasinfront

ofhim,herhandsclampedontoeithersideofhishead.Buthejustlaughed.“Youthinkyoucandrainmylifeforce?”heasked.“Youthinkthat’seven

possibleinmyownhome?”Hegrippedherbythethroat.“IamGodhere.”Hehurledherthroughthewall,thewoodsplintering,andshecrashedinto

the hidden room beyond. Skulduggery Pleasant, wearing a false face andholdingAlicewithhisleftarm,ignoredherassherolledtoastopathisfeet,andraisedhisgun.SixbulletshitCadaverous.Threetothechestandthreetothehead.Noneofthempiercedtheskin.NoneofthemmadeCadaveroussomuchasflinch.TherewasanoddripplearoundAlice’shead.“What a nice thought,” Cadaverous said. “Using the air to protect her

delicateears fromall thatgunfire.Not thatshe’sgoing toneedherhearing.Shewon’texactlybegettinganyolderaftertonight.”Pleasant put the gun away. “At the risk of stating the obvious,” he said,

“sheisonlyachild.Youdon’thavetokillher.”“Valkyriemustlearnthatthereisacosttoshirkingone’sresponsibilities.”“Shegotaway,then.”

“I’msureshe’llbeback,”Cadaveroussaid.“Shewouldn’tjustabandonthetwoofyou,wouldshe?Idoubtshe’dbeabletolivewithherselfafterwards.”“Sowhatdoyouproposewedonow?”Skulduggeryasked.“Waitforherto

arrive?”“No.Iwanttoinflictpain.Putthechilddownandcomeforward.”Pleasanthesitated,thenlookedatthelittlegirl.“You’regoingtohavetobe

bravenow,OK?Canyoudothat?I’mgoingtoputyoudownandIwantyoutostayasfarbackasyoucan.”Thelittlegirlnoddedherdelightfullittlehead.Cadaverous smiled. “Are all children sowell-behaved?Thiswhole time,

shehasn’tcriedorcomplainedonce.Alotofgrown-upsIknowcouldlearnalessonfromher.”Pleasantputthegirldownandshewanderedofftothebackwall.“So obedient,” Cadaverous said, and the table crashed into him from

behind.Hestumbledslightly,andlaughed,andPleasantwavedhisarmsagainand

thearmchairliftedoffthefloorandflewathim.Itknockedhimbackafewsteps,butonlymadehimlaughlouder.“You can’t do it,” he explained, adjusting his tie. “You can’t beatme in

here.Don’t you understand?You boast somuch about how intelligent youare,butsometimesItrulydodoubtit.”A fireball hit him, exploded across his face, andwhen hewiped it away

Pleasantwasonhim,handsgraspingeithersideofhishead,thumbsdigginginto his eyes. Cadaverous ignored it all, and pressed his hand againstPleasant’sshirt,feltthematerial,stiffyetsoft,preciselywhatwasrequiredofashirtthatgavetheillusionofaflesh-and-bloodbodybeneath.Butofcoursetherewasnoflesh-and-bloodbodybeneath,andCadaveroussankhisfingersin,gripping theribcage.Pleasantgasped, tried topullback,butCadaverousraised him off his feet and threw him across the room. He hit the wallpleasingly,droppedandcamebackup.“Ow,” the skeleton said,brushingdust fromhis lapel.Cadaveroushad to

handittohim–hehadstyle.Pleasantdartedin.Cadaverouswenttobathimaway,buttheskeletondid

something, some fancy move that Cadaverous had never seen before, andsuddenlyhewasbehindhimandCadaverous’sheadwas inhishandsagainandPleasantwrenchedittotheside.But Cadaverous’s neck didn’t break, because CadaverouswasGod here,

andGod’sneckdoesn’tbreak.HehitPleasantwiththebackofhishand,littlemorethanalazyswipe,and

Pleasanttwistedandwentstumbling.

“Isn’titdisheartening,”heaskedastheskeletonstraightenedupagain,“tobeconsistentlydeniedthekillthatyousorichlydeserve?BecauseIadmitit–youdeservedtokillmethere.Bothtimes.Youcamein,gotpastmydefences,andwentstraightforthehead.Straightforthekill.Andyet,thereyoustand.Denied.Iknowhowyoufeel.Iknowwhatthat’slike.TimeandagainIhavebeendeniedwhatIdeserve.”Pleasant nodded, then suddenly pushed at the air, sending furniture

crashingintothefarwall.ButnotasinglehairstirredonCadaverous’shead.Cadaveroushithim.Hithimagain.Hithimafewtimesandthenhithima

fewtimesmore.Hewishedtheskeletonwasn’taskeleton.Hewishedhewasa flesh-and-blood man, so he could break the flesh and spill the blood.Anotherpleasuredeniedhim.Still,atleasttheskeletonfeltpain.Atleasthefelteachpunchasitlanded.

Atleasthefeltitwhenhisbonescrackedandfractured.“I like your suits,” Cadaverous said, as Pleasant tried to crawl away.

“Wheredoyougetthem?”He picked Pleasant up and launched him through a door that splintered

openonimpact.Pleasantwent rolling. Groaned. “A friend ofmine,” hemuttered, “made

themforme.”“Doyouthinkhewouldconsidermakingoneforme?”“Sure,”Pleasantsaid,standing.“I’llintroduceyou.”HeswungapunchthatcrackedagainstCadaverous’sjaw,butinflictedno

damage,andCadaverousrespondedwithanotherbackhandthatsentPleasantslidingacross the floor.His facemelted fromhis skull, retreatingunderhiscollar.Cadaverous smiled, and dragged the skeleton back into the living room.

The little girl was trying to wake Abyssinia, but she looked up whenCadaverouscalled.“Look at this,” he said, holding Pleasant up so that she could see him

properly. “Look at Skulduggery. Look at what he really is, when he’s notwearingamask.”Heexpectedhertoscream,ortocry,ortodosomething.Instead,shejust

stared.“That was anticlimactic,” Pleasant muttered, and Cadaverous let him

collapse.Andthenthemoonbegantochime.

OceanofPDF.com

73

“Midnight,”Cadaveroussaid,smilingagain.“AndValkyrieCainhasn’tcometosaveyou.Areyoudisappointedinher?Ithoughtshewasmadeofsternerstuff.”Pleasantwavedahandinhisdirection.“Ihavearetort,”hesaidfromthe

floor.“Andit’sagoodone.Justwaitthere.It’llbeworthit,Ipromise.”“Iamdreadfullysorry,”saidCadaverous,“butyour timehas runout.No

morewaitingforyou.Nomoreprocrastinating.”Thelittlegirlranuptostandbetweenthem.“Stophurtinghim,”shesaid.

Herlittlehandswereonherlittlehips.Itwasalmostadorable.Pleasantmoaned.“Youtellhim,Alice.”“Hurtingpeopleiswrong,andyoushouldn’tdoit.”Thelittlegirlwagged

herfinger.“Youarebeingnaughty.”Cadaveroushunkereddown,andpeeredather.“Youdon’tfeelanyfear,do

you?Notanounce.Notonejot.”“I’mbrave,”thelittlegirlsaid.“Likemysister.”Cadaveroussmiledandshookhishead.“I’msorrytobetheonetotellyou,

but your sister is not brave. If she were brave, she’d be here right now,fightingforyou.”Alice frowned, and looked back at Pleasant, who was on his feet and

testinghisjaw,probablytomakesureithadn’tfallenoff.“Isheright?”sheasked.“No,”Pleasantsaid.“He’s justacrankyoldmanwhodoesn’tknowwhat

he’stalkingabout.Ifyoursisterisn’theretofightforyou,thenIam.You’llalwayshavesomeone,Alice.”Cadaverousstraightened.“Oh,Iapologise,arewenottellingherthatshe’s

abouttodie?It’sjust,oncesheseesmekillyou,theideamightoccurtoheranyway.”Pleasant moved Alice behind him, and took out his gun. “I’ve got my

secondwind,”hesaid.“AndI’vebeenstudyingyourmoves.Iknowexactlyhowtobeatyou.”“Youdo?”

“Yes,”saidPleasant,andthrewhisgun.ItbouncedoffCadaverous’shead.Cadaverouslaughed.SodidPleasant.“I’mgoingtokillyounow,”Cadaveroussaid.Pleasantsquaredhisshoulders.“I’dimagineso.”AndthenValkyrieCaincalledCadaverous’sname,fromoutsidethehouse.“Huh,”saidCadaverous,andwalkedto thefrontdoor.Pleasantfollowed,

holdingthelittlegirl’shand.Valkyrie stoodwaiting in themoonlight, her clothes caked indriedmud.

Most of the blood flow had stopped,which allowedCadaverous to see thedeeplacerationsalongherforehead.Theskeleton’scarwasparkedbesideher,andshewaschewingonsomething–probablythosefoul-tastingleaves–inanefforttodullherpain.Sheheldnoweapons,andthebraceletonherarmwasstillsecure,sosheobviouslyhadn’tfoundwhatevershe’dbeenhuntingfor.“You’relate,”Cadaveroussaid,“and,sadly,theofferIextendedtoyouwas

time-sensitive.I’mafraidIcannolongerallowyoursistertolive.”Valkyrieshrugged.“Iwouldn’tworryaboutthat, ifIwereyou.I’mabout

togiveyouanass-kickinglikeyouwouldn’tbelieve.”“Is that so? I’ll admit, such a proclamation would ordinarily have me

positively quaking inmyboots, but unless you found aGod-Killerweaponhiddensomewhereintheundergrowth,Isincerelydoubtit.”Valkyriewipedatrickleofbloodawayfromhereye.Inthemoonlight,the

blood lookedblack.“Idon’tneedaGod-Killer tostompyourhead into theground,”shesaid,andstartedwalking.Cadaverouswatchedher,ohsocasual,ohsocool,asshedisappearedround

thesideofthehouse.Hereachedback,tookAlicebythearm.“Comealong,”he said. “You, too,Detective.Youwouldn’twant to leaveAlice alonewithme,wouldyou?”He walked after Valkyrie, not even feeling Alice as she tried in vain to

struggle fromhisgrip.Theygot to the sideof thehouseandkeptwalking.Cadaverouswasenjoyingthis.Nomatterhowweakherhandwouldturnouttobe,Valkyriewasactingasifshewasleadinghimintoatrapfromwhichhewould not escape.Hewas looking forward towatching the confidence slipfromherface.Hewaslookingforwardtocatchingsightofthefirstflickersoffear.Thatwasoneofhisfavouritemoments.Theycameroundthecorner,andCadaverousstopped,andfrowned.“Iwasn’t looking foraweapon,”Valkyrie said, standingon the roofofa

building that shouldn’t have been there, a building that was no taller thanValkyrieherself.“Iwaslookingforaseed.”

Ittookhimamomenttorecognisethebuilding.ItwastheMidnightHotel,anditwasgrowingslowlybeforethem.But… but no. They were in theMidnight Hotel. This didn’t make any

sense.TheywerebothintheMidnightHotelandoutsideitatthesametime.Holding the chimney for balance,Valkyrie raisedher foot andbrought it

down hard on the roof, and thunder shook the sky and made the moontremble.Heshouldhaveleapedforward.Shouldhavepulledherdownandsnapped

herneck.Butinhisconfusionhecouldonlysay,“Stop.”Hecouldonlysay,“Whatareyoudoing?”She brought her boot down again and, to the north, the sky over the

mountainssplintered––andagiantfootbrokethrough.

OceanofPDF.com

74

Valkyrie gazed down through the hole in the roof, and saw the mountainsbelow.Then she lookedup, saw them in thedistance, across thewater, and saw

herbootdanglingabovethemlikeGod’sownfoot.Shewiggledit,justtoseeitwiggle, thenpulledher legupand stampeddownagain.Thecrash, fromboth the roof below her and the world around her, was a thunderclap ofmonstrouscollisions.She reacheddown, grabbed a jagged collectionof timbers.The roof, not

even close to being fully formed, peeled away, leaving herwith a gap justaboutbigenoughtodropthrough.ShecaughtAlice’seye,winked,thensteppedintotheholeandletherself

fall. She landed, bending her knees, in themiddle of themountains. Theywereunevenandshealmost twistedanankle,but she reachedout, steadiedherself by grasping the tallest snow-capped peak. She took a moment toorientateherself.Themountainscameuptohershoulders.Thedarkseawasnownomorethanasmallpond,and,beyondit,theislandwithCadaverous’shouse.Valkyriestraightened,thetopofherheadbrushingthesky,andsteppedout

intothesea.Thewaterdidn’tgohigherthanhercalf.She hurried to the island, kicking up a tsunami with every step. If the

thoughtoccurredtoCadaveroustoclimbontothehotelandfollowherdown,itwas all over.The only thing stopping that fromhappeningwas the sheershockhewashopefullyfeeling,andhisownlackofimagination.Shepassedunderthemoon,paused,andmovedthebighandalmostallthe

wayround.Herheadhitthemoonandshescowledandcontinuedon.AnyhopeshehadofendingthisbyjustsquishingCadaverousbeneathher

bootvanishedwhenshesawhimwalkingtowardsher.Hewasgrowingwitheachstep.Ifshewasthesizeofamountain,hewasthesizeofahouse,andthenachurch,andthenatowerandthenaskyscraper,andwhenhesteppedofftheislandandintotheseahewasasbigasshewas.

“Notnearlycleverenough,”hesaid,andthrewapunch.Valkyrie saw it coming and stepped into it, absorbing it along her upper

arm. It didn’t send her flying. It was a good punch, a strong punch, but itwasn’tstrongenoughtostaggerher.SherealisedhowtiredCadaverousnowlooked–asiftheefforttogrowtothissizewastakingallofhisenergy.She snapped out a jab that rocked him, then grabbed his shoulder and

lungedinwithanelbowthatsenthimbackwards.Hefell, toppling,intothesea.“Thisisembarrassing,”saidValkyrie,backingawayalittle.“Howdareyou!”he screeched, splashingabout ashegotup. “Howdare

you!”Wipingbloodfromhisnose,hestalkedafterherassheledhimawayfromtheisland.“IamGodhere!Thisismyworld!Thisismycreation!”Hedivedatherandsherammedherforearmintothesideofhisneck.He

gaspedandshedraggedhimoverherhipandflippedhim.Hehit thewater,managedtobreakfree,rolledawayandstood,cursingher.Heseemedsmallernow.Hewassmaller.Notbymuch,buthehaddefinitelylostsomeheight.Sheskippedin,kickedathisleg.Hehowled,staggeredback.Themoreshe

hithim,thesmallerhegot.Shegrinned,likingthisgame.Heranather.Shetriedtofliphimagain,butshemistimeditandtheyboth

went down, splashing into the sea.Cadaverous snarled, going for her eyes.She gripped hiswrists, turning him,wrapping himwith her legs.He got ahand free and pulled her hair and she hissed, tried to break the hold. Hescratchedather,shovedheroffandscrambledontop.Hishandsatherthroat,on her face, forcing her head underwater. Lungs burning, eyes shut, shewrappedhimupwithher legs again, crossingher ankles and extendingherbody.Squeezinghim.Thatwasn’tworking.Hisfingerswerelikeiron.Sheslammeda fist into thecrookofhiselbowandhisarmbentandshe

surfaced,gaspingforair.Yankingoneofhisarmsacrossherbody,sheswungherright legupon tohisshoulderand thenshiftedherweight,hookingherleftkneeoverherownrightinstep.Eyesbulging,heforcedherbackandshetook a breath before submerging. She didn’t mind it this time. After amoment,hestoppedtryingtodrownheranddevotedhisattentioninsteadtogettinghimselfoutofthetrianglechoke.Hebroughthisfeetinunderhim,strugglingtostand.Valkyriedidherbest

tokeephimonhisknees,buthewastoostrong.Hestraightened,takingherupoutofthewaterwithhim.Heturned,staggeredafewsteps,Valkyriestillstucktohimlikealimpet.Sheglancedoverhershoulder,sawwherehewasbringingher.Thebridge.He fell forward.Valkyrie hit the bridge and smashed through it, and felt

something give in her side. All sensation left her fingers and toes and

darkness clutched at her vision. She waited until it started to recede, thenshookherheadandflexedherfingers.Shecouldfeelthemagain.Cadaverouswasonhisfeet,drawinginlungfulsofair.Valkyriewenttoget

up, but he snarled, and lashed in a kick, his shoe striking that broken rib.Exquisitepainlancedthroughher.He tried another kick, but she brought her knee up, her boot absorbing

someoftheblow.Grittingherteethagainstthepaininherside,shegrabbedhislegandscrambledup.Cadaveroushoppedangrily,tryingtomaintainhisbalance. Valkyrie backed off, taking him with her, then spun him, and hehoppedandcursedanditwouldhavebeenfunnybutfor thebrokenribandthebruisesandthecutsandthefactthathewastryingtokillher.Itwasgettinghardertocontrolhim.Thesmallerhegot,thestrongerhegot.

ButValkyriewas shrinking, too.While the interior dimensions of this newMidnightHotelwereallmessedupduetoCadaverous’smagic,thefactwasthatthehotelwasstillgrowing,andeverypassingmomentrobbedherofanyadvantageshemightstillpossess.He torehis leg fromhergrip and theycollided, stumblingoutof the sea

and on to dry land. They crushed houses, flattened trees, left footprints inroads.Sheheadbuttedhim,wasrewardedwithadefinitereductioninhissize,buthepunchedher square in thechestand thatblastedherbackwards, intothe city.Herhip scraped against an apartmentbuilding, her elbow smashedthrougha skyscraper,but she foundsomething tograbon to to stopherselffromfalling.Shewasstilltallerthantheskyscrapershe’djustdamaged,butonlyjust.Breathingheavily,blooddrippingfromagashacrossthebridgeofhisnose,

Cadaverousfollowedherin,demolishinganoverpasslikehewaskickingatweeds.Themoreshedamagedhim,themoreheshrank,themoredangeroushe became. This was not a winning strategy. Her only hope was thatSkulduggerywasatleasttakingadvantageofthedistractiontoflyAlicebackintotherealworld.If that was actually possible. The moment she’d planted that seed,

Cadaverous’sworld and everyone inside itwere immediately transported tothe new hotel that had begun to growwithin the old one.Valkyrie tried tofigureoutwhat thatmeantfor theexit,butbeforeshegot toofardownthattrainofthought,Cadaverouswasattackingheragain.Sheduckedunderhim,butfeltherribsslideagainsteachotherandgasped,

faltered,andheshovedherandshefell.Clutchingatherself,Valkyrietriedtocry out but couldn’t. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Cadaverousbreakingaspireoffthetopofatower.Holdingitlikeadagger,hejumpedontoher.Shebroughtherkneesupandtheycrashedagainsthischest,butthere

wasnothingshecoulddoaboutthespirethatwascomingforherfaceexceptraiseherlefthand,andthespirewentcleanthrough.Valkyriefoundhervoice,andscreamed.Spittleflyingfromhisclenchedgrin,Cadaveroustuggedthespireoneway

andthentheotherandValkyrie’sscreamsreachednewheights.Shegrabbedhiswristwithherfreehand,foughttogetherfeetbetweenthem,andthenshepushedhimbackwithherlegs.Hehitabuildingandwentstraight through,collapsing floors on top of himself, andValkyrie got up, stumbled and ran,holdingherlefthandclosetoherbody.She kept low and darted right, followed a long street, turning slightly to

stop her shoulders from hitting the buildings on either side. Shewent left,rightagain,glancedbacktomakesureCadaverouscouldn’tseeher,andsankdownwithherbackagainstsomethingthatlookedlikeabank.Shewatchedtinycarsbrakeandtinypeople,allwithCadaverous’sface,shoutather.Shepulledherfeetoutoftheparkopposite,pulledthemclose.Onlythendidshedarelookatherhand.Thesightofitmadeherwanttobesick.Thespire,toher,wasmaybethe

lengthofapencil,butshewasshrinking,whichmeantitwasgrowing,whichmeantshecouldn’taffordtoletitstaywhereitwas.Shetriedtotakeholdofit,buteven touching it like thatwas toomuchand tearssprang tohereyes.ShewasdimlyawareofallthoselittleCadaverous-peoplelaughingather.She scooted forward, tore a tree from the park, then scooted back again,

pressedherspineagainstthebankbuilding.Sheputthetreebetweenherteethandclampeddown.TherewasacrowdoftheCadaverous-peoplebesideher,pointingupand jeering.She slammedherhandon topof them.Thecrowdsquelched beneath her and the spire shot up and she did her very best tomuffleherscream.Shetastedbarkandbloodinhermouth,andwhippedthespirefromherhandandletitfall.Blood poured from the puncture wounds. She spat out the tree and sat

there,gasping,crying,tryingnottomakeasound.Shewipedawaythetearswithherforearm,theparkonceagaincomingintoblurryfocus.Onlythendidsherememberthetattoosonhereyes.

OceanofPDF.com

75

Cadaverousreachedover thebankwithbothhands,grabbedherby thehairandhauledherupanddraggedherback,spinearchedacrosstheroofofthebank.He landed a fist in her belly and she curledup, fell sidewaysoff thebank roof, knees flattening cars and snapping lamp posts.Cadaverous tookholdofherheadinbothhishandsandpickedherup,walkedherbackwards,gruntingoutcursesandobscenitiestheentiretime.Hecrackedthebackofherskulloffabuildingandstoodoverherasshecollapsed.Whenshewaslyingontheground,hesteppedonherhead,grindingitinto

thestreet.“Howmanytimes,”heasked,“doIhavetobeatyoubeforeitregisters?”Valkyrie wanted to throw him off, to jump to her feet, to knock that

triumphantgleamoutofhiseyes,butshewaswaytootiredandfartoohurt.Hisshoescrapedagainsthercheek.Hisheelcrushedherear.Fromdownhere, shewas seeing the city fromanewangle, and realised

thatthiswasthestreetshe’dvisitedearlier.Itlookedquitedifferentnow,likeaplayset.Rubble andglass covered the road, and all the littleCadaverous-people had scampered away. It was quiet and still, so that when Valkyrieglimpsedmovementitstoodoutlikeitwascaughtinaspotlight.ShewatchedSkulduggery – tiny, tiny Skulduggery – creeping up, using the debris forcover.Cadaverous,allthewayupthere,hadn’tnoticedhimyet.“You’renotworthyofthis,”Cadaveroussaid.“Youknowthat,don’tyou?

You’renotworth the timeandtheeffort thathasgoneintokillingyou.YoushouldhavebeenjustanothernameaddedtothelistofthepeopleI’vekilled.That’s all you deserved. And yet somehow, somehow, you’ve survived upuntilnow.Whyisthat,doyouthink?”Skulduggery crouched,waiting for something,waiting forCadaverous to

lookaway.Valkyriedidn’tknowwhathewasplanningtodo,orwhatheevencoulddo.Hewasaboutthesizeofherthumbnail.“Doyou thinkyou’re special?”Cadaverous asked. “Doyou thinkyou’re

unique?DoyouthinkIviewyouasamortalenemy?”

Skulduggery launched himself forward, flying low to the ground, anddisappearedunderherbracelet.ThesoundofCadaverous’svoicechangedslightly,andValkyrieknewhe

waslookingdownather.“Idonotviewyouasanysuchthing,”hesaid.“Youareanannoyance.That’sallyoueverwere.Andyou’relucky.Iwillgiveyouthat.Butluck,likeblood,runsouteventually.”CadaverousgaveValkyrie’sheadapush,thensteppedaway.Clutchingher

leftwristtokeepherinjuredhandsteady,shehidSkulduggeryfromviewasshesatupslowly.Cadaveroushunkereddownnexttoher.“Thiswasagoodattempt,”hesaid.“Growinganewhotel,smashingyour

wayintoit…Thatshowsingenuity.Itshowsinitiative.Irespectthat,muchas it painsme to admit it. Jeremiah… Jeremiahwouldn’t have thought ofsomethinglikethis.Itwould,sadly,havebeenbeyondhim.It’sevengotmeconfused,andI’maverysmartman.LetmeseeifI’vegoteverythinginthecorrect order.Thehotel youdropped into – that’swhatwe’re in right now,yes?Wewereallteleportedintoitthemomentittookroot.Butthenyouleftthehotelwewerein,anddroppedintohere,whichisstillthehotelwewerein,but…not.AmIright?AmImakinganysense?Idon’tthinkIam.Letmetryagain.”Helaughed,closedhiseyes,focusing,andValkyriedidherbestnottogasp

as the bracelet sprang open andmagic flooded her body. She immediatelytwisted her arm so that Cadaverous wouldn’t see what had happened.Skulduggeryvanishedbehindabuilding.“Let’sthinkaboutexits,”Cadaveroussaid.“Ifweweretowalkoutofhere

thewaywecamein,we’demergeintothefirsthotel,wouldn’twe?Andwhenwewalked out of that thewaywe came in,wewould actually be outside,wouldn’t we? I think wewould.” He laughed again, and clapped. “This iswonderful!Arewecaughtinaparadox?I’veneverbeencaughtinaparadoxbefore.It’squitefun.Andwhyhaven’ttheoldversionsofthehotelwitheredawayyet?Arewedamagingitbeyondrepairbyforcingpreviousversionstomaintain their structures?Will I need to find a new homewhen all this isover?Oh,Idohopenot,notafteralltheworkI’veputintotheplace.”“Ishouldneverhavecomeinhere,”Valkyriemuttered.“Whatwasthat?”Cadaverousasked.“Whatdidyousay?”Sheclearedherthroat,andspokemoreclearly.“Ishouldneverhavecome

inhere.”Cadaverousnodded.“Obviously.”“Willyoulethergo?Mysister?Shehasn’tdoneanything.She’sachild.”“Sheisachild,yes,”saidCadaverous,“andarelentlesslyupbeatchild,at

that.ItwouldactuallypleasemenoendtoallowhertoleaveafterI’vekilled

youandtheskeleton.”“Thankyou,”saidValkyrie.“But I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he continued. “In ten years, she’ll be

formidable – especially if she follows your example. And she’ll rememberme,andshe’llcomeafterme.I’mdreadfullysorry,Ijustcan’thavesomeoneouttherewhoharboursanykindofgrudge,letaloneavendetta.I’llhavetokillher.”“Cadaverous,she’sakid.Please.”Hewavedahand.“Idon’tseewhyyou’regettingupset.You’regoing to

dienow.Whyshouldyoucarewhathappenstoanyoneafteryou’vedied?Itseems to me to be a waste of energy.” He stood, towering over her. “Youreally shouldn’t have come in here. Look at you. You’re growing smallereverymoment.”Hewas right. The hotelmust have hit a growth spurt in its final stages,

becausecarsthatValkyriecouldhavecrushedbetweentwofingersamomentagowerenowbiggerthanherhand.“I suppose your failure isn’t entirely your own fault,” he said. “It’s not

everydayyoufightagod.”Gritting her teeth against the pain from her broken ribs,Valkyrie started

gettingup.“Actually,I’vefoughtgodsbefore.”Shestraightened,andflickedherwet,filthyhairoutofhereyes.“They’renotsotough.”Cadaverouslookeddispleased,openedhismouthtosaysomethingandshe

raisedherrighthandandsentanarcoflightningstraightintohisface.He stepped back, cursed, turned away, the damage already fading, but

Valkyriehoppedontoanearbybuildingandsprangathim,cryingoutinpainasshewrappedanarmroundhisthroat.Firstruleoffightinggodsistokeepthemoffbalance.Iftheycan’tforma

coherentthought,theycan’tasserttheirpower.ValkyriekickedatthebackofCadaverous’slegandhiskneebuckledand

they toppled backwards. She tried to steel herself before they landed,Cadaverousontop,butherribssentdaggersshootingthroughherside.Tearsstreaming from her eyes, she wrapped her legs round his waist while shelocked in thesleeperchoke.He thrashedwildly,pullingatherarms,almostbreaking the hold by pure strength alone. If he’d kept at it, he could havesnappedherbones,butbothairandbloodwerebeingcutofffromhisbrain,and Cadaverous was doing what everyone did in that situation – he waspanicking.Valkyrieclungonasherolledtohishandsandknees.Hetriedstandingbut

shepulledathim,topplinghimagain.Hewasshrinkingnowandshehadto

adjustherposition,hadtotightenherarms.Therewereafewmomentswhentheywereofequalsize,buthewasshrinkingfasterthanshewas.She squeezed. She squeezedwith everything she had left.Her exhausted

armswerelittlemorethanuselessbandsofrubber,andstillshesqueezed.Shedidn’tstop.Shecouldn’t.Hersisterwasinhere.Shehadtosavehersister.Valkyriesqueezedandsqueezedandshuthereyesandgrittedherteeth,and

whensheletgoitwasn’tbecauseshewantedto, itwasbecauseshehadnoother choice. Her arms failed her and sprang apart as she collapsed back,Cadaverousrollingofftooneside.Buthedidn’tgetup.Hejustcontinuedtoshrink.She took a few deep breaths, then heaved herself on to her knees and,

movingslowlyandawkwardly,withherlefthandheldawayfromherbody,shestood.Skulduggeryranup,Aliceinhisarms.Valkyriewastwiceasbigashim.Skulduggery put Alice down and turned Cadaverous on to his belly. He

triedsnappingthecuffson,butCadaverous’swristswerestilltoothick.Anotherfewseconds.That’salltheyneeded.Anotherfewsecondsandthis

wouldallbeover.Cadaverousopenedhiseyes.He threwSkulduggerybackand ignoredValkyrie’s lightningashegot to

hisfeet.“Thatwasclose,”hesaid.“Thatwasastonishinglyclose.Congratulations

mightwellbeinorder–butfailureisfailure,andthegameisatanend.”“Notyetitisn’t,”Valkyriesaid.“What else do you have?” Cadaverous asked. “What else is there? You

havenothing.Doyoustillthinkyourlittleboltsoflightningaregoingtohurtmeinhere?”“I’vegotmorethanlightning.”“Doyounow?Andwhatmightthatbe?”Valkyrieshowedhim.

OceanofPDF.com

76

Omen and Temper dragged Caisson out through the front door of theMidnightHotel,andTempercollapsedandOmendroppedtohiskneesbesidehim.“Car,”Tempersaid.“Leaves.Forthepain.”Omen lookedaround.“There isnocar.Temper, there isnocar.Listen to

me, Ineedyourphone.Temper,please,yourphone. I cancallNever. I cancallforhelp.”Temperdugintohispocket,cameoutwiththephoneandunlockedit,then

handed it over and lay back and blacked out. Omen jumped up, dialled anumber––andRazziasnatchedthephonefromhishandandtosseditbehindher.“Oh,hell,”saidOmen.Nerowalkedby,stoodoverCaissonandnudgedhimwithhisfoot.“He’s

stillalive,”heannounced.“She’ll be happy about that,” Razzia said, then looked down at Omen.

“Where is she,mate?Where’sAbyssinia? I haven’t heard her voice inmyheadsinceshetoldmetocomehere.”“She,um,she’sinthere,”Omensaid,jerkingathumbatthehotel.There was another woman with them, a dark-haired lady with an angry

scowlonherface.“Gogether,orwe’llkillyourfriend.”Omen’seyeswidened.“No,no,don’tdothat!Ican’tgether–Idon’tknow

wheresheis.Insidethere,itisn’tliketheinsideofthehotel,it’sawholeother—”“WeknowwhatCadaverouscando,”Razziasaid.“AllIknowisthatCadaveroushasAbyssinia,”saidOmen.“Theyfought,

kindof,andhe…well,hebeather.Andhetookheraway.”Razziafrowned,andlookedatNero.“We’dbettergoin.”Neromadeaface.“Inthere?Theoldmanwillmurderus.”Thescowlingwomansteppedforward.“ValkyrieCain,”shesaid,“isshein

there?”

Omennodded,andthescowlingwomanturnedthatscowlonNero.“We’regoingin.”

OceanofPDF.com

77

Valkyrie reached for Cadaverous’s thoughtswith hermind. She could hearthem, faint though they were, like a muffled conversation held behind acloseddoor.Shehadtogetcloser.Shehadtoopenthedoor.Valkyrielungedathimandhelaughed,lethercome,letherclampherright

handontohishead,andsuddenlythedoorburstwideopenandhisthoughtsbecameloudandclearandoverwhelming.But she expected this and so narrowedher search, cutting through to his

memories, just like Abyssinia had done. Valkyrie copied her techniqueprecisely, following thosememories down a flickering tunnel of sights andsoundsandemotions,burrowingpasthisadultlife,pastthepeoplehe’dkilledandthepeoplehe’dmetand thepeoplehe’dknown,backandback,deeperanddeeper,toachildhoodthatwassharpattheedgesandcoldinthecentre.Time stopped. Cadaverous’s childhood didn’t so much lie before her as

unspoolaroundher.SuddenlyValkyrieknew.Sheknewhisearliestmemoryassurelyassheknewherown.Sheknewthesmellsofthecabinhelivedin.She knew the hunger. She remembered his mother. She remembered hisfather.His mother was her mother. His father was her father. Valkyrie was

Cadaverous. His hatred and frustrations crowded hermind. She knew nowwhyhekilled.Sheunderstoodnowthecompulsionsthatdrovehim,theurgesthattwistedhispotential,thatsethislifeonthecourseittook.Shehadkilledthesamepeoplehehadkilled.Shehadkilledforthesamereason.Hermotherandherfather.Shehadwatchedhermotherdieatherfather’s

hands.Hehadbeatenher,andstrangledherwhileValkyriescreamed,whileshe triedand tried topullhimaway.ButValkyriewassmall,andherfatherwas big and strong and even as Valkyrie struggled harder, her mother’sstrugglesweakened.Herheartbroke.Theonlyloveshe’deverknownintheworlddriftedfrom

hermother’sdulleyes.Nowitwasjust thetwoof them,herfatherandher,aloneinthosemountains.Withoutanyonetoprotecther,Valkyriewasbeatenbyhand,bybelt,bybranch.Sheknewpain,andfear,andhelplessness.Her

life progressed in cuts and bruises and broken bones. They were how shemeasuredthepassingoftime.Hewas going to kill her.Hewas going to use her up and discard her, a

rattlingthingofjangledboneswithdulleyes.Soshepickedupthathatchet,and she cleaved his skull in two while he slept, and she felt relief and apeculiar kindof joy. Itwouldbe a long timebefore she felt that joy again.Killingsmallanimalswouldonlyofferataste.ShewouldhavetowaituntilshehadbeentakentoAmerica,untilshehadkilledthathomelessman,untilshehadbashedhisheadinwithabrokenbrickandwatchedhisblooddripontohershoe,watchedthegentlewayitsplashed—No. That wasn’t her. That was Cadaverous. That had happened to

Cadaverous andValkyrie could see it, hismemories playing all around herlike projections on the walls of an attic, projections she could walk into.Touch.Change.She went back to Cadaverous’s father strangling his mother, and she

thoughtabouthishandsliftingawayfromherneck,thenwatchedithappen.Thiswas hard.Thiswasworse than hard, thiswas painful. She couldn’t

feel her body any more, but she could feel the pain this was causing her.Nevertheless,shepersisted.She thoughtaboutherown life, the loveherownparentshadshownher,

haddemonstratedforheragainandagain,andshetookthatloveandreleasedit here. She fed Cadaverous the love she had known, the smiles and thelaughter. She fed him the support and the understanding. She fed him thelight,alightthatbeatthedarknessback.She knewCadaverous, knewwhat drove him, but now she also saw this

clumsyveilshehadpulledoverhispain.Itwasstretchedtight,andwouldn’tlast,andwasalreadybeginningtotearasshebackedoutofhisthoughts.Butitwaslove,anditwassomethingCadaveroushadnevertrulyknown.Valkyrie blinked. She was standing, her hand pressed against his head.

Cadaverous’seyeswereglazed.Sheletgo,almoststumbled.Hisvoicecrackedwhenhe spoke. “Whatdidyou…whatdidyoudo to

me?”Shesteppedback,ignoringtheheadache.Shefeltbloodrunfromhernose

andwipeditaway.“Areyouallright?”sheasked.Hefocusedonher,andfrowned.“Idon’t…Whatdidyoudotome?”“Idon’tknow,”sheansweredhonestly.She heard footsteps behind her. The teenage boy walked forward.

Cadaverousstaredathim.

“Helpme,”Cadaveroussaid.Slowly,theboyputhishandontheoldman’sface.“Idon’tthinkIcan.”TearsrolleddownCadaverous’scheeks.“Please,”hesaid.“We’re toodamaged,” theboysaid,andsmiledsadly.“Youdidn’thavea

chance.”“Ithurts.”“Iknowitdoes.”TheboyturnedtoValkyrie.“Go,”hesaid.“Thankyou,

andgo.”Valkyrie turned, tried to pick up Alice, but her ribs wouldn’t let her.

Skulduggeryputhishandonherarm.Shelookedup.Abyssiniastoodthere,withNeroandRazziaandSkeiri.“You’ve been in my head,” Abyssinia said. Her face was bruised and

bloody, and she was standing like her bones were broken. “Don’t look sosurprised:youleftfootprintsallovertheplace.”Skeiri’sfacewaspurehatred.Herteethwerebared,hereyesnarrowedto

slits.Violenceradiatedfromherwholebody.“You’repowerful,”Abyssinia continued. “Youdon’tknowhowpowerful

you are. But you’re … inelegant. I could trace you from one memory toanother. You crossed the bridge between us, Valkyrie, and then walkedthroughmymemories.”“Ididn’tbuildthatbridge,”Valkyriesaid.“Thatwasyou.”SkeirisuddenlylaunchedherselfatValkyrie,butAbyssiniacaughtherand

inaninstanthaddrainedher,healingherbonesandherbruises.Abyssinia sighed, much happier. “Ooh, that’s better,” she said. “And it

doesn’tmatterwhobuiltthebridge,Valkyrie.Whatmattersisyoucrossedit.Thiscannotgounpunished.”HereyesflickeredbrieflytoCadaverous.“Youwent trampling through his memories as well, didn’t you? I can see thealterations you made. A clumsy … what did you call it? A clumsy veil.Clumsybuteffective.You’veactuallycuredhim.Temporarily,ofcourse,andwithsignificant flaws…Cadaverous,howdoes it feel tohave love inyourlife?”TheboystoodinfrontofCadaverous.“Youcouldhavedonethisforhim,”

hesaid.“Youcouldhavehelpedhim.”“Perhaps,” said Abyssinia. “I would assuredly have done a better job.

Maybe I’dhavecuredhimcompletely, takenaway thisurge tokill thathashauntedhimsincehewasaboy.”“Leave,”Cadaveroussaid,hishandontheboy’sshoulder.“Allofyou.”Abyssiniasmiled.“Youcan feel itbeginning toslipaway,can’tyou?Do

youwanttospendyourlastfewminutesalonewithyourmemories?They’re

notyours,youknow.She’smergedhermemorieswithyourown.Thepeopleyou’rethinkingofhaveneverbeenyourrealparents.”“Idon’tcare,”Cadaveroussaid.“Leaveme.”“Ofcourse.There’sjustonethingIneedtodo.”Valkyrie felt Abyssinia’s thoughts dart into Cadaverous’s mind, piercing

theclumsyveilandslashingitopen.Cadaverouscriedout,handsathisheadashefelltohisknees,theteenageboydoinghisbesttocatchhim.Abyssinia lookedatValkyrie. “Stayoutofmyhead,” she said, andNero

teleportedthemaway.Skulduggery picked upAlice, practically threw her intoValkyrie’s arms.

“Getheroutofhere.I’llholdhimoff.”“Won’t do any good,” Cadaverous said, and let the boy fall, his neck

broken.“Youshouldhavekilledmewhenyouhadthechance.Nownoonegetsoutofherealive.”Valkyrie crouchedwearily. “Don’tworry,Cadaverous. I’mnotdonewith

youyet.”Shetookaseedoutofherpocket,showedittohimbeforedroppingitonthegroundandcoveringitwithdirt.Hiseyeswidened.“What,”shesaid,“youthoughtIonlygrabbedoneofthesethings?If the

last fewyearshave taughtmeanything, it’s toalwayshaveaback-upplan.Skulduggery,somewater?”Skulduggerywaved,andalightrainfelljustoverherhand.“No!”Cadaveroussnarled,scramblingupevenas thenewhotelbeganto

sprout.Skulduggery shot off his feet, straight into Cadaverous, who staggered

under the impact. Skulduggery punched him, sent him reeling, butCadaverouswas regaining strengthwith everymoment that passed.He gotholdofSkulduggeryandtheywrestled,kickingupdust.Valkyriehunkeredprotectivelyover thehotel. Itwas thesizeofanapple

now,butsoft. If they trampled it, they’dallbekilled.Theycamecloseandshecursed,chargedintothem,managedtopushthemaway.Theyfell,allthreeofthem,atangleofarmsandlegs.Cadaverous closed his hand roundValkyrie’s throat. It was like shewas

caught in a vice. Skulduggery fell back, swinging a kick that would havesmashed bone into splinters – but all his foot did was bounce offCadaverous’sjaw.Cadaveroussmiled.Then the world was nothing but deafening thunder and apocalyptic

earthquakes andCadaverous releasedValkyrie and she fell, hands over herears, glimpsing the horizon shatter and the hand of a god pulverising

mountains, levelling cities and filling the sky as it reached in and rearedabovethem.Andthenthehandwasfalling,thoseimpossiblefingerscurling,andCadaverousshriekedashewaspluckedfromtheground,vanishingintotheirfolds.Valkyrie glimpsed beyond the hand, to the shattered horizon, where she

sawagiant’seyeblinkingather.She looked around at the growing hotel, still no bigger than a child’s

lunchbox,andathersister,whowasreachingthroughitsbrokenwall.Alice tookbackherhandand thegod’s appendagewithdrew fromabove

them, taking Cadaverous with it. Alice came over. She held out her hand,showed Valkyrie the tiny Cadaverous Gant, lying helplessly in one of thecreasesofherpalm.ThenAlicelookedatValkyrie,smiled,andclapped.

OceanofPDF.com

78

Dawn split the darkness, and a new day broke acrossRoarhaven. Shadowsstretched as the sun rose, and then shrank as it rose higher, feeding somewarmth into thechill air.SebastianarrivedatLily’shousebeforeeight,butTantalus was already there. Sebastian watched him through the window.Sebastian had already told Bennet and Forby about the fight in the tunnelwhenhe’dhandedoverthescythethepreviousnight,butnowTantaluswastellinghisversion.TheothermembersoftheDarquesseSocietylistened.Notoneofthemwasarguing.ItoccurredtoSebastianthatheneededthemmuchmorethanhe’drealised.

Yes,Forbyandthedevicewereessentialtohisplan,buthewasaloneinthiscity. He had no friends. He had no one he could talk to. This group ofoddballswastheclosestthinghehadtoafamilyanymore.Hecouldn’tlosethem.Steeling himself, he knocked. Lily answered, let him in. He joined the

othersinthelivingroom.Forbygavealittlewave.Tantalusglaredathim.Theotherslookeduneasy.Itwasallveryawkward.“PlagueDoctor,” Tantalus said, “so good of you to join us.We’ve been

talking amongst ourselves regarding your future with us. While we haveappreciatedyourinputandsuggestionsoverthelastfewmonths,wefeelthatyoumaynotbetherightfitforourlittlegroup.”“Right,”saidSebastian.“Idon’tsupposeIgetachancetoarguemycase,

doI?”“Let’snotmake thisanymoreuncomfortable than ithas tobe,”Tantalus

said.“Ithinkweshouldtakeavote.Handsup,allthosewhothinkthePlagueDoctorshouldbeexcludedfromtheDarquesseSociety.”Heputhishandup.Nobodyelsedid.“What?” Tantalus said, looking around. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you

understandtheoptions?”“Hands up,” said Bennet, “all those who think Tantalus should be

excluded.”

Allhands– exceptTantalus’s–wentup. Itwas soutterlyoverwhelmingthatSebastiandidn’tevenhavetoraisehisownhand.Buthediditanyway.“Youcan’tbeserious,”Tantalussaid,hiseyeswide.“We’resorry,”saidKimora.“Youcan’tkickmeoutofmyowngroup!”“Wait,”Ulyssessaid,“sincewhenisityourgroup?It’sourgroup.”“Itwasstartedinmylivingroom.”“Thatdoesn’tmakeityours.”Tantaluswentquietforamoment,thenpointedatSebastian.“Heassaulted

me.”“Youattackedhimwithaknife,”saidBennet.“Ididn’t!He’s lyingabout that! Ididn’t evenhave aknife!Heassaulted

me!”“Why?Whydidheassaultyou?”“He tried to kill me, because then he could blame it on the Cathedral

Guardsandhe’dbefreetotakeoverasleader.”“You’renottheleader,Tantalus,”Lilysaid.“ThenwhydoeseveryonedowhatIsay?”“Becauseyounever stopmoaningwheneverwedon’t,”Tarry responded.

“It’saneasier life ifwegoalongwithyour stupid rules.Butyoucan’t justattackpeople.”Tantalus folded his arms. “You can’t stop me from coming to the

meetings.”“We’renotgoingtotellyouwhenthemeetingsare.”“This… this isn’t fair.Why are you all taking his side?We don’t even

knowwhoheis!Hecouldbetheenemy!”Demurefrowned.“Whatenemy?”“Wehave loadsofenemies,you justdon’t see them!Everyone isagainst

us;everyonehatesus!Forallweknow,he’soneofthem!Imean,whywon’theshowushisface?”“Hecan’ttakehismaskoffforhealthreasons,”saidBennet.“He’s keeping his identity secret for a reason, you idiots!” Tantalus

screeched.“Weallhaveoursecrets,”Bennetsaid.“Idon’tmindthathedoesn’ttake

offhismask.It’skindacool.”“Ithinkit’scool,too,”saidKimora.“IwishIhadamask,”saidForby.“Sorry,Tantalus,”Bennetsaid.“You’regoingtohaveto

go.”

AveinpoppedoutonTantalus’s forehead.“You…youareallmakingabigmistake.”“SayhitoWendyforme.”“Die,Bennet.OK?Justdie.”Demuregasped.“Tantalus!”“Oh,shutup!Foronceinyourlife,Demure,justshutup,willyou?Allow

therestofustheluxuryofyoushuttingup!”“That’snowaytospeaktoDemure,”saidTarry.“Oh, here he comes!” Tantalus cried. “Rushing toDemure’s defence yet

again! She’s never going to leave her husband for you, Tarry! She barelynoticesyou’realive!”Tarry gaped, and went bright red, and now everyone was arguing with

TantalusandTantaluskickedoverthecoffeetable.“That’sit!”heroared.“I’mout!I’mleavingallyoulosersbehind!Ihope

youalldie!”Andhestormedoutofthehouse.BennethelpedLilyrightthecoffeetableasTarrytriedsmilingatDemure.“Idon’t…uh…Idon’twantyoutoleaveyourhusband,”hesaid.“Ofcoursenot,”saidDemure,avoidinghiseyes.Sebastianclearedhisthroat.“Ijustwanttosay…thanksforstickingupfor

me.Idon’thaveanyfriendsinRoarhavenrightnow,sothatmeansalot.”“You’reoneofus,”saidBennet,shrugging.Sebastian smiled. “Thankyou.”He turned toForby. “Sowas itworth it?

CouldyougetanyFacelessOnes’DNAfromtheblood?”“Idid,”saidForby.“OrwhatpassesfortheirDNAanyway.It’lltakeafew

daystoalignthedevice,butweshouldbeabletobeginthesearchbytheendoftheweek.”“That’samazingnews,”saidSebastian.“Anyideahowlongit’lltake?”“None.Notaclue.Bymycalculations,itshouldbeabletoscanuptosix

thousanddimensionsanhour.That sounds likea lot,untilyou factor in thepossibility of an infinite number of dimen-sions. I can adjust the searchparametersaswego,butweneedtobepreparedforthreepossibilities.One,the search takes a day. Two, the search takes fifty years. Three, the searchtakesforever,andstilldoesn’tfindwhatwe’relookingfor.”“That’ssortofdepressing,”saidKimora.“Nonsense,” Sebastian responded. “It’ll justmean that whenwe do find

Darquesse it’ll be evenmore astonishing, that’s all. I’vegot a good feelingaboutthis.Ithinkit’sgoingtowork.”Theothersglancedateachother,andnoddedtoBennet.“Willyoubeourleader?”Bennetasked.

Sebastianpaused.“Me?”“Youseemtoknowwhattodo,”Demuresaid.“Ithoughtwedidn’treallyhaveleaders,though.”“Wedon’t,”saidLily.“Butwecouldstart.So…willyou?”Hehesitated.He’dneverbeenaskedtoleadbefore.Thiswasawholenew

experienceforhim.“Yes,”hesaideventually.“Yes,Iwillbeyourleader.”Theycheered,andSebastianbeamed.

OceanofPDF.com

79

Omen’s arm was bruised where Cadaverous Gant had grabbed him. Fourdistinct bruises, and a fifth whereGant’s bony thumb had pressed into hisflesh.Amarkofviolence.Abadge.Omenpulledhissleevedown,coveringit,andwentbacktoeatinglunch.“Hey,”Neversaid,smoothingdownherskirtbeforeshesatinfrontofhim.“Hi,”saidOmen,hismouthfull.Neverappliedabitofglossand smackedher lipsbefore speakingagain.

“Listen…Iwasthinkingaboutthebabysittingthing,youknow?Idon’tthinkyou shoulddo it again ifValkyrie asks. Imean, she’s usingyou, isn’t she?She’sgoingoff,havingadventures,andsheasksyoutocomeinandtakecareofher little sisterbecause sheknowsyou’ll sayyes.That’snot right.She’stakingadvantageofyoureagerness.”“Idon’tthinksheis.”“Ofcourseyoudon’t.She’skindofyouridol.Whenshewasyourage,she

was going offwith Skulduggery and saving theworld and that’swhat youwant.”“I’m,uh,I’mnotsureitis,actually.”Neverraisedaneyebrow.“Sincewhen?”“I’vebeen thinkingabout it, thinkingaboutwhat shegoes throughevery

time she has one of these adventures. It’s not just a… a fun rollercoaster.People’s livesare indanger. Innocentpeople,sometimes.There’sbloodandbrokenbonesandyougethotandsweatyandyouacheand…”“Andit’sreal,”Neversaidquietly.“Yeah,” saidOmen. “It’s real. So, like,maybe I’mOKbeingwho I am.

MaybeIwillleavethedangerousstufftotheprofessionals.”Neverchewedherlip,andforthefirsttimeshelookedupandmetOmen’s

eyes.“Ihavesomethingtoconfess,”shesaid.“Um…”“Youhaveanewboyfriend?”saidOmen.“No.”Omenleanedforward.“Anewgirlfriend?”

“No,notthat,either.Idon’treallyknowhowtosaythis,soI’lljustsayit.I’vebeen…helpingAuger.”Omensatback.“Oh.”“TheyneededaTeleporter,”Neversaidquickly.“Hetoldyouaboutwhat

wasgoingon,didn’the?WithMahalabeingpossessed,andthenKase…?Heaskedformyhelpand,youknow,whatwasIsupposedtosay?No?Icouldn’tdothat,soI…Ihelpedout.”“Right.”“You’remadatme,aren’tyou?Oh,God,youhateme.”“Idon’thateyou,Never.”“Yes,youdo.Youhateyourgorgeous,glamorousfriendNever.”Omenhadtosmile.“Idon’thateyou.”“Areyoumadatme?”“Tobehonest,Idon’tknowwhatIam.ButIdon’tblameyouforsaying

yes.Ofcourseyousaidyes.Whowouldn’t?”“I just feel bad about it. I feel like I’ve betrayed you or something.You

wanted the adventure, and I went off on one and left you behind to, like,babysitValkyrieCain’slittlesister.That’shardlyfair,isit?”“Don’tworryaboutit.”“You’retakingthisreallywell.”“Isitover?”Omenasked.“IsKaseallright?”“He’sback tonormal,”saidNever.“Theevilhasbeenvanquished.Good

guysrule.Statusquomaintained.Auger’swaitingtotalktoyou,actually,butIwantedtobetheonetotellyou.”“Isitgoingtobeathingnow?Areyou,like,partofmybrother’sgang?”Neverhesitated.“Idon’t reallyknow.Whatwouldyou thinkabout it if I

was?”Omen triedhis best, but therewasnoway to disguise the sadness in his

voice.“I’dbefinewithit.”“We’dstillbefriends.”“Iknowthat.Never,seriously,youdon’thavetofeelbad.”“Thanks, Omen.” Never watched Auger approach, and stood up. “I’m

gonnahead.Talktoyoulater?”“Sure,”saidOmen,andNeverwalkedoffwhileAugertookherplaceatthe

table.“It’slikeatagteamhere.”Augersmiled.“Howareyoufeeling?”“AboutNeverhelpingyouout?I’mfinewithit.I’mnotmadeofglass,you

know.I’mnotgoingtobreak.”“Iknow,”saidAuger.“Hey,rememberwhatweweretalkingaboutbefore,

whenyouaskedmewhoIwantedtobeoncetheprophecyisfulfilled?”

“Vaguely.”“I think I want to be normal,” said Auger. “I think I want to be like

everyoneelse.IstillwanttobeabletodothethingsIdo,but…Idon’twantthepressuretohavetodothem.Youknow?Isthatselfish?”“Idon’tthinkso.”“It sounds selfish. If you have gifts, don’t you have an obligation to use

themtohelpothers?”“Bythatstage,you’llhavedonethat,”saidOmen.“You’llhavebeatenthe

KingoftheDarklands.You’lldeserveaquietlife.”Augerthoughtforamoment,thenshrugged.“Anyway,that’swhoIwantto

be.”“Youseemalmostcheerful.”Auger laughed.“Iam,actually.Lifeafter theprophecywasalways justa

hazeforme–butnowIcanactuallyseeit.Icanseemyselfbeinghappy.”Omensmiled.“That’scool.That’ssocool.”“And it’sall thanks toyou,”Augersaid,“forbothering toaskaquestion

thatnobodyelseasked.Thanks,dude.”“Um…sure.Noproblem.”Augerstood.“Gottago.I’vegotatesttostudyfor.What’veyougotnext?”“We’reactuallygoingovertotheCityofTentsnowwithMissGnosis,so

I’llbemissingdoublemaths.”“Result,”saidAuger.“SayhitoAurniaforme,won’tyou?”Omensmiled.“Iwill.”

Afterlunch,OmengotintoasmallbuswithAxeliaandtheothervolunteers.Thebackseatwasloadedwithheavycardboardboxes.“OK,”MissGnosissaid,turningtothem,“todaywe’regoingtobehanding

out pamphlets containing phone numbers andwebsites that our friends aregoingtoneedwhentheymoveintotheirnewhomes.”“Theyhavehomes?”Axeliaasked.MissGnosissmiled.“They’removingintoRoarhaven.TheSupremeMage

hasorganisedaccommodation–she’sgotpeoplearrangingtrainingschemesandallkindsofwonderfulthings.They’vegotahomeagain,andIgotaletterfromtheHighSanctuarythankingeveryoneofyouforyoureffortsinmakingtherefugeesfeelcomfortableandwelcome.Sowelldone,thelotofyou.”“Dotheyevenknowwhatawebsiteis?”someoneasked.“Well, no, they don’t – not yet anyway. But that’s what the training

schemesarefor,togetthemuptospeedwithourworld.I’llbesplittingyouintogroupsofthree.Theusualrulesapply,gotme?Noonewandersoffaloneandeveryonestayswithinvisualrange.Questions?No?OKthen.”

They got to theCity of Tents, andOmen and the only other boywho’dvolunteered, an American student named Navada Machete, unloaded theboxes.Omenwas put into a groupwithNavada andAxelia, and they eachtook an armful of pamphlets and off they went. The mortals were busypackinguptheirmeagrebelongings,buttheytookthepamphletsbecausetheydarednot sayno to a sorcerer.Omen tried offering a reassuring smilewitheachpamphlethegaveout,buthewasn’tsureitwasworking.Aslenderhandpluckedapamphletfromhisgripandheturned.“What’sawebsite?”Aurniaasked,readingfromit.“It’sapageonacomputer,”saidOmen.“Weweretoldaboutthose,”Aurniasaid,“butwedon’thaveany.”Omen smiled. “Every house inRoarhaven has one.Do you knowwhere

you’llbelivingyet?”Aurniafoldedthepamphletandputitintoherjeanspocket.Itwasweird,

seeing her in regular clothes. “Not yet,” she said. “But Supreme MageSorrowstolduswe’llallbelivinginthesamearea.Thankyou,bytheway.”“Me?”saidOmen.“Ididn’tdoanything.”“Youmademeanambassador,” saidAurnia.“If Iwasn’tanambassador,

I’dneverhavemetGrandMageSorrows.Sheis…unearthly.”“I suppose she is. So, like… you’re moving into Roarhaven. We’ll be

neighbours!Kinda.”“Yes,”Aurniasaid,smilingbroadly.“Wehaveanewlifehere.I…Ican’t

tellyouwhatthatmeanstous.Ourlivesbackhomewere…difficult.Banditswouldattack,or sorcererswouldarriveanddestroyhalfourvillage just forfun. I thought thatwasexistence. I thoughtmy lifewasalwaysgoing tobethisway.“Andthenwecamehere,andwewereterrified;weweresomewherenew

andscary, somewherewedidn’tunderstand.And thenyouarrived,handingoutblankets,tellingusthatitwasgoingtobeOK.Thankyou,Omen.”“I’m,uh,I’mgladIcouldhelp.Maybewecouldspendsometimetogether,

y’know,onceyou’reinyournewhouseandeverything?IcouldgiveyouthattourIpromisedyou.”“That’dbenice,”Aurniasaid,smiling.Amomentpassed,andOmenwantedtoleaninandkissher.Hewantedto

kisshersobadly.Thiswas theperfectmoment.Heknewitwas.He tookadeepbreath.“Pleasedon’tkissme,”Aurniasaid.“Yep,”Omenresponded,nodding,“OK,fairenough.”“I’m…I’msorry,”shesaid.“Youjustlookedlikeyouweregoingtotryto

kissme.”

“DidI?Iwasn’t.Well,no,Iwas.Imean,IwasgoingtoaskifIcould.But,obviously…Ican’t.”“I’msorry,”saidAurnia,andshelookedgenuinelysad.“There’saboythat

I’velikedforaverylongtime,andIdidn’tthinkhelikedmeback.Butthenheheardaboutyouandthatmadehimcomeupandtellmethathedidlikeme,andheaskedifwecould…Idon’treallyknowwhatthewordforit ishere.”“Goout?”Omenventured.“Isthatit?Heaskedifwecouldgoout?So…Isaidyes.I’msorry.Ididn’t

meantodothis.Ididn’tknowitwouldhappen.ButI’velikedhimmywholelifeandhe’s…Isupposehe’soneofus…”“Andnotasorcerer,”saidOmen.“No.He’snot.It’seasier.Myparents,especially,theydidn’tunderstand…

you.”“Igetit,”Omensaid.“You’dlikehim,I think.He’s just likeyou.He’sfunnyandsmartandso

nice.You’dreallygetalong.”“That’scool.”“Ididn’tmeantohurtyourfeelings.Canwestillbefriends?”Omenlookedawayforamoment,thenback.“Iwouldlovethat,”hesaid.Aurniasmiled.“Good.Itwasniceseeingyouagain,Omen.”“You,too.”He watched her walk off. After a while, he became aware of someone

standingbesidehim.“Rough,”saidAxelia.Omenlaughed.“Don’tworryaboutme.”Shefrownedathim.“Youkeepsayingthat.Youkeeptellingpeoplenotto

worryaboutyou.Whyisthat?”“Uh…”“DoyouwanttoknowwhatIthink?”“Notifit’sgoingtobemean.”“Ithinkyoudon’tviewyourselfassomeonewhoisworthworryingabout.

Iwastalkingaboutyouwithmyfriends.”“Oh,God.”“Shush.We’vecometotheconclusionthatAugergotalltheattentionand

alltheaffectiongrowingup,andmaybeyouwerestarvedofitasachildandnowyouwalkaround,notbelievingthatyoudeserveanyforyourself.That’swhatwethink.”Sheshrugged.“Wemightbewrong.”“I…Ithoughtyourfriendshatedme.”

Axeliafrowned.“Whywouldtheyhateyou?You’relovely.You’renicetoabsolutelyeveryone.Thewholeschoollikesyou.”Tears,actualtears,cametohiseyes.“What?”“You’re so silly,” she said, and walked on, giving out pamphlets to the

mortalswhopassed.

OceanofPDF.com

80

AfterReveriehadgivenbothoftheEdgleysisterstheall-clear,ValkyriegotchangedintoacleansetofclothesanddrovebacktoHaggardinacarshe’dborrowed from the High Sanctuary. Alice chatted the whole way like shehadn’tjustbeenthroughtheabsoluteworstkindofhell.Valkyriedidn’tknowhowshedidit.Theygottothehouse,andValkyriefollowedherlittlesisterintotheliving

room where Kes was waiting with her arms folded. She responded toValkyrie’slookofdelightedsurprisewithaglare.Alicegothalfwayacrosstheroomwhenshefroze.Valkyriefrowned.“Alice?YouOK?”Aliceturnedslowly.“What’swrong?”Valkyrieasked.“Alice,talktome.”“Ithink,”Alicesaidatlast,“thatIneedtopee.”Shescrunchedupherface,

andnodded.“Yep.”Thensheranofftothebathroom.Valkyriebreathedout.“Forasecond,Ithoughtshecouldseeyou.”“Howawfulthatwouldbe,”Kessaid.“I’malive,bytheway.Nothanksto

you.”“Iknewyou’dsurvive.”“Yeah?Because Ididn’t. It tookeverything Ihad tohealmyself, and for

therestof thenight Ihad to just lie thereon thepubfloor.TheCityGuardcameandtheykeptsteppingonmeandthroughmeandIwasn’tevenstrongenoughtocrawlintothecorner.”“Thankyou,”saidValkyrie.“Whatever.”“No,seriously–thankyou.Ineededyoutodosomethingincrediblyrisky

andyoudidit.Thatmeansalot.”Kesgrunted.“Yougotthemunchkinback,then.”“Yeah,”Valkyrieresponded,smiling.“Youshould’veseenher–shewasso

brave.”“Whatareyougoingtotellthefolks?”Valkyriehesitated,andKeslaughed.

“You’regoingtolietothem,aren’tyou?”“Ithinkit’sthewisestthingtodo,”saidValkyrie.“AnddoyouthinkAlicewillbeabletomaintainthatlie?”“Idon’tknow,tobehonest–butwhatchoicedoIhave?If theyfindout

whathappened…Idon’tknowwhatthey’ddo.”Kesshrugged.“Maybethey’dfigureit’ssaferforAlicetogrowupwithout

herbigsisteraroundthatmuch.”“Yeah,”saidValkyrie.“Maybe.”“They’reprobablyright.”“No,”Valkyriereplied.“Thiswasaone-off.Noonehas

goneaftermyfamilylikethisbeforethis,andnoonewillafterthis.”“TellthattoCarol.”“Thatwasdifferent.Thatwas…Thatwon’thappenagain.”“You know what?” Kes asked as Alice came back in. “You sound like

you’retryingtojustifywhatyou’redoing.”“Doyouwanttoseemydancing?”Aliceasked.“Yousoundlikeyouknowyou’rewrongandthatyou’rebeingselfishand

thatthebestthingforthepeopleyouloveistostayasfarawayfromyouaspossible—”“Stephanie?Doyouwanttoseemydancing?”“–butyoucan’tbringyourselftodoit,canyou?”ValkyrieforcedherselftosmileatAlice.“Yes,”shesaid.“Iwouldloveto

seeyourdancing.”Ahappysmileonherface,Aliceranoff.“I just got back,”Valkyrie saidquietly. “I spent fiveyearswithout them.

Withouther.Ican’tdoitagain.”“Youcouldquit,”saidKes.“Wouldn’tthatbethebestcompromise?Living

your lifeasanormalpersonwouldmakesure thatnoonecomesafteryourfamily ever again. So retire. Leave magic behind. Leave Skulduggerybehind.”Acarpulledupoutside.TheBentley.“But you can’t do that, either, can you?” Kes asked. “Because you’re

addicted.You’readdictedtomagicandyou’readdictedtohim.”“Icanhandle it,”saidValkyrie.“Icanmakesuremyfamily issafe from

nowon.”“Ilikeyou,Valkyrie,”saidKes.“You’remyonlyfriendinthewholeentire

world, so I’m kinda forced to like you. But you’re not being honest withyourself.”Thedoorbellrang,andKesdisappeared.“It’s Skulduggery!” Alice yelled out from the hallway. “Stephanie, it’s

Skulduggery!”

Thesoundofadoorbeingopened,andAlice’sexcitedchattermixingwithSkulduggery’svelvettones,andValkyriestoodthere,buryingheranxietyandherdoubtsandherfearsinabigholeinhermindandfillingitin,shovelfulaftershovelful, fasterandfaster,untilshecould turnandsmileas theybothcameintotheroom.“Skulduggery’shere!”Aliceexclaimed,leadingSkulduggerybyhisgloved

hand.“Hehasaface!”“Icalledatyourhouse,”Skulduggerysaid.“I thoughtyoumightbehere.

AmIinterrupting?”“No,” saidValkyrie, “not at all.We’rewaiting forMum andDad to get

back.Alicewasabouttoshowmeherdancing.”“Oh,yeah!”Alicesaid,andranoutoftheroomagain.Skulduggery was wearing a navy three-piece. His façade flowed away.

“Howareyoufeeling?”heasked.“Sore,”shesaid,holdingupherbandagedhand.“AndIlooklikeabushit

me.Apartfromthat,I’mfine.How’sTemper?”“Patchedupandwalkingaround.Ipaidavisittothatcountryhouse,bythe

way.Ifoundthemazeandplentyofblood,butnosignoftheWildHuntortheirvictims.”“Whataboutmyclothes?”“Nosignofthem,either,unfortunately.”Shesagged.“ButGhastlymadethemforme.”Alicecamein,tappingthescreenofatablet.“Foundit,”shesaid.Skulduggery hunkered down next to her. “And how are you feeling,

Alice?”Shelookedathim.“I’mfine,thankyou.Howareyou?”“I’m fine, too. How did you sleep last night? Did you have any

nightmares?”Aliceshookherhead.“Wereyouscared,atall?”“No,”Alicesaid.“Thebadmanisgone,isn’tthatright,Stephanie?”“That’sright,sweetie,”Valkyriesaid.“CanIdancenow?”“Ofcourse.”Aliceputthetabletdownandasongplayed.Shestarteddancing.Skulduggery stood beside Valkyrie and they watched the performance.

“Sheseemstobeingoodspirits,”hesaidsoftly.“Sheis,”saidValkyrie.“She’sgoingtotellMumandDadthatweplayed

gamesanddancedandwatchedmoviesyesterday.Shesaysshe’snotgoingtomentionanythingthathappened.”

“Doyouthinkshe’llbeabletodothat?”“She’scopingreallywellsofar.Idon’tseewhynot.”“Anddoyouthinkthisisthewisestcourseofactiontotake?”Valkyriesighed.“Notyou,too.”Hetiltedhishead.“Whoelsehasbeentalkingtoyouaboutthis?”“Noone,”shesaidquickly.“Ididn’tmeanitlikethat.Imeantit,like…”“Hey!”Alicecalled.“You’renotwatching!”“Weare,”Valkyrieassuredher.“Sorry.Continue.”Alicewentbacktodancing.“Anyway,”Valkyriecontinued,“Ithinkshe’llbeabletokeepthesecret.”Thesongended,andanotherbegan,andAlicehesitated.“Idon’tknowthe

danceforthisone.”“Makeitup,”saidValkyrie.“Likethis.”ShetookAlice’shandandstarted

dancing,andAlicelaughedanddidherbesttocopyherbigsister’smoves.“Whendidyoulearntosalsa?”Skulduggeryasked,clearlyamused.“IlearnedallsortsofthingswhenIwasaway,”Valkyriereplied,andheld

outherhandtohim.“Comeon.I’mnotdoingthisonmyown.”Alice laughedagainwhenSkulduggery tookValkyrie’shand.Shedanced

with them for averseor two, thenbroke free and starteddoinggymnasticsacrossthefloor.SkulduggeryspunValkyrieout,pulledherbackin,andtheydanced like that,Valkyrie enjoying every single step despite her aches andpains.“Mommy!”Aliceyelled,suddenlysprintingfromtheroom.Valkyrie turnedoff themusic, glancedatSkulduggery formoral support,

and followed her sister out into the hall just as the front door opened.HermothersweptAliceintoherarms.“Hellothere!”shesaid.“Mom!Didyoumissme?”“Idid,Idid,somuch.”“Didanyonemissme?”Desmondasked,closingthedoorbehindhim.“Idid,Daddy!”“Well,that’snicetohear.DidyouhaveagoodtimewithStephanie?”Valkyrietriedtofixasmileontoherface,butitwouldn’tattachproperly.Alicenoddedvigorously.“Islept inmyownroomatStephanie’shouse,”

shesaid.“AndweplayedgamesandIplayedwithXena.Canwegetadog?”Desmondgroaned.“Should’veknownthiswouldhappen.”“I’d really like a dog likeXena.Stephanie, doesXenahave a sister or a

brother?”“Idon’tthinkso,sweetie,”Valkyriesaid.

Hermum’s eyeswidenedwhen she took a proper look atValkyrie. “OhGod.Whathappened?”Valkyriesmiled.“Nothing.Don’tworryaboutit.”“Yourfaceis–”“I’mfine,Mum.Really.”ThereweresuddenlytearsinMelissa’seyesthatshequicklyblinkedaway.

“Well,OK,youknowwhatyou’redoing,” she saidwitha smileas fakeasValkyrie’s.“IsSkulduggeryhere?Wesawhiscaroutside.”“I’m just leaving,” Skulduggery said, stepping out of the living room,

wearinganewfaçade.“Oh,youdon’thavetoleave,”saidValkyrie’smum.“Ihavebusinesstoattendto,”Skulduggerysaid.“Itwasveryniceseeing

youagain.Alice,anabsolutepleasureasalways.”Alicegrinnedathim.“Bye,Skulduggery.”Valkyrie followed Skulduggery out, closing the front door behind her. If

she’dspentanothermomentwithhermothershewouldhaveburstoutcrying.“Alicehandledthatwell,”shesaid,thankfultofocusonsomethingelseas

shewalkedhimtotheBentley.“SheevenaddedthatbitaboutXena.She’sabornfibber,thatgirl–Ishouldprobablybeworried.”“Youprobablyshould,”Skulduggerysaidquietly.Valkyriefrownedathim.“EverythingOK?”Thefaçademeltedfromhisskull.“You’reright,”hesaid.“Alicehandled

thatwell.Shehandleditverywell.Impossiblywell.”Valkyrieshrugged.“She’sanEdgley.Impossibleisourthing.”“Any other child of that age – any other person of any age – would

probably be traumatised bywhat happened.Alice is not traumatised. She’shappy.”“What’swrongwiththat?She’salwayshappy.”“You’vementionedthatbefore,actually.Thefactthatshe’salwayshappy.

Canyouthinkofaninstancewhenshewasn’thappy?”“Why?”“Indulgeme.”“Kindofaweirdthingtoindulgeyouwith.”“Please.”Valkyriesighed.“Sure,OK.Um…”“Haveyoueverseenhercry?Idon’tmeanfromagrazedkneeorastubbed

toe.Haveyoueverseenhercrybecauseshe’ssad,orupset,orangry?”“OfcourseIhave.”“When?”

“Well,Imean…Ican’trememberexact—OK,Idon’tthinkIhave,butsowhat? I’ve been gone for most of her life. What are you getting at,Skulduggery?You’restartingtofreakmeoutalittle.”“Haveyoueverusedyouraura-visiononher?”Valkyriestaredathim.“WhywouldIdothat?”“Maybeyoushould.”“Why?”“Idon’tknow,”hesaid.“IjustknowthatAliceshouldnotbeashappyas

sheis–notaftereverythingthat’shappenedtoher.”“Youthinkthere’ssomethingwrongwithher?”“Yes.”Anger boiled, mixed with the dread that was suddenly coursing through

Valkyrie’sveins.“Whatdoyou…?Whatdoyouexpectmetosee?”“I’dprefernottosay.”“Tellme.”“No,”hesaid.“Notuntilyoulook.”Shewasshaking.Herkneesweretrembling.Sheclenchedherjawtostop

herteethfromchattering.Somehow she turned; somehow shewalkedback towards thehouse.She

peered through the living-roomwindow.Shecouldsee them in thekitchen,her parents and her sister, talking and laughing. She tried to turn the aura-visionon.Triedagain.Itwouldn’twork.No,itwouldwork–shejustdidn’twanttodoit.She forced herself to switch it on, and she peered in again. Her parents

shonewithastrongyellowlight–warmandhealthy.ButAlice…Alicedidn’thavealight.Valkyrie staggered back from the window. “No,” she said. “No. No.”

Skulduggerycaughtherandshepulledawayfromhim.“Whatis it?What’swrongwithher?”“Whatdidyousee?”heasked.“Shedoesn’thaveac-colour,”Valkyriestammered.“Shedoesn’th-h-have

one.What’swrongwithher?Whatdidhed-dotoher?”“Thiswasn’tCadaverous,”Skulduggerysaid.“Thisisn’tarecentthing.”“Wh-whatareyoutalkingab—?”Shestopped.Shecouldn’tfeelherbody.Shecouldn’tfeelthetearsthatshe

knewwererunningdownhercheeks.“Ididit,”shesaid.“WhenIkilledherandbroughtherback…Idamaged

her.Shedoesn’thaveasoulbecauseofme.”“Valkyrie—”

Hereachedforherandshetookastepback.Energycrackledbetweenherfingers.Shecouldfeelitbehindhereyes.Building.“Valkyrie,”Skulduggerysaid,“listentomyvoice.It’sgoingtobeOK.You

just…youjusthavetocalmdown.”She shook her head.The energywas all around her now, building like a

scream, and then it tore loose and she shot off the ground, into the air,lightningtrailingbehindher.Sheclutchedherheadandtwisted,shriekingherpain and her rage and her guilt, spinning through the sky, into the clouds,roaringhergriefattheplanetthatcurvedbeneathher.

OceanofPDF.com

81

Hefoundherhourslater,huddlingononeofthetinyislandsofftheHaggardcoast.Herclotheswerescorched,andhangingoffher.Hertrainershadburstapart.Shedidn’trememberthemdoingthat.Hedroppedfromtheskygently,quietly,andtookoffhisjacket.Hedraped

itoverher shoulders, andsatbesideher.Theywatched thewater lapat thesmall,stonybeach.“WhathaveIdone?”shewhispered.He put his arm round her, and pulled her tight. “We’ll fix her,” he said.

“We’llmakeherbetter.”

OceanofPDF.com

82

Flanerydidn’tliketobeintheOvalOfficepastfiveattheverylatest,butitwasnearingmidnightandhewasstillhere,stillsittingbehindhisdesk,stillbeingpresident.Sometimeshe took a fewmoments out of his day to thinkabouthowfarhe’dcomeinhissixty-sevenyears,fromthesonofahumblemillionaire toa self-madebillionaire to the leaderof the freeworld,andhecouldn’t help butwonder how his lifewould have turned out if he’dmadedifferentchoices.Buthedidn’tthinkaboutitfortoolong.Introspectionwasforlosers.WilkesknockedonthedoorandFlanerycalledhimin.“I was just checking to see if there’s anything you need before I punch

out?”Wilkessaid,smilinglikeanidiot.Flanery smiled back. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I think I’ve got

everythingundercontrol.Don’tyou?”“Oh, yes, sir,” Wilkes said, and laughed. “If anyone does, you do.

Goodnight,sir.”Flanerynodded,andwaitedforWilkestoalmostreachthedoorbeforehe

asked,“DidyoucallAbyssinia,bytheway?”Wilkeshesitated,thenturned.“She’sprovingelusive,sir.”“Elusive,huh?”“I’lltryagaininthemorning.”Flanery leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands over his stomach.

“Whatdoyouthinkofmyidea,tomoveuptheoperation?Behonestnow.”Wilkeschewedhislipforasecond,thensteppedfurtherintotheroom.“I

thought itwasgood, sir.You’re absolutelycorrect:youneed thecountry togetbehindyou.Myonlyconcernisthatthisoperationneedstobepulledoffperfectlythefirsttime.We’rereallynotgoingtogetasecondchance.”“Iagree,”saidFlanery.Wilkesblinked.“Youdo?”“Ofcourse.Ilistentoyou,Wilkes,evenwhenyoudon’tthinkIdo.You’ve

beenwithmefromthestart.Youhelpedgetmeelected.”“Thankyou,sir,butIreckonthatwasallyou.”

“Ijusttoldthepeoplewhatthey’dbeenwaitingtohear,”Flanerysaid.“Alltheyneededwassomeonewhounderstoodthem.AndIdounderstandthem.Iknowwhattheywant.Iknowwhattheyloveandwhattheyfear.They’remypeople,Wilkes.Allofthem.”“Yes, sir,MrPresident,”Wilkes said, andgaveanodanda smilebefore

turningtoleave.“Areyougoingtocallher?”Flaneryasked.“Sir?”“Abyssinia.AreyougoingtocallAbyssinia?”“Oh,”saidWilkes.“You,uh,youstillwantmetotellhertomoveupthe

operation?”“No,no,”Flanerysaid,wavinghishand.“We’vejustdecidedthatwecan’t

affordtorushthat,haven’twe?No,Iwaswonderingifyou’regoingtocallhertobriefheronwhatI’vebeenupto.”“I’mnotsureIunderstand…”“Youdon’t?”Flanerysaid,raisinghiseyebrows.“CorrectmeifI’mwrong,

but…youareherspy,aren’tyou?”Wilkeslaughed.“Uh,I’mnospy,MrPresident.”“No?Iwasmisinformed?”“Youmusthavebeen,sir,”Wilkessaid,havingagoodchuckle.“Goodnight

now.”“That’s so weird,” said Flanery. “So your sorcerer name isn’t Vox

Askance?”Wilkesfroze.“Iknowallaboutyou,”Flanerycontinued.“I’veknownforweeks.Ididn’t

believe it at first. I saidWilkes is too spineless to be a spy.Weak-WilledWilkes,Icalledyou.ButthenIwasshownproof.”Wilkesturnedslowly.“Youbetrayedme,”Flanerysaid.“Youliedtomeandbetrayedme.You’re

oneofthem.You’reafilthy,degenerateweirdo.”Wilkeswasstandingdifferently.Hisbackwasstraighter,hisshouldersno

longerstooped.“Whotoldyou?”“Youbetrayedme!”Flaneryscreamed,jumpingtohisfeet.“You knowwhat?”Wilkes said. “I’m glad you know. I’m delighted.Do

you have any idea how hard it has been, these last few years, to even bearound you? You are detestable. You are ignorance personified. I’ve beenaroundsomenastypeople,I’vebeenaroundmurderers,butyou?Youarebyfartheworst.Andthat’ssayingsomething.”Flanerysneered.“Youthinkyou’re—”

“Shut up,” said Wilkes, and snapped out his hand. A gust of wind hitFlanery so hard it toppled him backwards over his chair, and he wentsprawlingontothecarpet.“Youwereshownproof,wereyou?”Wilkessaid,walkinguptothedesk.

“Wasitwithpictures?Becauseitsureashellwasn’tawrittendocument.Godforbidyoueverhavetoreadsomething.”Flaneryscrambledup.“Get–getawayfromme.”“You’re an insufferable littleman, you know that? I deserve amedal for

what I’ve had to put upwith.Abyssinia shouldmakeme a general for notsnappingyourneckeverytimeyoublatantlyliedaboutsomethingyouknewIknew.Abyssinia’splan? Itwasn’t your idea, youmoron. Itwashers. IwastherewhenPartheniosLiltexplainedittoyou.Andthenyoutrytotakecreditforit?Whatiswrongwithyou?”Flanerylungedforthebuttononhisdesk,butWilkesgrabbedhiswristand

twisted. Flanery cried out.He tried to hitWilkes, but he’d never thrown apunchbeforeanditbouncedoffWilkes’sshoulder.Wilkes laughed. “Everything about you is soft,” he said, forcing Flanery

backwards until hewas pressed against thewall. “Your arms are soft, yourbelly’ssoft,yourhands…dearGod,yourhandshaveneverdoneamoment’shardwork,havethey?Notasinglemoment.”“Help,”Flanerywhispered.“Helpme.”“Oh, don’t worry, Mr President. I’m not going to kill you. Abyssinia

wouldn’twantthat.Sheneedsyoufortheplantowork.Herplan.Wecanstillwork together, can’twe?Sure, there’ll have to be some changes.You’ll betreatingmealotbetter,foronething.Hell,you’llbetreatingeveryonealotbetter. In fact, I reckon you’re going to turn over a whole new leaf, MrPresident.Whatdoyouthinkaboutthat?”Flanerylickedhislips.“Helpme.”Wilkesleanedin.“Hasthatfragilemindofyoursfinallysnapped?I’mnot

goingtohelpyou.I’mtheonethreateningyou.”“Ithinkhewastalkingtome,”saidthetallmaninthecheckedsuitbehind

him.WilkesturnedandCrepuscularVieshithiminthethroat.Gasping, gagging, Wilkes stumbled to the desk and slid along it.

Crepuscularfollowed,walkingslowly.Flaneryhadneverseenhiminthelightbefore.Hedidn’thaveany lips.Hisgumssimplymergedwith theskin thatwasstretchedtootightroundhishead.Hischeekbonesandeyesocketswerepronounced,andtheeyesthemselvesbulgedliketheyweregoingtopopoutatanysecond.

Flanery stared, his fascination mixing with revulsion, and watched asCrepuscularreachedout,pulledWilkestowardshim,andbrokehisneck.Wilkesfell.“You…youkilledhim,”Flanerywhispered.“Did I?” saidCrepuscular, andglanceddown. “Oh, so I did.”Hemoved

roundtoFlanery’schair,laidhispork-piehatonthedesk,andsat.“Lookatme,”hesaid.“I’mthePresident.”Hisblackhairwaspartedinthemiddle,liketheyusedtodointhe1920s.

He leaned back, put his feet up. His socks were brightly coloured, andmatchedhisbowtie.Flanery’stremblinglegstookhimtothemiddleoftheroom,andheturned

inacircle,panicrisingwithinhim.“Whatarewegoingtodo?Whatarewegoingtodo?”Crepuscularraisedaneyebrow.“Aboutwhat?”“AboutWilkes!”“Don’t worry about Wilkes,” said Crepuscular. “We’ll tell Abyssinia he

disappeared,andwe’llkeepgoingalongwithherlittleplanforaslongasit’sinourbestinterests.”“Imeantthebody!Imeantthedeadbody!”“Oooooh.Well, leave thatwithme,Martin. I’myourgo-toguynow. If I

can’tgetridofacorpsefromtheOvalOffice,whatuseamI?”“Youdidn’t…”“What’sthat?Sorry?”“Youdidn’ttellmeyouweregoingtokillhim.”Crepuscular fixedhimwith a stare from those hideous eyes. “You’re not

mypresident,Martin.Ididn’tvoteforyou.I’mnotevenAmerican.SoIdon’thavetotellyouanything.Ididn’thavetotellyouthatWilkesherewasaspyforAbyssinia,butIchoseto,becausewe’reinthistogether.Ididn’thavetotell you that the secret magical government of the world has been subtlyinfluencingyouandyourpeople…butIchoseto.Why?”“Becausewe’re…we’reinthistogether?”Crepusculartappedafingeragainstaninvisiblegong.“Exactly.And,now

thatit’sofficial,I’mgoingtobeintroducingyoutoalotofinterestingpeoplewhocandoalotofinterestingthingsforyou.”“Morepeoplelikeyou?”“Heh.There’snooneelsequitelikeme,buddyboy.ButI’llbeintroducing

youtofriendsofmine.Sorcerersandthelike.Inparticular,there’sadoctorIwantyoutomeet,athingcalledNye.Ithasaproposalforusthatjustmakesmegiddywithjoy.”

CrepuscularwassittingbehindthatOvalOfficedesklikehewasborntoit.Nowthat theshockwaswearingoff, that littlefactwasstartingtowormitswaydownthebackofFlanery’sspine.“What’sinitforyou?”heasked,feelingtheoldbravadoreturning.“Me?”saidCrepuscular.Heputonehandonthedeskandvaultedoverit,pluckinguphishatwith

thesamehandandplacingitonhisheadasheloomedoverFlanery.“I’vegotscores to settle, buddy boy. I’vewaited hundreds of years for this, andmytime is finally here. I’ve got a list of things Iwant to destroy and a list ofpeopleIwanttokill,andyou’regoingtohelpmedoit.”Flaneryswallowed.“OK.”Crepuscular put an arm round Flanery’s shoulders. “This is the start of

somethingspecial,Martin.Canyoufeelit?Icanfeelit.Together,we’regoingtosmasheverythinggoodinhislifeandkilleverylastthingheloves,andI’llstandoverhim,rightattheend,andI’llsay,‘See?Ibeatyou.Iwon.’”“St-standoverwho?”“Hmm?Oh,sorry,buddyboy,”Crepuscularsaid,andlaughed.“Hisname’s

SkulduggeryPleasant.I’mgoingtokillSkulduggeryPleasant.”

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

TheSkulduggeryPleasantseries

SKULDUGGERYPLEASANTPLAYINGWITHFIRETHEFACELESSONES

DARKDAYSMORTALCOIL

DEATHBRINGERKINGDOMOFTHEWICKEDLASTSTANDOFDEADMENTHEDYINGOFTHELIGHT

RESURRECTIONMIDNIGHT

THEMALEFICENTSEVEN

ARMAGEDDONOUTTAHERE

(aSkulduggeryPleasantshort-storycollection)

TheDemonRoadtrilogy

DEMONROADDESOLATION

AMERICANMONSTERS

OceanofPDF.com

AboutthePublisher

AustraliaHarperCollinsPublishers(Australia)Pty.Ltd.Level13,201ElizabethStreetSydney,NSW2000,Australiahttp://www.harpercollins.com.au

CanadaHarperCollinsCanadaBayAdelaideCentre,EastTower22AdelaideStreetWest,41stFloorToronto,ON,M5H4E3,Canadahttp://www.harpercollins.ca

IndiaHarperCollinsIndiaA75,Sector57Noida,UttarPradesh201301,Indiahttp://www.harpercollins.co.in

NewZealandHarperCollinsPublishers(NewZealand)LimitedP.O.Box1Auckland,NewZealandhttp://www.harpercollins.co.nz

UnitedKingdomHarperCollinsPublishersLtd.1LondonBridgeStreetLondon,SE19GFhttp://www.harpercollins.co.uk

UnitedStatesHarperCollinsPublishersInc.195Broadway

NewYork,NY10007http://www.harpercollins.com

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

TableofContents

TitlePage 2Copyright 3Dedication 4Epigraph 5Contents 6Chapter1 9Chapter2 15Chapter3 17Chapter4 23Chapter5 29Chapter6 34Chapter7 38Chapter8 45Chapter9 49Chapter10 54Chapter11 57Chapter12 58Chapter13 64Chapter14 67Chapter15 69Chapter16 72Chapter17 79Chapter18 86Chapter19 89Chapter20 95Chapter21 96Chapter22 100Chapter23 105

Chapter24 111Chapter25 113Chapter26 120Chapter27 121Chapter28 125Chapter29 131Chapter30 136Chapter31 143Chapter32 147Chapter33 152Chapter34 157Chapter35 160Chapter36 163Chapter37 168Chapter38 177Chapter39 181Chapter40 184Chapter41 187Chapter42 193Chapter43 198Chapter44 203Chapter45 210Chapter46 215Chapter47 218Chapter48 222Chapter49 223Chapter50 229Chapter51 232Chapter52 237Chapter53 240

Chapter54 242

Chapter55 243Chapter56 251Chapter57 254Chapter58 258Chapter59 260Chapter60 262Chapter61 267Chapter62 268Chapter63 270Chapter64 273Chapter65 275Chapter66 276Chapter67 278Chapter68 281Chapter69 283Chapter70 287Chapter71 290Chapter72 294Chapter73 297Chapter74 300Chapter75 304Chapter76 308Chapter77 310Chapter78 315Chapter79 319Chapter80 325Chapter81 332Chapter82 333KeepReading… 338

TheSkulduggeryPleasantseries 341AboutthePublisher 342