by Landy Derek
"Sorry," Tanith said. "Anything wrong?"
"There's a man in the cinema. He insists on speaking with Professor Grouse, and he refuses to give his name. He is quite rude."
"Why don't you look for the professor?" Ghastly suggested. "We'll have a talk with whoever it is, find out what he wants."
"That would be much appreciated," Clarabelle responded, suddenly smiling widely. She walked on, humming a little tune to herself.
Tanith and Ghastly set off toward the cinema, descending the steps into gloom. They passed through the door in the screen and emerged onto the stage. A man stood in the center aisle between the rows of musty seats.
"Mr. Bespoke," Thurid Guild said, his voice echoing slightly, "welcome back to the land of the living."
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"Guild. What brings you here?"
"It's Grand Mage, actually," Guild corrected. "But you've been a statue for two years--I'm sure I can forgive you one little slip."
"It wasn't a slip."
"What can we do for you?" Tanith asked, making her voice as cold and unwelcoming as possible.
"You can do nothing for me," Guild said. "I'm here to speak with the owner of this facility."
"What's this about?"
"Sanctuary business, I'm afraid."
Tanith looked around. The cinema was pitched in gloom and shadow. "You're here alone?"
"Why shouldn't I be? I am among friends, am I not?"
"That depends," Ghastly said. "Do you count Skulduggery Pleasant as a friend?"
Guild smiled tightly. "Pleasant is a traitor."
"That's what he said about you," Tanith pointed out.
"Skulduggery Pleasant is working with the Diablerie. Along with the girl, he aided in stealing the remains of the Grotesquery for unlawful purposes, and when confronted, he resisted arrest, assaulted Sanctuary personnel, and evaded capture.
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He is an enemy of the Sanctuary and an enemy of all right-thinking people."
Kenspeckle emerged from the door in the screen to join Tanith and Ghastly. "What do you want, Grand Mage?"
"Ah, Professor. I require a mere moment of your time."
"My mere moments are precious. Say what you have to say."
Guild nodded graciously. "You are aware, I presume, of the threat posed by the Diablerie. You are aware of their plans involving the Grotesquery's remains and the last Teleporter, a boy called Fletcher Renn."
"I am."
"I have reason to believe that this boy is being kept on these premises. I would like you to turn him over to me, if you please."
"Grand Mage, I assure you I do not--" Guild held up a hand. "Professor. I hold you in great regard. I admire your work and your principles. I implore you, do not do yourself the injustice of attempting to lie to me, when I know the boy is here. I would prefer it that you stay silent rather than fumble with a clumsy half-truth.
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Such things are beneath you."
Tanith glanced at Kenspeckle and saw the color rise in his cheeks.
"Grand Mage,'' Kenspeckle said, "do not presume to know a person on the basis of a handful of meetings. This can instill irritation, and an immediate unwillingness to cooperate. Likewise, do not flatter in the hope of shaming that person into cooperation, and do not, under any circumstances, condescend. The fact of the matter is that while I do know of Fletcher Renn, I do not know of his whereabouts. I'm sorry, I cannot help you."
Guild shook his head. "You disappoint me, Professor."
A high-pitched alarm shrieked through the door in the screen, and Tanith and Ghastly spun.
"I'd stay here if I were you," Guild advised.
"What have you done?" Kenspeckle asked, but from the look in his eyes Tanith could tell he already knew the answer. Guild wasn't standing here to request that Fletcher Renn be handed over--he was standing here to distract them.
"My Cleavers have penetrated your facility's defenses," Guild responded, almost lazily. "They have orders to subdue, not to harm--but they will
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use force if they deem it necessary."
"You have no right!" Kenspeckle thundered.
"We came here for the boy and we're not leaving without him."
Ghastly was already running back to the door, and Tanith was about to follow him when she saw the other people in the cinema. They walked through the gloom, down the aisles between the rows, moving quietly to join Guild at the foot of the stage.
Gruesome Krav. Murder Rose. Billy-Ray Sanguine. Jaron Gallow. Murder Rose was carrying Tanith's sword.
"You're part of it," Tanith breathed.
Guild smiled at her coldly. "Part of what, Miss Low?"
He realized that she was looking beyond him, and he turned, frowning. Gallow struck him, and Guild fell to his hands and knees. Murder Rose giggled and kicked him, and he slumped sideways and lay still.
"Kill them," Gallow said.
Krav leaped onto the stage and charged, knocking Ghastly off his feet. Rose sprang at Tanith, and Tanith flipped over Rose's head, and Sanguine
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came at her. His straight razor missed her throat as she spun, her boot catching him in the gut.
Murder Rose whipped the sword, and Tanith dodged. The red-lipped madwoman was smiling as she advanced. Tanith didn't have time to try anything fancy--this woman was far too good.
Ghastly had slipped out of Krav's hold and was firing punches into the gray man's side. Tanith was about to shout a warning that his punches would have no effect, but Ghastly quickly figured that one out by himself. Krav grabbed him again.
Tanith positioned herself with her back to Sanguine, and the opportunity just proved too irresistible. Still struggling for breath, he lunged for her, and she twisted, caught him, and sent him stumbling into Murder Rose's path. The sword was knocked from Rose's hand, and Tanith crashed into her.
Kenspeckle ran up behind Krav and placed his glowing hands on his back. Krav jerked in surprise, and an instant later he screamed and whirled in sudden pain. Kenspeckle was knocked over, and Ghastly pushed at the air, hurling Krav off the stage.
Sanguine snatched Tanith's sword from the
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ground and grinned, a blade now in each hand. Tanith shoved Murder Rose away from her and dodged as Sanguine swung, the steel little more than a bright blur between them. He was unused to wielding a weapon of that size, however. He swung too wide, and she was on him before he could correct his mistake. Her hand closed over his as she kicked his knee, and she batted the razor away and then hammered her fist onto his forearm. His hand sprang open, and she yanked her sword away from him.
"Enough," Gallow called, and immediately Sanguine withdrew. Murder Rose glared at Tanith, but she strode back the way she had come without argument. Gruesome Krav stood, snarling, and followed. He stooped to pick up Thurid Guild as he went.
"No doubt the boy has teleported to safety," Gallow called to them from the gloom. "He probably did so the moment he sensed trouble, as we expected."
"You'll never catch him," said Ghastly.
"Nor do we have any wish to try. Instead, we want him delivered to us. Give us the boy, and we will return the Grand Mage to you." He gestured
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to Thurid Guild's unconscious body, held casually in Krav's arms. "Somewhere nice and public, so you won't make a fuss. The Liffey Bridge, at noon tomorrow. If you're late, he's dead." And then they were gone.
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Twenty-six
***
T he Scepter
There was someone watching China's building.
He was parked down the street, far enough away to be discreet yet close enough to see the door. It was a cold night and he was wearing a thick coat. He was an Elemental, and every so often there would be a flickering light in the car as he heated himself up.
"One of the Diablerie?" Valkyrie asked. They were across the road and farther down, standing at the corner. The wind caught the rain and slipped it over Valkyrie'
s collar. Water trickled down her
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back and she shivered.
Skulduggery didn't seem to notice the weather. He shook his head. She wished she had a hat like his, or even one of his scarves. "That's a Sanctuary agent," he said. "Guild will have them watching all known associates. He's trying to cut us off."
"Then they're probably watching Kenspeckle's place, too," she said miserably. She really wanted to go somewhere warm and dry.
A car passed too close to the curb and kicked up a large puddle. A year ago, her clothes would have protected her, but today the puddle water found its way through in a half dozen places, and Valkyrie tightened up and barely managed not to squeal.
She glared at the car as it drove on, happy and oblivious, and turned to Skulduggery. "Just call China. Tell her to bring the Scepter, and we'll meet her and put the new crystal in, and then I can go somewhere to change my clothes. I'm wet and I'm freezing."
"China's phone will be monitored."
"So how are we going to meet her?"
And then the Sanctuary agent started his car and pulled out sharply onto the road. They watched him speed away.
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"That's worrying," Skulduggery mused. "You think it's a trap?"
"Either that or there's an emergency somewhere in the city. Still," he said, injecting some brightness into his voice, "you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, unless of course it's made of wood. Let's go."
They hurried across the street, scanning their surroundings for any sign of an ambush. They reached the tenement building without incident and climbed the stairs. Valkyrie's feet squelched in her boots.
They got to the third floor, where the thin man opened the door when Skulduggery knocked and beckoned them in with a movement of his eyes. The library was practically empty as they walked through its labyrinth of bookcases.
China Sorrows was waiting for them. Her dress was red silk. On the table beside her was a case made of oak. A symbol like a shark's tooth piercing a star was etched into the wood.
"People are scared," she said, in a tone that made it clear she didn't approve. "You have every sorcerer in the country getting ready to either fight or run. It's bad for business."
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Skulduggery nodded. "The end of the world usually is."
"I'm not going to dignify that with a response." China sighed. "No matter how caustic it may be. Do you have a crystal?"
"Yes, we do."
She passed her hand over the oak case, and the symbol on the wood glowed for a moment. The case clicked and opened, revealing a golden rod, held in place by silver clasps. The clasps split apart slowly, and China lifted the Scepter of the Ancients from its box.
"You've already removed the old crystal," Skulduggery noted.
"I wanted to examine it. If I had known there was a chance that a single touch might have turned me to dust, I probably would have let someone else do it."
She handed the Scepter to Valkyrie, who took the black crystal from the box. She slid it into the empty slot. It was a bigger crystal than the last one, though, and it was taking some effort to fix it in place.
While Valkyrie worked, Skulduggery looked at China. "You realize what this means, don't you?
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We need your word that if the gateway opens, you'll be by our side."
"Considering the fact that, as the Scepter's owner, I'm the only one able to actually use it, you had better hope that I am."
"I need a guarantee, China."
"I don't give guarantees. You're just going to have to trust me. And that's all you're going to get."
Valkyrie tried pushing the crystal in a different way, and it slid into place. The Scepter closed around it. The black crystal glowed.
"It's done," Valkyrie said, surprised that she'd managed it. China took it from her.
"Step away," she commanded. She pointed the Scepter at the oak case, and nothing happened. She stared at the weapon in confusion. "It doesn't work."
"Maybe the crystal isn't in right," Valkyrie suggested. "Maybe it's too big."
"I'm the last one who used the Scepter," Skulduggery mused as he took it from China. "Maybe I'm its owner."
He pointed it at the case, but no lightning erupted.
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Valkyrie sagged. "So it was a waste of time. And now we have nothing to use against the Faceless Ones."
"No," China said. "Look at it. The crystal's glowing. The Scepter has power; it's just not identifying its proper owner."
Skulduggery held it out to Valkyrie. "Try it."
She frowned. "I don't own it. You used it after Serpine, you gave it to China. It's one of you two-- it's got nothing to do with me."
"When I gave it to China, it was broken. You've just replaced its power source, and you were the first person to hold it since it was brought back to life."
Still not seeing the logic, Valkyrie took the Scepter and held it up, pointing it at the oak case.
"How do you fire?" she asked.
"Will it to fire and it'll fire."
"Yeah, but is there a particular command you have to think, like fire, or do you just have to want it to--"
Black lightning streaked from the crystal, and the table turned to dust and the oak box fell heavily to the floor.
Valkyrie stared. "I missed the box."
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"Yes, but on the bright side, you killed the table."
The crystal glowed again and lightning flashed, and a bookcase disappeared in a cloud of swirling dust. China shrieked in dismay, and Valkyrie shrieked in surprise.
"I didn't mean to!" she shouted. "I just thought of it and--"
Skulduggery yanked China back as lightning hit the bookcase behind her.
Valkyrie whirled and thrust the Scepter into Skulduggery's hands. "Get it away from me!"
"My books!" China cried.
"I can't use it! Skulduggery, I can't use it! I tried not thinking of the Scepter firing, and that's the only thing I could think of! It kept popping into my head!"
"It's okay," Skulduggery said soothingly. "No one was hurt."
"My books!" China raged.
"China, I am really sorry ..." Valkyrie began, and then ran out of words.
China glared at her, then glared at Skulduggery. "Some of those books were one of a kind."
"I understand that."
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"Priceless, Skulduggery. Beyond priceless. The secrets they held, the histories they contained ..."
"I'll be happy to pay for any damage caused."
"You cannot pay for priceless books! That's why they call them priceless!"
"Then let me at least pay for the bookcase."
"The bookcase?" China screamed, and then she whirled, hands over her face, and Valkyrie could hear her counting, slowly, to ten.
At ten, she turned and tried to smile, and after a few moments it actually became convincing. "Valkyrie, it appears you are the Scepter's owner. This is wonderful news. It means, among other things, that you need not leave the ultimate weapon in the hands of someone you don't trust."
"China," Skulduggery began, but she held up a hand to silence him.
"You can't use it, of course," she continued. "Not now, anyway. You have to keep it hidden."
Valkyrie frowned. "Why?"
"If the Diablerie find out that it is operational, they will target you. They'll try to take you alive, subdue you, keep you breathing so that the ownership of the Scepter won't pass to the next person to pick it up."
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"And there's another reason," Skulduggery said. "If they manage to get their hands on it, we have nothing with which to stop the Faceless Ones. It's a last-resort weapon--it needs to be kept hidden until the gate opens."
"If the gate opens," Valkyrie corrected.
"Optimistic to the last," China said dryly.
"We could still do with your help," Skulduggery said to her.
"Nonsense," China responded. "You'll do fine without me. Be
sides, the portal opens on a farm. A farm, Skulduggery. Do I look like I have any shoes suitable for a farm? "
The thin man hurried over and whispered in her ear. She nodded and looked at them. "I think you should get back to the Hibernian. There have been developments."
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Twenty-seven
***
B link
Mr. Bliss met them as they strode toward the cinema. He told them
what had happened, then told them that Remus Crux had left with the Cleavers in a preposterous attempt to catch the Diablerie as they made their getaway with Guild. The main problems with this course of action were that first, the enemy had too much of a head start, and second, nobody knew what kind of vehicle they were in, if they were even in a vehicle at all. But Bliss had let Crux go, simply because he wanted him gone.
They hurried down the aisle, as Ghastly and
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Tanith emerged from the door in the screen, onto the stage. Valkyrie looked at them, checking for injuries, but Tanith caught her eye and winked. A small gesture, but reassuring, and Valkyrie's heart stopped beating so hard in her chest.
"Sorry," Ghastly said to Skulduggery. "We tried our best, but..."
"Your job wasn't to protect Guild," Skulduggery reminded him, "it was to protect Fletcher. Where is he? "
"Here," Fletcher said from right behind Valkyrie. She jumped and glared at him; then he vanished and reappeared on the stage beside Tanith. "You're not going to give me to those nutcases, are you? I mean, I know they have a hostage and all, but he's an old guy, he's practically dead already. I'm the important one, so I'm the one who has to stay safe, yeah? "
"We're not doing the trade," Tanith said.
"Actually," Bliss said, "we are."
