"Guess that means we're talkin' to Ms Sorrows again," Gabe said as he trailed after the detective, noticeably slower and no longer leaving a line of bloody footprints on the floor (but only because it had all congealed to his feet). There was absolutely not any grumble in his tone--but it was rather carefully blank, as if the grumble had been excised.

Gabe turned to smile and doff his hat once more at Guild over Skul's shoulder, and he might have made a quip about liking Skul's face, but out here in the corridors the scream of the vampires was louder once more. The Archangel was distracted by having to readjust, and by the time he had Skul had already closed the door.

The Archangel fell into step next to Skulduggery, not calling attention to the detective's slow pace but grateful for it all the same, and couldn't help but grimace at Skul's explanation. He didn't comment on the suspicion he saw floating in Skul's soul, but it didn't have enough depth for Gabe to tell what it was a suspicion about without the Archangel trying to search for it through the Scream. That, he wasn't about to try.

At the last, however, he shot Skulduggery a disbelieving look, one that was just a touch less good-humoured than usual because of the pain-lines starting to crease around the Archangel's eyes all over again. "That's just what I always wanted," he said, "to be compared to a cowboy psychopath. Thanks, Skul. What can he do that's so special?"