Oh no. This... Skulduggery looked towards the door, and then sidelong back at Gabe. "This isn't one of those surrogate father things, is it?" he asked, and there was something more than bemused worry in his face. "I've been a father before. I wasn't very good at it."
But he was listening, and not just because it usually paid to listen to everything an Archangel said. Skulduggery knew all too well what worrying about being useless felt like. He hadn't experienced the sensation since before he died, but he had experienced it. And while he didn't know Fletcher too well, it was thanks to the Teleporter they'd saved the world last year. And, barring meeting Gabriel at Landel's, it would have been thanks to the Teleporter that Valkyrie came to rescue him.
Skulduggery took in a long breath and nodded. "I haven't meant to... dismiss him. How do I fix that? Just a little bit of appreciation, a pat on the head?"
~~
China glanced up from her coffee, impressed despite the obvious play. Insulted? Possibly. But only that he seemed to think there was even the slightest possibility she hadn't made the connection, since he seemed to have heard of the visions himself - and hadn't dismissed them, as China assumed any Necromancer would.
Her smile, this time, didn't need to be faked. The fact that Solomon knew made this all so much easier. "I'm either disappointed or impressed in you, I have to say. Of course I've made the connection." Slightly insulted though China may be, Solomon had earned himself a little more information. "The more pertinent question, for me, is why an angel would rescue Skulduggery from hell. Guild has his own theory, as laughable as it is ridiculous. I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't some sort of deal taking place here, and I'd like to know what that is."
But she couldn't just let the insult go. China paused, and her smile grew. "But I believe I see now why you had trouble sleeping yourself. The existence of angels must tear down your entire religion. How is that settling for you?"
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But he was listening, and not just because it usually paid to listen to everything an Archangel said. Skulduggery knew all too well what worrying about being useless felt like. He hadn't experienced the sensation since before he died, but he had experienced it. And while he didn't know Fletcher too well, it was thanks to the Teleporter they'd saved the world last year. And, barring meeting Gabriel at Landel's, it would have been thanks to the Teleporter that Valkyrie came to rescue him.
Skulduggery took in a long breath and nodded. "I haven't meant to... dismiss him. How do I fix that? Just a little bit of appreciation, a pat on the head?"
~~
China glanced up from her coffee, impressed despite the obvious play. Insulted? Possibly. But only that he seemed to think there was even the slightest possibility she hadn't made the connection, since he seemed to have heard of the visions himself - and hadn't dismissed them, as China assumed any Necromancer would.
Her smile, this time, didn't need to be faked. The fact that Solomon knew made this all so much easier. "I'm either disappointed or impressed in you, I have to say. Of course I've made the connection." Slightly insulted though China may be, Solomon had earned himself a little more information. "The more pertinent question, for me, is why an angel would rescue Skulduggery from hell. Guild has his own theory, as laughable as it is ridiculous. I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't some sort of deal taking place here, and I'd like to know what that is."
But she couldn't just let the insult go. China paused, and her smile grew. "But I believe I see now why you had trouble sleeping yourself. The existence of angels must tear down your entire religion. How is that settling for you?"