Valkyrie shrugged. "He went insane. He probably caught a glimpse of them." A light of understanding dawned in her eyes. "Maybe that's how they got so many people to worship them. Maybe looking at them directly for too long blinds you to everything else."
It wasn't the first time Skulduggery tried not to think about something - especially since every new thing Gabe told them about God or his brothers tended to be images Skulduggery would have been perfectly happy living the rest of his life without. God surrounded by piles of teddy bears, amusing though it was, did nothing to enrich Skulduggery's understanding of the world. But trying not to think about something was uncommon enough that it unsettled Skulduggery, and so he spoke up, smoothly changing the subject to something more immediately helpful.
"If we're hoping to find out why she's panicking, the best way to do that would be to ask Crux himself. I'm willing to bet he knows something China would rather keep quiet. And we should protect him from her anyway," Skulduggery added with what he hoped was an acceptable amount of objectivity. "Since Valkyrie and I are unofficially reinstated as Sanctuary detectives and all."
"Even if we had the first idea of where to find him," said Ghastly with a quick glance at Skulduggery, "do you really think that's a good idea?"
"We can start with the Church of the Faceless," Skulduggery decided. "If he's a worshiper now, someone there will be keeping an eye on him."
Ghastly's quick glance became a full-blown Look. "You didn't answer my question, Skul."
"I may hit him a few times," the detective admitted after a moment. "He tried to kill my partner. I believe I'm entirely justified."
"And then what?"
"Then we ask him, very nicely, why China wants him dead, as well as why he tried to kill my partner. After which we will deliver him to the Sanctuary for possible psychological treatment. Then we get back to the investigation of the Desolation Engine, and hope Lucifer doesn't arrive until after that's over and we've saved a large group of people from being blown up. Any questions?"
no subject
It wasn't the first time Skulduggery tried not to think about something - especially since every new thing Gabe told them about God or his brothers tended to be images Skulduggery would have been perfectly happy living the rest of his life without. God surrounded by piles of teddy bears, amusing though it was, did nothing to enrich Skulduggery's understanding of the world. But trying not to think about something was uncommon enough that it unsettled Skulduggery, and so he spoke up, smoothly changing the subject to something more immediately helpful.
"If we're hoping to find out why she's panicking, the best way to do that would be to ask Crux himself. I'm willing to bet he knows something China would rather keep quiet. And we should protect him from her anyway," Skulduggery added with what he hoped was an acceptable amount of objectivity. "Since Valkyrie and I are unofficially reinstated as Sanctuary detectives and all."
"Even if we had the first idea of where to find him," said Ghastly with a quick glance at Skulduggery, "do you really think that's a good idea?"
"We can start with the Church of the Faceless," Skulduggery decided. "If he's a worshiper now, someone there will be keeping an eye on him."
Ghastly's quick glance became a full-blown Look. "You didn't answer my question, Skul."
"I may hit him a few times," the detective admitted after a moment. "He tried to kill my partner. I believe I'm entirely justified."
"And then what?"
"Then we ask him, very nicely, why China wants him dead, as well as why he tried to kill my partner. After which we will deliver him to the Sanctuary for possible psychological treatment. Then we get back to the investigation of the Desolation Engine, and hope Lucifer doesn't arrive until after that's over and we've saved a large group of people from being blown up. Any questions?"