"Don't hurt yourself too much, Billy-Ray," Gabriel said without looking, and couldn't quite help--or didn't quite bother to contain--the little smile at the sorcerer's irritation at himself. The mental kick was nothing but amusing. "Or maybe just go ahead. I ain't gonna stop you."
There was no point in pretending he couldn't read something of the man's internal choices. Sanguine already knew.
Of course, that question put something of a damper on things. Gabe didn't show any change at all; he couldn't afford to. He was a terrible liar on his own merit, but for a secret such as Skulduggery's? No. Never would he let Sanguine discover that due to ineptitude. "She heard you were in town and went chasin' another lead," he said promptly. "Y'know, the kind that includes kennels and leashes. Said there was nowhere better to find someone's bitch."
May all true bitches forgive me, he apologised mentally to actual female dogs. Ruefully he acknowledged that Skulduggery, and probably several others from the Institute as well, had been awful influences.
Sanguine was a singularly unpleasant man. Part of the Archangel felt vindicated. The other part could practically see Michael shaking his head. He was no longer sure just what his Master would think, but already Gabe felt abashed.
He still didn't take it back.
~~~
"Ah," Solomon murmured, and managed a faint not-quite-smile. "Yes, they do. The bulk if it is made of Cleavers--trained men clad in magic-resistant armour. Sorcerers can't wear such armour, so Cleavers by necessity lack magic themselves, but their equipment makes them a formidable force. The Sanctuary Detectives are those who investigate crimes--crimes against sorcerers and crimes committed by sorcerers against mortals. Skulduggery Pleasant is one of them."
To his credit, his voice was entirely even. Solomon still took a long sip and paused to eat the slice of fruitcake before continuing. Something in his stomach had knotted up at the thought of Pleasant, and it was making it difficult to eat. "He's a skeleton," he added blandly. "A non-Necromancer tried to kill him using a Necromantic technique and it backfired somehow so his soul was never actually separated from his body. I imagine you'll meet him at some point; Saint Gabriel has taken him under his wing."
Another pause to sip, but the cake, this time, only had to endure a nibble. Solomon didn't particularly want to think about the Faceless Ones either, but at the same time, he wanted to be quick in talking about them. "Last year Pleasant was dragged into a hell dimension by a ... I suppose it was a demonic demi-god. They were trying to invade our dimension and a number of us, myself and Pleasant included, were on the force to stop them. He only arrived back yesterday. Saint Gabriel rescued him, apparently."
From Hell. Literally. It was a lot of information to take in at once, but it was all relevant, and it would make Father O'Reilly think about the skeleton detective instead of Solomon. Instead of the careful blandness in his tone when he spoke of Pleasant. Part of Solomon wondered whether the detective would be one of those on the top of the list to kill him--or whether he would consider him not enough of a threat now without his magic.
no subject
There was no point in pretending he couldn't read something of the man's internal choices. Sanguine already knew.
Of course, that question put something of a damper on things. Gabe didn't show any change at all; he couldn't afford to. He was a terrible liar on his own merit, but for a secret such as Skulduggery's? No. Never would he let Sanguine discover that due to ineptitude. "She heard you were in town and went chasin' another lead," he said promptly. "Y'know, the kind that includes kennels and leashes. Said there was nowhere better to find someone's bitch."
May all true bitches forgive me, he apologised mentally to actual female dogs. Ruefully he acknowledged that Skulduggery, and probably several others from the Institute as well, had been awful influences.
Sanguine was a singularly unpleasant man. Part of the Archangel felt vindicated. The other part could practically see Michael shaking his head. He was no longer sure just what his Master would think, but already Gabe felt abashed.
He still didn't take it back.
~~~
"Ah," Solomon murmured, and managed a faint not-quite-smile. "Yes, they do. The bulk if it is made of Cleavers--trained men clad in magic-resistant armour. Sorcerers can't wear such armour, so Cleavers by necessity lack magic themselves, but their equipment makes them a formidable force. The Sanctuary Detectives are those who investigate crimes--crimes against sorcerers and crimes committed by sorcerers against mortals. Skulduggery Pleasant is one of them."
To his credit, his voice was entirely even. Solomon still took a long sip and paused to eat the slice of fruitcake before continuing. Something in his stomach had knotted up at the thought of Pleasant, and it was making it difficult to eat. "He's a skeleton," he added blandly. "A non-Necromancer tried to kill him using a Necromantic technique and it backfired somehow so his soul was never actually separated from his body. I imagine you'll meet him at some point; Saint Gabriel has taken him under his wing."
Another pause to sip, but the cake, this time, only had to endure a nibble. Solomon didn't particularly want to think about the Faceless Ones either, but at the same time, he wanted to be quick in talking about them. "Last year Pleasant was dragged into a hell dimension by a ... I suppose it was a demonic demi-god. They were trying to invade our dimension and a number of us, myself and Pleasant included, were on the force to stop them. He only arrived back yesterday. Saint Gabriel rescued him, apparently."
From Hell. Literally. It was a lot of information to take in at once, but it was all relevant, and it would make Father O'Reilly think about the skeleton detective instead of Solomon. Instead of the careful blandness in his tone when he spoke of Pleasant. Part of Solomon wondered whether the detective would be one of those on the top of the list to kill him--or whether he would consider him not enough of a threat now without his magic.