If Corrival had been expecting a response, he would have been disappointed even if Anton didn't start speaking again almost right away. Ghastly didn't know why he'd said that, any more than he understood why he still didn't want to take it back. Or why the admittance of Skulduggery temporarily losing control of the vehicle had no effect on Ghastly whatsoever - not even a trickle of concern.
He had to bite his tongue to keep from asking where Gabriel was, because in the haze of alcohol, it took Ghastly a few extra seconds to realise that Anton didn't know. Wouldn't know. And Skulduggery probably had a reason for not telling him. Gabriel was probably the 'lead' Anton mentioned, and that was enough for Ghastly. Although... Serpine's castle?
It made sense. Sealing the castle off wouldn't have kept it empty forever, and Scarab did know something about the magical symbols used to seal it.
Ghastly wordlessly handed Corrival the bottle, in complete agreement about being far too sober for this. He drained his own glass and collapsed back onto the couch, letting Corrival be the one to call Erskine. At least his brain didn't seem to be betraying him quite yet.
~~
Scarab lifted the Desolation Engine towards the dim light filtered through the single light bulb in the ceiling, and peered at it. It certainly looked like what a Desolation Engine should; it was a stone hourglass, full of a calm and pale green liquid that Scarab knew would start to glow when the bomb was live, then red when it was armed.
The problem was, he'd been planning for Kenspeckle Grouse to take at least a day in fulfilling the request, genius though he was. It was barely three hours since Scarab let the Remnant loose in the room, and already the work was finished. The Remnant would have every reason to get the work finished as quickly as possible, taking all the shortcuts, skirting every detail.
Kenspeckle Grouse was a proud genius. He wouldn't have done that. Regardless of what he was working on, it would be the absolute best it could possibly be. The problem was how much of that work ethic the Remnant would also have, given that nobody knew exactly where a Remnant ended and the person began.
"This is it, then?" he finally had to ask. "You put in all the adjustments I asked for?"
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He had to bite his tongue to keep from asking where Gabriel was, because in the haze of alcohol, it took Ghastly a few extra seconds to realise that Anton didn't know. Wouldn't know. And Skulduggery probably had a reason for not telling him. Gabriel was probably the 'lead' Anton mentioned, and that was enough for Ghastly. Although... Serpine's castle?
It made sense. Sealing the castle off wouldn't have kept it empty forever, and Scarab did know something about the magical symbols used to seal it.
Ghastly wordlessly handed Corrival the bottle, in complete agreement about being far too sober for this. He drained his own glass and collapsed back onto the couch, letting Corrival be the one to call Erskine. At least his brain didn't seem to be betraying him quite yet.
~~
Scarab lifted the Desolation Engine towards the dim light filtered through the single light bulb in the ceiling, and peered at it. It certainly looked like what a Desolation Engine should; it was a stone hourglass, full of a calm and pale green liquid that Scarab knew would start to glow when the bomb was live, then red when it was armed.
The problem was, he'd been planning for Kenspeckle Grouse to take at least a day in fulfilling the request, genius though he was. It was barely three hours since Scarab let the Remnant loose in the room, and already the work was finished. The Remnant would have every reason to get the work finished as quickly as possible, taking all the shortcuts, skirting every detail.
Kenspeckle Grouse was a proud genius. He wouldn't have done that. Regardless of what he was working on, it would be the absolute best it could possibly be. The problem was how much of that work ethic the Remnant would also have, given that nobody knew exactly where a Remnant ended and the person began.
"This is it, then?" he finally had to ask. "You put in all the adjustments I asked for?"