Anton Shudder was not a man predisposed to being unnerved by much of anything. It didn't happen very often at all, even when unexpected things happened. This was a new record. He had been unnerved hardly ten minutes ago, by the words of Skulduggery himself. Now, he was far, far beyond unnerved. This was not being unnerved. If there was a word beyond being merely unnerved, without being actively terrified, that's what Anton would be.
Never, in his entire life, had Anton wished so hard to be elsewhere. He had remained in the room as a precaution--a precaution Skulduggery had not bothered to take, against a foe which was Anton's responsibility.
He'd been startled when Skulduggery had entered the way he had--as if he had one thought and one thought only. Anton had been on the verge of saying something, but there had been something in Skulduggery's demeanour, something focussed and worried, which kept Anton's mouth shut. Something which told him that Skulduggery wouldn't have appreciated the interruption or the questions at that moment. Because Skulduggery Pleasant had not noticed he was there.
As the conversation went on, Anton wished he weren't there. He wished he'd made himself known and then left, so he didn't need to witness this exceedingly private, intimate and utterly impossible conversation. Arms folded on his chest, gaze directed up at the roof, Anton had tried his best not to hear a single word from that bed, and had only succeeded in having all of them burned into his mind.
He heard Skulduggery move. His tone of voice, the fact he felt the need to practically pace at all, spoke enough of the detective's emotional turmoil. Why wouldn't he be in turmoil? The way they were talking--if Anton had entertained the thought that Skulduggery might be having him on about Gabriel being an angel, it was rendered moot by that conversation. Maybe they were both insane. Maybe not. He wasn't even sure if Gabriel had remembered he was there.
In this moment, with the seriousness of the conversation, Anton found it surprisingly easy to accept that Gabriel might be an angel. Or at least some sort of benevolent corollary to the Faceless Ones.
It was more believable than the idea that Skulduggery Pleasant may well have fallen in love with someone other than his wife.
Skulduggery's words cut off abruptly, and after a moment Anton realised it was because the detective had, finally, noticed he was there. The surge of relief that came with that fact was so overwhelming Anton almost trembled with its adrenaline. Without looking at Skulduggery, Anton rose. "I'll be leaving now. Excuse me."
He didn't wait to see if Skulduggery wanted to call him back. He wanted out of that room. He had not needed to hear that conversation. He had had no right to hear that conversation.
For the first time in a very long time, Anton Shudder felt he needed a good strong belt. It was really too bad that he didn't trust himself to stop at just one.
As the door shut behind Shudder, Gabriel grimaced. "I forgot he was there. I think he thought I was possessed by the Remnant."
Carefully he rose from the bed, counting himself lucky that the armchair against which Skul was standing wasn't too far away. The Archangel lifted a hand, about to offer a hug, and then hesitated. Would it be appropriate? Would Skulduggery want it, right here and right now, with so much confusion in him?
Instead Gabe laid his hand on the skeleton's arm and squeezed lightly. "There don't need to be any changes at all if you don't want there to be," he assured Skulduggery gently. "In fact, I have a change of subject, if you'd rather. Or we can finish this conversation first. It's up to you."
no subject
Never, in his entire life, had Anton wished so hard to be elsewhere. He had remained in the room as a precaution--a precaution Skulduggery had not bothered to take, against a foe which was Anton's responsibility.
He'd been startled when Skulduggery had entered the way he had--as if he had one thought and one thought only. Anton had been on the verge of saying something, but there had been something in Skulduggery's demeanour, something focussed and worried, which kept Anton's mouth shut. Something which told him that Skulduggery wouldn't have appreciated the interruption or the questions at that moment. Because Skulduggery Pleasant had not noticed he was there.
As the conversation went on, Anton wished he weren't there. He wished he'd made himself known and then left, so he didn't need to witness this exceedingly private, intimate and utterly impossible conversation. Arms folded on his chest, gaze directed up at the roof, Anton had tried his best not to hear a single word from that bed, and had only succeeded in having all of them burned into his mind.
He heard Skulduggery move. His tone of voice, the fact he felt the need to practically pace at all, spoke enough of the detective's emotional turmoil. Why wouldn't he be in turmoil? The way they were talking--if Anton had entertained the thought that Skulduggery might be having him on about Gabriel being an angel, it was rendered moot by that conversation. Maybe they were both insane. Maybe not. He wasn't even sure if Gabriel had remembered he was there.
In this moment, with the seriousness of the conversation, Anton found it surprisingly easy to accept that Gabriel might be an angel. Or at least some sort of benevolent corollary to the Faceless Ones.
It was more believable than the idea that Skulduggery Pleasant may well have fallen in love with someone other than his wife.
Skulduggery's words cut off abruptly, and after a moment Anton realised it was because the detective had, finally, noticed he was there. The surge of relief that came with that fact was so overwhelming Anton almost trembled with its adrenaline. Without looking at Skulduggery, Anton rose. "I'll be leaving now. Excuse me."
He didn't wait to see if Skulduggery wanted to call him back. He wanted out of that room. He had not needed to hear that conversation. He had had no right to hear that conversation.
For the first time in a very long time, Anton Shudder felt he needed a good strong belt. It was really too bad that he didn't trust himself to stop at just one.
As the door shut behind Shudder, Gabriel grimaced. "I forgot he was there. I think he thought I was possessed by the Remnant."
Carefully he rose from the bed, counting himself lucky that the armchair against which Skul was standing wasn't too far away. The Archangel lifted a hand, about to offer a hug, and then hesitated. Would it be appropriate? Would Skulduggery want it, right here and right now, with so much confusion in him?
Instead Gabe laid his hand on the skeleton's arm and squeezed lightly. "There don't need to be any changes at all if you don't want there to be," he assured Skulduggery gently. "In fact, I have a change of subject, if you'd rather. Or we can finish this conversation first. It's up to you."