Valkyrie Cain was a known name to Corrival. She seemed like a competent enough kid, even though he personally didn't see Skulduggery's reasoning in dragging her into all this. At the same time, he did. She was descended from the Ancients. She needed watching and protecting, and training as well.
But the fact that she answered, and Skulduggery didn't, only made Corrival's irritation rise.
The fact that Skulduggery said nothing had his irritation rise.
This was not Skulduggery Pleasant. This was some shade of him, some vestige of the charming, incorrigibly arrogant detective Corrival had known. As if Vile had won after all. As if his mere memory, now known truthfully, had stolen everything in Skulduggery worth keeping.
The thought made Corrival snap. Abruptly he turned on his heel, pushing past Anton and the others to stalk up to Skulduggery. "People around here have a lot of things to say," he growled, "except the person who usually says the most."
He came to Skulduggery and stopped short toe-to-toe, so close that he was very obviously in Skulduggery's personal space. Even though the skeleton was taller, even though he had no eyes to look into, no face to see even without the disguise--even though he was apparently the intimidating one in every respect--it was Corrival Deuce who drew the eye, who demanded the attention. "Let me," he said in a deadly-quiet tone which nonetheless carried, "make one thing perfectly clear, Skulduggery Pleasant. I am not here because of whatever shit got dragged from the past into the present. I am here to save lives, because I was asked, by a friend whom I trust. I am not--"
Corrival's hand lifted, jabbing sharply at Skulduggery's chest. "I am not here to watch you make an idiot of yourself because you feel like you should be wallowing in a cesspool. I don't currently have a body hidden in my freezer for a fool who can't even muster the gumption to defend himself against the things that aren't true. If you can't find that man again, then I am going to command you to go back to your precious angel and let him comfort you, because by God I will not accept a man who can't pull his own weight in a task of this magnitude. Am I making myself clear?"
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But the fact that she answered, and Skulduggery didn't, only made Corrival's irritation rise.
The fact that Skulduggery said nothing had his irritation rise.
This was not Skulduggery Pleasant. This was some shade of him, some vestige of the charming, incorrigibly arrogant detective Corrival had known. As if Vile had won after all. As if his mere memory, now known truthfully, had stolen everything in Skulduggery worth keeping.
The thought made Corrival snap. Abruptly he turned on his heel, pushing past Anton and the others to stalk up to Skulduggery. "People around here have a lot of things to say," he growled, "except the person who usually says the most."
He came to Skulduggery and stopped short toe-to-toe, so close that he was very obviously in Skulduggery's personal space. Even though the skeleton was taller, even though he had no eyes to look into, no face to see even without the disguise--even though he was apparently the intimidating one in every respect--it was Corrival Deuce who drew the eye, who demanded the attention. "Let me," he said in a deadly-quiet tone which nonetheless carried, "make one thing perfectly clear, Skulduggery Pleasant. I am not here because of whatever shit got dragged from the past into the present. I am here to save lives, because I was asked, by a friend whom I trust. I am not--"
Corrival's hand lifted, jabbing sharply at Skulduggery's chest. "I am not here to watch you make an idiot of yourself because you feel like you should be wallowing in a cesspool. I don't currently have a body hidden in my freezer for a fool who can't even muster the gumption to defend himself against the things that aren't true. If you can't find that man again, then I am going to command you to go back to your precious angel and let him comfort you, because by God I will not accept a man who can't pull his own weight in a task of this magnitude. Am I making myself clear?"