Skulduggery nodded. "It is odd. And curious. Which is precisely why we're here. Solving oddities is what I do. Excellent detective's instinct, by the way. You're both learning more and more each day."
On the surface, his tone was level - maybe even with a hint of pride - but this tilt of his head, Valkyrie did recognise. Smugness. He wore that often enough. "You really enjoy having subordinates, don't you?" she asked.
"It makes me feel good about myself."
Valkyrie hid her grin as Skulduggery handled all the paperwork - another 'perk' of being head Detective, she pointed out with an unhid smirk, to which Skulduggery merely grumbled - and then it wasn't long before the three were left alone in the Meeting Room. It was an even shorter time before Marr's subordinate, Pennant, led Thurid Guild in and walked away without undoing the shackles on the former Grand Mage's hands.
"You're early," were Guild's first words. "Does the idea of my impending incarceration make you so eager you couldn't wait for the appointed time?"
"It's good to see you too, Thurid," Skulduggery said. "Are you ready to go?"
Guild's gaze fell on each of them in turn, a kind of frustrated anger in them Valkyrie hadn't seen before. Mostly, she figured, because for once the anger wasn't directed at them. It was turned inward, with possibly a portion of it aimed at Scarab, and that was it. Stubborn and proud though he was, Thurid Guild knew that if it wasn't for the three people now escorting him to a Gaol outside the Sanctuary, he'd have been forced to kill everyone at Croke Park.
So while it looked like he might answer back with another sarcastic remark, in the end, he didn't. His face drew tight and he simply nodded, and Valkyrie felt another pang of the same guilt as before.
They started walking, and Guild - probably to talk about something other than his impending incarceration - turned to Gabriel. "Your father's in town. I believe I met him at the carnival the other day. Walking around with Bespoke and a large pile of teddy bears."
Valkyrie nearly choked. Again, she cursed Skulduggery for his ability to remain perfectly still and composed no matter what the situation, even though he must have been just as surprised as she was.
no subject
On the surface, his tone was level - maybe even with a hint of pride - but this tilt of his head, Valkyrie did recognise. Smugness. He wore that often enough. "You really enjoy having subordinates, don't you?" she asked.
"It makes me feel good about myself."
Valkyrie hid her grin as Skulduggery handled all the paperwork - another 'perk' of being head Detective, she pointed out with an unhid smirk, to which Skulduggery merely grumbled - and then it wasn't long before the three were left alone in the Meeting Room. It was an even shorter time before Marr's subordinate, Pennant, led Thurid Guild in and walked away without undoing the shackles on the former Grand Mage's hands.
"You're early," were Guild's first words. "Does the idea of my impending incarceration make you so eager you couldn't wait for the appointed time?"
"It's good to see you too, Thurid," Skulduggery said. "Are you ready to go?"
Guild's gaze fell on each of them in turn, a kind of frustrated anger in them Valkyrie hadn't seen before. Mostly, she figured, because for once the anger wasn't directed at them. It was turned inward, with possibly a portion of it aimed at Scarab, and that was it. Stubborn and proud though he was, Thurid Guild knew that if it wasn't for the three people now escorting him to a Gaol outside the Sanctuary, he'd have been forced to kill everyone at Croke Park.
So while it looked like he might answer back with another sarcastic remark, in the end, he didn't. His face drew tight and he simply nodded, and Valkyrie felt another pang of the same guilt as before.
They started walking, and Guild - probably to talk about something other than his impending incarceration - turned to Gabriel. "Your father's in town. I believe I met him at the carnival the other day. Walking around with Bespoke and a large pile of teddy bears."
Valkyrie nearly choked. Again, she cursed Skulduggery for his ability to remain perfectly still and composed no matter what the situation, even though he must have been just as surprised as she was.