The meeting was a lot shorter than Erskine expected. As well as a lot more amusing.
It occurred to him, as he took his leave separate from the others, that this would be his last night as a free man. He should probably be using it to prepare, as Tipstaff - the Sanctuary Administrator, ever since that traitor from a couple years back - had suggested just before Erskine left. There were these books he was supposed to read, apparently. The Elder Journals. Tipstaff told Erskine he could pick up his copies from the Sanctuary in about an hour or so. Erskine had thanked the man, left the Great Chamber, and gone straight to his standard pub with absolutely no intention of leaving it for the evening.
He awoke the next morning with a minor headache throbbing at the base of his skull, a little light-headed and dehydrated, but none the worse for wear. In fact, it was all easily curable - Corrival had shown him how centuries ago, and it hadn't failed him yet. It tasted disgusting, and it... wasn't too pleasant to watch the effects of it if the hangover was bad, but Erskine considered it better than going into his first day of work irritable and depressed.
As it was, he still had to force himself over the threshold in the Waxworks Museum, and he still caught himself slowing down as he approached the wax figure of Phil Lynott.
It didn't say anything. Didn't even turn to look at him. Erskine politely cleared his throat.
"Yes, Elder Ravel?" Lynott finally acknowledged his presence with a respectful nod. "What can I do for you?"
"I, uh... I'd like to get in, if that's alright."
Lynott blinked. "Of course you can enter, Elder Ravel. You don't need permission."
They settled back into the same silence as before, and Erskine shifted from one foot to the other. When it became clear nothing else was going to happen, he straightened and folded his arms. "Right. Okay. The thing is, I do. Because you're the only one who can open and close the door."
"No, Elder Ravel. You can too."
"How - "
"Just touch the wall."
After a pause, Erskine did. The wall melted back under his touch to reveal the all-too-familiar passage leading into the Sanctuary. He stared down at the stone steps, and then looked back at Lynott. "Who else can do that?"
"Only the Elders, Elder Ravel."
"There's magic for impersonating people."
"None strong enough to fool our security system. You, Elder Wreath, and Crossword Puzzler Extraordinaire Deuce are the only three people in the entire world able to open that door without my help."
Erskine stared. "I'm sorry?"
"You, Elder Wreath, and Crossword Puzzler Extraordinaire Deuce are the only three people - Elder Ravel, is everything alright?"
Erskine had collapsed against the opposite wall in laughter, and it took him a few moments to regain any semblance of composure - or even enough breath to say anything. "Did Deuce get to you already?"
Lynott frowned. "I don't understand. I am only using full and official titles, as I am meant to."
Erskine wiped away a tear and nodded, trying to take in a deep breath, and failing miserably when it expelled sharply into another snort of laughter. "I'll bet you are. Oh, I'll just bet."
His mood sobered very quickly when he emerged into the gleaming foyer, however. Here, it was obvious that Davina Marr's attempted bombing had its effects. Fewer sorcerers were working, for one thing. And of those that were, the grand majority shuffled along in silence, morose and quiet and jumping at the smallest noise, or anything even slightly out of the ordinary. It would probably remain like this, too, until Skulduggery apprehended her. Erskine wiped the smile from his face by imagining this entire underground structure in ruins, and caught Tipstaff just as the man was passing. "Where's Corrival?"
"Oh, he got straight to work," Tipstaff answered. "I can show you to him, if you like."
Corrival. Getting straight to work. It was so like him and so not at the same time that Erskine stood frozen for a second. Fortunately, it took only remembering Phil Lynott's words from a few moments ago to reassure himself that on a basic level, nothing had changed. "Yes, please."
no subject
It occurred to him, as he took his leave separate from the others, that this would be his last night as a free man. He should probably be using it to prepare, as Tipstaff - the Sanctuary Administrator, ever since that traitor from a couple years back - had suggested just before Erskine left. There were these books he was supposed to read, apparently. The Elder Journals. Tipstaff told Erskine he could pick up his copies from the Sanctuary in about an hour or so. Erskine had thanked the man, left the Great Chamber, and gone straight to his standard pub with absolutely no intention of leaving it for the evening.
He awoke the next morning with a minor headache throbbing at the base of his skull, a little light-headed and dehydrated, but none the worse for wear. In fact, it was all easily curable - Corrival had shown him how centuries ago, and it hadn't failed him yet. It tasted disgusting, and it... wasn't too pleasant to watch the effects of it if the hangover was bad, but Erskine considered it better than going into his first day of work irritable and depressed.
As it was, he still had to force himself over the threshold in the Waxworks Museum, and he still caught himself slowing down as he approached the wax figure of Phil Lynott.
It didn't say anything. Didn't even turn to look at him. Erskine politely cleared his throat.
"Yes, Elder Ravel?" Lynott finally acknowledged his presence with a respectful nod. "What can I do for you?"
"I, uh... I'd like to get in, if that's alright."
Lynott blinked. "Of course you can enter, Elder Ravel. You don't need permission."
They settled back into the same silence as before, and Erskine shifted from one foot to the other. When it became clear nothing else was going to happen, he straightened and folded his arms. "Right. Okay. The thing is, I do. Because you're the only one who can open and close the door."
"No, Elder Ravel. You can too."
"How - "
"Just touch the wall."
After a pause, Erskine did. The wall melted back under his touch to reveal the all-too-familiar passage leading into the Sanctuary. He stared down at the stone steps, and then looked back at Lynott. "Who else can do that?"
"Only the Elders, Elder Ravel."
"There's magic for impersonating people."
"None strong enough to fool our security system. You, Elder Wreath, and Crossword Puzzler Extraordinaire Deuce are the only three people in the entire world able to open that door without my help."
Erskine stared. "I'm sorry?"
"You, Elder Wreath, and Crossword Puzzler Extraordinaire Deuce are the only three people - Elder Ravel, is everything alright?"
Erskine had collapsed against the opposite wall in laughter, and it took him a few moments to regain any semblance of composure - or even enough breath to say anything. "Did Deuce get to you already?"
Lynott frowned. "I don't understand. I am only using full and official titles, as I am meant to."
Erskine wiped away a tear and nodded, trying to take in a deep breath, and failing miserably when it expelled sharply into another snort of laughter. "I'll bet you are. Oh, I'll just bet."
His mood sobered very quickly when he emerged into the gleaming foyer, however. Here, it was obvious that Davina Marr's attempted bombing had its effects. Fewer sorcerers were working, for one thing. And of those that were, the grand majority shuffled along in silence, morose and quiet and jumping at the smallest noise, or anything even slightly out of the ordinary. It would probably remain like this, too, until Skulduggery apprehended her. Erskine wiped the smile from his face by imagining this entire underground structure in ruins, and caught Tipstaff just as the man was passing. "Where's Corrival?"
"Oh, he got straight to work," Tipstaff answered. "I can show you to him, if you like."
Corrival. Getting straight to work. It was so like him and so not at the same time that Erskine stood frozen for a second. Fortunately, it took only remembering Phil Lynott's words from a few moments ago to reassure himself that on a basic level, nothing had changed. "Yes, please."