Skulduggery's detectives. Valkyrie's immediate reaction was offense that she - or any of them - were considered below Skulduggery. But on reflection, that was probably accurate. And with that reflection came a small thrill of pride.
She wondered what she'd be seeing if Skulduggery was still wearing his new/old face. Would he also be proud? Smug, perhaps? Or would there simply be acceptance, transitioning smoothly into professional curiosity?
Ghastly's brow was furrowed as he took the robe from Solomon. "Before my soil... turns to stone?" he repeated slowly. He paused for a moment, glancing down at the robe, which he was holding out and away from himself like it carried some kind of poison. "Is that a legitimate danger? Or is it more like Corrival's eels?"
Valkyrie could kind of see it, if she squinted. Not like Solomon could, obviously, but she could understand it. Ghastly was an immovable center. Not stone, exactly, but something close to it. And if something - like those ridiculously pretentious robes - affronted him, she could imagine his soul becoming more solid. Of course, that wouldn't be what Ghastly was thinking of; Ghastly would be thinking of the two years he spent stuck as a statue. And with the way Tanith involuntarily stiffened, Valkyrie knew those two years were on her mind as well.
Ghastly had de-statued in time to help stop the Faceless Ones from coming through, though. Mr. Bliss and China were also there, but Mr. Bliss didn't survive the encounter. Valkyrie didn't have enough emotion left in her at the time to feel anything for his death other than regret. It wasn't until Corrival brought it up now that she realised, with no small hint of guilt, that she'd never even considered where Bliss might actually have gone.
The Cleavers. Valkyrie shuddered. They'd always given her the creeps, ever since she first saw them. Finding out they were all versions of Mr. Bliss was surprising in the way learning things in school was surprising - you didn't know it before, but you did now and it made sense. They were creepy in the same way Bliss was creepy. You didn't want to look at them for too long.
"The maze of...?" Fletcher's voice trailed off before he could finish the question. Valkyrie didn't really understand the details either, but she didn't really need to. She knew what it meant; and what it meant was that Bliss, like Skulduggery, hadn't moved on.
And it was pretty clear now what the consequences of that were. How long, Valkyrie wondered, until the Cleavers went insane and started killing people?
No. Bliss deserved better than this. "How do we get him out?" she asked. "We can get him out, right?"
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She wondered what she'd be seeing if Skulduggery was still wearing his new/old face. Would he also be proud? Smug, perhaps? Or would there simply be acceptance, transitioning smoothly into professional curiosity?
Ghastly's brow was furrowed as he took the robe from Solomon. "Before my soil... turns to stone?" he repeated slowly. He paused for a moment, glancing down at the robe, which he was holding out and away from himself like it carried some kind of poison. "Is that a legitimate danger? Or is it more like Corrival's eels?"
Valkyrie could kind of see it, if she squinted. Not like Solomon could, obviously, but she could understand it. Ghastly was an immovable center. Not stone, exactly, but something close to it. And if something - like those ridiculously pretentious robes - affronted him, she could imagine his soul becoming more solid. Of course, that wouldn't be what Ghastly was thinking of; Ghastly would be thinking of the two years he spent stuck as a statue. And with the way Tanith involuntarily stiffened, Valkyrie knew those two years were on her mind as well.
Ghastly had de-statued in time to help stop the Faceless Ones from coming through, though. Mr. Bliss and China were also there, but Mr. Bliss didn't survive the encounter. Valkyrie didn't have enough emotion left in her at the time to feel anything for his death other than regret. It wasn't until Corrival brought it up now that she realised, with no small hint of guilt, that she'd never even considered where Bliss might actually have gone.
The Cleavers. Valkyrie shuddered. They'd always given her the creeps, ever since she first saw them. Finding out they were all versions of Mr. Bliss was surprising in the way learning things in school was surprising - you didn't know it before, but you did now and it made sense. They were creepy in the same way Bliss was creepy. You didn't want to look at them for too long.
"The maze of...?" Fletcher's voice trailed off before he could finish the question. Valkyrie didn't really understand the details either, but she didn't really need to. She knew what it meant; and what it meant was that Bliss, like Skulduggery, hadn't moved on.
And it was pretty clear now what the consequences of that were. How long, Valkyrie wondered, until the Cleavers went insane and started killing people?
No. Bliss deserved better than this. "How do we get him out?" she asked. "We can get him out, right?"