"I think I should be insulted," Gabe murmured, escaping Rafe's clutches with a shove at him. "I've been anticipating this for days and now you're trying to get out of it. I should demand compensation, I think." He shot Skulduggery a dazzling smile. "She's right on one thing, though. You do have a handsome face."
As luck would have it, that was just when Tipstaff entered. And then froze, throat working, before he managed to say in a rather strangled voice, "You needed to see me, Grand Mage?"
Gabe's cheeks reddened faintly and Solomon found it abruptly necessary to cough into his hand. Rafe, the reprobate, collapsed laughing against the wall, and Gabe wondered if Corrival would mind donating some book or another as a missile.
"Actually yes," Corrival said after a moment of compressing his lips to contain the smile. "We're taking the rest of the day off. Ms Sorrows is looking into an alternative force to the Cleavers, so give her access to any information regarding them and other animations, like the waxworks, as needed."
"The day--Grand Mage! It's barely lunch-time!"
"And we've already humiliated the American contingent, reviewed the wages, been fitted for robes, decided to retire the Cleavers, and come up with a working theory for their replacements. What more do you want?"
Tipstaff spluttered, shifting so rapidly between being white-faced and red-faced that Gabe feared he might faint. "I--but--retired?!"
Corrival shrugged. "Apparently they're degrading. I'll give you full details later. For now, Tipstaff, I've been in office for twelve hours and I've been in this office for four days. I'm calling a holiday before I have to really get down to work. You can stay here and deal with it, or you can come along to the carnival with us. It's up to you."
Solomon straightened up, a hand over his mouth to hide the smile, and Gabe grinned with sheepishly genuine amusement at him as he held out his hand to help the ex-Necromancer out of his chair and give him a guide. Tipstaff was most definitely choking, but Corrival actually waited patiently for a response.
Finally the Administrator managed to say, "No, I--think I'll--stay here--Grand Mage."
"Good," Corrival said briskly as Fletcher returned from delivering China and Kenspeckle, and Raphael got hold of himself. The Crossword Puzzler Extraordinaire flashed a wink toward the Archangel. "Lead the way, Smitey."
Rafe grinned broadly and fiercely, taking Merlin's arm. "Hold on to y'all's hats, now!"
To all intents and purposes from Tipstaff's perspective, Fletcher was the only one actually Teleporting, but it didn't really matter, because a moment later he was still trying to find the words to object in an empty room.
no subject
As luck would have it, that was just when Tipstaff entered. And then froze, throat working, before he managed to say in a rather strangled voice, "You needed to see me, Grand Mage?"
Gabe's cheeks reddened faintly and Solomon found it abruptly necessary to cough into his hand. Rafe, the reprobate, collapsed laughing against the wall, and Gabe wondered if Corrival would mind donating some book or another as a missile.
"Actually yes," Corrival said after a moment of compressing his lips to contain the smile. "We're taking the rest of the day off. Ms Sorrows is looking into an alternative force to the Cleavers, so give her access to any information regarding them and other animations, like the waxworks, as needed."
"The day--Grand Mage! It's barely lunch-time!"
"And we've already humiliated the American contingent, reviewed the wages, been fitted for robes, decided to retire the Cleavers, and come up with a working theory for their replacements. What more do you want?"
Tipstaff spluttered, shifting so rapidly between being white-faced and red-faced that Gabe feared he might faint. "I--but--retired?!"
Corrival shrugged. "Apparently they're degrading. I'll give you full details later. For now, Tipstaff, I've been in office for twelve hours and I've been in this office for four days. I'm calling a holiday before I have to really get down to work. You can stay here and deal with it, or you can come along to the carnival with us. It's up to you."
Solomon straightened up, a hand over his mouth to hide the smile, and Gabe grinned with sheepishly genuine amusement at him as he held out his hand to help the ex-Necromancer out of his chair and give him a guide. Tipstaff was most definitely choking, but Corrival actually waited patiently for a response.
Finally the Administrator managed to say, "No, I--think I'll--stay here--Grand Mage."
"Good," Corrival said briskly as Fletcher returned from delivering China and Kenspeckle, and Raphael got hold of himself. The Crossword Puzzler Extraordinaire flashed a wink toward the Archangel. "Lead the way, Smitey."
Rafe grinned broadly and fiercely, taking Merlin's arm. "Hold on to y'all's hats, now!"
To all intents and purposes from Tipstaff's perspective, Fletcher was the only one actually Teleporting, but it didn't really matter, because a moment later he was still trying to find the words to object in an empty room.