"I don't know those people." Skulduggery frowned as he followed Ghastly out onto the grass. "I know all of your friends. Why don't I know those people?"
"Because you don't know all of my friends," Ghastly told him with a teasing grin. His own facade was up as well, clear skin covering all of the scars, leaving him looking like a perfectly nice bald-headed gentleman whose well-tailored clothes fit him perfectly and whose head almost gleamed in the sunlight. There was something in his eyes, too. Not quite a twinkle, but... an awareness, almost. Like he'd just figured out something that was bugging him, and the realisation made him quietly happy. He wasn't going to have to worry about China's half-hour time limit, Skulduggery knew that much. With two angels and Merlin nearby the entire time, there was no chance of it slipping no matter how long Ghastly wore it.
"Skulduggery?" Fletcher had frozen beside him. "Isn't that the cabbie?"
"Hm?"
"The cabbie. You know. The guy we played I Spy with on the way to Myron Stray's house a few days ago. Isn't that him?"
"Barney?" The sunlight was annoyingly in the way, so Skulduggery had to squint to see better. It was such a foreign feeling that he couldn't help letting that get in the way as well, and it delayed his recognition of the cabbie - who was, indeed, Barney - for a few seconds longer. "You're right. What a strange and most definitely unplanned coincidence."
"You planned this?" Fletcher swiveled his head to stare at Skulduggery.
"Me? No. Two Archangels behind me, Merlin buying hot dogs for us, and a mysterious Creator running around behind the scenes, though, just might have. Why are you accusing me of setting this up?"
"What's going on?" Valkyrie asked as she joined them at Skulduggery's other side. She frowned. "Wait a minute, that's..."
Ghastly blinked; first at her, then at Skulduggery. "Does anyone here not know them?"
"I didn't know his daughter," Skulduggery reassured Ghastly. Why the tailor needed reassurance was a bit of a mystery, but Skulduggery was more than happy to offer it. "I knew he had one. I knew she was most likely sick. I didn't know she was terminal."
"What makes you think she's terminal?"
"Children in wheelchairs at a carnival with a nurse waiting on them hand and foot often are. Hello there, Barney. I see you took my advice."
Barney himself was approaching them behind his daughter's wheelchair with an expression bordering on outright and unmitigated shock. His eyes had traveled slowly over each of them, flickering with differing levels of recognition each time, but they snapped to Skulduggery at the sound of his voice and didn't leave again. "Skull?"
"The one and only."
He spluttered a bit, a hint of terror creeping into his expression, likely because he was starting to feel like he was drowning in confusion. Skulduggery had seen that many times before. "You - but - I thought you were... you're not all covered up," he managed at last, somewhat lamely.
"Temporary skin condition. All better now. Are you three enjoying yourselves?"
no subject
"Because you don't know all of my friends," Ghastly told him with a teasing grin. His own facade was up as well, clear skin covering all of the scars, leaving him looking like a perfectly nice bald-headed gentleman whose well-tailored clothes fit him perfectly and whose head almost gleamed in the sunlight. There was something in his eyes, too. Not quite a twinkle, but... an awareness, almost. Like he'd just figured out something that was bugging him, and the realisation made him quietly happy. He wasn't going to have to worry about China's half-hour time limit, Skulduggery knew that much. With two angels and Merlin nearby the entire time, there was no chance of it slipping no matter how long Ghastly wore it.
"Skulduggery?" Fletcher had frozen beside him. "Isn't that the cabbie?"
"Hm?"
"The cabbie. You know. The guy we played I Spy with on the way to Myron Stray's house a few days ago. Isn't that him?"
"Barney?" The sunlight was annoyingly in the way, so Skulduggery had to squint to see better. It was such a foreign feeling that he couldn't help letting that get in the way as well, and it delayed his recognition of the cabbie - who was, indeed, Barney - for a few seconds longer. "You're right. What a strange and most definitely unplanned coincidence."
"You planned this?" Fletcher swiveled his head to stare at Skulduggery.
"Me? No. Two Archangels behind me, Merlin buying hot dogs for us, and a mysterious Creator running around behind the scenes, though, just might have. Why are you accusing me of setting this up?"
"What's going on?" Valkyrie asked as she joined them at Skulduggery's other side. She frowned. "Wait a minute, that's..."
Ghastly blinked; first at her, then at Skulduggery. "Does anyone here not know them?"
"I didn't know his daughter," Skulduggery reassured Ghastly. Why the tailor needed reassurance was a bit of a mystery, but Skulduggery was more than happy to offer it. "I knew he had one. I knew she was most likely sick. I didn't know she was terminal."
"What makes you think she's terminal?"
"Children in wheelchairs at a carnival with a nurse waiting on them hand and foot often are. Hello there, Barney. I see you took my advice."
Barney himself was approaching them behind his daughter's wheelchair with an expression bordering on outright and unmitigated shock. His eyes had traveled slowly over each of them, flickering with differing levels of recognition each time, but they snapped to Skulduggery at the sound of his voice and didn't leave again. "Skull?"
"The one and only."
He spluttered a bit, a hint of terror creeping into his expression, likely because he was starting to feel like he was drowning in confusion. Skulduggery had seen that many times before. "You - but - I thought you were... you're not all covered up," he managed at last, somewhat lamely.
"Temporary skin condition. All better now. Are you three enjoying yourselves?"