For a Sanctuary that was supposed to be in chaos due to there being no real leadership yet, sneaking in was hard.
Actually, Billy-Ray reflected, that was probably exactly why. No real leadership meant that everyone was on high alert. No one actually recognised him, thank goodness, but he was pulled aside a few times to ask if he was really supposed to be there. Yes, he'd answer patiently. Would I have been able to get past that musician guy if I wasn't supposed to be here? Twice, that ploy worked. Once, the paper-pushing desk politician decided to get a little too curious, and Billy-Ray was forced to knock them out in a broom cupboard.
No unnecessary deaths. Those were his orders. Billy-Ray could only kill one man today, and he could only do that within the Sanctuary walls.
Again, it was one of those things that should have been easy, but wasn't. The target was blind and powerless. He should have been killed ages ago. Unfortunately, because he was blind and powerless, he was escorted everywhere he went. So Billy-Ray was forced to improvise.
Empty offices weren't uncommon at the moment. He picked one close to Solomon Wreath's new office, locked the door from the inside, and carved a sigil into the doorframe to make it unbreakable from either side. (It was an idea he'd gotten from Tanith Low, actually. He didn't have the power to do it with just a word, but Billy-Ray Sanguine still had a few tricks up his sleeve.) Then he burrowed into the office's bathroom, just a short distance away through solid concrete - revelling in the fact that he could finally do that now without having to plan every single damn inch of the way - and carved something different into that door. Something a little more subtle. A seal that would let one person through, and that was it.
Because unless Billy-Ray was much mistaken, Wreath would be the only one to use this bathroom. Any escort would wait outside, or maybe try to step inside after him, and find their way barred. It was perfect. It was flawless.
It was pretty damn boring, but aside from that...
Billy-Ray made a silent promise never to tempt fate again when, just as he began wondering whether blowing up the whole Sanctuary was worth it just to stave off further boredom, Skulduggery Pleasant's voice sounded from beyond the cracked door.
The Texan cursed silently from within the tiled wall. That wasn't something he'd considered. Since when were Wreath and Pleasant buddies? Since when was Pleasant an escort?
It don't change anything, he reminded himself. Even Pleasant can't get through door seals without dismantlin' them first. Just follow the plan. I'll be in and out before he can even realise it's me.
And the plan moved forward even more smoothly than Billy-Ray could have hoped. Wreath actually put his hand on the wall Billy-Ray was hiding under. Never suspected a thing. Without taking even a single step into the bathroom, Billy-Ray reached out to grab the ex-Necromancer's arm, and pulled him into the wall.
It was a short distance, but he purposely dragged it out to throw off any chance of Wreath thinking they were still in the underground structure. Then Billy-Ray tossed Wreath into the office before him, knowing full-well the trauma of such an experience when one was actually able to see. He grinned as he stepped out onto the carpet himself, the wall closing up behind them as effortlessly as it always had done for centuries before Aranmore Farm last year.
He tsked as he leaned back against the closed-up wall, straight razor held loosely in one hand. "Ya know, I gotta ask. Givin' up magic, tellin' the Temple to shove off, gettin' yourself recaptured... what do you get outta all this? Seems to me like you're just a sucker for punishment."
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Actually, Billy-Ray reflected, that was probably exactly why. No real leadership meant that everyone was on high alert. No one actually recognised him, thank goodness, but he was pulled aside a few times to ask if he was really supposed to be there. Yes, he'd answer patiently. Would I have been able to get past that musician guy if I wasn't supposed to be here? Twice, that ploy worked. Once, the paper-pushing desk politician decided to get a little too curious, and Billy-Ray was forced to knock them out in a broom cupboard.
No unnecessary deaths. Those were his orders. Billy-Ray could only kill one man today, and he could only do that within the Sanctuary walls.
Again, it was one of those things that should have been easy, but wasn't. The target was blind and powerless. He should have been killed ages ago. Unfortunately, because he was blind and powerless, he was escorted everywhere he went. So Billy-Ray was forced to improvise.
Empty offices weren't uncommon at the moment. He picked one close to Solomon Wreath's new office, locked the door from the inside, and carved a sigil into the doorframe to make it unbreakable from either side. (It was an idea he'd gotten from Tanith Low, actually. He didn't have the power to do it with just a word, but Billy-Ray Sanguine still had a few tricks up his sleeve.) Then he burrowed into the office's bathroom, just a short distance away through solid concrete - revelling in the fact that he could finally do that now without having to plan every single damn inch of the way - and carved something different into that door. Something a little more subtle. A seal that would let one person through, and that was it.
Because unless Billy-Ray was much mistaken, Wreath would be the only one to use this bathroom. Any escort would wait outside, or maybe try to step inside after him, and find their way barred. It was perfect. It was flawless.
It was pretty damn boring, but aside from that...
Billy-Ray made a silent promise never to tempt fate again when, just as he began wondering whether blowing up the whole Sanctuary was worth it just to stave off further boredom, Skulduggery Pleasant's voice sounded from beyond the cracked door.
The Texan cursed silently from within the tiled wall. That wasn't something he'd considered. Since when were Wreath and Pleasant buddies? Since when was Pleasant an escort?
It don't change anything, he reminded himself. Even Pleasant can't get through door seals without dismantlin' them first. Just follow the plan. I'll be in and out before he can even realise it's me.
And the plan moved forward even more smoothly than Billy-Ray could have hoped. Wreath actually put his hand on the wall Billy-Ray was hiding under. Never suspected a thing. Without taking even a single step into the bathroom, Billy-Ray reached out to grab the ex-Necromancer's arm, and pulled him into the wall.
It was a short distance, but he purposely dragged it out to throw off any chance of Wreath thinking they were still in the underground structure. Then Billy-Ray tossed Wreath into the office before him, knowing full-well the trauma of such an experience when one was actually able to see. He grinned as he stepped out onto the carpet himself, the wall closing up behind them as effortlessly as it always had done for centuries before Aranmore Farm last year.
He tsked as he leaned back against the closed-up wall, straight razor held loosely in one hand. "Ya know, I gotta ask. Givin' up magic, tellin' the Temple to shove off, gettin' yourself recaptured... what do you get outta all this? Seems to me like you're just a sucker for punishment."