The more Skulduggery spoke, the harder Corrival's face got, until it could have been carved from marble just like the Hosts' were. While Erskine answered, Corrival didn't for some minutes, simply staring at Skulduggery with an inscrutable expression.
"Um ..." Dex glanced from Skulduggery to Erskine to Solomon to Corrival, but he didn't get a chance to reply or ask permission to leave.
"You've spent all this time as a detective," Corrival said coldly, "because whether or not you think you're worthy, you're trying not to be Lord Vile. To make up for it in some way, right? Not just in terms of what you did but for not trusting us with your issues?" He went on without an answer, his voice rising. "In case it escaped you, it doesn't work to make up for withholding information by withholding more information!"
His last words were almost shouted, and he risen to his feet without quite being aware of it.
"You say we didn't need the complication? You had no right to decide that. I get you keeping it from Guild. But we're not Guild. We are your friends, Skulduggery, and three days ago we chose to trust you even though it's the last thing you deserve. Because we're your friends. You approved of our election, and yet here you stand, telling us you don't trust us enough to let us make the decisions for which we were elected. You arrogant bastard. How dare you throw that back in our faces. How dare you not trust us to make the right choice after what we've given you."
He pointed at the door. "Get out. Get out and do your job instead of ours."
Solomon rose quietly. "I'll finish interviewing the rest of the Sanctuary staff tomorrow," he said quietly. They would need to know who was corruptible, who Lucifer might use as an in, as soon as possible--since they'd lost three days. But not now. He couldn't do it now. "Vex, I'm going to need you."
"But, uh ..."
"I'll go with." Solomon's voice was carefully neutral. It didn't matter where he went right now, as long as it was away from this prison and the skeleton detective.
"Oh. Okay. Come on, then." Throwing a glance at Corrival, who had sat down and was pulling over a sheaf of paper with every intent of fully ignoring Skulduggery's existence, Dexter took Solomon's arm and led him toward the door.
no subject
"Um ..." Dex glanced from Skulduggery to Erskine to Solomon to Corrival, but he didn't get a chance to reply or ask permission to leave.
"You've spent all this time as a detective," Corrival said coldly, "because whether or not you think you're worthy, you're trying not to be Lord Vile. To make up for it in some way, right? Not just in terms of what you did but for not trusting us with your issues?" He went on without an answer, his voice rising. "In case it escaped you, it doesn't work to make up for withholding information by withholding more information!"
His last words were almost shouted, and he risen to his feet without quite being aware of it.
"You say we didn't need the complication? You had no right to decide that. I get you keeping it from Guild. But we're not Guild. We are your friends, Skulduggery, and three days ago we chose to trust you even though it's the last thing you deserve. Because we're your friends. You approved of our election, and yet here you stand, telling us you don't trust us enough to let us make the decisions for which we were elected. You arrogant bastard. How dare you throw that back in our faces. How dare you not trust us to make the right choice after what we've given you."
He pointed at the door. "Get out. Get out and do your job instead of ours."
Solomon rose quietly. "I'll finish interviewing the rest of the Sanctuary staff tomorrow," he said quietly. They would need to know who was corruptible, who Lucifer might use as an in, as soon as possible--since they'd lost three days. But not now. He couldn't do it now. "Vex, I'm going to need you."
"But, uh ..."
"I'll go with." Solomon's voice was carefully neutral. It didn't matter where he went right now, as long as it was away from this prison and the skeleton detective.
"Oh. Okay. Come on, then." Throwing a glance at Corrival, who had sat down and was pulling over a sheaf of paper with every intent of fully ignoring Skulduggery's existence, Dexter took Solomon's arm and led him toward the door.