The eels were still staring. Still staring, but there was a looseness now about how they held themselves which seemed to indicate disbelief more than anything else. Tense disbelief, yes, but enough to calm him down somewhat. Although granted, Solomon was only noticing this peripherally.
He shook his head. "And now we're up to four. Five if we want to include China's attempt to invade Gabriel's being."
"You've known him for a year?" Dexter asked incredulously. "And you didn't notice?"
"I assume he's fairly good at maintaining his cover," Solomon said dryly.
Corrival ignored them both, and yet, somehow, the conversation seemed to calm him further. In a way Solomon wasn't sure he liked. Sort-of like a loaded crossbow was calm. "You talked to God, and he gave you a hint about when the Devil is going to arrive."
For a moment Solomon was certain an explosion was imminent. Then Corrival sighed, there was a thud like a forehead hitting timber, and Solomon watched with startled interest as the eels uncoiled and resettled more like they were at rest. "I give in. I'm a simple man. I'm not cut out to fight gods and angels. At least He's more subtle than His kids. And no, Ravel, we are absolutely not asking Gabe and Rafe for help."
"We're not?" Dexter asked without thinking.
"No," Corrival said, his voice no longer muffled. He must have raised his head. "We're not. You missed the part where they promised not to interfere with big bad stuff."
"But this is Lucifer," Solomon pointed out. "If they can't be involved with Lucifer, what can they be involved in?"
"And you'll notice that it was Erskine who got the hint, not Gabe or Rafe," Corrival said flatly. "We've had demons in this universe before. We handled them without the benefit of angels sitting on our shoulders. What's the clue, Ravel? Maybe we won't need them."
Solomon narrowed his eyes at the man. His eels were at rest, and yet ... defensive. Ah. Naturally. Gabe wasn't going to be coming alone.
"Don't look at me like that, Wreath," Corrival growled.
"Like what?"
"Like you're reading me."
"I am reading you," Solomon said, "and you just don't want to involve the angels because you don't want to see Skulduggery."
There came a thud, as if Corrival had shot to his feet and his chair had hit something or he'd slammed his hands down on the desk. "No. I don't want to see him. I don't want to pull him off the job he's meant to be doing so he can follow his boyfriend and come in to play God with ours. The clue, Ravel."
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He shook his head. "And now we're up to four. Five if we want to include China's attempt to invade Gabriel's being."
"You've known him for a year?" Dexter asked incredulously. "And you didn't notice?"
"I assume he's fairly good at maintaining his cover," Solomon said dryly.
Corrival ignored them both, and yet, somehow, the conversation seemed to calm him further. In a way Solomon wasn't sure he liked. Sort-of like a loaded crossbow was calm. "You talked to God, and he gave you a hint about when the Devil is going to arrive."
For a moment Solomon was certain an explosion was imminent. Then Corrival sighed, there was a thud like a forehead hitting timber, and Solomon watched with startled interest as the eels uncoiled and resettled more like they were at rest. "I give in. I'm a simple man. I'm not cut out to fight gods and angels. At least He's more subtle than His kids. And no, Ravel, we are absolutely not asking Gabe and Rafe for help."
"We're not?" Dexter asked without thinking.
"No," Corrival said, his voice no longer muffled. He must have raised his head. "We're not. You missed the part where they promised not to interfere with big bad stuff."
"But this is Lucifer," Solomon pointed out. "If they can't be involved with Lucifer, what can they be involved in?"
"And you'll notice that it was Erskine who got the hint, not Gabe or Rafe," Corrival said flatly. "We've had demons in this universe before. We handled them without the benefit of angels sitting on our shoulders. What's the clue, Ravel? Maybe we won't need them."
Solomon narrowed his eyes at the man. His eels were at rest, and yet ... defensive. Ah. Naturally. Gabe wasn't going to be coming alone.
"Don't look at me like that, Wreath," Corrival growled.
"Like what?"
"Like you're reading me."
"I am reading you," Solomon said, "and you just don't want to involve the angels because you don't want to see Skulduggery."
There came a thud, as if Corrival had shot to his feet and his chair had hit something or he'd slammed his hands down on the desk. "No. I don't want to see him. I don't want to pull him off the job he's meant to be doing so he can follow his boyfriend and come in to play God with ours. The clue, Ravel."