Fortunately for Desmond, he was next on Dexter's list. Silently the Adept conjured a chair next to Melissa's, and without attracting Desmond's attention he pushed the man gently back into the seat. Then he eyed the others critically. He supposed he could conjured one for Erskine as well.
"China, not important?" Solomon said in amusement. "Don't tell her that. To be fair, she stopped being on the evil side of the scale some time ago. And if all accounts from that particular debacle are true, a war would have been imminent, if rather one-sided, if not for Skulduggery and the others." He shrugged. "Her only oversight was believing controlling Valkyrie could actually stop it from happening, if she ever did believe it. Mostly likely she was just buying time until she could get all her affairs in order."
"You're not a very encouraging man, you know," Melissa said to him, and he grinned.
"Formerly evil."
"I'm noticing that, yes. What was this war about?"
"Religious zealots trying to take over the world so they can summon their evil gods back into the universe. The same stalemate that's been going on for the last three centuries, really."
Dexter almost clapped a hand to his face, but didn't, only because that would have interrupted Erskine's chair. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're doing that deliberately," he said with a grumble. "Just a random question here, Solomon, but do you have any understanding of the concept of fragility?"
"She asked. And if you think a woman who would kick a skeleton in the groin and actually cause pain is fragile, I have to question what kind of women you pursue."
Melissa didn't know whether to be grateful for Solomon or not. He did seem to be enjoying dealing out shocks in a blandly deadpan sort of way, but at the same time, he was right now the most honest of the lot. The way he simply dismissed every horrifying thing he said as matter-of-fact was simultaneously calming and chilling.
"May we see the Grand Mage now?" she asked, choosing calm over horror.
"You can if he stops lurking in the doorway," Solomon answered.
"A man can't even hover invisibly anymore," said a gruff voice from behind them, and Melissa jumped, craning her head. An older man approached across the floor, carrying a patchwork old coat over one arm. "Tipstaff told me you were all in here. Haven't you finished that paperwork yet, Erskine?"
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"China, not important?" Solomon said in amusement. "Don't tell her that. To be fair, she stopped being on the evil side of the scale some time ago. And if all accounts from that particular debacle are true, a war would have been imminent, if rather one-sided, if not for Skulduggery and the others." He shrugged. "Her only oversight was believing controlling Valkyrie could actually stop it from happening, if she ever did believe it. Mostly likely she was just buying time until she could get all her affairs in order."
"You're not a very encouraging man, you know," Melissa said to him, and he grinned.
"Formerly evil."
"I'm noticing that, yes. What was this war about?"
"Religious zealots trying to take over the world so they can summon their evil gods back into the universe. The same stalemate that's been going on for the last three centuries, really."
Dexter almost clapped a hand to his face, but didn't, only because that would have interrupted Erskine's chair. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you're doing that deliberately," he said with a grumble. "Just a random question here, Solomon, but do you have any understanding of the concept of fragility?"
"She asked. And if you think a woman who would kick a skeleton in the groin and actually cause pain is fragile, I have to question what kind of women you pursue."
Melissa didn't know whether to be grateful for Solomon or not. He did seem to be enjoying dealing out shocks in a blandly deadpan sort of way, but at the same time, he was right now the most honest of the lot. The way he simply dismissed every horrifying thing he said as matter-of-fact was simultaneously calming and chilling.
"May we see the Grand Mage now?" she asked, choosing calm over horror.
"You can if he stops lurking in the doorway," Solomon answered.
"A man can't even hover invisibly anymore," said a gruff voice from behind them, and Melissa jumped, craning her head. An older man approached across the floor, carrying a patchwork old coat over one arm. "Tipstaff told me you were all in here. Haven't you finished that paperwork yet, Erskine?"