"On the plus side, when this body wears off he can make himself a new one that doesn't have a broken back," Dexter pointed out. "If that's how it works. Is that how it works?" He looked at the angels to confirm his understanding of things.
"Essentially," Gabe admitted. "Their bodies are more like Skulduggery's than anything else. They'll mimic physical life for as long as they can be maintained, but they won't actually be alive."
"I'm the one maintaining them now," Rafe added, "so they'll only last as long as I put into them, but it's a trick a lot of the Residents use back in our own dimension when they're joyriding through the cosmos. It takes practice, but it's not hard to learn. I think Descry is halfway there already, but then again, he's a cheater."
"You'd think angels would be more careful with their thoughts," Descry murmured without even opening his eyes or pausing the paternal caress of Saracen's hair.
"Now that just hurts, man."
"Joyriding." Rover flopped into one of the chairs with a sigh, relaxing easily into Ghastly's touch. He opened one lazy eye to watch the tailor glance back at Tanith and take note of the swordswoman's beaming face, and then closed it again. "Joyriding is fun. Don't you think, Shudder?"
He opened his lazy eye again and now he was grinning, turning his head to see Anton. Anton was staring back, his expression that brittle blankness which looked intimidating only if you couldn't see the cracks in it. "Hey, Anton. Don't tell me you're jealous. I mean, if you'd only put some effort into extending your stamina, I wouldn't have to resort to begging Ghastly for some relie--"
"Get up here," Anton said quietly.
Rover patted Ghastly's wrist. "Let's put this on hold for a tick, big boy. I've got some business to take care of." He hopped up and presented himself to Anton with a little spin. "Well? How about it? This is the new-and-improved model of your life-sized Rover Larrikin! It has all the newest bells and whistles, including--"
He was cut off with a startled squawk when Anton stepped forward and pulled him into a rough hug. Anton didn't say anything. He just held Rover close, his eyes closed. After a moment Rover smiled and hugged him back, just as fierce. "I missed you, you humourless idiot."
"You've been dead." Anton's voice was husky.
"That doesn't mean I don't have feelings."
"That's exactly what it means. You've been dead."
"Yeah, well, rumours of what comes after death are kind of lacking the best parts. They're like the Kama Sutra with all the pictures cut out."
Anton's shoulders trembled. It was only the fact that a corner of his mouth tilted up which said it was because of humour and not tears--but that didn't stop the line of his closed eyes from being damp.
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"Essentially," Gabe admitted. "Their bodies are more like Skulduggery's than anything else. They'll mimic physical life for as long as they can be maintained, but they won't actually be alive."
"I'm the one maintaining them now," Rafe added, "so they'll only last as long as I put into them, but it's a trick a lot of the Residents use back in our own dimension when they're joyriding through the cosmos. It takes practice, but it's not hard to learn. I think Descry is halfway there already, but then again, he's a cheater."
"You'd think angels would be more careful with their thoughts," Descry murmured without even opening his eyes or pausing the paternal caress of Saracen's hair.
"Now that just hurts, man."
"Joyriding." Rover flopped into one of the chairs with a sigh, relaxing easily into Ghastly's touch. He opened one lazy eye to watch the tailor glance back at Tanith and take note of the swordswoman's beaming face, and then closed it again. "Joyriding is fun. Don't you think, Shudder?"
He opened his lazy eye again and now he was grinning, turning his head to see Anton. Anton was staring back, his expression that brittle blankness which looked intimidating only if you couldn't see the cracks in it. "Hey, Anton. Don't tell me you're jealous. I mean, if you'd only put some effort into extending your stamina, I wouldn't have to resort to begging Ghastly for some relie--"
"Get up here," Anton said quietly.
Rover patted Ghastly's wrist. "Let's put this on hold for a tick, big boy. I've got some business to take care of." He hopped up and presented himself to Anton with a little spin. "Well? How about it? This is the new-and-improved model of your life-sized Rover Larrikin! It has all the newest bells and whistles, including--"
He was cut off with a startled squawk when Anton stepped forward and pulled him into a rough hug. Anton didn't say anything. He just held Rover close, his eyes closed. After a moment Rover smiled and hugged him back, just as fierce. "I missed you, you humourless idiot."
"You've been dead." Anton's voice was husky.
"That doesn't mean I don't have feelings."
"That's exactly what it means. You've been dead."
"Yeah, well, rumours of what comes after death are kind of lacking the best parts. They're like the Kama Sutra with all the pictures cut out."
Anton's shoulders trembled. It was only the fact that a corner of his mouth tilted up which said it was because of humour and not tears--but that didn't stop the line of his closed eyes from being damp.