"See, Skulduggery, he gets it!" Gabe pointed at Saracen, giving Skulduggery a guileless look. "Why can't you? What's so hard?"

Anton said nothing, but the grunt of dissent was almost audible in his soul.

"It might have something to do with all the murder and mayhem," Descry murmured. "But for me, the man who turns in his bloodied blade is worth the second chance."

"You never had that choice," Shudder said almost flatly. Descry craned his head to look at him.

"That's not true. I did have that choice. It would have been difficult in a different way to the rest of you, but I did have it. It's just that maintaining that anger would have meant blocking out all that made me enjoy being with any of you, and I'd rather not do that for the sake of a mistake it would've done no good to dwell upon. That would have driven me insane."

For a moment Anton was quiet, but then he lifted his head to look at Descry. "I remember the day Mevolent and Meritorious met to discuss a treaty."

The redhead smiled faintly. "So do I. Believe me, so do I."

"If any human being could know the difference, it would be you."

"In this dimension, at least."

"It's enough."

"I know." Descry squeezed his hand. "And you'll find more for it given time. Just give it time."

Anton nodded shortly and didn't meet anyone's eyes, but there was something a little less tense about him as he slouched into Erskine's embrace.