What, Skulduggery wondered as the sharp and thankfully short pain of the snapping tree branch subsided, had that been about? He'd just asked a question. A good question, too. An important question.

Gabe becoming human again made the forest around them suddenly seem much bigger. Skulduggery took a moment to imagine what life at the Institute might have been like if this was one of the shapes Gabriel could still access. The thought was amusing enough that it dispelled any danger of anger, and allowed Skulduggery to forgive the Archangel for the brief flash of pain. Still, it was a good thing he was pretty much always grinning.

Fletcher and Gabe both looked positively aglow with excitement now, an improvement in both their cases; Fletcher because his natural facial expression seemed to be a scowl, and Gabe because he was no longer looking quite so ill or exhausted. In light of all that, there really wasn't much Skulduggery could do to scold them, and so he shook his head. "I suppose I did ask for a life of thrill and adventure."

"I didn't." Ghastly turned to go back inside. "All I ever wanted was to run a quiet little shop on a street corner."

"But now you get the best of both worlds," Tanith beamed, following him back to the old tree. "Except, you know, you can't go back to your shop just now, but... well, you should be able to soon."

"How come I don't get a dinosaur ride?" Valkyrie half-joked with an envious look at Fletcher.