The Faceless Ones (Skulduggery Pleasant - Book 3) (16 page)

189

the position it had held moments ago. Two perfect imprints of her feet remained in the basin. Ghastly put the basin on a small table and poured in a black powder, almost emptying the box it came in, then looked at her while she dried her feet with a towel and pulled on her socks. "Did Skulduggery ever tell you about my mother? "

"About her being a champion boxer?"

"She wasn't just a boxer. She wasn't just a wife, or just a mother, or just an anything. She was an exceptional woman. She was a Sensitive, did he tell you that? "

Valkyrie started putting on her boots. "Like a psychic? Like Finbar Wrong? "

"That's right. My mother's particular gift was as a Seer, but it was a gift she didn't want. She didn't cultivate it. She had no interest in learning what the future held for her, or for others. She preferred to find out when she got there. But sometimes she didn't have a choice. She'd see a vision, or dream a dream, or hear a voice from a conversation that hadn't yet taken place."

Valkyrie stood, glancing into the basin. The black powder was swirling around in the impressions her feet had made--swirling and congealing.

190

"What does this have to do with me quitting?"

"She saw you,'' Ghastly said. "That was one of the few visions she told me about. She told me that Skulduggery would take a partner sometime in the future, a girl with dark hair and dark eyes. I knew it was you when I met you, and I did my best to steer you away. You're a stubborn girl--anyone ever tell you that?"

"What did she see?"

"She saw you die."

Valkyrie stepped away from the basin. "Oh."

"If you're going to ask me for a time and a place, sorry. She was never that specific."

"How ... how do I die?"

"In pain," he said. "Screaming."

She ran her tongue over her new tooth and said nothing.

Ghastly waved his hand over the basin, and she heard the water slosh about as it returned to its normal state. He lifted out the black molds of her two feet and put them on the table. "She said there was an enemy you had to fight. A creature of darkness. She said Skulduggery fought by your side for some of it, but... She
sensed
things more than saw them, you know? She felt terror, and death, and futility.

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She felt the world on the edge of destruction, and she sensed evil. Unimaginable evil."

Something caught in Valkyrie's throat, and she forced it down. "Where did it come from, the creature?"

"I don't know."

"Well, what was it? Was it a vampire or a Faceless One or ..."

"I don't know."

"So the only thing you
do
know is that I'm going to die? Well, I've seen time-travel movies. I know that the future isn't certain. I know that
knowing
what happens can change what happens. That's what
I'm
going to do. I'm going to train harder, and when I meet this creature of darkness, I'll kick it to a messy pulp, and put a leash around its neck and make it my pet."

"I don't think this can be changed."

"Then you don't know me very well."

He looked at her for an age, then took a deep breath before letting it out in a long, resigned sigh.

"One other thing," she said. "In case you didn't notice, that was me making my decision on the whole
quitting
idea."

He nodded. "I won't bring it up again."

192

"Good. And Ghastly, I really am glad you're back."

He smiled. "Thanks."

Skulduggery stepped in. "We have to go."

"But I'm waiting for my tea," Ghastly said, dismayed.

"We don't have time for tea. When we visited Aranmore Farm, I left my number with Paddy Hanratty in case he noticed any unusual activity on his land. Paddy just called. He said he saw a dark-haired man wandering around."

"You think it was Jaron Gallow?" Valkyrie asked. "Or Batu?"

"I do. Paddy overheard him on his phone, saying something about preparing the site, and then he left without telling Paddy what he was doing there."

"That's not good," Ghastly said, sounding a little grumpy.

"What's wrong?" Valkyrie frowned.

Skulduggery looked at her. "It sounds like the Diablerie know precisely where the gate will open. If things were going our way, they'd have to spend a few hours roaming the farm to find the exact spot before trying to open it. Obviously, and in keeping with our lot in life, things are
not
going our way."

193

"So if they already know where the gate will open," Valkyrie said, "and if they somehow get their hands on Fletcher, they can get straight down to business."

"Indeed they can."

"What do we do?"

"The first thing we do is know what our enemy knows, so we find it ourselves. Or rather, Fletcher does."

They walked into the main part of the shop, where Tanith was sitting upside down on the ceiling and looking annoyed. Fletcher was gazing up at her, love struck.

Skulduggery shook his head. "Oh, for God's sake ..."

194

Nineteen

***

T
he Man Who Would Be King

The room was just another room in the conference center. In the other rooms, businesspeople were showing flowcharts and diagrams to their clients, but there were no flowcharts in this room. In this room, nine people sat around a long table, and they were all looking at the bald man standing at the window.

Mr. Bliss looked out over Dublin. "What you're talking about here is illegal," he said.

"We have no choice," a man with golden eyes responded. "We can see where Guild is taking us, and we have no wish to follow him down that road.

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The Sanctuary needs a new leader."

"There are those who are more qualified than I."

A woman in gray shook her head. "But they want the job too much."

"Replacing Thurid Guild would provoke an international scramble for power."

"Not if his replacement had international respect. Bliss, if we overthrow Guild and you become the Grand Mage, it will strengthen our standing. The Councils around the world know you. Many of them fear you."

"I have no desire to lead."

The man with the golden eyes spoke again. "Maybe it's not your choice. Someone has to make a stand. Someone has to oppose these new laws Guild is intent on introducing. I am sorry, my friend, but you are the only one who can do this without starting a war."

Bliss was silent. "If we do this, we do it my way."

"Of course."

"And we wait until this current crisis is over."

"Agreed."

Bliss turned to them and nodded. "Very well."

196

Twenty

***

A
ranmore Farm

Skulduggery drove Ghastly's van, with Valkyrie in the passenger seat. Ghastly, Tanith, and Fletcher sat on the cushions in the rear. No matter how sharp the corner they turned or how deep the pothole they plunged into, Ghastly and Tanith remained perfectly still. Fletcher, on the other hand, was being thrown about like an old shoe in a washing machine, and he did not appreciate it.

They reached Aranmore and drove up to the farmhouse. By the looks of things it hadn't rained much here. Valkyrie was getting tired of the rain.

197

The van stopped, and Skulduggery made sure his scarf and sunglasses were on securely. He pulled his hat down low and got out. Valkyrie scrambled out the other side as Paddy walked over to them, a shovel in his hand, face red from recent exertion.

"I called you because I said I would if I saw anything suspicious," he said, sounding annoyed. "Not because I wanted you to come back."

"We understand that," said Skulduggery, "but we had little choice."

"You don't get it. I'm not going to sell this land, to you, or that other fella, or
anyone."

"We're not trying to buy your home."

"Good, because you won't."

Valkyrie stayed quiet. On the way over here they had discussed the best way to approach the old man. They needed him to leave before anything bad happened, but they had both agreed that he wasn't the type to be scared off. So they'd decided to tell him the truth.

"Do you follow any particular faith?" Skulduggery asked.

Paddy raised his eyebrows. "You're not trying to sell me a Bible, are you?"

"No."

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"Then you want to convert me? That's very flattering, but look at me. Is it really worth your while?"

"We're not here to convert you," Skulduggery said, gentle amusement in his voice.

Paddy looked at them both. "Are you purposefully trying to baffle me?"

"Not at all. The bafflement is effortless."

Paddy sighed. "Yes. I follow a particular faith. I would never say that I'm
overly
religious, but ..."

"Then you're willing to accept that there are aspects to this life that are beyond our current understanding?"

Paddy shrugged. "The older you get, the more you realize what you don't know. So, yes, I accept that."

"And what about magic?"

"Bunny-from-a-top-hat magic?"

"No."

"You mean real magic? Do I believe real magic exists? "

"Do you?"

Paddy paused a moment. "Funny you should say that. My father, Pat Hanratty, he believed. At least I think he did. From little things he said when

199

I was growing up, I got that impression. Why do you ask?"

Skulduggery looked at Valkyrie, and Valkyrie clicked her fingers and summoned a flame.

Paddy's face cracked, and Valkyrie realized he was smiling. "Well, that
is
impressive, I have to say. How do you do it?"

"Magic," Valkyrie said.

Paddy's smile faded a little. "I'm ... I'm not sure I understand...."

"Your father was right," Skulduggery said. "Real magic exists. Real
sorcerers
exist. Paddy, there are bad people who want to change the world, and they need this land to do it."

Paddy shook his head slowly. "I don't know what you want...."

"This land is important," Valkyrie said, extinguishing the flame. "This is where it will all happen."

"Where
what
will happen?"

"A gateway will open," Skulduggery told him, "between this world and another, and the Faceless Ones will come through."

"Faceless ...?

"They're the bad guys. We're the good guys."

200

"No offense," Paddy said, "but I think you're both a little insane."

Skulduggery took off his sunglasses, and his scarf, and his hat, and Paddy stared at him.

"No," the old man said. "Apparently,
I'm
the insane one."

Valkyrie watched him carefully. His face was pale and his eyes were wide, and she readied herself to rush forward if he passed out. But instead of passing out, Paddy pressed his lips together and nodded.

"All right. Okay. Fair enough," he said. "You're a skeleton."

"I am."

"Right so. Just making sure. And you, are you magic too?"

"I am," Valkyrie said.

"Right. I might need to sit down."

"Before you do that," Skulduggery said, "I want to introduce you to some friends of ours."

The side door of the van opened, and Ghastly and Tanith got out, followed by Fletcher.

Paddy stared at Ghastly. "What happened to you? "

"I was cursed before I was born," Ghastly told him.

201

"That'd do it, all right. And you're all magic then? Even the boy with the ridiculous hair? "

"I'm Fletcher Renn." Fletcher scowled. "I'm the most important person in the world right now."

Paddy looked at Fletcher, then at Skulduggery, and turned to Valkyrie. "Does magic automatically make you an insufferable pain, or am I just lucky to get two at the same time?"

"Just lucky." She grinned.

He shook his head in wonder. "My father would have loved this. He would have really loved this. And my land is important, is it? "

"Very," Skulduggery said, and turned to Fletcher. He told him what to do, and Fletcher looked at him skeptically, but eventually did as he was instructed. He raised his hands and walked slowly forward with his eyes closed. Skulduggery followed.

Leaving Tanith with Ghastly, Valkyrie and Paddy walked along behind.

"Do you still need to sit down?" she asked.

"I think I'm okay, thank you."

She looked at the shovel in his hands. "Working hard?"

He nodded. "Digging. Do you have a spell for digging?"