Chapter 1
No hall of statues after all.
Valkyrie prepared herself as a massive Ogre marched towards her. Valkyrie stared intently and concentrated hard, and then flexed her hand. She raised it up just in time before the disgusting Ogre ran into her. A gust of wind escaped from her hand and surprisingly the attempt sent the Ogre flying backwards crying out in bewilderment. The Ogre came smashing into a brick wall and the bricks tumbled down on the lump of the monster on the floor. Valkyrie looked around her, trying to find Skulduggery. When she could not see him anywhere, she saw the Ogre rise up from the rubble and shriek in anger.
Now Valkyrie had actually harmed the Ogre, the Ogre was very mad, and in his temper pulled out a tall lamppost out of the ground, and swung it towards Valkyrie. Valkyrie dived out of the way, and rolled across the ground, as the post just flew above her, missing her be inches, and crashing into a corner shop window.
Suddenly, before Valkyrie could get up and defend herself, the shop's burglar alarmed started to ring endlessly and the high pitch of it clearly irritated the
drooling Ogre. He cried out loudly and grunted, placing his fat hands over his small ears placed on the top of his head. Valkyrie took this opportunity and sent a fireball towards him. The Ogre didn't see it coming and it hit him squarely in the face. He was knocked backwards and cried even more loudly that Valkyrie was sure that the monster would wake up the whole city of Dublin, and was thrown back, but this time he didn't bother to rise up. With the alarm still ringing he grunted in frustration and, to Valkyrie's amusement, the Ogre was so tired and lazy that she heard snoring sounds coming from the heap laying on the tarmac. Before she knew it, Skulduggery was running back to Valkyrie holding ropes.
"So glad you finally made it." Valkyrie said sarcastically. "Where were you?"
Skulduggery went towards the Ogre cautiously, and when seeing the creature was content sleeping, he shrugged and tried to wrap the ropes around the body. Valkyrie went to help him push over the heavy Ogre onto it's belly.
"I was caught up with something, besides I thought you could handle a little thing like an escaped Ogre."
Valkyrie arched an eyebrow.
"Gee, thanks for the support." However, her attempt to sound annoyed was unsuccessful, and she smiled to the skeleton detective.
When they finally wrapped the rope around the snoring creature for at least ten times and made sure he wouldn't get out of the knots, Skulduggery got his mobile phone out and rang the Sanctuary. Two Cleavers came with a long lorry, which was the only vehicle that could hold the Ogre that wouldn't attract attention. After the Cleavers rode back to the Sanctuary with the 'sleeping beauty' behind them, Skulduggery and Valkyrie climbed into the Bentley.
"What was the thing you got caught up with?" Valkyrie asked Skulduggery while he started the engine.
Skulduggery only managed to hear her as he went out of his train of thought.
"What? Oh, I bumped into an old friend actually and he gave me some news." He turned towards Valkyrie, not looking at the road.
Even though Skulduggery hadn't any lips, Valkyrie knew that he was smiling. She copied him, managing to catch his happy mood like a virus.
"Ghastly's awake!"
"What!" Valkyrie screamed, elated by the information. Skulduggery nodded and turned back to the road.
"Although sadly, now he's back, it seems the Sanctuary won't do a hall of statues after all."
Valkyrie stared at him, unbelievably.
"So, how long has it been? One year?"
"Yep. Well, one year and seven months exactly. He's so confused, bless him. It only seems like a blink of an eye to him. Poor guy woke up in the hall not knowing where he was. Good to have him back."
"Yes, it is." Valkyrie agreed. She looked out of the window.
She couldn't believe it was actually one and a half years since she had met Skulduggery Pleasant, discovered this new, fantastic world full of magic with Ancients, Sorcerers, Faceless Ones, Hallow Men and even Vampires. However, not all of these scared her; she wasn't even fazed much when she met the talking, crime-busting skeleton. The night, exactly one and a half year ago, was when Serpine had wanted to kill her and had sent a White Cleaver he had made himself, but sadly, when Ghastly Bespoke saved her life, he had risked his and turned himself into stone without knowing how long he would stay like that. She turned back to Skulduggery.
"Can we go see him?"
"Ghastly? Well, maybe after he's recovered."
Valkyrie frowned, "Recovered? Is he hurt?"
Skulduggery laughed, "No, not like that. Well, you see, after staying still for two years, his body is trying to remember how it used to move. In other words, he's a little stiff at the moment."
Valkyrie didn't know if he was joking or not. Therefore, she just stared.
"Okay…"
Skulduggery laughed.
The Bentley stopped at a lay-by near Valkyrie's house. She stepped out and tried to disguise her shuffle yawn from Skulduggery but he had seen. Without a brow, he frowned.
"I need to stop sending you out too late."
"Who are you? My dad?"
Skulduggery sat back in his seat, raising his gloved hands defensively.
"I'm just saying, you should stay home more often, school even."
Valkyrie didn't know what to say, she was offended.
"You know how I feel about school; I much go chasing Ogre's with you anytime."
"It's a cruel world, Valkyrie. And plus, your GCSE's are coming up."
Valkyrie crossed her arms stubbornly, "I got my Reflection to do that. Trust me, I am learning."
Skulduggery sighed.
"Well, I do want my best assistant to stay with me, and I don't practically think GCSE's really do anything. So, you win."
"I always do, Skul. You should know that by now."
"Anyway, you don't really need to learn anything, I already got the brains."
"And I got the looks." Valkyrie finished, smiling.
"When I had hair and skin, I was quite a looker. Actually," he examined himself in the rear mirror. "I'm still am."
Valkyrie shook her head amused and pointed out, "You're wearing a different skull."
Skulduggery shrugged.
"A handsome skull at that."
She waved Skulduggery off, but not before they had planned to meet tomorrow. Luckily it was Saturday the next day, so Valkyrie didn't need to send her Reflection out. It was good not to be able to pretend and hide things from her parents. As usual she went into the garden and sent herself into the air with her powers. She found the Reflection sitting as normal on her bed, as soon as she saw Valkyrie climb inside; she stood up and asked, "Have you had a good day?"
Valkyrie nodded and thanked her. She was still guilty that the Reflection had been shot and was sensitive if the Reflection was harmed in any way. She always acted kindly to it, but it was still strange, talking to a double of her. The Reflection told her of her normal day and Valkyrie touched the Reflection's arm. The day's memories came flooding into her mind. School, the lessons, what she ate, what she talked about and what her parents did. Valkyrie nodded and the Reflection climbed into the frame of the mirror in her wardrobe and remained as a real reflection should do. Valkyrie dressed into her pyjama's and went into bed. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.
The next day, Valkyrie manage to avoid her parent's quizzical questions and went down to the harbour. Valkyrie wore her black clothes that Ghastly Bespoke had tailored for her one and a half years ago, and by that time she had grown at least another size bigger. She was thankful that Ghastly had finally awoken; finally perhaps she could get a new uniform. Moreover, she really wanted to thank him of what he had done to save her life. Valkyrie wandered if Tanith Low had heard the news yet. Valkyrie hadn't seen Tanith since their last big situation in the golf club, with the rampaging vampires and the stupidly enormous spider. Tanith worked for the Sanctuary in London, so Valkyrie rarely saw her.
Awhile later Skulduggery's Bentley pulled over and Valkyrie saw that he was wearing his usual disguise of a ginger wig and sunglasses.
"So, what are we doing today?"
Skulduggery pulled out and drove away from the harbour, "We're going to find out who Sanguine was working for."
"Right, well, where do we start?"
"We're going to see China, see if she has heard anything, then later maybe we could go and see Ghastly."
Skulduggery smirked sideways to Valkyrie as she sat bolt right in the seat.
"Really?" She asked happily.
She watched him nod to her, "Yes, we going to meet him in the Sanctuary. They are looking after him; see if being a statue changed him in anyway. And when they're happy with him, he's going back to his home. And," He continued, looking across Valkyrie's clothes, "I'm sure he would be too happy to try and make some better fitted clothes for you." And laughed.
Valkyrie hit him in his bony arm after laughing at her, and scowled. Then they both found themselves in the rundown building where Chine's Sorrows library was.
As soon as Skulduggery tapped on the door of China's apartment, she opened it straight away as if she was expecting them. Skulduggery's hand was still in the air when she had greeted them.
As usual China radiated her beauty so everyone fell in love with her. Her black hair was long and she had the most bluest eyes Valkyrie had ever seen. Today she wore pearls around her neck and a white woman's suit.
"Please sit down." She greeted them both. Valkyrie thought that China was a little more nicer today, but she couldn't think a reason why. She eyed China suspiciously, but sat down on China's leather sofa, while Skulduggery remained standing.
"China, I was hoping you received more information who Sanguine was really working for?"
China shook her head sadly, "I'm afraid whoever we are dealing with, they are certainly professional. I've sent loads of my men to go and find anything unusual, but every time we pick something up, it suddenly disappears. They're very clever, I tell you that."
"Have you been looking at other Sorcerer groups, see if they are planning on ruling the world?" Valkyrie asked.
Both Skulduggery and China looked at Valkyrie with dismay, Valkyrie suddenly felt very exposed with the two staring at her. Then thankfully Skulduggery answered her question.
"We have been looking through other magic organizations, but it seems they don't know anything about the recent events with Vengeous and the armour of Lord Vile. And they certainly don't seem to know an eyeless cowboy by the name of Billy-Ray Sanguine, and why he was hired to pretend he was hired by Vengeous, who he was actually hired to spy on by a mysterious organization, and what he's being paid to do that he was hired for."
Skulduggery stopped and took a deep breath and thought about what he had said and tried to make sense of it. Valkyrie and China stared at him dumbly.
"Well, I tried to make that simple but it seems that I'm just not a simple guy." he smiled at himself, "That's probably why I am a detective."
"Anyway," China began getting back to the subject, facing towards Valkyrie on her seat, "I'm not sure if these people are planning to rule the world, but if they pulled the wool over Vengeous eyes, they seem to be very clever and much more dangerous than him. And that is not good news."
Valkyrie thought for a moment. If only she could find Sanguine, if only he kept the promise that he would meet her again, where, he said, to kill her. If only she could somehow question him, interrogate him. But Valkyrie guessed that was impossible. He is an earthworm man. He would disappear in the ground beneath, creating a tunnel and going wherever he needed to be just from going underground.
While Valkyrie was thinking this, the other two also were lost in there own thoughts. Then suddenly a knock on the door, gave their attention. Skulduggery got his chin out of his hand and faced the door with curiosity and China stood up and opened the door.
A big burly man stood on the threshold, taking up the whole space of the doorway. His head was completely bald and had sparkling blue eyes, identical to China's eyes. It was Mr Bliss, China Sorrows brother. He didn't have time for China's welcome and barged past her. Valkyrie stood up at his eagerness and Skulduggery stood straight from kneeling on the wall.
"What's wrong?" Valkyrie asked, seeing that something clearly was.
Mr Bliss turned to Skulduggery, and Valkyrie moved to the detective's side.
"I've got bad news." he waited when China sat herself down safely, so that she would be prepared for the news. "Last night Jerome Riddle was murdered in his home. He was viscously beheaded."
Mr Bliss paused to let the news sink in, China gasped, but Skulduggery stood unmoving, deep in thought. Valkyrie wasn't effected at all; she didn't know who this Jerome Riddle was. So she scanned her eyes between Bliss, China and Skulduggery and tried to read their expressions.
"So, what does this mean?" China asked, but she already knew the question.
"It means we may know who is behind the mass murders of the Sanctuary Elders." Skulduggery answered.
Mr Bliss nodded. "Jerome was a peacemaker between the Warlocks and the Sorcerers. It seems the Warlocks are looking for a war."
Valkyrie frowned; she was beginning to get lost of this conversation. First of all, who was Jerome Riddle? Who are the Warlocks? And why do they have a grudge against the Sorcerers?
Skulduggery turned his head to Valkyrie, and reading her thoughts somehow, answering her question that were boiling her brain in confusion.
"Jerome Riddle was like a Bono in your world, in our world. He campaigned for peace since the war with the Faceless Ones. He kept the peace between the jealous Warlocks who didn't have the same rights as the Sorcerers, and convinced them not to protest and created a treaty. But once they had broken the treaty and that night they created a riot and a fight broke out between the stunned Sorcerers and the angry Warlocks. It broke out all over the world, and millions were killed, Sorcerers and Warlocks. They demanded Councils for their own, so they won't be ruled by the Sorcerers, they wished for communities, and they wished for power. But there was one problem."
"And what was the problem? Why were the Warlocks discriminated by the Sorcerers?"
"The Warlocks are evil. They are Necromancers." Mr Bliss told her with venom in his voice before Skulduggery could say anything else. "They deserve to be kept away from us and the public. They are dangerous, more so than the vampires. But they don't see it; they think they're innocent to their thousands of crimes they have committed. They are probably the worse kind of people that live on this Earth. They aren't just people who decide to become evil, they're born with it. Every single one has a dark soul. Ha!" Mr Bliss boomed out which made the four of them jump. "And they want to be equal with us."
Valkyrie was taken aback at Mr Bliss's comments, how strongly he felt about the Warlocks, that Valkyrie had never heard about before.
She looked across to China and Mr Bliss; the two seemed to be looking at each other, thinking the same thing, having a secret conversation together in their heads. Skulduggery sighed, tugged Valkyrie's arm, and led her to China's bathroom on the other side of the vast room.
As soon as the door was closed Skulduggery turned to Valkyrie, "You're confused. Yes?"
She nodded, wanting him to continue, to explain Mr Bliss's outburst.
"There's a little vendetta between China, Bliss and the Warlocks. There is certainly no love lost between them. They are very unfriendly to them."
"Why is that?"
Skulduggery paused awhile before he answered, "This is very personal, but I think you're trusted enough to know, so I tell you. Their father was Warlock. The family supported the Dark Lords. They hated them."
. "Gosh, I always imagined them being from a Sorcerer's family."
"Well, they don't like to shout it to the world. They're ashamed by it. They killed so many innocent people. That was why Bliss stopped worshipping the Faceless Ones." Skulduggery put his hands in his pockets. "That's what Warlocks do, they are merciless."
"Are we going to interrogate one? A Warlock?" Valkyrie wandered, seeing this was a clue of who the secret organization was.
Skulduggery shrugged, "It's quite hard going to find a Warlock to talk to. Well, it's hard to try and get a Warlock talking to us."
"Do you think we should investigate further?"
"It's worth checking what happened to Jerome Riddle, and actually find proof that the Warlocks had something to do with it."
There was a knock on the bathroom door, and Skulduggery opened it. Bliss was standing behind it, and Valkyrie and Skulduggery found China still on the sofa, looking distressed. Skulduggery tipped his hat at the brother and sister.
"Valkyrie and I are going to look into this further. So, we will leave you. I promised I'll tell you any news I get. Thank you China for your help."
They both left the room and walked down the library, where Valkyrie saw people burying their heads in rare, magical books, which Valkyrie hoped one day that she would read too. They found themselves in the bright light of a sunny morning and climbed into the Bentley.
"So, are we able to visit Ghastly then?" She asked hopefully.
Skulduggery seemed to smile, "Not even Warlocks could drag me away!"
They arrived in the shut down Wax Museum, and as usual they walked down the abandoned corridors until they stopped facing the wall, where, on the other side was the Sanctuary. They both placed their palm against it and pushed, and the wall moved backwards, letting them enter. They came through a large hallway and the Grand Mage, Thurid Guild stood sourly, gazing at Skulduggery with such contempt.
"Ah, Grand Mage, always good to see your happy little mug these days. Such a beautiful morning, don't you think?"
Guild crossed his arms, "If I had my way, you would have been sacked months ago."
Valkyrie defended Skulduggery. "Well, luckily for us, the other Sanctuary's think that Skulduggery should stay employed. So until you have found two other Elders, you're opinion should be assessed before you order such things."
He eyed Valkyrie up and down, "How should you know? You just a little girl."
Valkyrie opened her mouth to answer back, but Skulduggery raised his hand in silence.
"Please, Guild. We are not here to argue. We are here to visit a very missed friend. Surely you would understand."
Guild thought for a moment and nodded almost reluctantly.
He stepped back to let them past and gestured to the room where Ghastly Bespoke was being looked after.
"Wow, he bares a grudge." Valkyrie said, once they walked away from Guild. Skulduggery nodded. "You shouldn't bait him; he'll just become even more unbearable."
"Me? Bait him?" Skulduggery asked innocently, "Now, now Valkyrie, he's the one baiting. He's trying to get me to crack, to quit my job. But I'm going to crack him; I'm going to find out whose side he really is on."
"Think he's with the Warlocks?"
"I'm not sure yet. Once we talk to a Warlock, we'll know for sure."
Valkyrie raised her eyebrows, "Do you actually think we have a chance getting a Warlock talking to us?"
"Valkyrie, of course. What person can't fall for my charisma and cleverness? I'll get one for sure."
"Well, if you think so."
Skulduggery laughed and when they finally found the door to Ghastly's chamber. Before entering Skulduggery tapped on the door.
"Hello?" Valkyrie heard Ghastly's rough voice from behind the door.
"Room service." Skulduggery lied, changing his Irish accent to a posh, English one. Valkyrie stared at him, wandering what he was doing. He placed a finger over his teeth, where his lips would have been.
"Room service? Pah! That's a first." Ghastly replied surprised. "C'mon in."
Skulduggery turned the doorknob and opened it, and he and Valkyrie burst into the room.
Ghastly nearly flew out of his bed in surprise. To Valkyrie's amusement he completely fill the double bed and his legs and arms were sling to a hanging wire that hung from the ceiling, holding his arms and legs in the air straight. He wore his clothes that Valkyrie had last saw him in. It had taken him a few moments to realise it was Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain that had barged into the room.
His eyes moved across Valkyrie and Skulduggery and a smile spread across his scarred face.
Skulduggery looked at Ghastly and thought how awkward he looked. "How hilarious do you look?"
Ghastly grunted, "You would look like this if you had been a statue for…I forgotten how long. What year is it?"
Valkyrie smiled warmly to him, "2008,"
"Missed much?"
"Well, Serpine died, but then Baron Vengeous returned and wanted the armour of Vile. Then he raised the Grotesquery to life, found the support of an army of the infected, and of Dusk, then hired an assassin by the name of Sanguine, who was actually working for someone else, and then we found The Torment, who is actually a Spiderman. But then with the help of Valkyrie, Tanith Low, China and Mr Bliss, we conquered them heroically and now we are here."
"Wow, quite a lot."
They all laughed.
"I knew I see you sooner of later. How are you?"
"Good my friend, good. You?" Skulduggery suppressed a laugh when he looked at Ghastly's legs and arms being hung in the air.
"Just hanging."
Valkyrie managed to smile at the bad joke, and stepped forward.
"Mr Bespoke-"She began.
"Please, call me Ghastly." he insisted.
She nodded.
"I wanted to thank you, for what you did."
"Think nothing of it, besides I was really trying save my own skin."
"But I feel really responsible."
Ghastly laughed, "Don't be. Anyway, I much rather keep out of the trouble with Vengeous and just carry on with my tailoring."
He paused and started at Valkyrie's clothes.
"It looks like I'm going to make another outfit for you. I can't wait to get started."
He looked at Valkyrie up and down, measuring her with his professional eyes.
"How long are you staying like that then?" asked Skulduggery, tilting his head to the side like he usually did.
"As soon as I feel my arms and legs. What about you? Investigating anything?"
Skulduggery jumped up excitedly and moved across to the head of the bed.
"Yes, do you remember when I said that Sanguine was working for someone else, not Vengeous?"
"Err, vaguely." he lied.
"He is this cowboy who can bury down through the ground and creates tunnels. Oh, and he has no eyeballs." Valkyrie told.
"Sounds interesting. So, you're trying to find out who he was working for?"
"Bingo, but we have a bit of a clue. Jerome Riddle had been murdered last night, and we think Warlocks were involved."
Ghastly thought for a moment, letting the new information sink in.
"Warlocks," He nodded, "A possibility."
Valkyrie asked a question she had been dying to say for a while, but somehow, she dreaded the answer.
"What will happen if the Warlocks brake the treaty again, after Jerome gone?"
"Then all of the Sorcerers will be killed and the Warlocks will ruin the whole human race." Ghastly said darkly.
"Oh," was all Valkyrie said, "Not good, then?"
Skulduggery shook his head gravely, "Nope. But we'll stop them."
"Just you and a whole vengeful scary army of Warlocks. Yes, I can see how you can beat them." Ghastly stated sarcastically.
"I'm wandering, Ghastly, if me and Valkyrie could go into your Library and try to find some more research about the Warlocks history?"
"Hum..."
"Or do we have to wait for another four days?"
Ghastly smirked, "You really know me well, Skul." He shrugged, "Why not? You can go in there for awhile, but don't remove anything."
"Of course." Skulduggery promised innocently.
Ghastly wanted to hold his hand out to Skulduggery for a hand shake, but unfortunately he couldn't reach it towards Skulduggery dew to his numbness. So, instead Skulduggery patted Ghastly on the shoulder.
"You know, I really didn't miss you. I really only thought I was gone for a minute." Ghastly admitted.
"I'm hurt, Ghastly." Skulduggery pressed his hand where his heart was theatrically. Then turned back to normal, realising he was acting like an idiot. "Good to see you, Ghastly."
"Sadly I can't say the same." Ghastly joked.
"What? Everyone loves seeing me. Count yourself lucky that I even visited."
Ghastly smiled on his stiff face, "You were always so vain."
"What do you think of the new Grand Mage?"
"A bit strict, but I have to say he seems dodgy."
"What made you say that?" Valkyrie said curiously. She and Skulduggery was glad that Ghastly didn't trust him either.
He shrugged "He just has that look about him. That he's not entirely trustworthy."
"He tried to sack me." Skulduggery told Ghastly.
"Did he, now? Well, that makes me like him a bit more, then." Ghastly smirked.
Skulduggery gave him a look.
"He would have if he had two other Elders by his side agreeing with him. London told him that either he gets two Elders as quickly as possible, his decisions must be reported to the London Sanctuary."
"He's hiding something. Do you reckon he's actually working for the Warlocks?"
"That's what I've been thinking." Skulduggery pulled up his coat sleeve and glanced at his wristwatch. "Well, we better be off, Ghastly. Me and Valkyrie have a job to do."
"So happy I have to stay here. When I'm back home, I am going to stay out of any trouble you have. I promised myself I will never get mixed up in any dodgy, scary, world saving things ever again!"
Skulduggery said sceptically, "Ah, you wont be able to restrain yourself, Ghast!"
Valkyrie stepped forward, and hugged Ghastly, who took it with extreme surprise. Ghastly couldn't return it without his arms. And just lay their uncomfortably. Valkyrie let go quite quickly, embarrassment all over her face. Hugging wasn't quite her. But she wanted to show Ghastly how much she appreciated what he had done.
"I was never one to do hugs. Sorry."
"It's fine. I don't much like hugging either. But thanks."
Valkyrie suddenly went bright red by Skulduggery's reaction, he was staring quite confused and hid a little smirk on his mouth.
"Well, well Val, I never knew you were so soft."
"Don't expect one any time soon, Skul." Valkyrie said to him cautiously.
Skulduggery pulled his wig, sunglasses and hat back on, and placed his gloved hands in his pockets. Skulduggery opened the door and they said farewell to Ghastly.
UP06 Detailed Expenses Claim Form12/06/2009Page 8 of 2Issue 2