~*Chapter 2*~
Valkyrie Night
Gordon Edgley was in his study, seven words into the twenty-fifth sentence of the final chapter of his new book And The Darkness Rained Upon Them, when he received a phone call from a person he had explicitly told not to (but secretly hoped would) contact him: China Sorrows.
He picked up the phone and answered with a weary, "Hello, China." He hoped it sounded sufficiently bored, and made it quite clear that he had much better things to be doing than talking.
"Gordon," the musical, beautiful voice of China Sorrows cascaded from the phone, "I heard you recently purchased an antique chest at an auction in Dublin."
If China was attempting to make conversation, it was the oddest small-talk Gordon had ever heard. Then again, China Sorrows didn't do small talk. There must have been an ulterior motive to her questioning. "That's right, but I don't see how it's of any interest to you."
"I also heard that, upon opening it, you discovered a hidden compartment with a few books inside. It is the books that interest me."
"How did you-" Gordon began, but thought better of asking how and where China got her information. He resolutely decided, "I'm not carting those books off to your library only to be charmed into giving them to you."
"In the case of these tomes, I shall make an exception from my usual business ventures and come to you," China said, "If those books are what I've been told they are, it's well-worth the trip. Expect me there in ten minutes."
"But-" Gordon didn't even have time to form a coherent response before China hung up the phone. He sighed (knowing that, if China wanted those books for her collection, nothing would be able to prevent this visit) and tried to write a bit more of his book before she arrived.
Precisely ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Gordon descended the stairs and opened the door for China. She strode elegantly into the house, as perfectly poised as ever.
Trying his best not to look directly at her, Gordon led China to the living room, where the three books found in the chest were sitting on the coffee table. China perched herself on the couch and proceeded to peruse them, seeming to scrutinize each ancient page.
A few minutes later, there was another knock at the door. Gordon got up from the chair he had been sitting in while waiting for China to finish her inspection of the books and walked back to the door. He peered out the peephole, confused. He hadn't been expecting any other visitors today, had he?
Upon looking out the peephole, Gordon discovered his sister-in-law, Melissa Edgley, and her small daughter, Stephanie, standing on his porch. So absorbed had he been in writing his book, and then this business with China, he had completely forgotten Melissa had called a little earlier to ask if he could babysit Stephanie for the afternoon.
"Gordon!" the little girl exclaimed when he opened the door.
"Stephanie!" Gordon responded, trying to sound enthusiastic.
"Thanks for this, Gordon," Melissa said, ushering Stephanie into the door, "Desmond just called and said he needs my help."
"What could he possibly need help with?" Gordon asked, scooping up the young girl into his arms, "I thought he was showing the finished shopping center to those company people."
"He is. But he can't remember where it is."
"Couldn't you just tell him over the phone?"
"I did, but he said he wants me to help with the tour of the inside, just in case he forgets something else."
"Ah," Gordon nodded, "Knowing Desmond, that's a valid concern."
"Exactly," Melissa smiled, "Thanks again, Gordon. I really appreciate this." She kissed Stephanie on the nose. "Steph, you be good for Uncle Gordon, alright?"
"Okay, Mama," Stephanie promised.
Melissa smiled again, saying another "thanks" to Gordon, then walked back out to her car.
Shutting the door, Gordon's mind raced with all the options of what he could do now. He could send Stephanie to play in a different room, finish the business with China, and then send the collector on her way. But he didn't dare leave Stephanie on her own. It was surprising how much trouble she got herself into when left to her own devices.
He settled on just letting Stephanie meet China, then bribing her with a few sweets not to say anything unusual had happened during her visit once she got home. Yes, it was the perfect plan.
He failed, however, to factor into his "perfect plan" the fact that China's charms affected everyone – even four-year-old girls.
"You a pretty lady," Stephanie, who had wriggled out of Gordon's arms and plopped herself in front of China, said, gazing up at the woman.
China looked down at her with an eyebrow raised, then up at Gordon. "Who, Gordon, is this?"
"My niece," Gordon replied, scooping Stephanie up again, "I'd forgotten she was coming over for the afternoon."
"That presents a minor inconvenience," China said, subconsciously sliding the three books further away from the child, "As I was about to request that you take the time to come over to my library."
Now it was Gordon's turn to raise his eyebrow. "Why, exactly?"
"This book, of course," China said, gesturing to the middle tome.
"What is so important about that particular book?"
"These other two are the journals of inconsequential – and, from what I read, very talkative and annoying – sorcerer. But this one…" She paused, looking at the book lying on the table, "Is interesting to say the least. I wish to take it to my library to compare it to a book I recall having purchased a few weeks ago. Knowing you, I figured that you would object to me taking a book that doesn't belong to me for fear I would commit an act of petty thievery. Of course, that concern is quite valid."
Gordon pondered this for a moment. Normally, he enjoyed visiting China's library because research could be done both by reading a book about a subject and, if you were lucky, coming across and talking to a patron who knows a thing or two, or more, about said subject. But today, he had Stephanie with. There probably weren't enough sweets in the world to bribe her into not talking about a visit to a library visited by such… intriguing people as frequented China's.
Then again, if she did say anything, her parents would most likely assume they had merely been playing some game of pretend in Gordon's own library.
"I suppose I can," Gordon said, "But my niece has to come with."
"I will not have such a young child wandering about my precious books," China said, "She would most likely dribble on the covers, tear pages, and altogether make a mess of things."
"I'm a big girl," Stephanie protested angrily, "I won't dribble." She wiped a hand across her mouth just to make sure.
.:xXx:.
It seemed China really wanted that book, as she had eventually agreed to allow Stephanie to accompany Gordon to the library.
Once there, a deal was made, making China the proud owner of a complete set of 600-year-old books by the famed sorcerer Antonius Goldwin.
On their way out of the library, they were stopped by a young Englishwoman. "Excuse me," she said, "Are you… Are you the Gordon Edgley? I'm a huge fan of your writing!" Then she and he got to talking and quickly struck up a friendship. He gave her a brief introduction to a new novel her was planning called And the Darkness Rained Upon Them, and she told him about a fight she'd once got into that he deemed perfect for a story.
The woman also gained Stephanie's admiration when the three went outside and, while she and Gordon climbed into his car, the young woman put on a helmet and swung her leg over a motorbike.
Though no-one knew it at that moment, something very important had happened that day. Somewhere between meeting China Sorrows and becoming friends with Tanith Low, the seeds which would grow into Valkyrie Night had been planted deep within Stephanie's soul.
The reason her name is Valkyrie Night is because without Skulduggery to introduce her to the phrase "raising Cain," she wouldn't have even considered Cain as a possible name, now would she?
Reads and reviews are always appreciated. :o)
