A/N: This is highly irregular and it might happen that I won't update for a long time, or every day. It will continue until I've read Dark Days.

Also in case anyone wondered, the key was to Gordon's house, not that of Val's parents.

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„Uncle Gordon, I'm desperate", she let out an exhausted sigh and slumped into the only chair in the little secret chamber.

Probably where her uncle had sat down and worked whenever he was in there.

„What's the matter Steph?"

„I... It's just... Now I've got a way to open the door between realities-or-whatever-they-are, but..."

She sighed again, biting her lip in anger.

„What?"

„I've got no idea where to start. Skulduggery always coordinated things, he had the contacts with the information. He had the brilliant plans."

„I'm sure he'd be glad to hear that from you, but you still haven't told me what this way IS that you spoke of."

„I have to find his head."

„Didn't he take it with him?"

„No, I mean his original head. It's an Isthmus-anchor now. But I don't know where it is or who took it. He didn't tell me that one. They could have grinded it to flour for all I know."

She raised her hands as if attempting to teleport the skull there by sheer willpower.

„You're not entirely without contacts, you know. As it happens, that was one of the many stories he told me about his life."

„Are you implying what I think you are implying?"

„Yes, I am."

„You know who took it?"

„Exactly."