"Well?" Valkyrie asked, looking at Skulduggery.
"Hmm?"
"She's a teleporter."
"Oh, yes I noticed that. Good for her."
Valkyrie sighed, "Aren't you worried?"
"Why would I be worried?"
"She's a teleporter, and she just happened to run into Eliza Scorn and China Sorrows in the one place on earth there can be a portal to bring the Faceless Ones into this world, a portal that can only be opened by a teleporter."
"That was quite a coincidence."
"You said you didn't believe in coincidences."
"Did I?"
"Yes. You did."
"I'm sure I said that coincidences are common and sometimes just happen, you know, coincidentally."
"You never said that."
"I'm sure I must have, you just weren't listening."
Valkyrie sighed.
"OK, I know that she didn't even know she was a teleporter when that happened but I still think it's suspicious."
"And you have every right to be concerned. We know that Eliza is planning something to do with the Faceless Ones and using Dragonclaw and Meloncholia as a distraction to keep us occupied."
"So who do we go after?"
"Dragonclaw of course." He answered, as if that were obvious.
"Why? That's exactly what she wants us to do."
"Exactly, she'll never expect it."
Valkyrie frowned.
"You realise that makes no sense right?"
"Of course it does."
"Maybe in your wacked out head." She muttered under her breath.
"We don't want Eliza to know that we know about her plans, otherwise she'll change what she's planning, and then we won't know. So we're just going to act like we don't know for now. Besides, at the moment, she isn't posing a threat, while Meloncholia could be real trouble."
"I guess you're right."
"I'm always right."
"I have a hard time believing that, especially after that incident with the alligators…"
"Anyone would have thought they were an exhibit, I was certain they were stuffed."
"Why would they have been an exhibit? We weren't in a museum, we were in a dungeon!"
"But it all ended up being great fun right?"
"One of them bit my leg!"
"Well at least no one got hurt."
"It. Bit. My. Leg."
"Are you still going on about that? Come on we have work to do." He said and looked down at their captive hostage who had been watching the argument.
"Oh, you've finally noticed me have you?" he said
"When did you regain consciousness?" Valkyrie asked.
"Just before that kid with the stupid hair disappeared with the girl." He replied.
"And what exactly is it you want with her?" Skulduggery asked
"Who said we want her?"
"Don't play dumb."
"I'm not playing."
"Yeah, you're probably right about that one."
"What do you-?"
"Are you working for Eliza Scorn?" Skulduggery interrupted.
"What if I am?"
Skulduggery sighed. "Listen, just cooperate and things may work out for you."
"You mean we make a deal? You give me something and I tell you what I know?"
"Actually I was thinking something like, you tell us what you know and we don't pummel you into the dirt."
He glared at Skulduggery. "I know all about you, Skeleton Detective, you don't scare me."
"If I don't scare you," Skulduggery answered, leaning in closer, "Then you don't know anything about me."
Valkyrie saw a shiver of fear run down his spine, he was trying to put on a brave face and obviously failing.
"Now." Skulduggery continued, straightening up and looking down at the man. "Why don't you start by telling us who you are, who you work for, and what you came here to do."