Valkyrie had her arm intertwined around his and the bones of his fingers in a deathly tight grip as they followed the floating figure of the long deceased Kenspeckle Grouse through the ruined Hibernian. His ghostly coat was as tattered as it was in the last throws of his life, and his grey face seemed to have small cuts across it. Skulduggery glared at him, not fully accepting the fact that this grouchy man had managed to pull his soul from the Other World back into this one.

Of course Skulduggery was a hypocritical skeptic; because if he had done the exact thing for himself several hundred years back, so why not someone else?

Valkyrie must have felt his thoughts because she moved closer to him and his bones begun to hum from the energy she emitted.

Kenspeckle passed through a door and they opened it and followed him inside.

The room was glaringly bright in comparison to the dark corridors and almost throbbed with a strange presence as they came to the centre of the room where a large machine stood, dark and foreboding.

Skulduggery felt his armour grow cold and Valkyrie shudder at his side. "What is this?"

Kenspeckle looked around from where he stood at the end of his work bench and picked up a spanner.

Valkyrie blinked.

"This, this, is my greatest scientific breakthrough," he explained in controlled excitement. "It's a soul generator. Using the metal used in creating shadow-items, I have compounded the perfect anchor that allows a spectre, like myself, to have a physical presence so long as I'm near it."

Skulduggery cocked his head. "While you're in this room you're physical?"

Kenspeckle nodded. "That is what I just said, Pleasant."

"So you're totally punch-able right now?"

The doctor took several awkward steps back. "You wouldn't hit a dead man."

"I don't know," said Skulduggery cheerily. "I remember you risking a few swipes at me."

The ghost chuckled wearily. "All deeds forgiven when you're dead, right?" Skulduggery was about to make a retort when Kenspeckle exploded with: "Except you did all you're nasty deeds after you died, so you haven't got any excuse!"

Valkyrie laughed as the skeleton backed down with a sigh – it was like old times.

"So you built a machine that makes you pick stuff up," she said. "How did you initially do that? If you came back as a ghost wouldn't that mean you wouldn't have been-"

"Clearly I made this before I died, dear."

"Oh."

"Just in case I wanted to come back, you know. Precautionary measure and whatnot. Always smart to be prepared for anything," he winked at them and motioned for them to follow him into another part of the room.

The machine he now showed them was white and silent, and Kenspeckle walked around it tightening bolts with his spanner, talking to it like he would a favourite pet.

"And this?" asked Skulduggery, resting a hand on the edge of the machine.

"The magic of science, Pleasant, this is my greatest breakthrough to date!"

Valkyrie frowned. "I thought the soul-generator was?"

"This is posthumous, Valkyrie. My greatest breakthrough posthumously. However," he saddened and patted the machine, "She's not finished. I order parts for her weeks ago but they haven't arrived yet." He shook his head sadly. "Bloody Irish postal service. The lazy sods are always taking their sweet time."

Skulduggery took Valkyrie around the machine and studied it carefully. "The parts weren't from France, were they?" He asked, touching the machine that vibrated at his touch - he pulled back his hand quickly.

Kenspeckle looked over at them, his brows raised. "Why yes, they were! How did you know?"

"It's all up in war at the moment," he explained dully. "Not much left of Western France and not much left of Ireland."

The doctor's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. "B-but…what…you don't…how!?" he struggled his words out.

"A man knows his real name," Valkyrie explained, "His name is Narchroex. He's working with the American Sanctuary to overtake the European."

Kenspeckle Grouse leaned wearily against his machine, overwhelmed. "I suppose it's all over then? Unless there's someone strong enough to go against that kind of power…but...no, it would be a miracle if there were. And scientists don't believe in that kind of nonsense." He tapped the white metal. "Load of junk this thing turned out to be."

Skulduggery shook his head. "All's not lost."

"Ah," said Kenspeckle darkly, "you have a secret weapon? Skulduggery, I know your methods are, unorthodox, to say the least. But let's hear it."

He watched as the two detectives gave their partner a look and turned back to face him.

"I know my true name," Valkyrie admitted and motioned to the detective, "and Skulduggery has Lord Vile's armour."

The doctor glowered, then shook his head and turned back to his machine. "Of course you'd have something up your devilish sleeve, Pleasant."

Skulduggery laughed, but it faded as the old man turned back at them with a frown – his grey eyes flickered to Valkyrie.

"Dear, you know you could have any man in the world. Why this one? He's all, if you'd excuse me Pleasant."

"By all means."

"He's all bony…and so, so much older than you, Valkyrie dear. And I just don't think he's the right type."

Skulduggery felt her hand tighten around his fingers and smiled inside.

"I know all that, but…" she frowned and bit her lip. "I don't care. It doesn't matter why, or how, or when, or even what the hell he, or this is, I love him."

His head turned so fast to her that there was a loud crack that echoed in the room. Valkyrie was looking at her feet and her pale face was scarlet.

"Don't read too much into that," she murmured.

Skulduggery was about to say something when Grouse sighed exceptionally loud.

"Ugh…Valkryie, I could never be mad at you or your choices and I will always support you, dear." He shot Skulduggery a withering glare. "You, Pleasant, irritate the bejeezus out of me. Even though I'm dead. But you better do a better job at looking after her now than when she was twelve."

"I will," Skulduggery replied solemnly.

The mean doctor nodded. "Good. Now go. And if you're alive after all that war stuff, come back to see me Pleasant."

Skulduggery hesitated. "And why would I want to do that?"

"So I can slap you red when I give you your body back."

There was a long silence.

The detective's soft voice broke the silence, uncertain. "Body?"

"That's what I said," Kenspeckle snapped,"are you deaf? This machine regenerates body parts, whole and functioning, body parts from a single strand of your magical DNA. Do you think I want to be a grey transparent ghost forever? Of course not! I'm a genius! I'll beat death yet! So when this is over, Pleasant, consider taking up a new line of work and I'll give you a body. But," he added testily and pointed to Valkyrie, "I'm offering only for her sake, for all I care you can be a walking corpse till the end of time."

"I-" Skulduggery started but was cut short.

"You can have the spare room for the rest of the night, Valkyrie. But for now, leave me, I have a lot to do," Kenspeckle turned on his heel and walked into the next room as grouchy as he had ever been. Death did not seem to hinder his infamous temper.

Long chapter for y'all! :D

:3 OMG skull and val are so cute together...

They need a moment together soon, me thinks ;D

:C ah...my soccer finals-season game got cancelled. THE RAIN WONT STOP! XD

MARCH TO THE BEAT OF THE TANGO!