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Authors: Derek Landy
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because there is nothing that she does that is not for her own gain. You mightn’t see it at first, you might think she’s actually being nice to you, but you can never trust her.”
“Okay then.”
“Okay. So we’re agreed?”
“We’re agreed. No trusting China.”
“Good. Glad we’ve got that sorted.”
“So will you teach me magic?”
He sighed. “Dealing with you is going to be a trial, isn’t it?”
“That’s what my teachers at school say.”
“This is going to be fun,” Skulduggery said dryly. “I just know it.”
Skulduggery dropped Stephanie off at Gordon’s house, and half an hour later her mother’s car splashed through huge puddles and Stephanie went outside to meet her. She managed to keep her mother’s attention off the house, lest she notice that the front door was merely leaning against the door frame.
“Good morning,” her mother said as Stephanie got into the car. “Everything okay?”
Stephanie nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”
“You’re looking a little bedraggled.”
“Oh, thanks, Mum.”
Her mother laughed as they drove back toward the gate. “Sorry. So tell me, how was your night?”
Stephanie hesitated, then shrugged. “Uneventful.”
Seven
S ERPINE
N
EFARIAN S ERPINE had a visitor. The Hollow Men bowed deeply as he strode through the corridors of his castle. They looked real from a distance, but up close they were nothing more than cheap imitations of life. Their papery skin was a mere expressionless shell, inflated from within by the foulest of gases. It was only their hands and feet that were solid and heavy—their feet clumped when they walked, and their hands weighed down their arms, so they stood with a perpetual stoop.
Their number increased the closer he got to the main hall. They were simple creatures, but they did what they
were told, and they hadn’t known what to make of the visitor. Serpine entered the main hall, the crowd of Hollow Men parted, and a man in a dark suit turned to him.
“Mr. Bliss,” Serpine said politely. “I thought you were dead.”
“I heard that too,” Bliss responded. He was an elegant man of muscle and mass, as tall as Serpine, but whereas Serpine had black hair and glittering emerald-green eyes, Bliss was bald, with eyes of the palest blue. “In fact, it was a rumor I started. I thought it might make people leave me alone in my retirement.”
“And has it?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
Serpine motioned for the Hollow Men to leave them, and he led his guest into the drawing room.
“Can I get you a drink?” Serpine asked, heading to the liquor cabinet. “Or is it too early in the day?”
“I’m here on business,” Bliss said. “Elder business.”
Serpine turned, gave him a smile. “And how are the Elders?”
“Worried.”
“When are they not?”
Serpine went to the armchair by the window, watched the sun as it struggled to rise, then settled into the
chair, crossed his legs, and waited for Bliss to continue. The last time they had been in the same room together, they had been trying to kill each other while a hurricane tore the place down around them. The very fact that Bliss remained standing right now told Serpine that he was thinking the same thing. Bliss was wary of him.
“The Elders called me in because, five days ago, two of their people went missing—Clement Gale and Alexander Slake.”
“How very unfortunate, but I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting either of them.”
“They were assigned to … observe you, from time to time.”
“Spies?”
“Not at all. Merely observers. The Elders thought it prudent to keep tabs on a few of Mevolent’s followers, to make sure no one strayed from the terms of the Truce. You were always at the top of that list.”
Serpine smiled. “And you think I had something to do with their disappearance? I’m a man of peace these days, not war. I seek only knowledge.”
“You seek secrets.”
“You make that sound so
“Okay then.”
“Okay. So we’re agreed?”
“We’re agreed. No trusting China.”
“Good. Glad we’ve got that sorted.”
“So will you teach me magic?”
He sighed. “Dealing with you is going to be a trial, isn’t it?”
“That’s what my teachers at school say.”
“This is going to be fun,” Skulduggery said dryly. “I just know it.”
Skulduggery dropped Stephanie off at Gordon’s house, and half an hour later her mother’s car splashed through huge puddles and Stephanie went outside to meet her. She managed to keep her mother’s attention off the house, lest she notice that the front door was merely leaning against the door frame.
“Good morning,” her mother said as Stephanie got into the car. “Everything okay?”
Stephanie nodded. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”
“You’re looking a little bedraggled.”
“Oh, thanks, Mum.”
Her mother laughed as they drove back toward the gate. “Sorry. So tell me, how was your night?”
Stephanie hesitated, then shrugged. “Uneventful.”
Seven
S ERPINE
N
EFARIAN S ERPINE had a visitor. The Hollow Men bowed deeply as he strode through the corridors of his castle. They looked real from a distance, but up close they were nothing more than cheap imitations of life. Their papery skin was a mere expressionless shell, inflated from within by the foulest of gases. It was only their hands and feet that were solid and heavy—their feet clumped when they walked, and their hands weighed down their arms, so they stood with a perpetual stoop.
Their number increased the closer he got to the main hall. They were simple creatures, but they did what they
were told, and they hadn’t known what to make of the visitor. Serpine entered the main hall, the crowd of Hollow Men parted, and a man in a dark suit turned to him.
“Mr. Bliss,” Serpine said politely. “I thought you were dead.”
“I heard that too,” Bliss responded. He was an elegant man of muscle and mass, as tall as Serpine, but whereas Serpine had black hair and glittering emerald-green eyes, Bliss was bald, with eyes of the palest blue. “In fact, it was a rumor I started. I thought it might make people leave me alone in my retirement.”
“And has it?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
Serpine motioned for the Hollow Men to leave them, and he led his guest into the drawing room.
“Can I get you a drink?” Serpine asked, heading to the liquor cabinet. “Or is it too early in the day?”
“I’m here on business,” Bliss said. “Elder business.”
Serpine turned, gave him a smile. “And how are the Elders?”
“Worried.”
“When are they not?”
Serpine went to the armchair by the window, watched the sun as it struggled to rise, then settled into the
chair, crossed his legs, and waited for Bliss to continue. The last time they had been in the same room together, they had been trying to kill each other while a hurricane tore the place down around them. The very fact that Bliss remained standing right now told Serpine that he was thinking the same thing. Bliss was wary of him.
“The Elders called me in because, five days ago, two of their people went missing—Clement Gale and Alexander Slake.”
“How very unfortunate, but I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting either of them.”
“They were assigned to … observe you, from time to time.”
“Spies?”
“Not at all. Merely observers. The Elders thought it prudent to keep tabs on a few of Mevolent’s followers, to make sure no one strayed from the terms of the Truce. You were always at the top of that list.”
Serpine smiled. “And you think I had something to do with their disappearance? I’m a man of peace these days, not war. I seek only knowledge.”
“You seek secrets.”
“You make that sound so
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