Read Online Skulduggery Pleasant: Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Derek Landy
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faster and now it was one long continuous beep and Ghastly reached out with the air and yanked Sult off his feet. The moment Sult passed him, Ghastly pressed both hands against the air to form a shield and then the room was filled with fire and thunder and the shockwave hit the shield and Ghastly was launched backwards into the corridor. Sult hit the wall and Ghastly hit Sult and they collapsed in a tangle and Ghastly sprawled to a stop.
Eyes blinking. Eyes. Blinking.
Alarms. Shouts.
Alarms.
Hands gripping him, pulling him up, Ghastly sitting now, smoke everywhere. People and Cleavers. Ravel, in front of him, shaking him, speaking words.
“—hear me? Ghastly? Can you hear me? I need a doctor over here! My friend’s a vegetable!”
Ghastly felt his mouth twitch into a smile.
“Oh, good,” said Ravel. “He’s not completely gone. Where’s all this blood coming from? Ah, he’s been shot. Of course he has. Typical.”
Doctor Synecdoche hurried over, knelt by him, pressed something against his wound. “Elder Bespoke,” she said, “can you hear me? Can you tell me what day it is?”
“I don’t know,” Ghastly mumbled, “I’m sorry …”
“We need to get him to my lab as quickly as possible,” said Synecdoche. “He needs a CAT scan and a—”
Ghastly shook his head. “No, I mean, I don’t actually know what day it is. It was easier keeping track of days when I had my shop, but ever since I became an Elder …”
“The days become a blur,” finished Ravel, nodding. “He’s OK, Doc. I’ve seen him walk away from bigger traumas than this. Help me get him standing.”
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea, Grand Mage,” said Synecdoche. “He could still be suffering from—”
Ravel sighed, grabbed Ghastly’s right arm and pulled him to his feet. “See?” he said while Synecdoche quietly freaked out. “Not a bother on him. Although you should probably call round to see him later for some private consultation.”
Ghastly did his best to smile at her. “Doctor, thank you, I’ll make my way to the Medical Wing in a moment. Maybe you could treat some of our prisoners while you’re here?”
“Of course, Elder Bespoke,” she said, and was immediately lost in the crowd of Sanctuary personnel.
“She likes you,” Ravel whispered.
“Do not start,” Ghastly responded. He turned as Sult was hauled to his feet by a pair of Cleavers, his hands shackled behind his back.
“Bernard Sult,” said Ravel. “I take it you’re responsible for this mess?”
Sult glared at them both. “I have Level 4 mindguards in place. We all do. Your Sensitives will get nothing from us.”
“We don’t really need anything,” said Ravel. “The fact that you’ve been caught red-handed trying to destroy Sanctuary property will be enough of an embarrassment to the Supreme Council, believe me.”
The defiance in Sult’s eyes diminished somewhat. “What do you mean,” he said, “ trying to destroy?”
Ghastly frowned, too. “The Accelerator is salvageable after a blast like that?”
“See for yourselves,” Ravel said.
Ghastly limped to the doorway and Sult came after him, his arms held by the Cleavers. Sanctuary Elementals worked to clear the acrid smoke from the room. The Accelerator stood tall and proud where it had always been. A little scorched, maybe, but definitely in one piece. One of the Elementals placed a hand to the scorch mark and wiped it clean. Just a little soot. Astonishing.
“When they built it,” Ravel said from behind them, “they built it to last.”
o see such a thing as shock register on the face of the most beautiful woman in the world was a rare treat, and Valkyrie found herself enjoying it more than she really should have. China Sorrows’ pale blue eyes were wide and her perfect lips were parted. Her hair, black as sin and just as luxuriant, was longer than Valkyrie remembered. She wore a bathrobe, silk, tied with a sash.
“Hi,” said Valkyrie.
China
Eyes blinking. Eyes. Blinking.
Alarms. Shouts.
Alarms.
Hands gripping him, pulling him up, Ghastly sitting now, smoke everywhere. People and Cleavers. Ravel, in front of him, shaking him, speaking words.
“—hear me? Ghastly? Can you hear me? I need a doctor over here! My friend’s a vegetable!”
Ghastly felt his mouth twitch into a smile.
“Oh, good,” said Ravel. “He’s not completely gone. Where’s all this blood coming from? Ah, he’s been shot. Of course he has. Typical.”
Doctor Synecdoche hurried over, knelt by him, pressed something against his wound. “Elder Bespoke,” she said, “can you hear me? Can you tell me what day it is?”
“I don’t know,” Ghastly mumbled, “I’m sorry …”
“We need to get him to my lab as quickly as possible,” said Synecdoche. “He needs a CAT scan and a—”
Ghastly shook his head. “No, I mean, I don’t actually know what day it is. It was easier keeping track of days when I had my shop, but ever since I became an Elder …”
“The days become a blur,” finished Ravel, nodding. “He’s OK, Doc. I’ve seen him walk away from bigger traumas than this. Help me get him standing.”
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea, Grand Mage,” said Synecdoche. “He could still be suffering from—”
Ravel sighed, grabbed Ghastly’s right arm and pulled him to his feet. “See?” he said while Synecdoche quietly freaked out. “Not a bother on him. Although you should probably call round to see him later for some private consultation.”
Ghastly did his best to smile at her. “Doctor, thank you, I’ll make my way to the Medical Wing in a moment. Maybe you could treat some of our prisoners while you’re here?”
“Of course, Elder Bespoke,” she said, and was immediately lost in the crowd of Sanctuary personnel.
“She likes you,” Ravel whispered.
“Do not start,” Ghastly responded. He turned as Sult was hauled to his feet by a pair of Cleavers, his hands shackled behind his back.
“Bernard Sult,” said Ravel. “I take it you’re responsible for this mess?”
Sult glared at them both. “I have Level 4 mindguards in place. We all do. Your Sensitives will get nothing from us.”
“We don’t really need anything,” said Ravel. “The fact that you’ve been caught red-handed trying to destroy Sanctuary property will be enough of an embarrassment to the Supreme Council, believe me.”
The defiance in Sult’s eyes diminished somewhat. “What do you mean,” he said, “ trying to destroy?”
Ghastly frowned, too. “The Accelerator is salvageable after a blast like that?”
“See for yourselves,” Ravel said.
Ghastly limped to the doorway and Sult came after him, his arms held by the Cleavers. Sanctuary Elementals worked to clear the acrid smoke from the room. The Accelerator stood tall and proud where it had always been. A little scorched, maybe, but definitely in one piece. One of the Elementals placed a hand to the scorch mark and wiped it clean. Just a little soot. Astonishing.
“When they built it,” Ravel said from behind them, “they built it to last.”
o see such a thing as shock register on the face of the most beautiful woman in the world was a rare treat, and Valkyrie found herself enjoying it more than she really should have. China Sorrows’ pale blue eyes were wide and her perfect lips were parted. Her hair, black as sin and just as luxuriant, was longer than Valkyrie remembered. She wore a bathrobe, silk, tied with a sash.
“Hi,” said Valkyrie.
China
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