The Faceless Ones. Derek Landy

one. Were you born a skeleton or were your folks just disturbingly hopeful?”

      “Skulduggery is my taken name,” Skulduggery said evenly.

      “That’s the advantage of being in this little ‘world within a world’ of ours,” Valkyrie added. “You’re told a few of the rules, a few tricks you’ll need to survive.”

      Fletcher’s shoulders made a slight movement, like they were too lazy to give another shrug so soon after the last one. “I’m doing OK.”

      “So far. But how do you feel about being someone’s puppet? Because if you don’t take on a name of your own, any sorcerer who can be bothered might decide he wants a new pet.”

      “Aha. So Valkyrie Cain isn’t your real name, that right?”

      “That’s right. It’s the name I took, the name that stops anyone from controlling me.”

      “Well I changed my name when I ran away from home, so I guess I’m safe too, right?”

      He was enjoying this. That made her dislike him even more.

      “Are we done?” he asked. “I’ve got places to go and people to see.”

      “They’re not going to stop,” Skulduggery said. “No matter where you go, they will find you. And if they find you, they will force you to help them.”

      “No one forces me to—”

      “I’ve not finished talking yet,” Skulduggery interrupted.

      Fletcher sighed and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

      “As I was saying, if they find you, they will force you to help them. And if you help them, Fletcher, then you’re on their side.”

      Fletcher frowned. “Meaning what?”

      “Meaning you won’t have to worry about them. You’ll have to worry about us.”

      Fletcher grew even paler than before. Skulduggery, Valkyrie reflected, could be a very scary person when he wanted to.

      “You don’t want me as an enemy, Fletcher. You want to be my friend. You want to do as I say, and for your own good, you want to enter into protective custody. Am I right?”

      For a moment, Valkyrie thought Fletcher was going to defy him again, just for the sake of it, but then his eyes softened and he nodded. “Yeah, OK.”

      “Excellent news. And I have the perfect place for you to stay.”

      

       here’s Gallow?” Billy-Ray Sanguine asked the empty room.

       “Elsewhere,” said the voice, distorted over the tinny old speaker that hung in the corner. “They are all elsewhere.”

       The walls were cold stone. There was one door, no window and a mirror. Sanguine was fairly certain there was a camera behind the mirror, watching him.

       “So who are you?” he asked.

       “I’m nobody,” the voice said.

       Sanguine smiled. “You’re Batu, ain’t you? You’re the one they keep talkin’ about.”

       “Am I?”

       “Yeah, you are. You’re the big boss. So how come you ain’t here in person? I been workin’ for you for over a year now. Ain’t it time we met, face to face?”

       “I value my privacy.”

       Sanguine shrugged. “I get that.”

       “You failed me, Mr Sanguine. I paid you to do a job and you failed me.”

       “You said nothin’ about the skeleton detective and the girl gettin’ involved. That’s what we call extenuatin’ circumstances. If I’d have known they’d be there, I could have prepared. Or at least charged double.”

       “You will have a chance to redeem yourself.”

       “Yippee,” Sanguine said, without enthusiasm.

       “I’m going to need you to steal something for me, as soon as Gruesome Krav returns. There is a very good chance you will encounter opposition.”

       “So you’ll double my rate?”

       “Naturally.”

       “Yippee,” Sanguine said and this time he smiled.