Skulduggery Pleasant_ Death Bringer - Derek Landy [108]
“You’re damn right,” Valkyrie said. “You attacked me.”
“I did, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to, but I did it. I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”
“If I were you,” Skulduggery said, “I’d be more worried about your own state of discomfort.”
“Oh, I am, Skulduggery, believe me. My overriding concern right now is my own well-being. Which is why I’m here. I’ve come to make a deal. I can tell you where Melancholia is.”
Skulduggery’s voice betrayed no hint of surprise. “Why would you want to?”
“Because she’s going to ruin everything. Her and Craven. They’re going to bring the Necromancer Order to its knees. They need to be stopped, and you’re the only ones who can do it. Well, you and the rest of the Sanctuary agents, obviously.”
“So you suddenly want to stop the Passage?” Skulduggery asked.
“Stop it? Good God, no. The Passage is the only thing that will save the world. But Melancholia is not the one to bring it about. She’s too unstable. She’s too unpredictable. Does she have the potential to kill millions? Yes, probably. But billions? I doubt it. And unless three billion are killed in the same instant, it’s not going to work. The only thing she’ll accomplish is the pointless death of millions of innocent people.”
Valkyrie shook her head. “You’ve got some warped ideas of right and wrong, you know that? So you come running to us to clean up the mess you made? Why don’t you guys handle it?”
“Because I’m the only one who can see the truth. The others, there aren’t many but there are enough, have been blinded by Craven’s words. I tried to take care of it without you, but my little assassination attempt didn’t work out too well.”
“Then where is she?” Skulduggery asked.
Wreath smiled. “Not yet. First, you get the Council to agree to my terms.”
“There are no terms, Solomon. Tell us where she is.”
“I want my attack on Valkyrie and my involvement in events so far forgiven and forgotten.”
Skulduggery took his hat from his knee and uncrossed his legs as he sat forward. “You were planning the murder of three billion people.”
Wreath nodded. “And I’d like that to be forgotten about, please.”
“What do you think will come of this? We know what the Passage is now. Everyone does. You think it’s going to go back to normal, with Necromancers left alone to scheme and plot? Temples are going to be torn down all over the world. It’s over for all of you.”
“Not necessarily. I think it’s still possible to blame this whole thing on one man.”
Skulduggery tilted his head. “Craven.”
“His mad ramblings have led to this,” Wreath said, displaying an impressive air of sadness. “He wilfully misinterpreted our sacred teachings. He warped what the Passage is truly about. Can we be held responsible for the actions of a madman? A fanatic?”
“You really think that act is going to work?” Valkyrie asked, frowning.
Wreath smiled up at her. “Why not? Everything that man has done reinforces what I’ve just said. He experimented on poor Melancholia. Brainwashed the poor girl. His insane ambition drove him to murder our kind and gentle High Priest, Auron Tenebrae. Tenebrae would never have condoned the actions he’s taken. But Vandameer Craven is unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. He is magnetic. He makes you want to follow him into destruction and madness. I am ashamed to say that I, too, was under the spell of his fervour, his faith, and his charisma.”
Valkyrie blinked. “Charisma?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think that’s stretching it a little too far?”
“Do you think so?”
“Some people will have met him.”
“Hmm. You have a point. OK, then maybe not charisma. I’ll think of some other lie. It’ll be fine. The point is, yes, the Temple here in Ireland will be tarnished. It will probably be torn down, and Necromancy banned. But it will survive in the rest of the world, so long as Melancholia isn’t allowed to start killing people.