participate. My resources, and my standing, must be secure before I can allow the uncertainty of war to crash down upon us.'
'And what about Skulduggery? While you're waiting for the right moment to tell everyone Serpine is the bad guy, Skulduggery might be killed!'
The hesitation that flickered across China's face was barely noticeable. 'There are casualties in every conflict.'
Stephanie hated her. She turned and stormed back to the open door.
'Where are you going?' China called after her.
'I'm going to do what you're too scared to do yourself!'
'No, you're not.'
The door slammed shut before Stephanie reached it, and she spun around. China was walking toward her, her exquisite face perfectly calm.
'You have no right,' China said softly, 'to plunge us all into war. Who are you to decide when we fight? Why should you decide when we die?'
'I just want to help my friend,' Stephanie said, taking a step back.
'Skulduggery is not your friend.'
She narrowed her eyes. 'You don't know what you're talking about.'
'And you don't know him, child. He has anger in him like you have never seen. He has hatred in him that you would never dream about. There is not one place he would rather be than where he is right now.'
'You're crazy.'
'He told you how he died, then?'
'Yes,' Stephanie said. 'He was killed by one of Mevolent's men.'
'Nefarian Serpine killed him,' China said. 'He tortured him first, purely for fun. He ridiculed him and he stripped him of his powers. And then he pointed at him. Did you know that's all it takes, with that red right hand of his? For him to point, and then it's all over?'
Agonizing death, Skulduggery had said. Stephanie hadn't realized he had felt it himself. She shook her head defiantly. 'That doesn't change anything.'
'When he came back, he fought Mevolent's forces with a single-minded determination — not to defeat evil, but to have his revenge on Mevolent's lackey. Mevolent himself fell, but just as Skulduggery was in a position to claim his vengeance ...'
'There was the Truce,' Stephanie said slowly.
'And suddenly his enemy was a protected citizen. Skulduggery has been waiting a long time to get his revenge, and he will risk anyone and anything in order to get it.'
Stephanie stood up straighter. 'Even if you're right, that doesn't change the fact that he has been the only one investigating my uncle's murder, or that he seems to be the only one around here who cares about what is really going on, or that he has saved my life.'
'And put it at risk. Every good thing he has done for you has been canceled out by every bad thing he has done to you. You don't owe him anything.'
'I'm not going to abandon him.'
'It is hardly your choice.'
'What are you going to do?' Stephanie challenged.
'I am simply going to ask you to do what I say.'
'Then the answer's no.'
'My dear Stephanie ...'
Stephanie froze. China looked at her. 'I've known your name since before I met you, child.
Your uncle spoke of you often.'
Stephanie lunged for the door, but it was no use.
'Stephanie,' China said softly. Stephanie's hands dropped to her sides, and she turned. 'Tell no one of this.'
Stephanie felt it inside her and knew she would obey; knew no matter how much she raged against it, she would obey. She had no choice. So she nodded as tears stung her eyes, and China smiled that beautiful smile of hers.
Chapter Fifteen
The Torture Room
The moon was out and the stars. were twinkling and it really was a beautiful night for pain.
Serpine descended into the castle's cold, dank depths and strode through the stone corridors.
Already he was beginning to smile. He came to the heavy wooden door and paused with his hand over the latch, savoring the deliciousness of the moment.
The latch raised, the door opened, and Serpine stepped in. 'Here we are again,' he said.
Skulduggery Pleasant raised his head, practically the only part of his body he could move.
Serpine had placed a binding spell on the shackles that secured him to the chair, and so, unable to use magic, the detective could only watch as Serpine closed the door behind him,
'Life is a cycle, isn't it, Skulduggery? We are all destined to repeat ourselves, over and over.
You, at my mercy. Me, merciless.'
'You, talking,' the detective said. 'I thought you 'd have grown out of the whole villainy thing by now, Nefarian.'
Serpine smiled as he sat in the wooden chair opposite. The room was small, with stone walls and a single light-bulb hanging from the ceiling. 'Being a respectable citizen wasn't for me, but then, you knew that, didn't you? You warned them about me, but they didn't listen. That must have been annoying, for the Elders not to even respect you enough to take you seriously.'
'I think it's because I'm always smiling.'
'Perhaps you 're right. Oh, Skulduggery, what am I going to do with you?'
'Untie me?'
Serpine laughed. 'Maybe later. We always seem to be at each other's throats, don't we?'
'Let me ask you a question. Let's pretend, just for a moment, that we live in your world, where things are crazy and the Faceless Ones are real. When you call them, what do you hope to gain?
A pat on the head?'
'How my lords and masters will reward me for my servitude is up to them. I would never presume to guess.'
'The door is closed, Nefarian. Just us two guys in here, chatting. What's in it for you?'
Serpine leaned in. 'I get to be by their side when they raze this world, when they expunge the stain of humanity. And when it's over, I get to bask in their terrible glory.'
Skulduggery nodded. 'Yeah, I haven't a clue what you just said.'
Serpine laughed.
' You 're going to fall,' Skulduggery continued.
'Really?'
'You 're going to fall hard, and I'm going to be there. I'll be the one pushing you.'
'Big talk from the man tied to the chair. Or are you even a man? A thing, perhaps? An oddity?'
'They'll come for you.'
'Who will? The Elders? Meritorious and his lot? Please. They're too busy worrying about being rude to me.'
'Not after this. They're probably at your doorstep as we speak.'
Serpine stood, walked behind his captive. 'Somehow I don't think they would be able to marshal their forces so quickly. Or so efficiently. No, my old enemy, I think for the moment, anyway, we 're all alone. And you have something I want.'
'A winning sense of style?'
'The key,' Serpine said as he walked back into the detective's line of sight.
'Don't know what you 're talking about.'
Serpine was moving his left hand slightly, like he was conducting music. 'Obviously you're not going to just offer up the information, so I think a spot of torture is required.'
