suspenders holding up his trousers, which were in turn tucked into mucky Wellington boots. 'Reach a certain age and suddenly you're a nobody, suddenly you're not even worth counting. You know the problem with people your age, young lady?'
Valkyrie remembered her talk with Kenspeckle. 'We think we'll live forever?' she answered hopefully.
'You have no respect for your elders.'
She scowled, wondering how she could ever get that one right if the answer kept changing.
'So what do you want?' the farmer continued. 'Why have you come all the way down here? And you,' he said, turning his attention to Skulduggery, 'why are you all wrapped up like the Invisible Man? You got something wrong with your face? '
'Actually,' Skulduggery said, 'yes. My name is Skulduggery Pleasant. This is my associate, Valkyrie Cain.'
'What, do they give out prizes for silly names now? '
'And you are ...?'
'Hanratty,' the old man said. 'Patrick Hanratty.'
'Mr. Hanratty--' Valkyrie began, but he shook his head.
'Call me Paddy.'
'Okay, Paddy--'
'Wait, I've changed my mind. Call me Mr. Hanratty.»Valkyrie smiled patiently. 'Have you noticed any strange people in the area lately?'
'Strange how? Strange like you, or just normal strange? '
'Any kind of strange.'
Paddy folded his arms and pursed his lips. 'Well now, let me see. There was that O'Leary lad, from the village; he comes by every Wednesday with my bag of shopping. I'd call him strange, I suppose. He has a thing in his eyebrow. An iron bar. Haven't a clue what it does. Maybe it picks up radio.'
'I think Valkyrie meant strange people that you haven't seen before,' Skulduggery said.
'Apart from you two?'
'Apart from us two.'
Paddy shook his head. 'Sorry, you're the two strangest people I've never seen before that I've seen in a long time. Do you want to tell me what this is about, or do you want me to guess?'
'Mr. Hanratty--' Valkyrie began.
'Call me Paddy.'
'Are you sure?'
'Probably not.'
Skulduggery took over. 'We have reason to believe that a gang of criminals will be using your land as a rendezvous point.'
Paddy looked into Skulduggery's sunglasses. 'A gang of criminals, you say? Kidnappers? Jewel thieves?'
'Bank robbers.'
'Bank robbers,' Paddy repeated, nodding his head. 'I see. Yes, that makes sense. I can see why they'd choose my land. The fact that the nearest bank is over half an hour's drive from here would mean that this gang of criminals, after pulling off their daring heist, would need to make their way back through thirty miles of narrow roads, pulling over occasionally to allow tractors and assorted farm vehicles to get by, then pass unnoticed through the local village, where the neighborhood watch is enforced with exceptional vigor, then--'
'Fine,' Skulduggery interrupted. 'Your land is not going to be used by a gang of bank robbers.'
Paddy nodded, smug in triumph. 'Well, that's a relief to hear. I may as well save us all some time, all right? I have no interest in selling up. I've lived here for forty years and I'm not moving. Now, unless there is something vitally important you have to tell me, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I have to get back to work.»Skulduggery didn't answer for a moment, and Valkyrie thought he was getting angry, but his head turned like he'd suddenly remembered he was in a conversation.
'Of course,' he said quickly, giving the man his number. 'Call me if you see anything. We are sorry we took up your time.'
He hurried back to the Bentley, Valkyrie right behind him.
'What's wrong?' she asked.
'I've figured it out,' he said as he walked. 'It's the Grotesquery.'
'What is?'
They reached the car and got in. Skulduggery turned the key, and the engine roared to life.
'The Isthmus Anchor is something that keeps the gateway between realities from sealing over,' he said. 'It's something that is here, but belongs over there. That's why Batu had to wait fifty years between murders--he needed Baron Vengeous to bring the Grotesquery back. The Grotesquery is the Isthmus Anchor.'
'But ... Bliss cremated it. Right?'
Skulduggery's voice was hollow as they sped back to the road. 'He burned what he could. He burned its limbs and most of its organs, everything about it that had been added from another creature. But the torso comes from an actual Faceless One, or at least the human vessel it was inhabiting, and they're a lot harder to destroy.'
Valkyrie was almost afraid to ask her next question. 'So, like, where did he put it? Who has it? Skulduggery, who has the Grotesquery? '
'It's being kept at the Sanctuary,' Skulduggery said, something new in his voice. 'Thurid Guild has the Isthmus Anchor.»
Chapter Fourteen. The Diablerie
Batu took the vial in his right hand and carefully let the liquid drip onto the inside of his left forearm.
The liquid burned like acid and carved its way through his skin, forming a symbol of blood and scorched flesh.
When the symbol was complete, he put down the vial and examined his arm. The pain was excruciating.
The Diablerie looked at him.
'This will protect you,' he said. 'When the Dark Gods come, this symbol will mark you out as a believer.'
'And Sanguine?' asked Gruesome Krav. 'Do we tell him about this mark?»'Sanguine is a mercenary. He has no faith, and as such deserves no special treatment.'
'Good,' Krav said. 'I don't like him.'
Batu left the room as they began tattooing the symbol into their own arms, and went to the adjacent building to check on his army.
He slid open the door and turned on the light. The rows of Hollow Men looked back at him, awaiting his orders.
'Soon,' he promised.
Chapter Fifteen. Breaking and Entering
They hurried up to the wax figure of Phil Lynott, standing there holding its bass guitar with a frozen half smile on its face.
'We're here to see Mr. Bliss,' Skulduggery said.
For a moment nothing happened, and then the figure turned its head and looked at them. 'Do you have an appointment?'
'We don't, but we need to see Bliss. It's urgent.'
'I'm afraid I have strict instructions regarding you and your partner. You are not to be allowed into the Sanctuary without--»'Call the Administrator,'' Skulduggery interrupted. 'Let me speak with somebody human.'
