Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy Page A
Authors: Derek Landy
Tags: Fiction, General, All Ages, Children's Books, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Large Type Books, Children: Grades 4-6
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been looking for--is it to bring them back?"
"It is indeed."
"So he might think that the Scepter, which drove them away, could somehow call them back, right?"
"People believe all kinds of things when it comes to their religion."
"Do you believe in any of it? The Ancients, Faceless Ones, any of it?"
80
"I believe in me, Stephanie, and that's enough for now."
"So could the Scepter be real?"
"Highly unlikely."
"So what does any of this have to do with my uncle?"
"I don't know," Skulduggery admitted. "That's why they call it a mystery."
Light filled the car, and suddenly the world was bucking, the only sounds a terrifying crash and the shriek of metal on metal. Stephanie lurched against her seat belt and slammed her head against the window, and the street outside tilted wildly and she realized the Bentley was flipping over. She heard Skulduggery curse beside her, and for an instant she was weightless, and then the Bentley hit the ground again and jarred her in her seat.
The car rocked back onto its tires. Stephanie looked at her knees, her eyes wide but her brain too stunned to think, Look up, said a faint voice in her head. Look up to see what's happening. The Bentley was still, its engine cut out, but there was another engine. A car door, opening and closing. Look up. Footsteps, running footsteps. Look up now.
81
Skulduggery beside her, not moving. Look up, there's someone coming for you. Look up NOW.
A window exploded beside her for the second time that night, and the man from the house was grabbing her and hauling her out of the car.
82
Chapter Six
Chapter Six
A Man Apart
His clothes were ragged and charred, but his skin had been untouched by the fireball that had enveloped him at Gordon's house. She glimpsed his face as she was dragged through the yellow beams of the Bentley's headlights, a face that was twisted in anger and hatred, and then she was lifted and slammed onto the hood of the car that had hit them. His hands had her collar bunched, his knuckles digging into her throat.
"You will die," he snarled, "right here and now if you do not give me that damned key."
Her hands were on his, trying to break his grip.
83
Her head felt light, blood pounding in her temples. "Please," she whispered, trying to breathe.
"You're going to make me look bad," the man growled. "My master is going to think I'm a fool if I can't get one stupid little key off one stupid little girl!"
The street was empty around them. Shop fronts and businesses had closed for the night. No one was going to hear her. No one was coming to help her. Where was Skulduggery?
The man lifted her off the hood and slammed her down again. Stephanie cried out in pain, and the man leaned in, his right forearm pressed beneath her chin. "I'll snap your scrawny neck," he hissed.
"I don't know anything about a key!" Stephanie gasped.
"If you don't know anything, you're of no use to me and I'll kill you here."
She looked up at that horribly twisted face, and she stopped trying to pull his hands away and instead dug her thumb into the bullet hole in his shoulder. He screamed and let her go and staggered back, cursing, and Stephanie rolled off the car and ran to the Bentley.
84
Skulduggery was pounding at the door, but it had buckled under the impact, trapping his leg.
"Go!" he shouted at her through the broken window. "Get away!"
She glanced back, saw a figure loom up, and pushed herself away from the car. She slipped on the wet road but scrambled to her feet and ran, the man right behind her, clutching his injured shoulder.
He lunged. She ducked, caught a streetlight, and swung herself from her course, and the man shot by her and sprawled onto the pavement. She took off the opposite way, passing the two cars and running on. The street was too long, too wide, and there was nowhere she could lose him. She turned off into a narrow lane and sprinted into the shadows.
She heard him behind her, heard the footsteps that seemed to be moving much
"It is indeed."
"So he might think that the Scepter, which drove them away, could somehow call them back, right?"
"People believe all kinds of things when it comes to their religion."
"Do you believe in any of it? The Ancients, Faceless Ones, any of it?"
80
"I believe in me, Stephanie, and that's enough for now."
"So could the Scepter be real?"
"Highly unlikely."
"So what does any of this have to do with my uncle?"
"I don't know," Skulduggery admitted. "That's why they call it a mystery."
Light filled the car, and suddenly the world was bucking, the only sounds a terrifying crash and the shriek of metal on metal. Stephanie lurched against her seat belt and slammed her head against the window, and the street outside tilted wildly and she realized the Bentley was flipping over. She heard Skulduggery curse beside her, and for an instant she was weightless, and then the Bentley hit the ground again and jarred her in her seat.
The car rocked back onto its tires. Stephanie looked at her knees, her eyes wide but her brain too stunned to think, Look up, said a faint voice in her head. Look up to see what's happening. The Bentley was still, its engine cut out, but there was another engine. A car door, opening and closing. Look up. Footsteps, running footsteps. Look up now.
81
Skulduggery beside her, not moving. Look up, there's someone coming for you. Look up NOW.
A window exploded beside her for the second time that night, and the man from the house was grabbing her and hauling her out of the car.
82
Chapter Six
Chapter Six
A Man Apart
His clothes were ragged and charred, but his skin had been untouched by the fireball that had enveloped him at Gordon's house. She glimpsed his face as she was dragged through the yellow beams of the Bentley's headlights, a face that was twisted in anger and hatred, and then she was lifted and slammed onto the hood of the car that had hit them. His hands had her collar bunched, his knuckles digging into her throat.
"You will die," he snarled, "right here and now if you do not give me that damned key."
Her hands were on his, trying to break his grip.
83
Her head felt light, blood pounding in her temples. "Please," she whispered, trying to breathe.
"You're going to make me look bad," the man growled. "My master is going to think I'm a fool if I can't get one stupid little key off one stupid little girl!"
The street was empty around them. Shop fronts and businesses had closed for the night. No one was going to hear her. No one was coming to help her. Where was Skulduggery?
The man lifted her off the hood and slammed her down again. Stephanie cried out in pain, and the man leaned in, his right forearm pressed beneath her chin. "I'll snap your scrawny neck," he hissed.
"I don't know anything about a key!" Stephanie gasped.
"If you don't know anything, you're of no use to me and I'll kill you here."
She looked up at that horribly twisted face, and she stopped trying to pull his hands away and instead dug her thumb into the bullet hole in his shoulder. He screamed and let her go and staggered back, cursing, and Stephanie rolled off the car and ran to the Bentley.
84
Skulduggery was pounding at the door, but it had buckled under the impact, trapping his leg.
"Go!" he shouted at her through the broken window. "Get away!"
She glanced back, saw a figure loom up, and pushed herself away from the car. She slipped on the wet road but scrambled to her feet and ran, the man right behind her, clutching his injured shoulder.
He lunged. She ducked, caught a streetlight, and swung herself from her course, and the man shot by her and sprawled onto the pavement. She took off the opposite way, passing the two cars and running on. The street was too long, too wide, and there was nowhere she could lose him. She turned off into a narrow lane and sprinted into the shadows.
She heard him behind her, heard the footsteps that seemed to be moving much
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