The Faceless Ones

Chapter Twenty-six. The Scepter

There was someone watching China's building.

He was parked down the street, far enough away to be discreet yet close enough to see the door. It was a cold night and he was wearing a thick coat. He was an Elemental, and every so often there would be a flickering light in the car as he heated himself up.

"One of the Diablerie?" Valkyrie asked. They were across the road and farther down, standing at the corner. The wind caught the rain and slipped it over Valkyrie's collar. Water trickled down her back and she shivered.

Skulduggery didn't seem to notice the weather. He shook his head. She wished she had a hat like his, or even one of his scarves. "That's a Sanctuary agent," he said. "Guild will have them watching all known associates. He's trying to cut us off."

"Then they're probably watching Kenspeckle's place, too," she said miserably. She really wanted to go somewhere warm and dry.

A car passed too close to the curb and kicked up a large puddle. A year ago, her clothes would have protected her, but today the puddle water found its way through in a half dozen places, and Valkyrie tightened up and barely managed not to squeal.

She glared at the car as it drove on, happy and oblivious, and turned to Skulduggery. "Just call China. Tell her to bring the Scepter, and we'll meet her and put the new crystal in, and then I can go somewhere to change my clothes. I'm wet and I'm freezing."

"China's phone will be monitored."

"So how are we going to meet her?"

And then the Sanctuary agent started his car and pulled out sharply onto the road. They watched him speed away."That's worrying," Skulduggery mused. "You think it's a trap?"

"Either that or there's an emergency somewhere in the city. Still," he said, injecting some brightness into his voice, "you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, unless of course it's made of wood. Let's go."

They hurried across the street, scanning their surroundings for any sign of an ambush. They reached the tenement building without incident and climbed the stairs. Valkyrie's feet squelched in her boots.

They got to the third floor, where the thin man opened the door when Skulduggery knocked and beckoned them in with a movement of his eyes. The library was practically empty as they walked through its labyrinth of bookcases.

China Sorrows was waiting for them. Her dress was red silk. On the table beside her was a case made of oak. A symbol like a shark's tooth piercing a star was etched into the wood.

"People are scared," she said, in a tone that made it clear she didn't approve. "You have every sorcerer in the country getting ready to either fight or run. It's bad for business.»Skulduggery nodded. "The end of the world usually is."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response." China sighed. "No matter how caustic it may be. Do you have a crystal?"

"Yes, we do."

She passed her hand over the oak case, and the symbol on the wood glowed for a moment. The case clicked and opened, revealing a golden rod, held in place by silver clasps. The clasps split apart slowly, and China lifted the Scepter of the Ancients from its box.

"You've already removed the old crystal," Skulduggery noted.

"I wanted to examine it. If I had known there was a chance that a single touch might have turned me to dust, I probably would have let someone else do it."

She handed the Scepter to Valkyrie, who took the black crystal from the box. She slid it into the empty slot. It was a bigger crystal than the last one, though, and it was taking some effort to fix it in place.

While Valkyrie worked, Skulduggery looked at China. "You realize what this means, don't you?We need your word that if the gateway opens, you'll be by our side."

"Considering the fact that, as the Scepter's owner, I'm the only one able to actually use it, you had better hope that I am."

"I need a guarantee, China."

"I don't give guarantees. You're just going to have to trust me. And that's all you're going to get."

Valkyrie tried pushing the crystal in a different way, and it slid into place. The Scepter closed around it. The black crystal glowed.

"It's done," Valkyrie said, surprised that she'd managed it. China took it from her.

"Step away," she commanded. She pointed the Scepter at the oak case, and nothing happened. She stared at the weapon in confusion. "It doesn't work."

"Maybe the crystal isn't in right," Valkyrie suggested. "Maybe it's too big."

"I'm the last one who used the Scepter," Skulduggery mused as he took it from China. "Maybe I'm its owner."

He pointed it at the case, but no lightning erupted.Valkyrie sagged. "So it was a waste of time. And now we have nothing to use against the Faceless Ones."

"No," China said. "Look at it. The crystal's glowing. The Scepter has power; it's just not identifying its proper owner."

Skulduggery held it out to Valkyrie. "Try it."

She frowned. "I don't own it. You used it after Serpine, you gave it to China. It's one of you two-- it's got nothing to do with me."

"When I gave it to China, it was broken. You've just replaced its power source, and you were the first person to hold it since it was brought back to life."

Still not seeing the logic, Valkyrie took the Scepter and held it up, pointing it at the oak case.

"How do you fire?" she asked.

"Will it to fire and it'll fire."

"Yeah, but is there a particular command you have to think, like fire, or do you just have to want it to--"

Black lightning streaked from the crystal, and the table turned to dust and the oak box fell heavily to the floor.

Valkyrie stared. "I missed the box.»"Yes, but on the bright side, you killed the table."

The crystal glowed again and lightning flashed, and a bookcase disappeared in a cloud of swirling dust. China shrieked in dismay, and Valkyrie shrieked in surprise.

"I didn't mean to!" she shouted. "I just thought of it and--"

Skulduggery yanked China back as lightning hit the bookcase behind her.

Valkyrie whirled and thrust the Scepter into Skulduggery's hands. "Get it away from me!"

"My books!" China cried.

"I can't use it! Skulduggery, I can't use it! I tried not thinking of the Scepter firing, and that's the only thing I could think of! It kept popping into my head!"

"It's okay," Skulduggery said soothingly. "No one was hurt."

"My books!" China raged.

"China, I am really sorry ..." Valkyrie began, and then ran out of words.

China glared at her, then glared at Skulduggery. "Some of those books were one of a kind."

"I understand that.»"Priceless, Skulduggery. Beyond priceless. The secrets they held, the histories they contained ..."

"I'll be happy to pay for any damage caused."

"You cannot pay for priceless books! That's why they call them priceless!"

"Then let me at least pay for the bookcase."

"The bookcase?" China screamed, and then she whirled, hands over her face, and Valkyrie could hear her counting, slowly, to ten.

At ten, she turned and tried to smile, and after a few moments it actually became convincing. "Valkyrie, it appears you are the Scepter's owner. This is wonderful news. It means, among other things, that you need not leave the ultimate weapon in the hands of someone you don't trust."

"China," Skulduggery began, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"You can't use it, of course," she continued. "Not now, anyway. You have to keep it hidden."

Valkyrie frowned. "Why?"

"If the Diablerie find out that it is operational, they will target you. They'll try to take you alive, subdue you, keep you breathing so that the ownership of the Scepter won't pass to the next person to pick it up.»"And there's another reason," Skulduggery said. "If they manage to get their hands on it, we have nothing with which to stop the Faceless Ones. It's a last-resort weapon--it needs to be kept hidden until the gate opens."

"If the gate opens," Valkyrie corrected.

"Optimistic to the last," China said dryly.

"We could still do with your help," Skulduggery said to her.

"Nonsense," China responded. "You'll do fine without me. Besides, the portal opens on a farm. A farm, Skulduggery. Do I look like I have any shoes suitable for a farm? "

The thin man hurried over and whispered in her ear. She nodded and looked at them. "I think you should get back to the Hibernian. There have been developments.»