Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy Read Free Book Online Page A

of the library was an open space, like a clearing in a forest, and in this open
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    space stood the most beautiful woman Stephanie had ever seen. Her hair was black as raven wings, and her eyes were the palest blue. Her features were so delicate, Stephanie feared they might break if she smiled, and then the lady smiled and Stephanie felt such warmth that for an instant she never wanted to be anywhere else but at this lady's side.
    "Quit it," said Skulduggery.
    The lady let her eyes move to him, and her smile turned playful. Stephanie stared, enraptured. Her body felt so heavy, so clumsy, all she wanted to do with her life was just stand here, in this spot, and gaze at pure and true beauty.
    "Quit it," Skulduggery said again, and the lady laughed and shrugged and looked back at Stephanie.
    "Sorry about that," she said, and Stephanie felt a fog lift from her mind. She felt dizzy and staggered, but Skulduggery was there, a hand on the small of her back, supporting her.
    "My apologies," the lady said, giving her a small bow. "I do forget the effect I have on people. First impressions, and all that."
    "Seems like every time you meet someone new, you forget that little fact," Skulduggery said.
    "I'm a scatterbrain, what can I say?"
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    Skulduggery grunted and turned to Stephanie. "Don't feel self-conscious. The first time anyone sets eyes on China, they fall in love. Believe me, the effect lessens the more you get to know her."
    "Lessens," the woman named China said, "but never entirely goes away, does it, Skulduggery?"
    The detective took off his hat and looked at China but ignored her question. China smiled at Stephanie and handed her a business card. It was eggshell white and bore a single telephone number, etched with delicate elegance.
    "Feel free to callme if you ever stumble across a book or an item you think I might be interested in. Skulduggery used to. He doesn't anymore. Too much water has flowed under that proverbial bridge, I'm afraid. Oh, where are my manners? My name is China Sorrows, my dear. And you are ... ?"
    Stephanie was about to tell China her name when Skulduggery turned his head to her, sharply, and she remembered what he had said. She frowned. The urge to tell this woman everything was almost overwhelming.
    "You don't need to know her name," Skulduggery said. "All you need to know is that she
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    witnessed someone breaking into Gordon Edgley's house. He was looking for something. What would Gordon have that someone might want?"
    "You don't know who he was?"
    "He wasn't anyone. His master, that's who I'm after."
    "So who do you think his master is?"
    Skulduggery didn't answer, and China laughed. "Serpine again? My darling, you think Serpine is the culprit behind practically every crime."
    "That's because he is."
    "So why come to me?"
    "You hear things."
    "Do I?"
    "People talk to you."
    "I am very approachable."
    "I was wondering if you'd heard anything: rumors, whispers, anything."
    "Nothing that would help you."
    "But you have heard something?"
    "I've heard nonsense; I've heard something that doesn't even deserve to be called a rumor. Apparently Serpine has been making inquiries about the Scepter of the Ancients."
    "What about it?"
    "He's looking for it."
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    "What do you mean? The Scepter's a fairy tale."
    "Like I said, it's nonsense."
    Skulduggery went silent for a moment, as if he was storing that piece of information away for further study. When he spoke again, it was with a new line of questioning. "So, what would Gordon have that he--or anyone else--might want?"
    "Probably quite a lot," China answered. "Dear Gordon was like me--he was a collector. But I don't think that's the question you should be asking."
    Skulduggery thought for a moment. "Ah."
    Stephanie looked at the two of them. "What? What?"
    "The question," Skulduggery said, "is not what did Gordon have that someone might want to steal, but rather what did Gordon have that someone had to wait until he was dead in order to steal