“I wonder who’ll take over. I wonder who’ll want to. In the past three years one Grand Mage has been murdered and the other sent to jail. Who’s going to want that job?”

“There will always be people who want power, Valkyrie. Never underestimate greed.”

They stopped at a set of traffic lights and a group of lads stared at the Bentley until it moved off again.

“Sometimes I wish you could drive a less noticeable car,” she sighed.

“I can,” Skulduggery said. “I just choose not to.”

“You know, I was thinking…”

“Never a good start to any conversation.”

“Shut up. But I was thinking, maybe you should ask China to whip you up a façade tattoo, the same way she did for Ghastly. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about your scarf and sunglasses.”

He shrugged. “I’m considering it.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

“If she can do it, why not get it done?”

“What kind of face would you have? Would it be yours? Your own one, I mean. The one you used to have?”

Skulduggery was quiet for a moment. “That face is dead,” he said eventually. “Bringing it back would be…”

“Painful?”

He looked at her. “I suppose.”

She nodded, then smiled. “Seeing you with a face would be weird. Do you think you’d have hair?”

“Oh yes. Hair is a must.”

“Would you have a moustache?”

“Why would I have a moustache?”

“I’m not sure. What about your ears?”

“I’d have ears too, yes.”

“I can’t imagine you with ears.”

A few minutes later they pulled into the parking lot behind the Waxworks Museum and got out of the car. They walked to the museum door.

“I’m with Fletcher,” Valkyrie said quickly. Skulduggery turned his head to her and didn’t say anything.

“We’re together, kind of a boyfriend/girlfriend thing,” she continued, all too aware of how stupid she was sounding. They walked through the museum corridors.

“Well?” she prompted. “What do you think? Do you have an opinion on it? Are you going to say something?”

“Yes,” he said at last.

He nodded to the wax figure of Phil Lynott, who told them they were expected, and Skulduggery led the way down the steps. Detective Pennant greeted them at the bottom and told them to wait in the Meeting Room while he brought Guild to them. They started walking again and Skulduggery spoke.

“Valkyrie, ever since you brought me back I’ve been distracted. My concentration hasn’t been one hundred per cent and my focus is…lacking. I knew there was something between you two, but I didn’t see it. I needed you to tell me. Who knows how all this might have gone if I hadn’t been so distracted?”

“The Faceless Ones hunted you and tortured you,” she said. “That would distract just about anyone.”