“It was a necessary move to make,” Guild said.

“Vanguard was on your own side.”

“Vanguard was on no one’s side but his own.”

“That didn’t make him an enemy.”

“I’m not going to stand here and explain our actions to you. We did what had to be done and if there are ramifications, I’ll deal with them when this particular crisis is over. Are we agreed? Excellent. So now that you know all of Scarab’s grievances, you’re going to catch him, yes?”

“It brings us a step closer,” Skulduggery said. “But our main concern is that Desolation Engine.”

“It’s deactivated,” Guild said. “Useless. Why would that be of concern to us?”

“Because there’s only one man alive who could possibly fix it and Scarab’s just kidnapped him.”

Guild paled. “Grouse could repair the Engine?”

“The man’s a scientific genius. He could do anything. The question becomes, of course, will he repair it? And I really don’t think he will. I think he’d rather die than be responsible for hurting people.”

“You had better be right.”

“But we don’t want him to die,” Valkyrie said angrily. “If anyone dies, it should be…”

Guild looked at her and she shut up.

“Will he be tortured?” Fletcher asked, his voice quiet. “I know you people do a lot of that kind of stuff…But the Professor’s an old man. He won’t be able to take it. It was bad enough he was in a car crash.”

Valkyrie frowned, the thought suddenly striking her. “Why was he in a car crash? Why were they in a car at all? Sanguine could have just grabbed him and tunnelled away with him. Why did they take a car?”

“I was wondering that myself,” Skulduggery said. “The only explanation I can think of is that maybe he was trying to lead us somewhere.”

“A trap?”

“That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“Then it’s a good thing he crashed.”

“It has been reported on the news,” Guild snapped. “It is in no way a good thing any of this happened. If the worst comes to pass, if Grouse does repair that Engine, what will Scarab use it for? To kill me?”

“If he just wanted to just kill you, he could have done it when Dusk came in with his vampires. He might see the Sanctuary, as a whole, as being responsible for his imprisonment.”

“Then that is why he wants the Engine. He wants to destroy this place.”

“Maybe,” Skulduggery said, then looked up suddenly. “I know why they stole the Soul Catcher.”

“You do?”

“I know how they’ll make Professor Grouse help them. I even know where at least one of them will be tonight.”

“And you figured all that out while we were standing here talking?”

“I am a detective.”

“So what do they want with the Desolation Engine?”