“What do you swear? Do you swear to tell the Elders about me – about what I did? But then, of course, you would have to explain to them why you had come to me. You would have to explain that you had discovered your true name, and you wanted it sealed so that no one could control you against your will.”

“There’s nothing wrong with what I did.”

“You were talking, you know. As I dissected you, you were talking to yourself. Muttering. I believe, at times, hallucinating. You said a name. When you said it, it meant nothing to me. Why should it? I was leading a secluded existence. But after you’d gone, I heard that name again. Darquesse. The one who kills us all.”

Valkyrie stopped struggling.

“I don’t know what you have to do with Darquesse, but if you tell the Elders about the extent of the experiments I was conducting, I shall be forced to tell them that you are involved in this somehow, and I’m sure they’d start asking all sorts of awkward questions.”

Nye smiled again, and suddenly hurtled backwards, knocking over a tray of instruments. Valkyrie turned her head, saw Skulduggery and Ghastly marching in. Skulduggery had his hand splayed, using the air to pin Nye against the wall. He glanced at her as he passed, his eye sockets moving fractionally in her direction, and then he continued towards Nye as Ghastly undid the restraints around Valkyrie’s wrists.

Nye grunted, its frail body struggling uselessly like a daddy-long-legs trapped in a web. With his other hand, Skulduggery took out his gun, pressed it against Nye’s forehead. Nye stopped struggling.

“Skulduggery,” Ghastly said, alarmed. “What are you doing?”

“I told myself if I ever got the chance to end this miserable excuse for a life, I wouldn’t hesitate. Now that I have no more use for it…”

“Don’t. Skulduggery, do not pull that trigger. What Nye did during the war was unforgivable, but we have other concerns now.”

Skulduggery’s voice was cold. “I don’t care what he did during the war. I’m thinking about something much more recent.”

Ghastly approached, walking slowly. “What are you talking about? Doctor Nye has been locked away in its laboratory for the last hundred years.”

Skulduggery looked back at him, and didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. Nye was right. Any accusations on their part would raise questions about Valkyrie, and that was a truth they weren’t prepared to share with anyone.

“Skulduggery,” Valkyrie said, holding the surgical sheet around her as she slid off the bed. “It’s OK. Nye fixed me. I’m OK.”

For a moment, she doubted her words would be enough, but then Skulduggery lowered the gun, and stopped pressing against the air.