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Back The Dying of the Light Save as PDF
Chapters (115)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Table of Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. Also by Derek Landy
  115. About the Publisher

“She wasn’t like that,” Valkyrie corrected. “She started off fine. She couldn’t understand why people were having visions of her destroying the world. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. But the more godlike she got, the less she cared about little things like people. She sees everything as forms of energy now. Life and death are the same thing.”

“So she doesn’t want to hurt us, exactly.”

“Well, maybe not, but she doesn’t view killing us as hurting us.”

“Is that why she wants to expand her mind?”

“She wants to learn more about matter and atoms and energy. She knows a lot, but it’s all … it’s instinctive. She doesn’t have the words to think it all the way through, and that’s what she’s after. When she has the words, when she has the framework to deal with all this, she’ll be able to do what she wants to do.”

“And what is that?”

“I don’t know. She’s growing, like you said. She’s evolving. She goes up against something, she figures out how to beat it or control it, and then she moves on to the next thing.”

“She’s after a challenge,” Skulduggery said.

“Yes,” said Valkyrie. “That’s when she’s happiest.”

“So what’s her biggest challenge?”

“It’s not us, I’ll tell you that much.”

“Then what is it?”

“I don’t know, I—”

“Don’t think about this, don’t try to anticipate, just answer. What is Darquesse building towards? What is she evolving to meet?”

“I don’t know,” Valkyrie said, exasperated. “The Faceless Ones, maybe?”

Skulduggery tilted his head. “What?”

Valkyrie’s eyes widened. “That’s it. That’s what she wants. She’s evolving until she can beat the Faceless Ones, and then she’ll find something else to fight. That’s her goal. It has to be. Right?”

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Skulduggery said.

“Does this help? How can this possibly help?”

“In order to defeat your enemy,” Skulduggery said, “first you must understand them. Up till now, we haven’t been able to do that. Now we can – and we can adapt our plan to fit.”

Valkyrie grinned. “I’m a genius.”

61

THE PLAN

Image Missinghe God-Killer dagger was heavy in his belt.

He could feel its entire weight, and had to resist the urge to constantly check to make sure it was staying in one place. One slip, after all, and that blade could nick him and then Sanguine would be no more.

It was a risk, carrying it. But it was even more of a risk to leave it behind.