“Insanity fuels insanity,” Skulduggery said, nodding, “just as stupidity fuels stupidity.”

“Speaking of stupidity,” Valkyrie said, “I’m just going to ask this one more time and you better give me an answer, because I haven’t a clue how you worked it out. How do we know the Machine is here?”

A moment passed before Skulduggery spoke again. “Ryan told me,” he said.

Ryan looked at him. “I told you what?”

Skulduggery raised his head, and he looked at Ryan with those hollow eye sockets. “You told me the Machine was hidden in Dundrum. Completely unconsciously, of course. You tried to hide Dundrum on the map with your bottle of Coke, then you tried to distract us with a coughing fit.”

“Uh,” Ryan said, “what?”

“The drive over confirmed it. Stopping three times to relieve yourself? You were only delaying the inevitable.”

“No I wasn’t,” Ryan said. “What are you talking about? How would I know where the Machine was hidden?”

“And why would Ryan be trying to stop us from finding it?” Valkyrie asked.

Skulduggery hesitated. “Ryan, why haven’t you asked to go home?”

Ryan frowned, genuinely and completely puzzled. “What?”

“You haven’t asked to go home,” Skulduggery said. “You haven’t tried to call home to tell them you’re OK, even though they must be worried about you by now.”

Ryan glowered, angry at having to admit this in front of Valkyrie. “I’m… I’m running away.”

Valkyrie’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“No it isn’t,” said Skulduggery.

Valkyrie swatted the skeleton’s arm. “Skulduggery, shut up. Ryan, what’s wrong?”

“My… my dad died. My mum remarried. He’s an OK guy but… I don’t like being in that house. It reminds me—”

“No it doesn’t,” Skulduggery said.

“Stop interrupting!” Ryan shouted. “You don’t know what it’s like! You don’t know!”

“You don’t know either,” Skulduggery said. “I’m really sorry to have to tell you this, Ryan, but the reason you don’t want to go home is because there is no home to go to. Ryan, you’re not real. You don’t exist.”

Ryan stared at him. “What?”

“You’re Deacon Maybury,” Skulduggery said. “You’re a hiding place who thinks it’s a boy.”

EIGHT

Ryan backed away. “You’re crazy.”

“I am,” Skulduggery said. “I’m also right. Deacon planned this whole thing – as much as he could, anyway. He hid the key, faked his own death and then went to Crasis – called in that old favour. He told Crasis to make him look inconspicuous – someone Foe would never suspect of having anything to do with any of this.”

“Skulduggery,” Valkyrie said softly. “Are you sure?”