When you return, it will go back into the mirror, and the experiences and the memories ithas made transfer to you.”
“So … so I can be in two places at once?”
“Precisely. It can’t spend too long in other people’s company or they’ll start to notice that things aren’t quite right, and it would never fool a mage, but it is ideal for your needs.”
“Wow.” Stephanie peered more closely at the reflection. “Say something.”
The reflection looked back at her. “What do you want me to say?”
Stephanie laughed suddenly, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “You sound just like me,” she said through her fingers.
“I know.”
“Do you have a name?”
“My name is Stephanie.”
“No, a name of your own.”
Skulduggery shook his head. “Remember, it’s not a real person. It has no thoughts or feelings of its own; they’re all imitations of yours. It’s your reflection, that’s all it is. Operating instructions are as follows: It cannot change out of the clothes you’re wearing when you cast it, so make sure you’re not wearing anything with a logo or insignia. They’ll come out backward. Make sureyou’re not wearing a watch or a ring—they’ll appear on the opposite hand. Apart from that, it’s pretty simple.”
“Wow.”
“We should go.”
She turned to him, frowning. “Are you sure they won’t realize it’s not me?”
“It’ll stay out of other people’s way for most of the time, and try to avoid any long conversations. Even if your parents corner it and bombard it with questions, they’ll just think you’re acting strange.”
Stephanie chewed her lip, then shrugged. “I suppose jumping to the conclusion that it’s my reflection come to life is a
bit
unlikely.”
“You’d be surprised by how many things we get away with that fall into the category of ‘unlikely.’ You ready to go?”
“I suppose I am.”
“Do you want to leave by door or window?”
“Doors are for people with no imagination.” She grinned.
She joined Skulduggery on the sill and took one look back. The reflection was standing in the middle of the room, perfectly still.
“’Bye,” Stephanie said.
“’Bye,” the reflection responded, and tried a smile for the first time. It looked kind of eerie.
Stephanie climbed out and hung on to Skulduggery as he jumped, displacing the air beneath them to act as a cushion. They landed gently and made it to the end of the road without any neighbors seeing them, but when they reached the pier, Stephanie’s face fell. She stared in horror as Skulduggery marched onward.
“What the hell is
that
?” she demanded.
“It’s my car,” he answered, leaning against it with his arms folded. The sea breeze ruffled his wig beneath his hat.
She stared at him, at the car, and then at him again.
“What happened to the Bentley?” she asked.
His head tilted. “I don’t know if you noticed, but it was ever so slightly dinged.”
“And where is it now?”
“It’s getting fixed.”
“Right. That’s a good answer. ‘Fixed’ is a good answer. But I don’t know, I’m kind of drawn back to my original question. What the
hell
is
that
?”
Skulduggery was leaning against a canary-yellowhatchback with lime-green seat covers.
“It’s my replacement car,” he said proudly.
“It’s hideous!”
“I don’t mind it, actually.”
“Well, you’re wearing a disguise, so no one will recognize you anyway!”
“That may have something to do with it….”
“When will the Bentley be fixed?”
“That’s the nice thing about living in a world of magic and wonder: Even our most extreme car repairs happen in less than a week.”
She glared at him. “
A week?
”
“Not a week,” he said quickly. “Six days. Sometimes five. Definitely four. I’ll call him, tell him I’ll pay the extra …”
She was still glaring.
“Day after tomorrow,” he said quietly.
Her shoulders sagged. “Do we really have to ride around in this?”
“Think
“So … so I can be in two places at once?”
“Precisely. It can’t spend too long in other people’s company or they’ll start to notice that things aren’t quite right, and it would never fool a mage, but it is ideal for your needs.”
“Wow.” Stephanie peered more closely at the reflection. “Say something.”
The reflection looked back at her. “What do you want me to say?”
Stephanie laughed suddenly, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “You sound just like me,” she said through her fingers.
“I know.”
“Do you have a name?”
“My name is Stephanie.”
“No, a name of your own.”
Skulduggery shook his head. “Remember, it’s not a real person. It has no thoughts or feelings of its own; they’re all imitations of yours. It’s your reflection, that’s all it is. Operating instructions are as follows: It cannot change out of the clothes you’re wearing when you cast it, so make sure you’re not wearing anything with a logo or insignia. They’ll come out backward. Make sureyou’re not wearing a watch or a ring—they’ll appear on the opposite hand. Apart from that, it’s pretty simple.”
“Wow.”
“We should go.”
She turned to him, frowning. “Are you sure they won’t realize it’s not me?”
“It’ll stay out of other people’s way for most of the time, and try to avoid any long conversations. Even if your parents corner it and bombard it with questions, they’ll just think you’re acting strange.”
Stephanie chewed her lip, then shrugged. “I suppose jumping to the conclusion that it’s my reflection come to life is a
bit
unlikely.”
“You’d be surprised by how many things we get away with that fall into the category of ‘unlikely.’ You ready to go?”
“I suppose I am.”
“Do you want to leave by door or window?”
“Doors are for people with no imagination.” She grinned.
She joined Skulduggery on the sill and took one look back. The reflection was standing in the middle of the room, perfectly still.
“’Bye,” Stephanie said.
“’Bye,” the reflection responded, and tried a smile for the first time. It looked kind of eerie.
Stephanie climbed out and hung on to Skulduggery as he jumped, displacing the air beneath them to act as a cushion. They landed gently and made it to the end of the road without any neighbors seeing them, but when they reached the pier, Stephanie’s face fell. She stared in horror as Skulduggery marched onward.
“What the hell is
that
?” she demanded.
“It’s my car,” he answered, leaning against it with his arms folded. The sea breeze ruffled his wig beneath his hat.
She stared at him, at the car, and then at him again.
“What happened to the Bentley?” she asked.
His head tilted. “I don’t know if you noticed, but it was ever so slightly dinged.”
“And where is it now?”
“It’s getting fixed.”
“Right. That’s a good answer. ‘Fixed’ is a good answer. But I don’t know, I’m kind of drawn back to my original question. What the
hell
is
that
?”
Skulduggery was leaning against a canary-yellowhatchback with lime-green seat covers.
“It’s my replacement car,” he said proudly.
“It’s hideous!”
“I don’t mind it, actually.”
“Well, you’re wearing a disguise, so no one will recognize you anyway!”
“That may have something to do with it….”
“When will the Bentley be fixed?”
“That’s the nice thing about living in a world of magic and wonder: Even our most extreme car repairs happen in less than a week.”
She glared at him. “
A week?
”
“Not a week,” he said quickly. “Six days. Sometimes five. Definitely four. I’ll call him, tell him I’ll pay the extra …”
She was still glaring.
“Day after tomorrow,” he said quietly.
Her shoulders sagged. “Do we really have to ride around in this?”
“Think
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