Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy Page B
Authors: Derek Landy
Tags: Fiction, General, All Ages, Children's Books, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Large Type Books, Children: Grades 4-6
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behind them, dressed entirely in gray, with long coats and some sort of helmet with a visor that covered the entire face. Each had a scythe, a wicked-looking blade on a five-foot staff, strapped to his back. A slight man in a suit came out to greet them.
"Detective," he said, "you are early. The Council is not ready to convene. I could show you to the waiting area, if you wish."
"Actually, I might take the opportunity to show our guest around, if that's all right."
The man blinked. "I'm afraid access is strictly limited, as well you know."
"I was just going to show my friend the Repository," Skulduggery said. "The Book, in fact."
"I see. Well, as Administrator of the Sanctuary, I would have to accompany you, naturally."
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"Wouldn't have it any other way."
The Administrator bowed and spun on his heel, then led them down an adjoining corridor. They passed more people in gray uniforms as they walked. Stephanie was getting used to dealing with people with no eyes and no expressions, but there was still something about them that unnerved her. Skulduggery, living skeleton though he was, was still fundamentally human, and yet these people, who merely wore helmets to hide their faces, seemed to her much more sinister.
"Who are they?" Stephanie whispered as they walked.
"Cleavers," Skulduggery replied in a low voice. "Security guards, enforcers, and army, rolled into one. Dangerous individuals. Be glad they're on our side."
She did her best not to look at them as they passed. "Where are we going?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"I'm taking you to see the Book of Names," Skulduggery said. "Some say it was created by the Ancients, but the truth is no one knows who really made it, or how it was made. It
147
lists the names of every person living on this Earth: the given name, the taken name--when and if a name is taken-- and the true name. Every time a baby is born, a new name appears in its pages. Every time someone dies, the name fades away."
Stephanie looked at him. "So my true name is in that Book?"
"As is mine. As is everyone's."
"Isn't that dangerous? If someone got their hands on that, they'd be able to rule the world." She let a few moments pass. "And I felt ridiculous even saying that."
The Administrator glanced over his shoulder as he walked. "Not even the Elders open the Book. It is too powerful--it can corrupt too easily. But they can't find a way to destroy it--it can't be torn, it can't be burned, it can't be damaged by any means we have at our disposal. If the legends are true and the Book was created by the Ancients, then it stands to reason that only the Ancients could destroy it. The Elders, for their part, see it as their responsibility to protect it, to keep it away from prying eyes."
They reached a set of double doors. The Administrator waved his hand, and the heavy
148
doors swung slowly open. They walked into the Repository--a large room with marble pillars-- which, as Skulduggery explained, housed some of the rarest and most unusual magical artifacts in existence. They passed row upon row of shelves and tables, on which lay items so bizarre they defied description. The Administrator pointed out one of the strangest of these: a two-dimensional box that held wonders to sate the most jaded of appetites, but which existed only if approached from a right angle. In contrast to this clutter, however, was the center of the room, which was empty save for a pedestal, and on that pedestal a book.
"That's the Book of Names?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes, it is," the Administrator answered.
"I thought it'd be bigger."
"It's as big as it needs to be--no more, no less."
"And it's okay to leave it out in the open like that?"
"It's not as vulnerable as you might think. When it was placed here, the security
arrangements did cause the Elders some concern. How would it be protected? Guards can be overcome. A locked door can be unlocked. A wall can be broken. A shield can be pierced."
"So, what? They
"Detective," he said, "you are early. The Council is not ready to convene. I could show you to the waiting area, if you wish."
"Actually, I might take the opportunity to show our guest around, if that's all right."
The man blinked. "I'm afraid access is strictly limited, as well you know."
"I was just going to show my friend the Repository," Skulduggery said. "The Book, in fact."
"I see. Well, as Administrator of the Sanctuary, I would have to accompany you, naturally."
146
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
The Administrator bowed and spun on his heel, then led them down an adjoining corridor. They passed more people in gray uniforms as they walked. Stephanie was getting used to dealing with people with no eyes and no expressions, but there was still something about them that unnerved her. Skulduggery, living skeleton though he was, was still fundamentally human, and yet these people, who merely wore helmets to hide their faces, seemed to her much more sinister.
"Who are they?" Stephanie whispered as they walked.
"Cleavers," Skulduggery replied in a low voice. "Security guards, enforcers, and army, rolled into one. Dangerous individuals. Be glad they're on our side."
She did her best not to look at them as they passed. "Where are we going?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"I'm taking you to see the Book of Names," Skulduggery said. "Some say it was created by the Ancients, but the truth is no one knows who really made it, or how it was made. It
147
lists the names of every person living on this Earth: the given name, the taken name--when and if a name is taken-- and the true name. Every time a baby is born, a new name appears in its pages. Every time someone dies, the name fades away."
Stephanie looked at him. "So my true name is in that Book?"
"As is mine. As is everyone's."
"Isn't that dangerous? If someone got their hands on that, they'd be able to rule the world." She let a few moments pass. "And I felt ridiculous even saying that."
The Administrator glanced over his shoulder as he walked. "Not even the Elders open the Book. It is too powerful--it can corrupt too easily. But they can't find a way to destroy it--it can't be torn, it can't be burned, it can't be damaged by any means we have at our disposal. If the legends are true and the Book was created by the Ancients, then it stands to reason that only the Ancients could destroy it. The Elders, for their part, see it as their responsibility to protect it, to keep it away from prying eyes."
They reached a set of double doors. The Administrator waved his hand, and the heavy
148
doors swung slowly open. They walked into the Repository--a large room with marble pillars-- which, as Skulduggery explained, housed some of the rarest and most unusual magical artifacts in existence. They passed row upon row of shelves and tables, on which lay items so bizarre they defied description. The Administrator pointed out one of the strangest of these: a two-dimensional box that held wonders to sate the most jaded of appetites, but which existed only if approached from a right angle. In contrast to this clutter, however, was the center of the room, which was empty save for a pedestal, and on that pedestal a book.
"That's the Book of Names?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes, it is," the Administrator answered.
"I thought it'd be bigger."
"It's as big as it needs to be--no more, no less."
"And it's okay to leave it out in the open like that?"
"It's not as vulnerable as you might think. When it was placed here, the security
arrangements did cause the Elders some concern. How would it be protected? Guards can be overcome. A locked door can be unlocked. A wall can be broken. A shield can be pierced."
"So, what? They
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