RADIO | AUDIO | some idle curiosity

[skeletonenigma]

[The message over the handsets is short, succinct, and to the point. Long story short: the detective is bored, so the first thought to capture some of his idle curiosity gets put to the Foreigners at large.]

Who else has received letters from themselves?

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[edgeoftheknife]

[And if he takes the advice of the letter, he'll be dead soon enough. Of course, judging by what Skulduggery's told them about the immediate future, Erskine has at least a few more days of torture left to look forward to before the Accelerator. It only reaffirms his desire to stay in Keeliai. If he has any say in the matter he's never going back.]

And your letter?

[skeletonenigma]

All I have are theories, and not a single one makes sense. Yours suggests you wrote it after going back. Mine would suggest the same thing, but I can't go back. So I either wrote it in Keeliai, or a completely different version of me wrote it and it was lost in transit.

[Honestly, Skulduggery's starting to think the letters are a fluke. There aren't any hidden patterns he's been able to find. If it happens again, he'll see about finding a way into the Dreaming, but for now?

For now, if he were Erskine, he'd take the advice.]

[edgeoftheknife]

[In Keeliai. Is that actually possible? Would that mean that... Hopeless...?

But of course it's addressed to Skulduggery, not Erskine. Because it would be ridiculous of him to hope. He's already had more of a second chance than he deserves, here in Keeliai. He certainly doesn't deserve to hope for more.

Erskine runs a hand through his hair and then threads the fingers of his hands together, rests his chin on his hands again.]

So I'll be going back to take your place... or take my place back, as the case may be, and you'll have something to do with Hopeless. I suppose that sounds about right. [There's a pause.] Say hello, for me. If you see him.

[And then he's standing suddenly, because he can't handle this conversation anymore.]

Was that it, then? Anything else?

[skeletonenigma]

No. Nothing else.

[And then something - obligation, guilt, vindication, or perhaps something else entirely - changes Skulduggery's mind.]

Well, except for one thing. Did Anton tell you I've been to Keeliai twice?

[edgeoftheknife]

[Erskine has just moved to walk away, to escape from the conversation, when Skulduggery speaks again. He pauses.]

No. I don't think so.

[skeletonenigma]

The first time was just after dealing with Argeddion. Malicant was still alive. The kedan were still downtrodden. After we went below the shell and defeated Malicant, we each had the chance to return home. I took mine.

[There were a few people here in Keeliai who hadn't been happy with him for that. Anton. Gene. Solomon and Raine.]

When I stepped into the Accelerator, it was Hopeless who stopped me from vanishing. I'm still not sure how, but... [He pauses, then continues, a touch wryly.] He told me I wasn't done. I didn't understand what he meant, but predictably, I didn't have the chance to ask.

[The unspoken 'he might have meant you' is loud in the ensuing silence.]

[edgeoftheknife]

[He's stopped to listen, but he's facing away from Skulduggery while the skeleton talks. That's probably for the best. He's not really sure what sort of expression crosses his face when Skulduggery mentions having spoken to Hopeless, but it's a fair bet it isn't anything he'd want Skulduggery to see.

It's tempting to ask if he's really sure it was Hopeless he was speaking to, if he's sure it wasn't some trick of the mind, some kind of hallucination. Erskine isn't sure why he doesn't, really. Maybe it doesn't actually matter. Maybe it's still too much to hope. Stepping into the Accelerator when he returns would be the end of him. Unlike Skulduggery, Erskine doesn't have anything left to do. There's nothing left for him. Seeing Hopeless at the end of it would be more than he deserves.]

Cryptic. Seems par for the course.

[The letters. A conversation between dead men. It can't ever just be easy.]