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?

Comments

[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.]