"A force field," Skulduggery said, tapping against it. It sizzled slightly under his touch. "Judging from the curvature it's a spherical shield, bisecting floors and walls outwards of its epicentre."

"Right," Valkyrie said. "So we're in a big ball, then."

They started walking again. "Lament must have thrown it up," Skulduggery said. "Hopefully, it's a precaution, and nothing more serious." He slowed. "Wait a second. Hear that?"

Coming from the adjoining corridor, raised voices. They moved quietly and peered around.

The force field cut off the far end of the corridor, keeping a crowd of people back who were now trying to break through the wall of energy by blasting it with whatever they had. Lament stood inside the shield, watching them. He looked taller than usual. It took Valkyrie a moment to realise he was hovering a few centimetres off the ground. He turned slowly, and Valkyrie glimpsed his sandalled feet pointing downwards so that his toes almost brushed against the floor. He started drifting back to the Accelerator Room, and Skulduggery and Valkyrie ducked away before they were seen.

Valkyrie got out her phone, dialled Ghastly's number.

He answered immediately. "Where are you? We've got a situation."

"We know," she whispered. "We're in it."

"You're inside the force field? Is Skulduggery with you?"

"Yes. He can hear you. What's going on?"

"Lament guides us all out, he says this next stage might be dangerous, and then the force field appears. I turn around and he's floating, and his eyes are closed, and he apologises."

"What for?" Skulduggery asked. "What did he say?"

Ghastly's voice was tight. "He said they aren't here to keep Argeddion imprisoned. He said they're here to set him free."

he line went quiet for a moment while Ghastly conferred with others. Then he came back. "We have a Sensitive here. He says he's just started to pick up a psychic wavelength that they've managed to keep hidden until now. We think Argeddion is controlling them."

"They spent the last thirty years in that mountain, watching over him," Skulduggery said. "At some stage he must have regained a degree of awareness, started reaching out, taking them over. This whole thing was just a ploy to get us to move them all here."

"I don't get it," said Valkyrie. "If they wanted to release him, why not just turn off the Cube?"

Skulduggery shook his head. "I don't think turning off the Cube is the problem. The problem is that Argeddion has been in an artificially induced coma for the last three decades. Maybe he simply can't wake up. If I were them, I'd be using the Accelerator as a defibrillator for the mind."

"They're going to shock him awake," said Ghastly. "OK, listen to me. You two are the only people we've got in there. I'd love to say we're coming in after you but this wall is stronger than anything I've seen."

"We could get Fletcher back," Valkyrie suggested. "He could take everyone in at once."

"A force field of this strength can't be teleported through," Skulduggery said. "If Fletcher tried it, his atoms would be scattered all the way across existence. Don't worry. We don't need anyone else. We've got surprise on our side, and a deliberate tendency towards extreme violence. We'll be fine."

Ghastly sighed. "Try not to kill anyone, at least. Remember that Lament's sorcerers are not in control of themselves."

Valkyrie put her phone away, and Skulduggery looked at her, and took out his gun. She nodded. They stole round the corner, ignoring the blue wall and the people on the other side, focusing all their attention on the doorway to the Accelerator Room. No one guarding it. No voices from inside. Valkyrie readied the shadows as Skulduggery counted down on his fingers.

Three... two... one- They ran in.

"Hello," said Argeddion.

Lament and his sorcerers were on their knees in a circle around the Accelerator, their heads down. The Cube rotated slowly within the Accelerator itself, an empty cage. Argeddion hovered in mid-air above the remains of the Tempest, smiling at them. Residual energy crackled around his body, and his eyes were glittering orbs of power.

Valkyrie didn't know what to do.

"Hmm," Skulduggery said. "This is... disappointing, I don't mind telling you. I thought we'd arrive in the nick of time and stop this from happening. I blame myself, of course. And other people. Mostly other people. In particular I blame the people in this room on their knees. I blame them an awful lot. I don't suppose shooting you will do any good at this stage, will it?"

Argeddion smiled again.

"But it couldn't hurt to try." Skulduggery went to fire but the gun disappeared from his hand, and reappeared in Argeddion's.

"Violence," he said, turning the gun over and examining it. "Why do you always resort to violence?"

"Could I have that back?" Skulduggery asked. "It's my favourite."

"I don't like violence."

"All the same, that gun has sentimental value, so..."

Argeddion released his hold and the gun floated back to Skulduggery.

"Thank you," Skulduggery said, and went to put it away. Apparently as an afterthought he aimed and fired and the bullet bounced off Argeddion's head. "Yeah, that's what I thought might happen." He holstered it.

"Skulduggery Pleasant," Argeddion said, "pleased to meet you. Valkyrie, I feel like I've known you my whole life. I've been inside your head. You have such wonderful thoughts."

Alarm shot through her body. If he could read her mind, then he'd know- "Yes," said Argeddion, "I know who you are. We're alike, you and I. We are as alike as we are different. We have both discovered our true names, we both have access to unimaginable power... but where you have so far used this power to hurt and destroy, I have used it to explore and learn. What makes you this way, do you think?"

"You can read my mind," Valkyrie said, "so you tell me."

Argeddion smiled. "You think you're a bad person. You think that behind the heroic acts and the bravery and the good deeds, you're evil. It's the only thing that makes sense to you, the only way you can explain it. You think every good thing you do is part of an act that you use to fool yourself. That's what you think."

Valkyrie didn't answer, and Argeddion looked at Skulduggery. "I can't read your mind. Your thoughts are configured in such a way as to confound my attempts. But I know you. I have seen you through Valkyrie's eyes. Do you want to tell her the small and simple fact that she is overlooking?"

Skulduggery hesitated, then looked down at her. "It's all an act," he said. "For everyone. We're all acting good and noble because acting good is what makes us good."

"And now she's wondering, If that is true, why has Argeddion used his power in a peaceful manner and I have used mine to kill? The answer, Valkyrie, is because I'm special." Argeddion laughed. "I'm a pacifist. Non-violence is what I believe in above all else. But you believe in violence. You believe that, as terrible as it is, it's necessary. And in your world, dealing with the things you deal with, you might be right. In my world, it is not, and I refuse to allow it to be."

"If you're a pacifist," Valkyrie said, "explain Kitana and Doran and Sean. They're killing people with the power you gave them."

"And that is regrettable," Argeddion said, "but I must see this through to the end."

"See what through? What's all this about?"

Skulduggery tilted his head. "They're test subjects. This is an experiment."

"Indeed it is," Argeddion said. "And most of the mortals I picked have not hurt anyone at least not intentionally."

Valkyrie frowned. "But why are you doing this? What's the point?"

"Maybe someday you will be able to see what I have seen," said Argeddion. "In fact, should you ever find peace within yourself as Darquesse, I would love to be able to show you. Then you can glimpse, as I did, the realm of magic. It is a breathtaking experience. It will change everything within you."

"Sounds lovely. You didn't answer my question."

"Magic is a wonderful, joyous thing, and it should be shared, but sorcerers have been hoarding it since the birth of mankind. If the mortals knew of its existence, tests could be carried out to identify those who could wield magic. They could be trained, taught. We would have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of mages and they could elevate this world to a true Age of Enlightenment. No more wars. No more pettiness. Peace and love and the search for knowledge. Paradise."

"Your idea is not new," said Skulduggery. "But if you were to prove to the world that magic was real, mankind would tear itself apart. The mortals would feel threatened and they would fight back with everything they had."

"Only if there were any mortals left."

Valkyrie paled. "You want to kill them? You said you were a pacifist."

"I don't want to kill the mortals," Argeddion said, chuckling. "I want to change them. My test subjects are paving the way for the entire mortal population of the earth to be gifted with magic."

"You... you could do that?"

"By myself, no," Argeddion said. "But with the Accelerator and the help of my surprise guest, it will happen."

"Your surprise guest?"

Argeddion smiled gently.

"This is insane," Skulduggery said.

"You can't see what I can see, Skulduggery. Heaven on earth. Can you imagine it? Once all my tests are run, once all the results are collected, magic will permeate every single person. They will evolve overnight, transforming the planet into a kingdom of enlightenment and peace."

"The Summer of Light," said Skulduggery. "That's what it is, isn't it? You've planned this so that everything will be ready to go on May the first Greta Dapple's two hundredth birthday. That's when you're going to change it all."

"It will be glorious."

"No, it won't. You're talking about changing human nature. It can't be done. There will be no kingdom of enlightenment. The rot will start early, and it'll spread. There'll be war and horror and death. Your Summer of Light will turn into a Summer of Darkness. The human race will wipe itself out."

"You're blinded by your own limitations."

"And you're blinded by your lack of them. You're a better person than I am, Argeddion. You're a better person than most people. That's the problem. You have no idea how most people will react."

"I trust. I have faith."

"You're deluded, and we will stop you."

"You could have stopped me," Argeddion said. "You could have donned the armour of Lord Vile and come after me. With your natural strength and vicious nature, you might even have defeated me. But a quick peek into Valkyrie's mind tells me exactly where you've secured it..."

He vanished, and a moment later, he was back, holding a thick metal case. Skulduggery tensed.

"You can feel it from there, can't you?" Argeddion asked. "The pull? Like a magnet to you. But I'm afraid you won't be donning this armour any time soon." The case disappeared. "And now that Lord Vile is out of the picture, there is only one threat remaining."

Skulduggery stood in front of Valkyrie. "You don't have to hurt her."

"I have no intention of hurting her," said Argeddion. "I don't want to see any harm come to her in the slightest. But Darquesse is a problem that I have to address. Valkyrie, if you're able to access that power, you'll tear me apart, won't you? You're not as strong as I am, not yet, but where I would keep looking for a non-lethal way to stop you, you wouldn't feel the same need for restraint. Darquesse is a cold-blooded killer. And I can't let her emerge."

White pain flashed and Valkyrie cried out, stumbled, and Skulduggery spun and caught her as she fell. And then the pain was gone.

"My apologies," said Argeddion. "I didn't think that would hurt as much as it did."

"What did you do to me?" Valkyrie gasped.

"Think of it as putting up a wall between you, the sweet girl called Valkyrie, and Darquesse, the cold-blooded killer. You can't hear her voice any more, can you?"

Valkyrie stood by herself, her head still spinning.

"She will never bother you again," said Argeddion. "Not while I'm alive. You're safe from her, Valkyrie. You can still access your magic as you always have, but that level of power is now blocked off to you."

"She's gone?"

"She's still there, she's just... imprisoned. Your terrible future is now averted. All those fears you had about killing your parents, killing the world... They are no more." Argeddion smiled gently. "And yet I sense your loss."

She glared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I can read your mind, remember. All of those guilty little secrets you're so ashamed of, they're spread open for me. Your private moments, your not-so-private moments, your doubts and your fantasies and your thoughts... Oh, Valkyrie, save your blushes. The only thing you should be ashamed of is how much you enjoyed being Darquesse."

"That's a lie," she shot back.

"You didn't enjoy the killing," Argeddion said, "but you loved the power. It's a shameful thing to love, but you're young. You're allowed to make mistakes. We're all only human, aren't we?"

"Are you?" Skulduggery asked.

"What else would I be?"

"Some people would say you're a god."

"That doesn't mean I'm not human also," Argeddion said, laughing slightly.

Lament's sorcerers were stirring. One by one, they rose up into the air, turning slowly. Their eyes were closed.

"I'm afraid I must ask you to leave," Argeddion said. "My friends will escort you back beyond the force field. For your own sakes, please don't try to break through it."

The sorcerers started to drift towards them, herding Skulduggery and Valkyrie to the door.

"Talk to us," Skulduggery said. "Convince us that what you're doing is right. Give us the chance to explain why it's a mistake. You've been gone for thirty years, for God's sake. You don't even know what the world is like any more."

"And this is where I change that," Argeddion said.

And then the emptiness swallowed him and he was gone. Vanished.

"He learns," Skulduggery said. "He may not have been conscious when Fletcher teleported us from the mountain, but he was aware."

"That's all it takes? He just has to experience something once and he can do it himself?"

"He knows his true name," said Skulduggery. "He can do anything."

Lament's sorcerers kept coming, pushing an invisible barrier before them, forcing Skulduggery and Valkyrie out of the room. Valkyrie tried pushing back but there was no strength behind it. She felt drained, like losing Darquesse had robbed her of her determination.

"Lenka," Valkyrie said. "It's me. It's Valkyrie."