The Dying of the Light Read Online Free PDF

smiling, “if your motorcycle has broken down the next time I call for you, I expect you to catch the next available bus.”
    Foe’s lip curled at the thought.
    China continued. “You would do well to remember that, on a whim, I could have the Cleavers round you up and throw you in a cell and nobody, and I do mean nobody, would raise a single objection.”
    Foe brushed the hair out of his eyes. “That kind of strikes me as a potential abuse of power.”
    China’s smile deepened. “As I always say, what’s the point of power if you can’t abuse it? You owe me, Mr Foe, and until your debt is paid, you are mine. Do you understand?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I’m sorry?”
    Foe cleared his throat. “Yes. I understand. And how, I wonder, will I know when the debt has been paid?”
    “Oh, I’ll be sure to tell you.”
    Foe smiled thinly, then looked over at Skulduggery and Stephanie. “You’re OK with this, are you? This is how tyrants are created.”
    “What do you care?” Stephanie asked. “You’re a nihilist.”
    He shrugged. “Just pointing it out.”
    “Mr Foe,” said China, “I’m not done abusing my power.”
    Foe gave a little bow. “Once again, my apologies. What enemy is in your sights, may I ask?”
    “An old one,” said China. “Eliza Scorn has her Church of the Faceless up and running. I’ve watched her take it over, gather support, build it up, and I’ve waited for the perfect moment to tear it all down. I want to do it properly – not just here in Ireland, but around the world. So I need access to every little secret she has.”
    “You want us to break in somewhere, steal her files?”
    “I said I wanted this done properly. Above board. No breaking, no stealing. I need a reason to confiscate every last scrap of paper that woman has.”
    “So?” Foe asked.
    “She wants you to join the Church,” Skulduggery said.
    Foe frowned. “But we don’t worship the Faceless Ones.”
    “That doesn’t matter,” said China. “One of the rules that were set down when the Church was given official status was that no one with a criminal background could be a member.”
    “Ah,” said Foe. “And me and my little gang are all ex-cons.”
    “Precisely. You join, we swoop. Eliza loses it all.”
    “And then we’re square?”
    China laughed. “Mr Foe, you tried to kill me. We are a long way from being square. Leave.”
    Foe hesitated, then nodded and walked out.
    When he was gone, Skulduggery spoke. “It would be a mistake to trust that man.”
    “Just as it would be a mistake for him to cross me,” China responded. “Now where were we? Oh, yes, congratulating you on taking Ferrente Rhadaman into custody. Very good work, both of you. Of course, it’s not the work you
should
have been doing. I assigned Dexter Vex and Saracen Rue to track down these renegades with the aid of the Monster Hunters.”
    “And they’re doing very well,” said Skulduggery. “Out of the nineteen, we’ve taken down one, they’ve caught six, two more have burned out all by themselves, and various Sanctuaries around the world have dealt with a further four. Which leaves us with six renegades still at large.”
    “And you’re wilfully missing the point,” said China. “Rounding up the renegades is hugely important, I accept this. But I assigned the two of you to the task of finding and stopping Darquesse. I’ve given you access to whatever resources you need to get this done, as it remains our number-one priority. If the renegades are not corralled, they will alert the world to our existence. But if
Darquesse
is not stopped, there will be no world to alert. So tell me, how are things progressing on
that
front?”
    “As expected,” said Skulduggery.
    “Really? We expected no progress?”
    “Just because we have no results doesn’t mean we’ve made no progress. We’re looking for one person who could be literally anywhere in the world. At this early stage, it’s a process of elimination.”
    “I see,” said