Pleasantly Raising Cain

Grapes

Erskine Ravel had been waiting at the table for the meeting to commence for almost forty minutes now, and he was beginning to get impatient.

Ghastly Bespoke was sitting beside him, dressed in his Elder robes much to his disliking. He tapped his fingers against the table, irritating Ravel even more, and had to stop himself from laughing.

Madame Mist sighed for about the fiftieth time in the space of twenty minutes. Her face was still hidden behind her veil, and it was impossible to see what her expression was.

"Where are they?" Ravel snapped.

Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain had meant to turn up over half an hour ago, and still weren't there.

"I don't know," Ghastly replied, amusement clear in his voice. "Maybe they got held up somewhere?"

"Or maybe they're causing mischief and are purposely avoiding the meeting," Ravel sighed.

"Yeah, that too."

Erskine banged his head against the table repeatedly, until the door finally opened, and Valkyrie calmly walked in, followed by Skulduggery.

"Sorry we're late," the skeleton apologised. Valkyrie blushed slightly.

"Why are you late?" Ravel sighed. "You weren't avoiding this were you?"

"Of course we were," Skulduggery nodded, and Ravel rolled his eyes.

"Not only that," Valkyrie grinned. "But I choked on a grape."

Saying it out loud made it seem even more ridiculous than it already was. Valkyrie sighed as the others all cracked up into fits of laughter.

"How did you manage to choke on a grape?" Ghastly wheezed. Valkyrie scowled.

"My face apparently went purple and Sherlock Bones over here decided it would be funny to laugh at me! I almost died!"

Even Madame Mist was laughing now, and Valkyrie stood there fuming. She dug in her pockets and pulled out the packet of green grapes.

"These things were almost the cause of my death!"

This made more laughter erupt around the room, and eventually, Valkyrie was laughing with them, as she shoved grapes down Erskine Ravel's throat.