Billy-Ray

Prologue

The Stray Hunter covered his ears, screaming. All he could hear were voices. Shouts. Whispers. All in his head. But all of them were the same voice. The Skeleton Detective. Shouting, screaming, crying again, and again, and again. For a moment he felt sorry for Pleasant. After all, his family was killed right in front of him.                                                                                                                   But the Stray Hunter didn't care. He killed countless people every day. Never children though.  But as soon as someone turned 18 they would be a victim of his.

"Master?" A fat twenty-five year old mortal waddled up next to him. Stray Hunter flared his nostrils in disgust.

"What do you want Jacob? Can't you tell i'm busy?" The Stray Hunter hated Jacob Marigold. He was stupid, dumb, lazy and never did what he was told. It was so tempting to kill him right there at that exact moment. He was just a no-good mortal who knew to much about magic.

"Sorry Master" The fat man mumbled. The only reason he kept Jacob is because he could go out into Wexford and see what was happening around the country. His only purpose was to be a messenger.

"I just thought I should tell you, you know that writer from Dublin, Gordon Edgly?"

"What about him, you fool,"

"He died last night. Sudden death, they say. No reason in particular, Except, Well......"

"Well what, Marigold. Spit it out!" 

Jacob hesitated. "Well, no reason any mortal would think of.... Except for me - of course. The Irish Council of Elders think he was killed by.... Magic."

"Why would a sorcerer kill a mortal for no reason at all?"

"Well, you kill people sir,"

"Yeah, but always for a reason,"

"What about that nice old guy last week in Cork?"

"He stole the last packet of barbeque chips in the Supermarket,"

"There was still original flavour,"

"I only like the Barbeque,"

The voices were getting much louder now. So loud his eardrums nearly burst.

"Aaaaarrrgghhh!" The Stray Hunter was kneeling on the ground now in agony.

"Jacob, (gasp) pack the car (gasp) I know who we are going to kill next (gasp),"

"Who, sir?,"

Stray Hunter grinned.

"Skulduggery Pleasant".