Le Début |Skulduggery Pleasant

Chapter 10: The Gal in Black

"Why do we have to perch on Stephanie's roof again?" I asked Skulduggery. "I'm in a dress for the meeting with the Elders, and I don't think that being on the roof is the best place to be."
"Then I'll see if Stephanie will let us in." Skulduggery said.
"You and your rule about using doors are for people with no imagination," I muttered.
He turned to look at me and if he had a face he would be smiling at me. He turned back to the window and knocked on it. Stephanie got up from her desk and opened the window.
"I thought girls were supposed to be tidy." Skulduggery said as he peered in.
Stephanie kicked something under her bed and ignored the comment. "You OK out there?"
"No. Could I please come in? I'm in a stupid dress." I said, causing Stephanie to look at me.
I peered into the room and teleported inside before she could answer me. "This is a lot better than the roof," I stated, looking around her room.
"I've been perched on worst roofs, believe me." Skulduggery said.
"My parents have gone to work, you know. You could have used the door." Stephanie stated.
"Doors are for people with no imagination." Skulduggery replies, entering the room.
"Are you sure no one saw you? The last thing I need is for a neighbour to be passing and see you climbing the side of the house."
I put my hand up. "I teleported. I can fight in heals, but I cannot climb in them."
"I was careful, don't you worry. And I have something for you." He gave her a short piece of chalk.
"Oh, thank you," she said slowly.
"Go to your mirror."
"I'm sorry?"
"Go to your mirror and draw this symbol on it." I handed her a small card that showed an eye in a circle with a wavy line through it.
"What's this for?" She asked.
"It's to help you. Go on." I said.
She frowned and went to the mirror. It was small.
"No," Skulduggery said, "a full-length mirror. Do you have one?"
"Yeah," Stephanie said.
Still looking confused, she opened her wardrobe and used the chalk to copy the symbol on the mirror on the other side of the door. When she was done, she handed the card and the chalk back to Skulduggery. He thanked her, put them away and then looked at the mirror.
"Surface speak, surface feel, surface think, surface real." He looked at her again. "Could you wipe the symbol off now, please?"
"What is going on? What are you doing? Did you just cast a spell on my mirror?" She asked.
"Yes. Could you wipe the symbol off?" I said.
"What does the spell do?" She asked as she used her sleeve to erase the chalk.
"You'll see," Skulduggery answered. "Are you wearing a watch?"
"My watch broke. I wore it swimming. I thought it was waterproof." Stephanie said.
"Was it?" He asked.
"As it turned out no. Why do you need to know the time?" She asked.
"Oh, he doesn't. Touch the mirror." I told her.
She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Touch it," I demanded.
Stephanie hesitated, then did as she was told and reached out, touching her fingers lightly against the mirror. Her face turned to one of amazement as her reflection blinked, dropped its arm to its side and stepped out of the mirror.
"Oh my god..." Stephanie said, moving back as the reflection joined us in the room. "Oh my god..." Stephanie said again.
Skulduggery looked on from the window. "It will carry on with your life while you're away, so you won't be missed."
Stephanie continued to stare at the reflection. "She's me."
"Not, she, it. And it isn't you, it's a surface copy. It walks like you, talks like you, behaves like you, and it should be enough to fool your parents and anyone else it comes into contact with. When you return, it goes back into the mirror and the experiences and memories it has made a transfer to you." Skulduggery explained.
"So... so I can be in two places at once?"
"Precisely. It can't spend too long in other people's company or they'll start to notice that things aren't quite right, and it would never fool a mage, but it is ideal for your needs." I answered.
"Wow." She peered closer at the reflection. "Say something."
The reflection looked back at her. "What do you want me to say?"
Stephanie laughed suddenly, then clapped a hand over her mouth. "You sound just like me." She said through her fingers.
"I know." The reflection said.
"Do you have a name?"
"My name is Stephanie."
"No, a name of your own."
Skulduggery shook his head. "Remember, it's not a real person. It has no thoughts or feelings of its own: they're all imitations of yours. It's your reflection - that's all it is. Operating instructions are as follows: it cannot change out of the clothes you're wearing when you cast it, so make sure you're not wearing anything with a logo or insignia. They'll come out backwards, on the opposite hand. Apart from that, it's pretty simple."
"Wow," Stephanie said.
"We should go," I said.
She turned to Skulduggery and me, frowning. "Are you sure they won't realise it's not me?"
"It'll stay out of other people's way for most of the time and try to avoid and long conversations. Even if your parents corner it and bombard it with questions, they'll just think you're acting strangely." Skulduggery said.
Stephanie chewed her lip the shrugged. "I suppose jumping to the conclusion that it's my reflection come to life is a bit unlikely."
"You'd be surprised how many things we get away with that fall under that category. You ready to go?" I asked.
"I suppose I am." She replied.
"Do you want to leave by the door or the window?" Skulduggery asked.
"Doors are for people with no imagination." She grinned and joined Skulduggery on the window sill.
She looked back at the reflection. "Bye."
"Bye," the reflection tried a smile for the first time and it looked sorta creepy.
"I'll meet you at the car," I said.
The two nodded and jumped out of the window. I gave one last look at the reflection and teleported to the pier where the car was. I leaned against the car with my arms crossed, my hair blowing in the wind. I closed my eyes and thought about the vision I had before the car crash.
I don't understand it. Why was Skulduggery aiming his gun at Stephanie and how did he just fall apart?
"What the hell is that?" I heard Stephanie's voice ask.
I opened my eyes to see Skulduggery lean against the car beside me and in the same stance.
"It's my car." He stayed.
She stared at him, at the car, then at him again.
"What happened to the Bentley?" She asked.
"I don't know if you noticed, but it was ever so slightly damaged," I replied.
"And where is it now?" She questioned.
"It's getting fixed." Skulduggery states.
"Right. That's a good answer. Fixed is a good answer. But I don't know, I'm kind of drawn back to my original question. What the hell is that?"
Skulduggery and I were leaning against a canary yellow hatchback with lime green seat covers.
"It's my replacement car," Skulduggery said proudly.
"It's hideous!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"I don't mind it actually," I stated.
"He's the one wearing the disguise, so no one will recognise him anyway! And you're hardly ever seen here anyway so no one probably even knows who you are!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"That may have something to do with it," I smirked.
"When will the Bentley be fixed?" Stephanie asked Skulduggery.
"That's the nice thing about living in a world of magic and wonder, even our most extreme car repairs happen in less than a week." Skulduggery answered.
Stephanie glared at him. "A week?"
"Not a week," he said quickly. "Six days. Sometimes five. Definitely four. I'll call him, tell him I'll pay extra..." She was still glaring.
"Day after tomorrow," he said quietly.
Her shoulders sagged. "Do we really have to ride around in this?"
"Think of it as an adventure," he said brightly.
"Why should I do that?" Stephanie asked.
"Because if you don't then you'll just become really depressed. Trust me." I answered.
"Now hop in!" Skulduggery said brightly.
Skulduggery hopped in and I got into the passenger side, Stephanie getting into the back seat. She more just fell in. She squirmed down in her seat as far as she could. She looked at the package and black bag beside her.
"Is that the gear for breaking into the Vault?" She asked. "Is that where we're going?"
"Well to answer your first question, yes. That bag contains all the equipment needed for a beautifully elicited break-in. To answer your second question, no, that is not where we're going. Before I get to introduce you to a life of crime, I get to introduce you to the Elder Mages." Skulduggery told her.
"Crime sounds more fun," Stephanie stated.
"Trust me, it is. But we would've had to go eventually anyway." I said.
"So why are we delaying the fun? What do these Elder Mages want?" Stephanie asked.
"They've heard that we've been dragging a perfectly nice young lady into all manner of trouble and they want to admonish us for it." Skulduggery said.
"Tell them it's none of their business," Stephanie stated.
"Well while I do admire your moxie..."
"What's moxie?"
"...I'm afraid that won't work too well with these fellows. One thing you have to remember about the Elder Mages is that they're..."
"Really old sorcerers?"
I giggled slightly. "Well yes."
"Worked that all out by myself," Stephanie said.
"You must be so proud," I said with sarcasm.
"Why do you have to report to them? Do you work for them?" She asked.
"Sort of. I mainly report to them because they like to keep track of me." I stated.
Stephanie looked to Skulduggery for his answer.
"In a way. The Elders pass the laws, and they have people who enforce the laws, but there are only a few of us who actually investigate the breaking of those laws - murders, robberies, a couple of kidnappings, the usual. And while I may be freelance, most of my work and my money comes from the Elders." Skulduggery stated.
"So if they want to wag their fingers at you..." Stephanie trailed off.
"I have to stand there and be wagged at." Skulduggery said.
I zoned out of the conversation and started thinking about the first time I had met Nefarian.