Distracting Skulduggery was precisely what Solomon had had in mind. So he stepped back, fully prepared to leave the skeleton with the only lover he was still capable of having, when he realised he still had the keys in his pocket.

With a sigh Solomon stopped and watched Skulduggery, and settled for enjoying the silence. He did not expect, after a minute of reverence, for Skulduggery to turn around and pick up the conversation as though there had been no interruption at all. It was the Bentley. Few things could engage Pleasant's attention so completely as the Bentley.

"It hardly matters anyway," Solomon said irritably, "since I'm no longer at risk of losing control the way you did." He plucked the keys out of his pocket and threw them at Skulduggery, and turned away with no desire other than to leave.