Skulduggery's back on his feet before he notices that no one's trying to attack him anymore. Since situations like these are usually feints, he takes another few seconds to be absolutely sure he's in the clear, and then moves off to help those Foreigners who haven't been quite so lucky.

He doesn't get very far before he hears Anton's voice booming from the Hotel entrance, sounding the retreat. It forces him to change tactics, helping people make it safely back into the Hotel rather than stand their ground and fight the cultists off. If anyone asks, he tells them Anton is built for fighting alone against impossible odds.