"Something from my world," Skulduggery affirmed for her, turning the stone over in the palm of his gloved hand. "It's called an echo stone. It can hold someone's memories and personality. Sorcerers on the brink of death pay a lot of money for these; they afford a kind of immortality." He glanced up at the kedan. "Do you mind if I keep this?"

The kedan snorted. "If it's from your world, go ahead."

"Thank you." Skulduggery moved away from the stall, heading almost absentmindedly for a relatively empty spot away from the crowds. "This one has something recorded on it," he told Raine, "but not something I recognise."