It was strange how, by that point, Skulduggery had been alone with Ravel more often than with Anton. That was completely the fault of the chain and shackles, yes, but the point still stood. When he entered the office and found both Anton and Ravel already there, he wondered for a moment whether he'd walked into the wrong room.

But of course he hadn't.

Skulduggery took the cake - after a moment of still disbelief, it had to be said - and then, just as pointedly as Anton's innocence, took the cake over to the desk against the wall and left it there by the finance books. Then he walked back over and sat down.

The tea he left where it was. Tea had done much less to offend him lately.

"I need to make the suggestion more often, then," he murmured.