Читать книгу Skulduggery Pleasant: Books 1 - 12 - Derek Landy - Страница 176

carab laid the Desolation Engine on the worktable in front of Kenspeckle Grouse. It was relatively small for such a destructive weapon, resembling a stone hourglass about the length of Scarab’s hand. There were two glass vials within the stone frame, both of them half-full of a calm green liquid.

Professor Grouse’s voice was strained when he spoke. “And what do you expect me to do with this?”

“I want you to fix it,” Scarab said.

“So you can use it to kill thousands of innocent people? No.”

“Professor, I’m not going to waste our time. I’m not going to tell you that I was framed and imprisoned for a crime I didn’t commit. I’m not going to tell you how I watched my youth slip away from me while I was in that cell. I’m not going to tell you about the anger or the need to see my enemies suffer. I’m not going to tell you any of that.”

“Really?” Grouse asked. “Because it sounds like you just did.”

“You’d die before you’d help me, Professor. I know that full well. But you have the skills, the talent and the knowledge I need, and the only thing that’s stopping you from doing what I ask … is you.”

“And so your plan is …?”

“It’s quite simple. If you won’t change you mind, I’m going to change it for you.”