Skulduggery laughs. There's a certain amount of relief in the laugh, relief an older Valkyrie would have picked up on immediately. Skulduggery isn't sure if this version of her will, but either way, he heads off another question by answering one first.

"I'm offended," he says, "that the very fact I asked the question isn't enough to tell you it matters. I ask nothing but the most relevant questions, Valkyrie."

Well, barring some minor episodic insanity which prompted him to ask her what she'd had for breakfast that morning. Fortunately, this Valkyrie wouldn't remember that.