The Empty Grave (Lockwood & Co., #5)

by Jonathan Stroud

My name is Lucy Joan Carlyle. I talk with the living and the dead, and it sometimes gets so’s I can’t tell the difference any more.

The face rolled its eyes. ‘Piffle. Know what this is an example of? Skullism.’ ‘What nonsense are you spouting now?’ ‘You’ve heard of racism. You’ve heard of sexism. Well, this is skullism, pure and simple. You’re judging me by my outward appearance. You doubt my word solely because I’m a skull lurking in a jar of slime-green plasm. Admit it!’

the skull said. ‘I saw it straight off, and I don’t have an eyeball to call my own.

‘Isn’t anyone going to thank me?’ The skull watched disgustedly from its jar. ‘Thought not. Good job I’m not in the business of holding my breath.’

That was where he always was – at the forefront of the group, standing between us and the darkness. How poised and graceful he was. His presence gave me courage, even in a place like this. I smiled at him. He couldn’t see me, of course. It didn’t matter.

Girl get up

‘Move fast,’ I told him. He smiled at me. ‘Always.’

‘You’re going to do something stupid,’ I said. ‘I know you. I can tell.’ He brushed hair from his eyes. ‘That makes two of us, then. What’s your daft plan?’ ‘The usual. I was hoping to talk to it and calm it down. Yours?’ ‘Thought I’d slow it up by cutting off its legs.’ I grinned at him. ‘We’re so similar.’

I’ll give you twenty seconds.’ He flashed me his brightest smile. ‘No pressure.’ ‘You spoil me.’

They are sooooo

‘You and your ghost-talking. You almost got yourself killed!’

‘Lucy?’ Lockwood was bending at my side.

I sat quietly next to Lockwood, enjoying the companionable silence.

‘I prefer my misery to come at me in stages, so I can acclimatize on the way.’

he is SO me

It was hard to imagine her ever losing this quality, and somehow, despite everything, that made me confident that nothing really dreadful could or would happen in this world. Her unflappable demeanour used to make me seethe, yet now I found it a source of reassurance.

The growth of their relationship makes me tear up a little ... This is girlhood

And then there was Lockwood. Lockwood, most of all. He was the centre around which we revolved

Of all of us, he confided most in me. We’d always been close, but since my return to the company five months earlier, we’d become closer still. We spent more time with each other than ever before. We worked together, we laughed a lot. I felt comfortable in his presence, and he in mine; it was clear to both of us, I think, that we found greater peace and pleasure in each other than in anyone else.

Our journey through the frozen land of the dead, shielded by a single spirit-cape, had marked us both for ever and separated us from our friends.

So, the way Lockwood gazed at me, the flashes of vulnerability in his eyes, the looks we shared, quietly, when the others’ backs were turned – on what, exactly, was that intimacy based? On us, pure and simple? On who we truly were?

‘Sarah’s a strapping lass like you. Not willowy and pliant like this young lady here.’ He flashed his broken teeth at Holly. ‘Lucy and I can both handle ourselves very well,’ Holly said.

SLAYY HOLLY SLAYYYYYY

‘It’s just … I sense developments. I saw the pair of you slinking off alone last night.’

we smiled at each other,

there is 28373838 quotes EXACTLY like this one, it makes me SICK

With a clatter of boots the others joined us, Lockwood at their head. He put a hand on my arm. ‘Lucy—

‘No one’s doubting you, Lucy,’ Lockwood said.

‘The way you beckoned. He was following you towards the door.’

Ofc hed follow lucy anywhere..

something in a long white dress with flowing hair. It was radiant and lovely; it cocked its head at him. A slim arm beckoned. I heard a husky voice whisper on the air. ‘Come to me.’ And Lockwood moved forward. Know what? That made me angry. How dare he go with her?

jealous of a damn ghost, girl 😭

‘You know,’ I said, ‘a lot of trouble would be avoided if people like you just lay down and accepted they were dead.’

‘Oh, get lost.’ Maybe I shouldn’t have used the magnesium flare, but I’d had enough of the ghost by then. It was too selfish, too needy, too vacuous. I didn’t want to share psychic space with it a moment longer. And it had tried to take Lockwood from me.

AND IT HAD TRIED TO TALE LOCKWOOD AWAY FROM HER I AM IN AGONY

I spoke softly now. ‘It’s me. It’s Lucy …’ I like to think it was just coincidence that Holly laid the silver net over the Source right then. I like to think it was the sound of my name that brought him back.

Either way, the twist of smoke rose up and up, and bloomed across the surface of his eyes. Intelligence came with it; intelligence and recognition – and something more than that. He smiled at me.

Lockwood came to stand beside me. We stood in silence, shoulders touching, watching the grey city grow sharp and definite,

But it’s fine – because I helped you then, and you’ve helped me now. We’re there to help each other. If we do that, we’ll get through.’

‘Lockwood’s got plenty to live for. Plenty.’ The face regarded me. ‘Has he? What would that be, I wonder? Give it a name.’ With that, the ghost did something to the light inside the ichor, so that it dimmed and went opaque, and I found myself staring at my own distorted face in the side of the jar. ‘Care to comment?’ the skull said.

skull is the biggest locklyle shipper, he is the CEO

Then he left the chair and walked round the table and put his arms about me and pulled me to him. Time did weird stuff again. We stood like that for I don’t know how long. I’d have been happy for it to go on longer.

A shaft of light was coming through the landing window; in its brightness Lockwood looked insubstantial, like he was some figure on stained glass. ‘Our enemies think we’re weak,’ he went on. ‘Truth is, I’ve been holding back until now.’ He smiled at me, his eyes as hard as flint. ‘Well, all that ends today. We’ll strike them where they least expect it. We’ll strike them, Lucy, and we’ll take them down.’

I love me a righteous anger character arc

‘I think that’s Flo laughing,’ Lockwood whispered. ‘She must be trying to cheer George up. Dear God, what a day.’

The horrors

His arms caught me, drew me inside. He grinned at me in the dark. ‘Enjoying yourself, Luce?’

‘You’re elderly,’ Lockwood said, ‘and perhaps a little slow. If it isn’t clear enough, I can put it another way for you. Get your shrivelled backsides out of here sharpish

DAMNNN

Lockwood and I walked after them, he with his rapier, me holding the gun.

Couples looking eepic together stay toogether

His good eye inspected our cuts and bruises. ‘What’s all this, then? You trying to steal my thunder here?’

‘Yeah, it’s funny how often one doesn’t see things that are right under your nose,’ the skull said. ‘So … what shall we talk about? I know! Lockwood.

They won’t be trained like us, will they? They won’t have swords.’ ‘No,’ Kipps said, ‘just guns and knives. Hooray.’

I had to scribble the passage down, it was so good. It’s stuffed down the back pocket of my pyjama bottoms, if you could just reach it for me, Lockwood. My arms are too stiff.’ ‘Must I? Oh God, all right – there you go.’

He considered me, his eyes soft and serious. ‘You’re upset.’

NOT BECAUSE HE OWNS MEEEE BUT BECAUSE HE REALLY KNOWS MEEEEE

He came to stand beside me. The sunlight was still on him. Right then, he was close to the idea I’d always had of him; the picture I saw in my mind’s eye when drawing near to sleep.

my dear god, SHE THINKS ABOUT HIM WHEN SHE FALLS ASLEEP i cannot do this anymore

It’ll be all right, Lucy.’ He touched my arm.

all the little touches throughout the book im so 😭🫶

It was a symbol of his undying devotion.’ I let the sapphire catch the light once more, then lowered it back into the box. I handed it back to him. ‘It couldn’t be anything else,’ I said. ‘No, exactly. Anyway, Luce …’ Lockwood cleared his throat. ‘I was going to ask if you—’

IM CRYINGGG

‘You must know there are other possibilities in this world.’

Gay Holly rights

Hands grasped me; Lockwood was pulling me back across the room.

‘Looks like Sir Rupert just found the little cartoon of him I drew on the kitchen table. Well, when I say little, I mean filling the entire thinking cloth. It’s amazing how perfectly that cloth accommodates a picture of a man bending over. I only just found space for my accompanying message.’

i fucking love george

Lockwood came to sit beside me. ‘You all right, Lucy?’ We stared at each other from under our ice-bound hoods.

‘Lucy,’ Lockwood said. ‘Look at me.’ I did so. His eyes were as warm and dark as ever.