While the word 'morgue' caught Skulduggery by surprise, he couldn't say the same for how quickly she changed the subject. Whether that was because of trauma, or simply because she was used to far stranger things happening in this place, he didn't know. But after studying the young girl for a moment, Skulduggery decided not to press for more details just yet.

"I'm an Elemental," he explained as he went back to scanning the same bookshelf from before the girl had asked for help. "I can manipulate the four elements. I was quite good at it, before this place. But we kept magic a secret because mortals-" He stopped mid-sentence. Maybe that wasn't the best word to use anymore. "Ordinary people," he corrected, "people without magic, have traditionally reacted badly when they find out it exists."

The book that had caught his eye earlier was the Oxford Book of English Verse. Skulduggery looked at it for a moment, puzzled - the only nonfiction book on the shelf? - and tried to pull it out. The thick tome slid out halfway and then stuck.

Part of Skulduggery was on the lookout for a sneaky trapdoor even as he turned back to her, but for better or for worse, nothing happened. "Why the interest? Is there magic where you come from?"