- "My home is where I make it, and I am king of my domain."
- — Cadaverous Gant explaining his power to Skulduggery, Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection
| Cadaverous Gant | |
| Character Information | |
| Given Name | Charles Grantham |
| Taken Name | Cadaverous Gant |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth | Unknown |
| Age | Over 78 |
| Magic | Neoteric, "King of his domain" |
| Location | deceased |
Cadaverous Gant is a cold-blooded murderer who appears in The Dying of the Light, Resurrection, and Midnight.
He trained Jeremiah Wallow to also be a serial killer but only allowing him to kill mortals. Valkyrie Cain was supposed to be Jeremiah's first kill but he died at her hand in the attempt. For this, Gant holds a grudge against Valkyrie and vows to kill her for her part in the death of an "innocent", "good" boy. He is the main villain of Midnight.
Biography[]
History[]
When he was a child he murdered his father after receiving beating after beating. He knew that his father would kill him, so he took an ax and killed his father. His father had strangled his mother and that was something that started him off as a killer. He used to be a mortal English professor at a semi-prestigious New England university. After his retirement, he had written a few books of poetry but they weren't successful. His poetry was considered "lazy and uninspired". His peers called it hackneyed. At the age of 78, he flew into a fit of rage after hearing a street poet reinterpret the works of Keats. In an unsuccessful attempt to strangle the street poet, Gant suffered a heart attack woke up in a hospital. While recovering there, the police raided his home which had been built by three separate builders who didn't know what the others were doing. He had had his home built as a death trap, with corridors that lead nowhere, doors opening up to brick walls, secret passageways, and pits. He was a mortal serial killer with 47 kills, including some of his students. In the hospital, Abyssinia spoke to him and gave him magic (much like Argeddion before The Summer of Light). Gant has been in Abyssinia's servitude ever since, under orders to find her still living heart and use it to resurrect her.
The Dying of the Light[]
He is first seen entering Danny's shop with Jeremiah Wallow, pretending to not know his accomplice. He stops an argument between Wallow and Danny and causally asks whether Danny has seen any Irish women in the area.
Later, he and Wallow kidnap Danny to use as bait to lure Valkyrie Cain out of her hiding place.
After Valkyrie kills Wallow, he goes berserk and starts beating Valkyrie to death after he manages to pin her down. Meanwhile, Danny has made it out of Gant's house and proceeds to damage Gant's car; a silver Cadillac. Gant hears the noise and when he sees Danny attacking his car with a metal link chain, he starts towards Danny, saying that Jeremiah used to polish that car to perfection because it made Gant proud. Gant is then taken down by Valkyrie, who has recovered somewhat, and Xena. Gant manages to flee the scene in his Cadillac.
Resurrection[]
Gant is revealed to be a Neoteric working with the anti-Sanctuary to start a war on the mortals. He holds a grudge against Valkyrie for killing Jeremiah Wallow and vows to kill her. This somewhat conflicts with Skulduggery Pleasant's wish to kill Valkyrie after he is corrupted by Azzedine Smoke. He is last seen fighting with Skulduggery in Coldheart Prison. When the prisoners all escape from their cells and start storming the platform where Abyssinia is being resurrected, Gant is overwhelmed and is buried beneath a pile of unconscious prisoners. It is not known whether he is alive or dead.
Midnight[]
Gant decides to get through to Valkyrie by her family and kidnaps Alice. He gives her until midnight to pass the tests he has set her. After completing the missions, Valkyrie, Skulduggery, Temper, and Abyssinia (whose son, Caisson, Cadaverous had also kidnapped) track him to his home: The Midnight Hotel. After a battle at his house, Alice kills him by holding him in her hands and clapping, oblivious to what she was doing.
Magic[]
Gant is a Neoteric whose ability is to make any place his "home". Wherever his home is, he cannot be hurt and within it he possesses superhuman strength and agility and is even able to alter reality in his "home" . He describes this as being 'king of his domain'.
Appearances[]
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Trivia[]
- He is one of the few sorcerers whose Given Name we know.