The Lost Art Of World Domination | |
The Lost Art Of World Domination | |
Author | Derek Landy |
Cover Artist | Tom Percival |
Date Published | 2010 |
Date Set In | Post-June 2007 |
Publisher | HarperCollins |
No. of pages | 25 approx. |
ISBN | None |
Publication Order | |
Preceded by Skulduggery Pleasant |
Followed by Playing With Fire |
"The Lost Art Of World Domination" was the first short story published in the series. It is set a few months after the first book. It was first published in the paperback of the first book and was then re-published in the Australian edition. It was included in Armageddon Outta Here in July 2014.
Synopsis[]
The story starts with a villain called Scaramouch Van Dreg, who has captured Skulduggery Pleasant, who are both in a dungeon. Scaramouch had been trying to capture Skulduggery's attention, but finds out that Skulduggery had been sleeping the whole time. Scaramouch wakes him, and Skulduggery is surprised to find Scaramouch. Skulduggery tells him that he was trying to arrest Rancid Fines and Christophe Nocturnal, much to Scaramouch's anger, who had thought that Skulduggery was trying to arrest him.
Skulduggery asks Scaramouch what he is planning, and Scaramouch realises that Skulduggery only views him as "relatively deadly." Scaramouch tells Skulduggery he is planning to take over the world, not bring the Faceless Ones back using the Crystal of the Saints. Skulduggery tells Scaramouch all the work and trouble ruling the world would be, but Scaramouch believes that he could still do it. Scaramouch then shows Skulduggery a container, which had been enchanted by twenty-three spells by twenty-three different sorcerers. The container has a insect which could drain the magic of sorcerers. It is one of the Lost Artifacts. Skulduggery asks if he knows if the insect is inside, and Scaramouch panics.
Skulduggery suggests opening the box to find out if the insect is even in the box. Scaramouch places the container on the floor, and opens the lid. The insect rises out and lands on the floor. Skulduggery squishes it just as Valkyrie walks in. She uses air magic and the two arrest Scaramouch. As they walk out, Skulduggery tells Scaramouch that there should be more people who want to take over the world, and that all the other bad guys think that it's just silly.
Trivia[]
- Christophe Nocturnal re-appeared in Kingdom Of The Wicked. Rancid Fines also makes his return in Dead or Alive as a minor antagonist along with the Crystal of the Saints.
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