"He's trying to become a god," Skulduggery replies, as if Max were somehow at the information meeting and knows that. "I suppose creating a fake forest for us is a good way to practice. Experiment. Try to figure out what a maple tree is meant to look like." Not quite like that one over there, that's for sure.

"I hadn't considered that," he says. "If that's what he's doing, then I have a few critiques. Namely, it's irrational and I don't like it."

Max is his safe space, where he feels comfortable enough to just be a petulant baby for a minute. Max won't judge him like Darcy might!