The man was veiled in darkness, but the informant could see him clearly through his goggles. The man cocked his head, an imposing figure with patiently folded hands. As a rule, mud men were ugly and typically to be avoided, but this man was making an offer the boss would have drooled over, were she conscious.
"It's a simple, simple deal," the man said. "And we would only borrow her for a short time. I'm sure she would understand."
"She does not like to be interrupted," the informant replied nervously. "But she would most likely accept your offer. Assuming I can get her to you, what then?"
"Then we shall trade."
The informant nodded. "I will see what I can do."
It was many days before the man got a response. He checked his special communication device no less than three times a day, but he never received anything. What he could not see was his informant carefully infiltrating his mistress's tower, the painstaking hours it took to bribe a certain back-door to let him borrow her for a few days, the trouble it took to transport her back up to the surface, and then the long wait to contact the man and let him know he had been successful. The informant sighed, glad to be rid of this business and left the room where she was sleeping. She had received the necessary drugs to wake her up, she would soon be alert and able. The informant didn't want to be around when that happened.
The man, however, was intrigued, silently coming into the room and watching his counterpart gently slumber. She was clearly a sleeping beauty, but while that princess had been woken by a gentle kiss, this one was awakened by the cocktail that sent her adrenalin spinning.
"Where am I?" she demanded at once, very much aware things were not going as planned.
"Forgive me, my dear," the man said. "I do not intend to harm you, but I am afraid I was forced to wake you. You see, I require your assistance."
The fairy tried to sit up, but the man pushed her back down.
"No, my dear," he said. "Lie down, give yourself some time to adjust."
The fairy took deep breaths, doing her best to remain calm despite the undesirable circumstances. This human didn't even have the respect to refer to her as a queen, or anything else as majestic, nor did he seem to respect the rule to let sleeping fairies lie. The man paced the room, always watching her silhouette, yet always keeping the distance of a gentleman, being calm, cool, and collected.
"Tell me," the fairy said at last.
"I wish to bargain for weapons," he said. "You know those which I speak of."
"And why should I make a bargain with you for them?" she asked haughtily. "You don't deserve them. You are a mud man."
"Because I can offer you extensive access in our world, which I know you covet," the man replied. "That I can promise you, and you will not be disappointed."
"And for what purpose do you plan to use these weapons?" the fairy asked.
"I have enemies," the man replied. "I plan to get rid of them."
The fairy laughed. "I have enemies of my own, and yet my weapons have not yet defeated them."
"Ah, but my enemies are only human."
"So are mine. One in particular: a teenage boy, Artemis Fowl. He is a nuisance, he led to this downfall, and I will wreak my revenge upon him."
The man seemed to smile, although she could not yet clearly make out his face. "What do you say to an act of good faith on my part? We bring our enemies together, kill them together, and make our exchange."
The fairy considered this. "Very well. I accept. Shall we go over the details?"
"Rest," the man said. "Call for me when you have fully recovered, and then we shall transform our world forever."
The fairy smiled. She liked the sound of that. The man was right, however, she would need some good, old-fashioned sleep before she did anything else. She drifted off, and the man left her. He hid his emotions deep within his chest, but they were unmistakable. This would be the plan, the plan, that would not only change the world, but the world of every single student at H.I.V.E.
He couldn't wait.
