'Artemis?'

'Artemis?'

Artemis sat up suddenly, gasping for air and bathed in sweat. Just a dream, he told himself. Then he heard it again;

'Artemis?'

He shot out of bed like a bullet, breathing ragged. Where was that voice coming from? He looked around at the pristine

white surroundings frantically.

'Artemis, sit down, you'll hurt yourself!'

He cast around; he couldn't pinpoint the voice. He slowly became aware of the soft beep of machines; where was he? More

importantly, who had spoken? He didn't know; casting around, he became aware of a slight shimmer at the foot of the bed.

He stumbled towards it, making some effort to be cautious, and grabbed onto the bedpost to stop himself falling. All of a

sudden, he became aware of how laboured his breathing was and of an ache low in his abdomen.

'Artemis, don't be afraid, I'm going to appear now.'

Artemis nodded weakly, eyes wide, panicky and uncomprehending. The voice was musical and soft. In front of him, a small

humanoid began to appear. He took a step backwards, startled. His foot caught on something lying on the floor, and all the

breath whooshed out of him as a searing white-hot pain burned behind his eyelids. He heard a shout, and everything went

black.

He was first aware of dull thumping pains in his lower stomach and head; his keen ears caught the murmur of low voices by

the bedside. If he concentrated, he could just make out what they were saying.

'What on Earth possessed you to do such a stupid thing? You know he won't remember you!' one voice whispered

furiously. Male, thought Artemis.

'I don't know, Commander.' Female.

'Well, I suggest you get that head of yours working and find out why!' Slight shuffling noises indicated movement by the

speaker. 'Foaly! Is it working?' A pause. 'Well, hurry up, he'll wake up soon!' Artemis almost frowned; what on Earth was a

Foaly? However, he felt a sight pressure on his eyes and he immediately felt sleepy. Within five seconds he felt himself

slipping away. He struggled slightly; but it had him. Through the growing blackness he heard;

'It would never work anyway, Holly. You know that,' said the male.

'I know.'

And then he was gone.

Artemis sat up. Where was he? He looked around. Everything was white. Why was it white? He struggled to remember,

pushing his aching head into his unnaturally warm hands. White. White meant…what did white mean? White meant…a

hospital! A hospital? What was he doing in a hospital? Artemis tried to remember. A flash of light…a small creature. A fairy?

No, fairies don't exist. Just a normal human? He continued to rack his brains, head in hands, fingertips gently massaging his

temples; his favourite thinking pose. Ok, he thought. After the human…

Impact! Forceful enough to lift him off his feet. A sharp pain, flaring then subsiding slightly in his abdomen. The sticky feel, the

sharp tang of blood. His blood. Darkness gathering at the edges of his vision. A dark, huge shape, big enough to block out the

suddenly painful light of the sun. The sound of a single shot, then silence. Darkness obliterating his eyesight; impending

darkness. Eternal darkness. He couldn't move. Panicking, flinging out at the sides of his mind. The sensation of being lifted. Then,

darkness claimed him.

Artemis opened his eyes, staring at the whitewashed ceiling. He was lying again. He turned his head slightly, and

immediately regretted it; a sharp spike of white-hot pain flashed and drove itself into his head. He gasped, unable to keep

his eyes from watering. He lay back, careful not to move his head too much. It was then Artemis noticed his parents – yes,

his parents! – dozing beside the bedside. At his gasp, however, they had woken and were now gazing tearfully at him.

Also, his younger twin brothers were curled up asleep on the bed, near his legs.

'Arty?'

He moved his gaze off his brothers onto his mother. She was watching him, her eyes red and bloodshot from crying.

'Oh, Arty!'

Artemis looked on in amazement as his mother – his normally composed, beautiful mother – broke down, right there by his

bedside.

'We thought…we thought…we…' she sobbed uncontrollably.

'The doctors were not certain that you would wake up,' explained his father softly, who was comforting a distraught

Angeline Fowl. Artemis nodded slowly, as he could think of nothing to say. And who does, after teetering so closely on the

brink of death? It was at this moment, however, that the twins woke up.