Butler had checked every place on the block, and it appeared as though all protective installments had already been made. If Butler weren't sure of it, he'd say that he'd gone back in time to secure these devices for Artemis' protection. The two had a meeting with a long time responder and ally of Artemis'. The unfortunate thing about this person was, that they hadn't the first clue who he or she was. It sounded sketchy in the first place, but now they had planned to meet in Vienna, and that was so very far from Artemis' mainland. A trap was bound to be set. Butler could feel it in his bones.
Vienna, Austria.
Vienna was cold most of the year, but in mid January, it was almost unbearably so. Artemis held a long English coat tighter to himself in the chill, black hair drifting around his mis-matched eyes in a snowy wind. They stepped into the warm café, causing many a customer to draw his coat closer and away from the new snowdrift. Butler immediately gestured to the farthest table where a single woman sat. Her hair was short and black with spikes in the back and long side-parted bangs. As the pair neared her, Artemis made note of an authentic and very expensive looking imperial Russian coat and a flawless face that looked as young as fifteen. Her pale bony fingers were wrapped around a steaming cup of tea and a pair of black leather gloves sat next to a handcrafted chessboard. Artemis and Butler sat themselves opposite the porcelain faced young woman whose lips twitched as though she were suppressing a smile. Her eyes were a pale green that kept the Irish teen, much to his personal dismay, very distracted. She made the first move, letting one thin hand fall from the cup, and land on a piece. She moved it to a different square on the board.
"Your move." Her voice was clearly an Austrian accent. "Perhaps the great Artemis Fowl is not as clever as he claims to be." She said at his momentary lapse of evaluation. Her quirky smile was obvious now. Artemis made his move expertly.
"Your move." He smiled wickedly. "And yes, I am as clever as they say."
"And modest as well." She complimented in a sarcastic tone. Her laugh sounded a bit off, but he couldn't be sure. She made her next move.
The jibes and snide comments went on for almost three and a half hours, and the game progressed throughout. This girl was proving to be a most worthy adversary. In a very complicated move, she took three of Artemis' pieces.
"Check Mate." She said with smug satisfaction. "By the way, Happy Birthday." She slipped a candy Cane from her coat pocket and set it gently next to the chessboard. Retrieving her leather gloves, she slipped them on and lithely rose from her seat.
"Arrivederci, Master Fowl." She said in flawless Italian, leaving the café in a flurry of snow.
Artemis sat, dumbfounded. Butler consulted his phone.
"Artemis, your parents need you home soon. We need to hurry."
"For some ridiculous celebration, no doubt. I would rather miss it all together."
"I think you father is quite excited to know that you can drink now." Butler said, amused. Artemis wrinkled his nose.
"Perish the thought, Butler! Physically, I am only fifteen, and though my father is sure that I just appear younger than I am, I am not. I cannot even imagine what something as intoxicating as Irish whisky would do to me. Could you imagine? Disgusting." He scoffed and slid his leather gloves on. "Shall we, old friend? I mine as well get this whole 'eighteenth Birthday' celebration over with. We all know it is an excuse for my mother to have the hose displayed to the public and my father to boast with new straight and narrow business partners." He flicked a few strands of raven coloured hair out of his eyes and pressed on through the snow.
That meeting was an utter waste of time." Artemis whined, flicking a hand in the air to emphasize his statement. A teacup was held in his other by a single slight finger.
"I intended to make ends meet with this woman but, alas, to no avail. She's been a worthy adversary for many a year, but she seemed to lack in something this evening. I just wish I knew her name." He mused. Butler smiled mischievously. "Oh. Be reasonable, Butler." Artemis commanded, swinging a book at Butler. Very uncharacteristic of him, he would have to stop that.
Upon arrival at Fowl Manor, Artemis was greeted by the two twins, Emmett and Riley, both clad in suits.
"Oh joy." Artemis muttered sarcastically, heading for the stairs. The two boys had hardly been the nascence that Artemis had expected of the three year olds. Emmett was very capable of manipulating any language he read, even if he'd never heard of read it before, and Artemis found himself testing the boy often. Riley was quite an artist. Paintings, though mediocre for monumental standards, were phenomenal on any average child's account. Riley also played several instruments and had created the architectural design of a Fowl Industries building that was going up in Dublin by the time he was seven.
As Artemis reached his office, his computer alerted him to e-mail. Said e-mail was from the woman with whom he had just met with. He opened the video feed, nothing out of the ordinary. She smiled brightly at him.
"It has been an honor working with you, Artemis Fowl, but I know about it. All of it. I want it. You have ten days, Artemis Fowl, or you can bid you humble abode and family adieu."
By the way, if you are wondering, I gave Artemis my birthday. I didn't know what his birthday was, so I made it up. It's January Eleventh.
Roman