Encrypted : With Love, Artemis Fowl

Chapter One: Curiosity Killed The Elf

What if Holly found Artemis' diary? Nothing too bad could happen, right?

Holly Short sighed dramatically, collapsing into one of the computer chairs, kicking off her boots and swinging her feet up onto the table.

"Holly," Foaly greeted her, without turning, staring straight ahead at his screen, a band of metal covering his eyes as he waved a hand in greeting vaguely behind himself.

"Mmm." she replied, looking around the counter, and idly flipping pieces of machinery over in her long fingers. She found a head piece and slid it on carefully, enjoying the effect of her new mind reading abilities thanks to the equipment.

"It's a prototype." warned the centaur easily. Holly pulled it off, quickly replacing it where she had found it, and gingerly poking it wondering if it might blow up. She didn't trust her best friends prototypes anymore…they usually blew up, and she was usually fiddling with it at the time. Luckily, all ten times she had been wearing a protective suit.

He chuckled to himself, then tapping the last few keys decisively, he minimised his 'work' and pulled the metal band off, depositing it in the bin at his feet.

Holly eyed the headwear suspiciously, and Foaly swivelled around in his plush technicians chair to grin at her.

"Good shift?" The elf snorted at the idiocy of this statement, and Foaly shrugged.

"Okay, I can dream, so sue me."

Holly nodded absently, "I'm sure we all can."

"That bad?"

Holly nodded again, "I think I may have to strangle her."

"You'd be struck off…again." he pointed out, but became too interested in the bag at her feet to continue the topic of conversation, he pointed to the sack at her feet eagerly. "For me?" was his hopeful request.

Holly rolled her eyes, leaning over her legs still up on his terminal counter and swung the bag onto her lap, "It's only for good little centaurs…" she told him.

Foaly pouted, his bottom lip sticking out and his brow furrowing, "When am I not? Gimme." she chuckled, shaking her head at his comical display of upset. He wasn't upset, and they both knew it. "What is it by the way?" he quired as she tossed the sack to him. He caught it. Just.

"Ooohhhh…." he cooed, as he pulled the fabric bag open and peered inside.

"Mmmmhummmm."

"That's not a word."

"That good?" she asked, ignoring his chiding, Foaly nodded, taking out the package. It was square, about four or five inches deep and made from platinum. The casing was inscribed in several languages, and intricate Celtic, Roman and Norse symbols. He turned it over in his hands, examining it carefully and smiled with excitement.

"It's great! Where did you find it?"

Holly smiled, " Out by the harbour."

"Which one? Strangely, if you hadn't noticed, there is more than one in existence."

She shrugged, not caring for the details, " Helsinki."

The centaur raised a curious eyebrow - not that you really noticed though- and nodded, "You weren't supposed to be anywhere near Helsinki…"

"Your point?"

"Why were you there?"

"Hey, you got something shiny out of it, why complain?"

Foaly was very nearly swayed by this argument, tempted to go and get to work enjoying taking the present from Holly apart and 'ohh' and 'ahhh' at technical things Holly didn't understand, but, he wasn't - for once. If it had been carrots, it may have been a different story. "That's a very valid point, my elfy friend, but, just this once - why?"

"Why did I get you a present?" Holly asked, confused suddenly.

The centaur sighed , Holly may have been smart, but obviously not that smart " No, though I am suspicious now you mention it…"

"I'm offended, can't I get a present for my friend once in a while?" Foaly coughed, "Okay, fine, what did you want to know?"

He grinned at her, "Much better."

Holly groaned, here was the inquisition…she should have just couriered the damn thing.

"Spill." he commended, smiling happily to himself.

"Spill what?"

"Why were you in Helsinki?"

"Just…in the area…" she told him noncommittally.

"Oh, cut the Mudpeople, Holly. Just tell me, you know I won't tell anyone else."

"If I buy you carrots, will you drop it?" she asked him hopefully.

"How?" he asked, in astonishment, "could you think that I, technical consultant for the LEP, would take bribes?"

Holly shrugged, "Done it before…"

He winked and shook his head, "Not this time, sweetheart. Tell. Now."

"I wasn't there for any reason!"

"Mmm…I totally believe you."

If Foaly was honest- which he wasn't going to be because he enjoyed tormenting the elf far too much, and prising the information out of her to not tease her- he knew why she had been there. The reason, was two words : a name. Artemis Fowl.

The Irish teenager had monopolised most of Holly's time for the past several years, and the two had been through quite a bit together, and recently, even more so.

Holly didn't want to admit it, wouldn't in fact, but, she missed Artemis. Two months before, he had moved away to Helsinki and Holly missed him quite a lot. With her increased status at the LEP she could visit the surface any time she liked, and most of her surface time - that wasn't work related- was spent in the company of one mud boy. Artemis: criminal genius and all around know-it-all.

Now that he had moved, Holly seemed at lot more angry, and a lot less dedicated. Foaly was planning to put a stop to this, and, if it took this kind of thing, he wanted her to admit that she missed him. He gave up pretending.

"You went to see Artemis, didn't you?"

Holly nodded silently, looking at her boots for imperfections in the carefully applied shine : courtesy of one of Foaly's inventions - The shimmer shoe mirror solution. Which made the shine on a shoe so like a mirror, it really was hard not to be blinded by your own boots when above the surface. Of course, the light in Haven was artificial and did not reflect…thanks to Foaly.

"You miss him…" he prompted helpfully.

"Ha! How could I miss him? He's just troublesome."

Foaly rolled his eyes, hadn't she always been the troublesome recon officer?

"No, I wasn't." Holly told him, the remains of the headdress' ability fading, but picking up on this thought.

He groaned, maybe time to move the subject on?

"So, thank-you for getting me this, Holly."

Holly waved a hand, "No problem, I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, yes. Yes, I do. A great deal. Though, I have one question…"

The elf frowned, she didn't see how she could answer anything he might want to know. "Yes?"

Foaly stared at the box for a moment, twisting it around in the palm of his hand, before looking back to her. "What is it?"

"I don't know - I thought you would…"

' dum di da la di da…better run for cover-' Holly fished her phone from her pocket quickly. It was a crude mudmen model, a 'sony orsen' or something ridiculous, with a flip part Holly was scared she might break if she flipped too hard, and an in built bad quality camera. It was quite primeval. Which, she thought was a rather good program…if totally inaccurate. Foaly eyes the piece of technology with disgust and turned away from her, only sighing at her choice in music - McFlurry wasn't that was the band was called? Or was that an Icecream…he always got them confused.

**

"Hello?"

" Holly, is that you?"

"Yes, of course it's me, this is my phone. Mobile…thing. The one you gave me. It's so crude. You have terrible taste in music." she informed them testily.

"I'm glad you like it," He chuckled, " and yes, I was simply being polite."

"I don't like it!" she cried, although it was actually true, "You're never polite, what do you want?"

He sighed mournfully, " Really, Holly, you wound me. Must everything I do or say have an ultimatum?"

She laughed, "When it's you - yes, there always is."

"Fine, think what you will. I needed to ask you something."

"Ask away, mudboy."

" Have you seen a small platinum box? I think I dropped it, I wondered if you saw me do so…or?"

Holly looked over at Foaly, who was fiddling with the platinum box in the corner of the room, and muttering about the technology of the mudmen. "No, I haven't…what is it?"

Artemis groaned to himself, " My diary, don't worry about it, Holly. Thank-you all the same. I'll see you soon." he rang off without saying goodbye, and Holly flipped the mobile closed. She stared at the platinum box with confusion…why had she said that? Why?

But, the most prevalent thought at that second was His diary? Artemis keeps a diary? …I wonder what's in it…she gulped slightly, knowing that the idea that had sprung to mind was very wrong. She wanted to read his diary. After all, what harm could it do? This was Artemis, all he'd have would be detailed plans of whatever it was he was doing at the moment…listening to them would be a public service to the people- nothing wrong at all. She was protecting her fellow Feary. That was all…

Yes, it wasn't wrong, it'd be a good thing. He wouldn't ever find out anyway…and she'd be doing for the people - she wasn't curious or anything, it was just a diary, nothing special, just Artemis' voice…Artemis handwriting…nothing special. Just words.

I bet he writes down what he ate for breakfast…was her next thought, as she turned to Foaly and smiled innocently.

"Oh Gods, no, Holly…what idea has entered your silly elf mind?"

She grinned, "Well…that box…"