CHAPTER 1: Mulch's New Surroundings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story starts more or less right on the heels of where the last one left off. So I'm reposting this chapter with a few minor changes/additions.
Mulch was in his cell, pacing. His home for the next twenty years. Strike that, 19 and half years. For a fairy it wasn't that great a deal of time of course. Fairies lived for hundreds of years after all. But still, prison was not fun. Currently he had no roommate but sooner or later they'd book a few goblins for company for him. Goblins and dwarves: sworn enemies. And besides that, the cell walls weren't really very entertaining to look at. 6 months and it was already long memorized. He could see it with his eyes shut.
He reached into a pocket. He was thankful the LEP hadn't found this when they booked him. It was Fowl's watch. He didn't know why, but he wanted to keep it. Someday, he'd trade it back to Fowl at a high price.
Then again, in twenty years, would Fowl even remember it?
Would Fowl even remember him in twenty years? Fowl wasn't the kind to forget people, or anything really, but one of these days the Council would find some excuse to mindwipe him. He knew entirely too much.
No matter. If the mud boy did remember, Mulch would always have a friend and business partner among the Mud Men.
He stopped pacing and lay down on a small cot in the corner of the room. Nearly 300 years combined in and out of prison cells had taught him how to make time pass quickly. He began to count bricks in the ceiling. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 . . .
He lifted his head as he heard footsteps and someone stopped outside his cell. "Hello, Julius, Holly." This was odd. Holly had visited he a couple of times over the past six months but this was the first he'd seen of Root. Holly's visits had been nice in breaking the monotony but this was going to be good. Very interesting.
"Watch your mouth, convict!" growled Root.
Mulch rolled over on his stomach lazily. "Why should I? You and I are good friends right, Julius?" Root had arrested him more than a dozen times.
"Say it again and I'll add another 5 years to your sentence."
"Okay, Commander, Captain. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"We need your help."
"Again?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're the only one who's already forfeited magic."
"What's in it for me?"
"10 years off your sentence."
"15."
"5."
"15 or I don't budge. You can't force me to work for you. I'm beginning to feel quite comfortable here."
Root's face turned slightly purple. "I'll make it uncomfortable then. It can be arranged."
"Oh, no, don't trouble yourself over little ol' me. So what's the job?" asked Mulch, thoroughly enjoying himself.
It was Holly that answered. "We've got reason to suspect that Fowl's been monitoring us somehow. Your job is to go in and find out how. He's just about home for Christmas vacation."
"Is it a yes or no, convict?"
"12 years off. Take it or leave it." He was planning his escape anyway. Nothing could stop a tunneling dwarf.
"Deal. We'll be back to get you a week from tomorrow morning." Root and Holly retreated.
Mulch when back to counting the bricks while he planned his escape. Fowl would help him certainly. The two were valuable business assets to one another. Unless of course Fowl betrayed him . . . if the Council offered a better price on his head than he was worth, and Fowl found out about it Fowl would probably turn him in.
But that was unlikely. Fowl may not be kind but he was greedy and Mulch knew how to control greedy people. He took out a deck of cards he'd coaxed Holly into letting him have and began to play solitaire.
I PROMISE TO PUT THE NEXT CHAPTER UP LATER TODAY
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story starts more or less right on the heels of where the last one left off. So I'm reposting this chapter with a few minor changes/additions.
Mulch was in his cell, pacing. His home for the next twenty years. Strike that, 19 and half years. For a fairy it wasn't that great a deal of time of course. Fairies lived for hundreds of years after all. But still, prison was not fun. Currently he had no roommate but sooner or later they'd book a few goblins for company for him. Goblins and dwarves: sworn enemies. And besides that, the cell walls weren't really very entertaining to look at. 6 months and it was already long memorized. He could see it with his eyes shut.
He reached into a pocket. He was thankful the LEP hadn't found this when they booked him. It was Fowl's watch. He didn't know why, but he wanted to keep it. Someday, he'd trade it back to Fowl at a high price.
Then again, in twenty years, would Fowl even remember it?
Would Fowl even remember him in twenty years? Fowl wasn't the kind to forget people, or anything really, but one of these days the Council would find some excuse to mindwipe him. He knew entirely too much.
No matter. If the mud boy did remember, Mulch would always have a friend and business partner among the Mud Men.
He stopped pacing and lay down on a small cot in the corner of the room. Nearly 300 years combined in and out of prison cells had taught him how to make time pass quickly. He began to count bricks in the ceiling. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 . . .
He lifted his head as he heard footsteps and someone stopped outside his cell. "Hello, Julius, Holly." This was odd. Holly had visited he a couple of times over the past six months but this was the first he'd seen of Root. Holly's visits had been nice in breaking the monotony but this was going to be good. Very interesting.
"Watch your mouth, convict!" growled Root.
Mulch rolled over on his stomach lazily. "Why should I? You and I are good friends right, Julius?" Root had arrested him more than a dozen times.
"Say it again and I'll add another 5 years to your sentence."
"Okay, Commander, Captain. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"We need your help."
"Again?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're the only one who's already forfeited magic."
"What's in it for me?"
"10 years off your sentence."
"15."
"5."
"15 or I don't budge. You can't force me to work for you. I'm beginning to feel quite comfortable here."
Root's face turned slightly purple. "I'll make it uncomfortable then. It can be arranged."
"Oh, no, don't trouble yourself over little ol' me. So what's the job?" asked Mulch, thoroughly enjoying himself.
It was Holly that answered. "We've got reason to suspect that Fowl's been monitoring us somehow. Your job is to go in and find out how. He's just about home for Christmas vacation."
"Is it a yes or no, convict?"
"12 years off. Take it or leave it." He was planning his escape anyway. Nothing could stop a tunneling dwarf.
"Deal. We'll be back to get you a week from tomorrow morning." Root and Holly retreated.
Mulch when back to counting the bricks while he planned his escape. Fowl would help him certainly. The two were valuable business assets to one another. Unless of course Fowl betrayed him . . . if the Council offered a better price on his head than he was worth, and Fowl found out about it Fowl would probably turn him in.
But that was unlikely. Fowl may not be kind but he was greedy and Mulch knew how to control greedy people. He took out a deck of cards he'd coaxed Holly into letting him have and began to play solitaire.
I PROMISE TO PUT THE NEXT CHAPTER UP LATER TODAY