And so Holly began her story: "It all started in Ho Chi Minh City one summer. It was sweltering by anyone's standards. Needless to say, Artemis Fowl would not have been willing to put up with such discomfort if something extremely important had not been at stake. Important to the plan…"
And so the story begins….
"You are Artemis. Artemis Fowl the Second. You've been a criminal mastermind for several years. You live at Fowl Estate in Ireland. And you just saved mankind from total extinction and stumped Opal Koboi, the evil pixie that wanted world domination."
"Why?"
"Opal was your arch-enemy and needed to be stopped. She is dead now, eaten away by black magic. But in the process you… you… died" stuttered Holly. "It was your plan to be cloned with the chrysalis. And Foaly succeeded."
"And how do I know you people?" asked Artemis, his brows furrowed in an attempt to remember.
"I'm Holly. After discovering the Booke of the People in Ho Chi Minh City, you decided to hunt for a fairy. And that fairy was me. You captured me when you were twelve and held me captive for some of the People's precious gold as ransom. You've escaped the time field and blue rinse after you got your gold and I was released. You lived to see another day and-"
"I'm so sorry Holly! If I did anything cruel to-"Artemis blurted.
"Stop, stop, Artemis! You've apologized enough. I've forgiven you. In fact, we've become great friends and gone on many exciting adventures together with Butler, Juliet, Foaly, and Mulch."
"Isn't mulch dirt?" He confusingly muttered.
Holly continued as if she didn't hear him, "Butler is your bodyguard. He's protected since you were born as if you were his own. He cares about you, as do all of us. Juliet is his sister and she watches over your little brothers, Myles and Beckett. Myles is a crooked little boy. Kinda reminds me of you. Beckett is quite the opposite. He sees the world as a wonderland."
"I never assumed I'd have brothers. Am I a good brother, Holly?"
"Yes, I guess, but you haven't spent much time with them in a while. Back to the point, Artemis. Foaly is our tech-master and he's a centaur, you know half-horse, half-man. You two have an argument which one of you is smarter. Mulch, well he's a thieving dwarf. He's been arrested and escaped more times than I can count. But he's helped us in our time of need plenty of times."
"Holly, has he ever stolen from me?" He accused with a soul-piercing glare.
"He… might… have stolen a few bars of gold… but he also helped you get your memory back the time you were mind-wiped by the LEP."
"L-E-P?"
"The Lower Element Police." Holly said to him slowly, as if he was mentally challenged. They were nearing the door to the manor, so Holly needed to explain this fast. Butler, Juliet, and the boys were being unusually quiet when Holly and Artemis returned from their walk that Holly used to explain Artemis's own life, friends, and family to him. "Umm… Artemis, for the last few months your parents have thought you were completely gone... and your father does not know about fairy folk, okay? It will come as a surprise to them if you act as if this never happened. So just try to get them to think that you went into a relapse of Atlantis Complex, which is the disease you were ill with for several months. Just you have to explain it as if it is just a mental break-down, not Atlantis Complex."
Artemis did a quick rundown of the room. Butler was making an exquisite meal for lunch, and Juliet was studying her watch as if it were completely fascinating. Myles and Beckett were through the kitchen doorway in one of the Fowl family rooms, watching a cartoon on the 50-inch HD plasma screen TV.
"Why is everyone being so calm and not responding?!" Artemis exclaimed. "This is serious! I have no memory and only one person is really helping me!"
"We were trying not to bombard you with information. And you respond to Holly better than to anyone else" explained Butler. "Now come eat some stew." Artemis thought it smelled of lamb and onions, and his mouth started to water with the fumes of such greatly prepared food.
—
Later that night, as Artemis lay in bed, he was thinking of why Butler had said he responded to Holly better than to anyone else.
