A/N – Sorry for the long wait. I was out over the holiday and couldn't quite finish before now. Please R/R!
Angeline Visits the Fairies – Chapter 2
Keeping secret The People's existence was not an issue in bringing Angeline Fowl to the Nostremius. After being virtually possessed by Opal Koboi during the lemur incident, there was no way that Mrs. Fowl could not know of them. The only way to have changed that would have been to mind-wipe her, to which Artemis was adamantly opposed.
"I will absolutely not tolerate any interference with my mother's memories" Artemis wrote during several email exchanges between he, Holly, Foaly, Trouble Kelp and the council, immediately after the incident with the lemur. "Any attempt by the LEP to do so, will result in an adversarial relationship between the People and myself", he wrote. "I will bring to bear all the resources of Fowl Industries and my own if necessary to ensure no interference with my mother's memories."
Artemis had privately told Holly that as much as he would hate not being on good relations with The People, he just could not allow any further tampering with his mother's mind and that his threats were not empty ones.
In the end, the council decided that it was not worth it to have Artemis Fowl as an enemy. Artemis, for his part, consented to stringent monitoring in Fowl Manor and on Mrs. Fowl, via satellite surveillance. Mrs. Fowl could be watched and listened to from very sophisticated fairy designed listening devices mounted on human launched satellites. If Mrs. Fowl did slip, the LEP was ready to mind wipe anyone to whom she spoke, without giving Fowl any prior notice.
Artemis did his part by making every effort to convince his mother how important this secret was. Angeline understood as she realized these people had not only become her son's friends, but were responsible for his becoming less a selfish, scheming criminal and more someone who could have and appreciate friends and put others first.
Still, the council and the LEP would be reluctant to have Angeline Fowl visit Haven or Atlantis for the same reason that they usually don't want Artemis to visit. It is disruptive and secrecy. There are road closings needed for transportation, extra guards, special living quarters and other expenses that are not budgeted.
Holly considered all of this as she thought about what Butler said. She didn't blame Mrs. Fowl for wanting to come and she didn't blame Butler for wanting to help her get here. She decided she would help find a way to bring Artemis' mother to visit him.
Holly finally responded to Butler, "That might be a tough one. I'm not sure whether to go to Trouble and get permission or just try to get Foaly to check me out a shuttle and bring her here on my own. Or maybe…", she paused to think for a few moments, "I have an idea, but I need to talk to Foaly and Dr. Argon. Let's visit them, after I break up this wrestling match"
"Break it up? Juliet won't be happy," said Butler, as he followed behind the LEP captain.
"Well, I could let the match come to a conclusion", Holly called over her shoulder, as they walked quickly to the gym, "but I can't allow significant gambling on a hospital ship. C'mon, I could use your help in this crowd"
"Ahh, some people I can intimidate. I'm at your disposal, Captain", with as much smile as he ever has.
Several minutes earlier, Mulch had arrived in the gym where Juliet was battling a very husky pixie in a wrestling competition. There were about 150 fairies seated in the bleachers, cheering loudly.
Wrestling among The People has become very poplar, especially as a late night television show that features all the drama and large production environment of human wrestling events. The difference is that these wrestling events are not staged. There is no predetermined victor in any of the events. The moves are real and when people get "pile-drived" it isn't pretty. However, the contestants are required to be running hot with magic and there is always a medical warlock standing by, so the danger of any permanent injury is very low.
While in this case, Juliet Butler doesn't have magic, there are plenty of medical warlocks on a hospital ship. Two volunteered to stay in Juliet's corner as a precaution. Currently, they were both wondering if they would be enough.
Juliet was face down with her right arm being held behind her back, her wrist pulled up just above a pixie's right knee that was planted on her spine, just below the shoulder blades. Juliet was on her knees with her left arms at her side as the jumbo pixie was trying leverage her arm to pull the younger Butler's legs back to flatten and pin her. It looked for all the world that the pixie, whose wrestling name is Venus Flytrap, was about to pull Juliet's arm out of the socket.
Mulch elbowed his way through the crowd, betting anyone and everyone that the human was going to turn it around and escape. Before he got to the front, the dwarf had succeeded in making no less than twenty substantial bets. While everyone was anxious to take Mulch's bet, they were even more anxious to put distance between themselves and the pungent dwarf, whose beard and clothes were beginning to congeal together from the remains of his earlier meal. He easily moved to the front then to where he could see Juliet's face. "Hey Jade Princess!" he called, "it doesn't look good, here. You are about to cost me a lot of gold."
Juliet turned her head slightly, looked at Mulch. Through some loose strands of blond hair, he saw her close then open one eye. "Did she just wink at me?", he thought to himself. Before he could even think to answer himself, Juliet made her move. Just before looking at Mulch, she had reached back with her free left arm to just within inches of Flytrap's leg, the one that was not in her back. Then, in one lighting-fast motion, the Jade Princess grabbed the pixie's left leg just above the ankle, digging in her green-painted nails. Simultaneously she pulled up on the leg and rolled towards her right shoulder, stabilizing the arm that was being pinned. As Venus lost her balance, Juliet quickly brought her left leg up, catching the pixie's leg that was bleeding and sparking magic from the nails. In the flash of an eye, the Jade Princess had flipped Venus Flytrap on to her back, with Juliet on top, laying face up and her legs trapping the stunned pixie. She now had Flytrap in a scissors hold and was squeezing her opponent's torso between her powerful legs with all her strength.
Crowd gave a collective surprised "Ooohhh", followed by a groan, and then went silent, except, of course, for Mulch.
"Way to go Butler chick!" He hollered. "That a way to make ole Mulch some gold!"
Juliet continued her squeezing and blue sparks started to swirl around Venus's lower rib cage. There were popping sounds coming from the pixie's chest as ribs were cracking, healing and cracking again. At this point, Venus Flytrap knew she was beaten. The mud-girl's superior size and strength was now clear to the pixie and she groaned her surrender, "No more, no more". The balding gnome, who was officiating the contest, blew his whistle. Juliet released her hold, jumped up and raised her hands in victory.
The crowd couldn't help but cheer, despite the fact that the majority had just lost a bet. Mulch, ran up to the ring to give Juliet a hug, which she just avoided as Holly's voice rang out across the gym.
"All right everyone, this event is over. There will be no gold changing hands as a result of this contest. Anyone caught doing so will be arrested and charged with illegal gambling."
All eyes looked to where the voice came from. They saw a female LEP captain, using the megaphone function on her helmet. The 150 spectators may have been tempted to ignore her due to outnumbering her, except for her companion. Next to her stood a human whose head reached almost to the fairy gymnasium rafters. His bullet-shaped, clean shaven head accentuated his scowl that seemed to be staring at all the individuals at once. Many had seen the fairy-produced Artemis Fowl movies and knew that Butler was not to be trifled with.
Mulch, of course, was the exception. "You can't do that!", he whined, running up to Butler and Holly. "I just won a bundle on the big guy's sister."
Juliet was coming also and went into Butler's arms for a congratulatory hug. "Way to go little sister", he said as he tousled her hair, "But really, a scissor squeeze?"
"Oh Do-, uh, big brother. The crowd just loves that stuff. Rolling and flattening her in two seconds would be boring." Butler rolled his eyes.
Mulch continued his ranting, but Holly was having none of it. "Mulch, remember, you've gone legit. If the LEP caught you gambling, you could lose your PI license and you'd be called 'convict', again. I don't think you want that."
Mulch went silent as he pondered this, "It just might have been worth it," he muttered.
"What was that, Mulch?"
"Uh I said, that just wouldn't be worth it," and quickly scurried off, hoping to, perhaps, collect some winnings without LEP knowledge.
The crowd filed out quickly, giving Butler a wide berth. No sense in taking any chances, most of them thought. When the last of the crowd had left, Holly said to Butler, "Let's go see if we can catch Foaly and Dr. Argon now.
Butler followed Holly to the administrative office on board the Nostremius. "I have an idea", she told the huge body guard.
"Oof", Butler said as he banged is head on a low-hanging light. Butler had to walk hunched down as far as he could. The Nostremius was a large ship by fairy standards, but still provided less height than what was normal for fairy dwellings. This gave Butler even less headroom than usual when visiting The People.
Holly, walking quickly didn't notice Butler's small collision and went on talking. "If we get Argon to see that Mrs. Fowl's visit will help cure Artemis, then he would have the authority to allow the visit. Butler, as Artemis' body guard and companion, you can help point that out to that to the doctor."
Butler grunted his agreement as he just barely dodged a wall sconce that suddenly appeared as they rounded a corner to faux oak door. In written on the door in gnomish was Dr. Ash S. Argon, Chief Resident Psychologist. Holly opened the door and walked in and Butler ducked low through the door behind her. They were in a small reception area with several small, round windows that had a view of Atlantis in the distance. In the center of the room was a small desk occupied by a small female elf.
The elf looked a little older than Holly, with very dark shoulder length hair and round lips. Her make-up was perfectly applied and she was attired an elegant, but appropriate women's business suit. Overall she was a very attractive elf. The name plate on her desk read "Lilac Retuala"
The pretty elf looked up, and then looked way up. Her eyes widened at the huge Eurasian human squeezed into her reception area. "M-may I help you?" she asked, trying to sound business-like but not entirely succeeding.
Holly resisted the urge to roll her eyes at what she surmised was a "trophy" receptionist hired for her looks. "I'll bet she doesn't know how to turn on a cell phone", thought Holly. Aloud she said, "Captain Holly Short and Butler to see Dr. Argon"
"I'm sorry", replied Lilac, "He's in conference with…"
The door to Argon's office opened. Inside, Holly could see Foaly sitting on a chair around a coffee table. Out stepped an elf, tall by fairy standards. He had a full head of salt and pepper hair, combed back behind his very long, pointed ears. His long, hooked nose sat in front of his ice blue, penetrating eyes. It was clear there was intelligence behind those eyes.
"Captain Short, Mr. Butler, please come in. We've been expecting you"
