Cherub Chairwoman, Zara Asker, looked up from her paperwork and winked at the skinny boy before her. The name Zara Asker was written on a plaque on the edge of her desk, barely discernible beneath layers of paper.
"Good morning Artemis, did you sleep well?"
Why Does everybody know my name? Artemis fowl junior thought to himself.
"Yes, very well thankyou, though I seem to be missing a few things." He wriggled his fingers, as if to emphasise the fact that there was one thing in particular he was talking about.
Zara chuckled. "Don't worry, its all safe and you will get it back later. There was one thing that caught my eye though, a particular ring. You don't strike me as the type of boy who wears jewellery, especially something so… distinct."
"It belonged to my mother." Artemis lied, keeping his mouth straight. " It's very special to me."
The chairwoman raised her eyebrows, noting the lie but not commenting. "Well then, take a seat by the fire Master Fowl, we have matters to discuss." She said quickly. Changing the subject.
She got up from her desk and walked calmly over to one of the chairs by the fire, Artemis followed and sat in the one opposite, tracing the floral pattern with his newly replaced index finger.
The fire was relaxing, Artemis wouldn't have been surprised if Zara suddenly put a blanket over her lap and started toasting something with a fork.
"So," Mrs Asker started, "The sleeping agent we put in your tea was quite mild. I don't think there were any ill effects to your system. Anyhow, I owe you an apology. You don't look like the type who gets drugged very often." She finished, allowing herself another chuckle.
Artemis shrugged, something he had never done before; and would probably never do again. "Looks can be deceiving." He replied.
Zara was quite shocked by his answer, this Fowl boy was very secretive, and not In the usual way.
"What are your first impressions of us here at CHERUB?" She asked, again, moving quickly from one subject to another.
Artemis knew that he was in no danger, but he kept quiet about what he knew. After all, information is power. And Artemis wasn't prepared to give up what power he had.
"I have not yet had a chance to explore the grounds yet. From what I have seen in the room I woke up in, this place is very well funded, for a kids home that is. But why put me to sleep at all?" He feigned confusion.
"I'll explain about CHERUB first, you can ask questions later. It is true, we are very well funded, we have about two hundred and eighty pupils, four swimming pools, six indoor tennis courts, an all-weather football field, a gymnasium and a shooting range, to name a few. We have a school on site with ten or fewer pupils per class. We make sure everyone learns at least two languages. Most of our students go on to top universities, as we get the best results. How would you feel about living here?"
Artemis's eyebrows shot up at that last question. Living? Here? At CHERUB? He knew he hadn't had the best life at home. Ever since his parents had died in a plane crash, he had been looking after his twin brothers at Fowl Manor, with the occasional help from Butler and Juliet.
The social services had left them alone, because Artemis, being legally nineteen, was now old enough to be a responsible parent. Also because of a little help from one of Foaly's "happy guns", which Artemis had "borrowed".
"What will happen to my brothers, Myles and Beckett?" He asked.
"They can come here as well, because obviously you aren't old enough to look after them on your own, though I am glad that they're your first concern." Zara smiled. Funnily enough, Artemis returned the favour, glad that his family would be safe..
"Well then, it would be a pleasure to stay here. As long as you don't bombard me with psychiatrists, like my old school did."
Zara roared with laughter, she thought it was a joke. " Yes, what did happen those three years you were missing? You were gone for so long, yet you came back, exactly the same."
"Well… not exactly the same." Countered Artemis. His left eye twitching, where Holly's hazel one used to be.
"No… not exactly, your left eye, now how did that happen?"
Artemis remained silent, he carried on tracing the furry pattern on the arm of his chair. He was surprised that Zara knew so much about him, but he didn't show it.
Zara knew that she had pushed him too far with the questions, and he wasn't going to answer her. So, for the third time that morning, she hastily changed the subject.
"There are a few requirements for you to get into CHERUB, the first being that you have to pass the entrance exam, which I'm sure a boy of your intellect could do easily," Artemis grinned slyly at that comment, " the second, a more unusual requirement, is that you have to agree to being a member of British intelligence.
Artemis wasn't surprised, in fact, his sly smile grew bigger and he nodded. As if he had known all along, which of course, being a boy of his intellect, he did.
"You're not surprised." Zara commented on Artemis's reaction, raising her left eyebrow. "No, of course you aren't . You know one thing, Artemis, people always ask, as soon as they come in, 'What does CHERUB stand for?' but you are the only one yet for me who hasn't. You are smarter than everyone says."
Artemis accepted the compliment with a slight nod. "I know. But you are not doing much good for my ego."
Zara smiled again, even though only minutes ago, she was freaked out by the pale boy in the opposite chair.
"Go on, enlighten me."
Artemis's sly grin returned as he spoke;
"Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit B, founded by Charles Henderson in the second world war. He decided that children would be better spies than adults because they are more inconspicuous and attract less attention. If a strange adult turned up in town, asking for help, something would be immediately marked as wrong, but if a child showed up on the doorstep asking for help, no questions would be asked. Charles Henderson used this to spy on the Germans.
"Criminals have used this little party trick for years, but CHERUB turned the tables and now uses it to catch the said criminals. Charles Henderson died in nineteen forty six, but the organisation he had created lived on. That is all I know."
The chairwoman stared at him in disbelief as he finished. "Wow," she said, finally, "That was quite something."
"But I have a question." Began Artemis. " Why would you pick me?" He shifted to the edge of his chair and looked deep into Zara's dark brown eyes.
"Artemis," Zara replied, not intimidated by his hypnotising gaze, not that she was supposed to be. "We chose you because of your amazing intelligence. You are a genius, and so young. We don't want that to go to waste, not that you were going to of course, I'm sure." Another smile." We have always wanted to ask you here, even before your parents died." Artemis flinched at the mention of his parents.
"You have always been a wonder to us, we had a hard time tracking you down, and of course there was the time of the great twenty-twelve techno crash, where you disappeared for six months, yet you showed up again. Always."
Artemis was stunned, hadn't been aware of CHERUB following him. But these people were fascinating and he wanted to have a closer look at the inner workings of the organisation.
"I'm in." He said