CHAPTER 1

TAIPEI 101

TAIWAN

Butler and Minerva were very upset, for the same reason, but for very different reasons. Butler had failed in his duty to protect Artemis, and Minerva had just lost her newest (and possibly only) friend.

"How are you so sure Artemis survived?" asked Minerva, as she and Butler rode the elevator downward from the 40th level of one of the world's tallest buildings.

"Artemis has a plan," replied Butler, staring straight ahead. "And Artemis tends to come back alive when his plans work. So far, his plans have always worked." Somehow, Butler's voice sounded hollow.

"How often does he plan to fall out of a forty-story building?" Minerva asked rhetorically, sniffing back some tears. Butler had no answer for that question, rhetorical or not.

They rode the elevator in silence the rest of the way down.

LOWER ELEMENTS POLICE HEADQUARTERS

Nine LEP brass, including the self-promoted Commander Sool, sat behind a long bench, looking down at Foaly, Vinyáya, and the rest of the Section 8 personnel. The success of the LEP raid on the Section 8 facility could be measured by the number of people awaiting court-martial in the courtroom, and every one of those officers had come out voluntarily. And every one of them maintained a stony silence.

"You are all in direct violation of my order," Sool began, "That no one is allowed to make any sort of contact with the surface." When no one answered, he continued. "Every one of you is charged with disobedience, and you will all be sentenced appropriately."

"Hey, um, Sool?" Foaly said. "Since I'm a civilian, not LEP, technically I don't fall under your jurisdiction."

"Quiet, centaur!" Sool shouted. "Firstly, you will address me by rank. Secondly, you are on the LEP payroll, so you are under my jurisdiction. Thirdly, you are no longer on the LEP payroll because of your role in this mass mutiny."

"So I can walk out whenever I want?" Foaly asked, with a twinkle in his eye. "Good bye, Sool. It was nice chatting with you."

Foaly strutted out of the room, while Sool blustered, trying to find an appropriate comeback. "Security! Arrest him!" The eight brass flanking Sool shifted uncomfortably in their seats, exchanging uncertain glances, while four LEP regulars surrounded Foaly and handcuffed him at gunpoint.

"Put him in a holding cell," Sool commanded. "I'll deal with him later. Now, back to business. Commander Vinyáya, please state the purpose of Section 8."

Vinyáya looked Sool straight in the eye and said, "Section 8 is dedicated to monitoring the status of the Eighth Family of the People since they locked themselves in limbo."

Sool interrupted Vinyáya before she could continue. "And why should anyone give a dwarf's butt-flap about the Eighth Family?" Sool asked.

Vinyáya blushed, unsure how to answer Sool's insulting stupidity. "The time tunnel connecting Hybras to our own universe is collapsing. Demons have started appearing on the surface, and we cannot allow them to make contact with the Mud Men."

"And when that tunnel collapses, will they still be able to connect with the surface?"

"It's complicated."

Sool was clearly pleased that he had the upper hand. "I will ask you again. Will they be able to connect to anywhere after the tunnel collapses? Somehow, I doubt it."

Vinyáya looked at her boots. There was no way to win with this infernal imbecile.

Sool looked victorious. "Because I believe that the Eighth Family will be lost forever when this so-called 'time tunnel' collapses, I also believe Section 8 can be disbanded so they stop sapping the LEP's resources."

Vinyáya looked up suddenly, shocked at this blatant disdain for sentient life. "You can't!"

"Of course I can, Lieutenant," Sool responded, rising from his seat. "In fact, I just did. All of you are demoted and will be merged with the existing LEP forces. Or you can turn in your badges. I really don't care which choice you take. You will all immediately report for reassignment tomorrow at 0900. Dismissed." That said, he marched out of the room, followed by the reluctant cadre of brass officers.

Vinyáya needed several moments for this to sink in. Sool had called her 'Lieutenant!' That was the gravest insult she had taken since her days as the first female in the LEP academy.

Once outside, Vinyáya looked at her second-in-command. "This isn't over, Major Flint."

Flint looked at her quizzically. Vinyáya rarely used his name and rank in the same sentence. "Commander?"

"We need to find Foaly," Vinyáya continued as though Flint had not spoken. "Tonight, get a message out to all of the subordinates. I want everyone to know we're still in the game."

"What should the message say?" It was unusual for Flint to ask the obvious, which was the main reason he was Vinyáya's second-in-command.

"It should say…" Vinyáya's voice trailed off, as she suddenly realized what Flint was thinking. "Everybody should show up for reassignment tomorrow, and report back to me where they have been assigned. Nothing more."

Flint smiled. "Yes, ma'am."