'You didn't kill my friends,' replied Artemis, though he was talking to himself. 'That never happened.' Artemis glanced down nervously. Holly was no longer there. Thank God.
Artemis had always considered himself an atheist. A pragmatist. One for whom pure fact took precedence over the illusion of faith. His firm conviction was that 'destiny' and 'fate' were merely a comfort blanket for those who were inadequately prepared. His creed was that his own life, his actions were his own and no other's, regardless of how divine those others were believed to be.
But for the briefest of moments he paused and wondered.
--
The quote is from Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony, Paperback edition pg 341