Author's Note: Alright, yeah, I've been a jerk to you guys. I know I haven't updated in a long time, and it's my fault; because, honestly, I didn't feel like writing more. I finished school, read different novels, did tons of summer activities, did school summer readings, got a job, and had church activities. I felt rushed and felt that the story should go on hold. But I'm technically back, and the updates will be sporadic. I apologize to all of you, and I hope that you can forgive me and continue to enjoy this story; which I hope you are. Please enjoy this over-due chapter, and thank you for all your patience.
"If you're not Opal Koboi, then who are you?" Holly questioned through gritted teeth, the hot poker in front of her face daring her to move an inch forward. "And why use such medieval methods of torture? Why don't you just shoot me?"
The small female pixie laughed, for perhaps the hundredth time. It was really starting to get on Holly's nerves. "I am not trying to torture you, Captain Short. This is merely for fun, and to see how old Mud People used to use such a thing as this. Besides, I don't want to hurt one hair on your head. Not only would it deplete and waste your magic, but you must be in top condition for bargaining with the LEPrecon."
Holly scowled at the pixie. She had dark hair that flowed down to her shoulders, and her topaz eyes gleamed with mischievousness. "You didn't answer my first question," Holly stated.
The pixie sighed in mock despair. "Such impatience. I've been waiting a long time for this. I can't see why you can't wait for a few weeks," she replied. "I don't think your human boyfriend would have such patience, either; not with you in trouble."
Holly felt her face flush, and she nearly growled. "He's not my boyfriend, you idiot. He's my…" she trailed off, afraid of saying too much that would link herself to Fowl Manor, and therefore the Fowl family.
Artemis's parents and the twins! Oh, gods…
The pixie seemed to perk up. "You're what? Friend? Yes, I already know that Captain. Please don't think that's very valuable, as all of Haven has been buzzing about Captain Holly Short and her Mud Boy genius friend, Artemis Fowl."
Silence filled the room, and Holly felt frustrated and annoyed. This pixie kept changing the subject. She's wasn't going to give her identity away freely. Another question crept into Holly's mind, still unanswered from earlier.
"What do you want with Artemis?" she asked. The pixie stared at Holly, regarding the question.
"I have interest in him, Captain. For many logical reasons, as well as…other reasons." A sly grin covered her flawless face, and she winked at Holly. "You must know what I mean."
Holly felt a little confused. She frowned at the pixie, standing there carelessly as though this was just a game. Maybe that's just what she thought.
"Are you saying…you're interested in Artemis? Like-" Holly started. The pixie's loud laughter cut off Holly mid-sentence. She waited until the pixie finished. "Are you asking me if I find the Mud Boy attractive? That I like him?" she asked, getting in another squeak of laughter. "Well, I must say he has the looks and the smarts, which is what any girl wants, right?" She winked at Holly again, and Holly felt agitated.
"Just answer the damn question!" Holly shouted, losing her temper. The pixie's grin faded, and she stared at Holly with indifference. "Yes, that is one of the reasons…" she drifted off, and a smile, that made Holly feel uneasy, appeared across her face. "He would be a nice little play thing."
Suddenly, the pixie pulled a control of some kind from her belt. She absentmindedly caressed her finger around a button, and started pacing the floor with carelessness. "But there is a far more important reason than that, Captain. One that I cannot tell you at the moment. But rest assured that Mulch Diggums will not be of further use to me."
This caught Holly off guard. "Mulch? What does he have to do with anything?" Holly questioned.
"Ah, you don't know," the pixie replied, the sick smile still plastered to her face. "The little dwarf sold you and the Mud Boy out for a bag of money. It was an easy process. My friend, who happens to be head of the sector eight goblin gang, simply got the information we needed, and he gave the greedy dwarf his money."
Holly felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. She glared at the hot poker, which the smelly goblin still held in front of her face. "That can't be true," she muttered.
"Oh, but it is. The dwarf was quite careless, actually. One of my goblin friends was able to place this on him," she answered, hold up what looked like a small pill.
"What is that?" Holly asked.
"This is a remote control canister that emits whatever I put into it as a gaseous substance. It also gives off a three dimensional heat scan of the room it's in." The pixie stared at it as if it were a priceless gem. "Let's take a look, shall we?" She hit a sequence of buttons on the remote, and a hologram appeared. "Ah, there's Diggums. And look there; Artemis is sitting with him! They are in London, England. Perfect." Holly stared at the hologram, right at the digital form of Artemis.
Get away from him, Arty. I have a bad feeling…
"Looks like the cave trolls will have more than one toy to play with. I surely hope our Artemis can escape alive," the pixie remarked, and a small fit of laughter ensued. "Let the fun begin!" she exclaimed like a child on Christmas morning.
Holly's heart sunk to her stomach. "What did you put in that capsule?" she asked, although she feared she already knew the answer.
"Oh, it's troll pheromone! It will attract my little pets from the sewers of London, and the game will commence!" She hit the largest button, and a fit of laughter rolled through the pixie. Holly wanted to strangle her. She knew the trolls would be upon Artemis in a matter of minutes, and here she was, unable to save him. Holly could only think of one thing:
D'Arvit!
Carluccio's Café, London, England, 1:05 p.m.
Artemis watched in disgust as Mulch continued to eat almost the whole menu of the café. Italian dish after Italian dish, Mulch barely paused between courses. As Artemis took the last bite of his chicken fettuccini alfredo, for he didn't have to appetite to finish because of Mulch's table manners, he slid the plate away, and glanced at his watch.
Butler should be arriving soon.
"Hey Arty, are you gonna eat that?" Mulch asked, pointing at Artemis's dish of unfinished food. Artemis rubbed his temples and said, "No. Go ahead."
Mulch burped in thanks, and started to devour the fettuccini. Artemis sighed, staring out from the café's patio, and sipped at his glass of ice cold water. He closed his eyes to quickly meditate when he smelled something unusual. At first, he thought it might be Mulch just passing wind, but the odor continued to grow stronger, and very, very, familiar.
No!
Artemis's heart lurched, and he dropped his glass onto the table, spilling its contents. His body froze in fear as he came to realize what was about to happen.
"Hey, Mud Boy, what's the matter?" Mulch asked, and then he sniffed the air. "That's not what I think it is…is it?" he asked quietly. Artemis stood up and nodded, his face growing pale.
"I believe it is, good friend. We must leave so no innocents are harmed," he replied almost in a whisper. "Come on!"
He left a good amount of money on the table, and Artemis and Mulch headed for the nearest alleyway. As they moved through it, the scum of the alleyway floor covered over Artemis and Mulch's feet.
There goes an expensive pair of shoes. Wait, what am I thinking? That's not what is important at this moment!
A distant howl sounded below a sewer hatch. Artemis froze where he stood, and Mulch bumped into the back of his leg. "Mulch…head to the nearest body of water. Stay down in its depths for a while, and try to get the scent of the cave troll pheromone off of you," he muttered.
Mulch looked about, and then back at Artemis. "What are you going to do, then? I can't just leave you here!" he argued. Artemis felt his fear rise in him, and he used it to lash out at Mulch.
"Do as I say, Diggums!" Artemis shouted at him. This startled Mulch, but he followed orders and ran off down the alleyway, around the corner, and out of sight.
Artemis stood where he was as the howls grew louder. He knew what he had to do.
Come at me, then, you mongrels! He thought, using it to fuel his courage. The trolls could be heard underground and soon they were upon Artemis, snarling and pounding their chests in disappointment and rage to see that he wasn't a female cave troll. Artemis waited for the sign that would prove his hypothesis.
And he got it.
The cave trolls suddenly lurched toward Artemis, but got nowhere, as if they were puppets held back by their strings. They howled and snapped at Artemis, saliva flying in several directions. They slowly, but reluctantly crawled back into the sewer tunnel.
Puppets indeed.
Artemis bitterly smirked as he reached for his phone to call Butler. Someone in the Lower Elements wanted Artemis to stay alive, as he had thought long before that someone would. Even though he was almost literally destroyed, he felt comfort in this new knowledge: there was an obvious mastermind behind the goblin gang; someone smart enough to bend cave trolls to their whim; someone using Holly to get to him.
Then perhaps I will pay them a visit.
