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Chapter Two: Discontentment
Root fumed. "You what?"
"Sent him an email telling him that I should come too," Holly answered patiently. The bold part of her added, with a dangerous snicker, "It is the twentieth century, sir. Sending an email was possible the last time I checked." She bit down hard upon her tongue, drawing blood; Root cast her a frosty glance.
Foaly grinned. "Julius, face it, she's right. Without help our young Fowl may really go, shall we say - overboard with his schemes."
The commander still looked irritated. "Why should we care about a -" He bit off the last words, looking suddenly thoughtful.
Holly tried hard not to smirk. "You see? You're not entirely sure yourself whether Artemis is a friend or not."
"Captain, he's a Mud Boy. I'm not risking one of us for a human, not even a -" He caught himself just in time, but everyone knew what he had been going to say.
A girl.
The look his captain sent him was venomous. Root rubbed his temples. "Holly, listen. In general, males are a lot more prized than females. And it's not likely that -"
Holly stood, not even letting him finish. Her eyes were blazing. Once, she would have bit her lip and kept quiet.
Not anymore. She had proved herself, in her eyes at any rate. Hadn't she recovered both Artemis Fowl's parents? Hadn't she helped during the goblin insurgence? She had even saved Root's life. And here he was, back to square one, going on about prejudice.
"Artemis is my friend," she snapped. "And he has helped the People too. We have a debt to be repaid, even if we did help him in rescuing his father."
The centaur and elf watched silently as she stormed out of the cubicle.
"Well, Julius, what do you think?"
For once, the commander ignored the use of his first name. "You're on shuttle duty from now on, that's what I think. Don't let her leave."
Foaly looked on expressionlessly as Root turned to leave. He would accept shuttle duty, even though it was grunt work - but he had plans of his own about whether or not Holly would be going to Fowl Manor.
Holly sat, bristling, on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and examined the dim room around her, an officer's quarters to the teeth. Weapons, possibly six maximum, were piled on a desk; stacks of ancient stakeout documents squatted next to it. Her wardrobe was slightly open, revealing LEP jumpsuits; Foaly provided the helmets to those on their way to the surface.
The fairies completely lived underground, driven off the face of the planet by Mud Men. Though there was no natural light, they almost preferred it to living the way they had used to; at least below ground they had a little privacy.
All fairies possessed some magic, such as the ability to mesmerize, shield, and heal. During a full moon, however, they had to find an ancient oak by a running stream. This was an old ritual, performed to replenish their powers - a fairy had to bury an acorn far from the tree where they picked it up.
I return you to the earth, And claim the gift that is my right.
The captain scowled, remembering how she had abandoned the Ritual until, finally, a revealing encounter with the troll had proved she didn't even have the power to shield. That night, Root had sent her out to restore her magic - and found out later that Artemis Fowl had abducted her under the very oak tree he had sent her to.
She stood up, massaging stiff muscles. Her hazel eyes were lit with a burning will. She would leave for Fowl Manor that night.
Holly actually had more at risk than the life of her friend. Her entire career could be destroyed if she visited the surface without her commander's approval. So could her future - working under the Arctic Circle for fifty years in chains was inevitable. She would have to travel in style.
Fowl Manor, Ireland:
Artemis was discontent. Not exactly an unusual phenomenon, considering his past; but this time, he could not vent his feelings, because of the constant supervision his parents provided. After two years with both of them watching him, he wanted to get away.
The "plan" was almost complete, with a few minor glitches. He had researched ever since the school year had ended - almost a month ago - the large and prosperous countries. However, just one fascinated him beyond doubt; America.
The United States.
He had decided to run away.
Unfortunately, our ambitious subject was not the sort who hides at a friend's house. You would have to feel sorry for the friend if he did. No, the mastermind had enough wit - and money - to actually live quite well if he abandoned his real home, even if he traveled across the ocean.
Small wonder the People were worried about him.
He flicked on his laptop. It was now working perfectly fine. Briefly considering it, he decided that Foaly must have copied his security code. How odd. Usually, his things were left untouched by even the boldest of bullies. But fairies had their own safety measures, and an extra dose of self-confidence. Switching on his desk lamp, he bent closer and began to type.
I have planned for a month now. Butler, of course, cannot be informed of my intentions, though I have good reason to believe he suspects something. He asks me constantly if I am feeling all right. My parents know nothing, and Juliet is preoccupied with her first date. Holly, I think, will accompany me, through no design of my own. If she arrives, I am ready to depart tonight. I recently made arrangements for a passport on an Ireland flight to America, which leaves the Ireland coast the day after tomorrow. After I reach the airport of America... well, I shall go on from there. If I cannot decide, the old open-the-map-close-your-eyes-and-stab-with-a-pin routine will be good enough for me. If Holly does join me, I will have to buy another passport. She will be disguised as a young child, though whether that will be too much for her elvish dignity I really cannot tell. I intend to stay in the United States for at least a month, perhaps adding to the Fowl assets with more of my flawless schemes.
Artemis steepled his fingers, leaning back in his chair. He hoped Holly would arrive soon. His ventures would not wait.
The Ops booth, underground:
Holly forged past a group of gossiping dwarves, ignoring the stench that rose from their sickly garments. A Retrieval officer ran past her toward the pods. She smiled wryly, as she would be going there herself, soon enough - but first, she had to persuade Foaly to loan her a helmet and a set of Hummingbirds, a wing model.
She arrived panting in the Ops booth, looking around for the centaur. He smirked at her from his position on the cushioned side couch. "I thought you'd be in here soon enough. Actually, I ought to be on shuttle duty right now. Orders, you know. We can't let any headstrong girlies go charging up to the surface."
The remnant of Holly's patience went flying out of the room. "Foaly, you little impertinent twerp, if you don't give me a wing set and helmet right now, I'll -"
"Relax," the centaur soothed. "I'm on your side."
This was the last thing the captain had expected. "What?"
"I said, I'm on your side. I suppose you wouldn't agree to an eye-cam? Just to make sure Arty doesn't go overboard?"
Holly started fuming again. "If there's one person more insolent than you on this entire planet, I would pay gold not to meet them," she snapped, yanking on a helmet and twisting out the camera - she did not want to be tracked.
Foaly allowed himself a bemused grin before assuming an innocent face. "I meant with this runaway thing."
"Oh." She considered it. "No. It's too dangerous. What if Root finds the transmit screen?"
"I guess you're right. What model do you want?" the centaur asked, trotting over to the wing rack. "We're out of Hummingbirds, the Retrieval team just took the last pairs. What about a Hornet? It has a solar battery too."
Holly hesitated. "I think I'll just take a gas engine. We don't want to leave anything valuable at Fowl Manor; Artemis's parents would think they were going mad if they got a hold of fairy technology. And the mastermind would probably figure out how to use the parts to his own advantage."
"Right."
The captain strapped on the Dragonfly model, flinching at its heavy weight. She turned to find Foaly chewing his lip, watching her worriedly. "Holly, be careful. If Julius finds out you've left - and that I let you go - he'll eat us both alive and throw our remains in Howler's Peak."
She was about to make a perky retort when his eyes caught and held hers. There was no merriment in them. Her stomach suddenly rolled.
She nodded to him and turned toward the pods. "I'll be careful."
Review? Please?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but myself. Yada yada yada. Now READ!
Chapter Two: Discontentment
Root fumed. "You what?"
"Sent him an email telling him that I should come too," Holly answered patiently. The bold part of her added, with a dangerous snicker, "It is the twentieth century, sir. Sending an email was possible the last time I checked." She bit down hard upon her tongue, drawing blood; Root cast her a frosty glance.
Foaly grinned. "Julius, face it, she's right. Without help our young Fowl may really go, shall we say - overboard with his schemes."
The commander still looked irritated. "Why should we care about a -" He bit off the last words, looking suddenly thoughtful.
Holly tried hard not to smirk. "You see? You're not entirely sure yourself whether Artemis is a friend or not."
"Captain, he's a Mud Boy. I'm not risking one of us for a human, not even a -" He caught himself just in time, but everyone knew what he had been going to say.
A girl.
The look his captain sent him was venomous. Root rubbed his temples. "Holly, listen. In general, males are a lot more prized than females. And it's not likely that -"
Holly stood, not even letting him finish. Her eyes were blazing. Once, she would have bit her lip and kept quiet.
Not anymore. She had proved herself, in her eyes at any rate. Hadn't she recovered both Artemis Fowl's parents? Hadn't she helped during the goblin insurgence? She had even saved Root's life. And here he was, back to square one, going on about prejudice.
"Artemis is my friend," she snapped. "And he has helped the People too. We have a debt to be repaid, even if we did help him in rescuing his father."
The centaur and elf watched silently as she stormed out of the cubicle.
"Well, Julius, what do you think?"
For once, the commander ignored the use of his first name. "You're on shuttle duty from now on, that's what I think. Don't let her leave."
Foaly looked on expressionlessly as Root turned to leave. He would accept shuttle duty, even though it was grunt work - but he had plans of his own about whether or not Holly would be going to Fowl Manor.
Holly sat, bristling, on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and examined the dim room around her, an officer's quarters to the teeth. Weapons, possibly six maximum, were piled on a desk; stacks of ancient stakeout documents squatted next to it. Her wardrobe was slightly open, revealing LEP jumpsuits; Foaly provided the helmets to those on their way to the surface.
The fairies completely lived underground, driven off the face of the planet by Mud Men. Though there was no natural light, they almost preferred it to living the way they had used to; at least below ground they had a little privacy.
All fairies possessed some magic, such as the ability to mesmerize, shield, and heal. During a full moon, however, they had to find an ancient oak by a running stream. This was an old ritual, performed to replenish their powers - a fairy had to bury an acorn far from the tree where they picked it up.
I return you to the earth, And claim the gift that is my right.
The captain scowled, remembering how she had abandoned the Ritual until, finally, a revealing encounter with the troll had proved she didn't even have the power to shield. That night, Root had sent her out to restore her magic - and found out later that Artemis Fowl had abducted her under the very oak tree he had sent her to.
She stood up, massaging stiff muscles. Her hazel eyes were lit with a burning will. She would leave for Fowl Manor that night.
Holly actually had more at risk than the life of her friend. Her entire career could be destroyed if she visited the surface without her commander's approval. So could her future - working under the Arctic Circle for fifty years in chains was inevitable. She would have to travel in style.
Fowl Manor, Ireland:
Artemis was discontent. Not exactly an unusual phenomenon, considering his past; but this time, he could not vent his feelings, because of the constant supervision his parents provided. After two years with both of them watching him, he wanted to get away.
The "plan" was almost complete, with a few minor glitches. He had researched ever since the school year had ended - almost a month ago - the large and prosperous countries. However, just one fascinated him beyond doubt; America.
The United States.
He had decided to run away.
Unfortunately, our ambitious subject was not the sort who hides at a friend's house. You would have to feel sorry for the friend if he did. No, the mastermind had enough wit - and money - to actually live quite well if he abandoned his real home, even if he traveled across the ocean.
Small wonder the People were worried about him.
He flicked on his laptop. It was now working perfectly fine. Briefly considering it, he decided that Foaly must have copied his security code. How odd. Usually, his things were left untouched by even the boldest of bullies. But fairies had their own safety measures, and an extra dose of self-confidence. Switching on his desk lamp, he bent closer and began to type.
I have planned for a month now. Butler, of course, cannot be informed of my intentions, though I have good reason to believe he suspects something. He asks me constantly if I am feeling all right. My parents know nothing, and Juliet is preoccupied with her first date. Holly, I think, will accompany me, through no design of my own. If she arrives, I am ready to depart tonight. I recently made arrangements for a passport on an Ireland flight to America, which leaves the Ireland coast the day after tomorrow. After I reach the airport of America... well, I shall go on from there. If I cannot decide, the old open-the-map-close-your-eyes-and-stab-with-a-pin routine will be good enough for me. If Holly does join me, I will have to buy another passport. She will be disguised as a young child, though whether that will be too much for her elvish dignity I really cannot tell. I intend to stay in the United States for at least a month, perhaps adding to the Fowl assets with more of my flawless schemes.
Artemis steepled his fingers, leaning back in his chair. He hoped Holly would arrive soon. His ventures would not wait.
The Ops booth, underground:
Holly forged past a group of gossiping dwarves, ignoring the stench that rose from their sickly garments. A Retrieval officer ran past her toward the pods. She smiled wryly, as she would be going there herself, soon enough - but first, she had to persuade Foaly to loan her a helmet and a set of Hummingbirds, a wing model.
She arrived panting in the Ops booth, looking around for the centaur. He smirked at her from his position on the cushioned side couch. "I thought you'd be in here soon enough. Actually, I ought to be on shuttle duty right now. Orders, you know. We can't let any headstrong girlies go charging up to the surface."
The remnant of Holly's patience went flying out of the room. "Foaly, you little impertinent twerp, if you don't give me a wing set and helmet right now, I'll -"
"Relax," the centaur soothed. "I'm on your side."
This was the last thing the captain had expected. "What?"
"I said, I'm on your side. I suppose you wouldn't agree to an eye-cam? Just to make sure Arty doesn't go overboard?"
Holly started fuming again. "If there's one person more insolent than you on this entire planet, I would pay gold not to meet them," she snapped, yanking on a helmet and twisting out the camera - she did not want to be tracked.
Foaly allowed himself a bemused grin before assuming an innocent face. "I meant with this runaway thing."
"Oh." She considered it. "No. It's too dangerous. What if Root finds the transmit screen?"
"I guess you're right. What model do you want?" the centaur asked, trotting over to the wing rack. "We're out of Hummingbirds, the Retrieval team just took the last pairs. What about a Hornet? It has a solar battery too."
Holly hesitated. "I think I'll just take a gas engine. We don't want to leave anything valuable at Fowl Manor; Artemis's parents would think they were going mad if they got a hold of fairy technology. And the mastermind would probably figure out how to use the parts to his own advantage."
"Right."
The captain strapped on the Dragonfly model, flinching at its heavy weight. She turned to find Foaly chewing his lip, watching her worriedly. "Holly, be careful. If Julius finds out you've left - and that I let you go - he'll eat us both alive and throw our remains in Howler's Peak."
She was about to make a perky retort when his eyes caught and held hers. There was no merriment in them. Her stomach suddenly rolled.
She nodded to him and turned toward the pods. "I'll be careful."
Review? Please?