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Butler woke up to find that he was at LEP headquarters. He gazed around, marvelling at the faeries' organization and technology once again. Would they ever fail to amaze him, especially Foaly? And about that pixie, Koboi, it really was sad. She was actually quite brilliant. He knew somewhere under the tranquilizing spells that he was dazed, but didn't fully realize it. Miraculously he could still think properly. That was good. Yet there was some sort of fact that kept slipping his mind. He had a job...but what was that job? It was something to do with a person! But...
"Butler! You've woken up. Good. Anyway, we have a couple questions for you. If you answer these you will in exchange recieve some information as to how to find Artemis."
Artemis! That was the name of the person. Yet what was he supposed to do?
"Foaly take him off of the tranquilizer! He has that glazed look." Root snapped.
Foaly looked up in surprise, as though the large suction cup on Butler's wrist wasn't there. "Oh, of course." he whinnied, the Centaur expression of sheepishness.
Butler found his head miraculously cleared and he shook it a couple times. "Where's Artemis?" he demanded.
Foaly sighed, and Butler heard him mutter under his breath "How primitive." He flexed his massive arms.
"Right! We need you to answer some questions..."
Butler was silent.
"First, do you know where the stone is?"
"Yes."
"The real one."
"Yes."
"Where is it?"
"At the Manor."
"Where in the manor?"
"In a safe."
"What is the combination of the safe?"
"36-29-12"
"Is there anything else guarding it?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Two German Shephards."
"I see...do you have any clue as to where Artemis is?"
"No."
"Good, because we do."
Foaly brought up a map of the world on his computer. He pressed a couple buttons and the map focused more each time, until it was focused on a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea.
"This is the location of the hideout of one April Riechards," He pronounced it "reesh-ards". It sounded German, Butler thought. Foaly brought up a profile of April. "Our sources tell us that she probably has Artemis held captive for the stone. Knowing your charge, he probably negotiated quite toughly and managed to get a large amount of money from Miss Riechards. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't have the files that would tell her how to harness its power."
Foaly typed something and a window of something written in Fairy came up. It was very long, and would have looked strange to Butler if Artemis hadn't decoded something quite similar two years ago. "These are the spells and incantations needed to control the Stone. Without them one cannot hope to gain access of its power. There are only two only ways to get a copy of these files--one, off of my network. Two--off of the Black Market. Since I doubt Artemis will try to hack into my network again, he most likely had to pretend that he had the stone to several people to raise enough money to buy these files."
"Several people?" Butler asked, keeping his voice carefully even.
"Yes," Foaly replied wryly. "As if you didn't know. Our American sources also tell us that he tricked the United States government into believing he had it and gained several million American dollars in the process. He's currently leading them through a sort of cat-and-mouse game, still leading them on. I'm sure by the end of this he will be billions richer and the U.S. will have nothing to show for it but a fake stone."
"Well, you fairies certainly are clever aren't you."
Holly, who had just entered, snorted. "It only seems that way because you Mud Men are so stupid."
Butler grinned his terrifying grin and cracked his knuckles loudly.
"Anyway," Foaly coughed, "We can dispatch you to this island with a small brigade, perhaps even Trouble Kelp's, along with a...how do you Mud Men say it...walkie talkie--he seemed to think this was very funny--headset connected to Central."
This sparked something in Butler's soldier mind. He was being briefed...sort of. The beginning of a mission. "Give me the details." He said.
***
Artemis awoke and stretched. He'd gotten a good night's sleep, thanks to the luxurius heather bed April's guestroom was stocked with. It was quite a nice change compared to the uncomfortable metal spring mattress his DC hotel suite bed had had. He changed into a silk shirt and leather pants newly hung in the room's mahogany wardrobe.
Downstairs the smell of French toast and sausage met his nose and he felt his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten since the disgusting food the airplane had provided him. Actually, he really was craving some--
"Caviar, Master Fowl?" Gerald uncovered a small bowl filled with fish.
"Why yes, I think I will." He grabbed some with his bare hands, not caring if he was looking barbaric. He was starved. He also proceeded to grab large portions of French toast and sausage.
"I see you're hungry." April drawled from behind him.
"You would be too if I had kidnapped you from the middle of an abandoned Paris field after a plane crash." Artemis snapped, mid-chew.
"Of course I would." She snapped and was given a glass goblet of what looked to Artemis like watermelon juice.
"In any case, would you like it if I binded you now? I have a chip with me."
"Actually I was going to ask you if you could," April replied, smiling a sickly sweet smile, "Can you do it here?"
"But of course. Money first though."
April nodded and motioned for a nearby manservant to write him a check.
Artemis tucked the check inside his breast pocket and reached inside it for a shining amber chip. He cut April's palm with it and pressed it into the blood for a full twenty seconds. Saying the necessary chants in his head, he waited a little more and handed her the chip.
Looking up, April smiled. "Of course, you realize that now that I have this chip there really isn't any need to keep you alive, right?" She pulled the Neutrino from under the table, still set at the highest setting; Lethal Extreme.
Yet Artemis had anticipated this. He grabbed a steel plate cover and bounced the shots around. Grabbing a cloth napkin and stuffing it with food, he ran.