Artemis sat in the dull, white waiting room, watching the secretary hustle and bustle to the busy schedule of the day. He glanced at his watch, sighing. Just then, a woman in a white suit came out the door, saying, "Mr. Fowl, you may see the bird now. Please follow me."
He smirked slightly, amazed at their gullibility. They had actually believed that he was a young, fifteen-year-old ornithologist, (someone who studies in the bird branch of zoology) wanting to do research on the rare falcon. Artemis followed the scientist, glancing briefly in each passing room. She arrived at a stainless steel door, entered the key code, and the door slid open. They walked inside and the door closed shut behind them, and he scanned the room carefully with his cold blue eyes, resting his gaze briefly on each surface, until it came to the cage; the bird was beautiful. It had shining black wings, they shone like obsidian, and it gleamed with hints of gold.
The bird cocked its head to one side with a questioning chirp when he saw that Artemis was watching him. The woman walked over to the cage and carefully unlocked it, setting out her gloved hand. The bird hopped onto it, and she drew the majestic eagle out of the steel cage, holding it to Artemis, and he asked, "May I?" The lady replied,
"Certainly, but be careful with him, he sometimes gets scared easily." He slipped on his own glove and held out his hand, and the bird obeyed, jumping from the scientist's hand to Artemis' gloved one. He reached up with his free hand, and although hesitant, stroked the bird's breast gently, receiving a contented chirp. The woman smiled, and turned to work on something else. As soon as she had turned her back, Artemis felt around under the bird's wing for a good sized feather, and, gripping it by the base, pulled hard. The bird let out a loud, indignant squawk, and the feather came clean out. The scientist whirled around, trying to calm the injured bird, but it was of little use. Artemis immediately hid it behind his back, slipping it into his back pocket and covering it with his coat. The bird flapped his wings, and jumped, alighting on the top of his cage. He carefully preened the spot where the feather had once been, and glared (can birds do that??) at Artemis, who acted innocent when the woman turned to him after the bird had calmed, saying, "Well, I don't think Obsidian will want anymore visitors today, sir. Please leave." Artemis shrugged.
"Thank you, I guess. Good-bye."
"Have a nice day, sir."
He turned and walked out the nearest exit, where Butler was waiting for him. Artemis sighed upon getting in and buckled his seatbelt. "Butler."
"Yes, Artemis?"
"Now I've got all three," he said, pulling out the black golden eagle's feather from his pocket and showing it to the manservant. Butler drew in his breath and said, "Now what do we do?"
"We wait."
A day after Artemis had collected all three items, a letter came, with the same initials, T. S., and in silver, the letter.
It read,
Fowl,
Thank you for retrieving the items for me, but before you ask me who and where I am, so as you might give me them, you must answer me this riddle:
What was once a tree, but no more,
It opens and closes, but it is not a door.
It says many words, but never talks,
It goes around the world, but never walks.
What is it?
When you have a suitable answer, seeing as you are of so high intelligence, seal it in an envelope and set it outside by the forest at exactly 11:59 pm tonight, no later or it will pass. Go back inside and do not look back, close the door and wait until twelve ten. Look outside, and you will see a letter. Retrieve it and read the chant aloud, and an eagle will appear before you. It will wait for an hour, and you will have to pack all the things you need for a four hour's trip, including the three items, and give it to the bird, he will leave. Then you may resume with whatever you happen to be doing at the time, whether it be sleeping, writing, or computer hacking. Oh, and do not bother to give this to the LEP, they will know soon enough.
Regards,
T. S.
Artemis smirked. He loved riddles, and this one seemed especially challenging, albeit a simple one. He wondered how they could know about him giving the previous letter to the People, but shrugged it off, picking up a pen and paper and writing something down. He laid the pen back down and folded the paper up carefully, slipping it inside an envelope and writing A. F. in neat, cursive writing on the front, sealing it up. He set it by the door and strode into the kitchen, grabbing some caviar from the refrigerator and heading back up to his study to gather the things he would need for the journey, it was already ten thirty.
He smirked slightly, amazed at their gullibility. They had actually believed that he was a young, fifteen-year-old ornithologist, (someone who studies in the bird branch of zoology) wanting to do research on the rare falcon. Artemis followed the scientist, glancing briefly in each passing room. She arrived at a stainless steel door, entered the key code, and the door slid open. They walked inside and the door closed shut behind them, and he scanned the room carefully with his cold blue eyes, resting his gaze briefly on each surface, until it came to the cage; the bird was beautiful. It had shining black wings, they shone like obsidian, and it gleamed with hints of gold.
The bird cocked its head to one side with a questioning chirp when he saw that Artemis was watching him. The woman walked over to the cage and carefully unlocked it, setting out her gloved hand. The bird hopped onto it, and she drew the majestic eagle out of the steel cage, holding it to Artemis, and he asked, "May I?" The lady replied,
"Certainly, but be careful with him, he sometimes gets scared easily." He slipped on his own glove and held out his hand, and the bird obeyed, jumping from the scientist's hand to Artemis' gloved one. He reached up with his free hand, and although hesitant, stroked the bird's breast gently, receiving a contented chirp. The woman smiled, and turned to work on something else. As soon as she had turned her back, Artemis felt around under the bird's wing for a good sized feather, and, gripping it by the base, pulled hard. The bird let out a loud, indignant squawk, and the feather came clean out. The scientist whirled around, trying to calm the injured bird, but it was of little use. Artemis immediately hid it behind his back, slipping it into his back pocket and covering it with his coat. The bird flapped his wings, and jumped, alighting on the top of his cage. He carefully preened the spot where the feather had once been, and glared (can birds do that??) at Artemis, who acted innocent when the woman turned to him after the bird had calmed, saying, "Well, I don't think Obsidian will want anymore visitors today, sir. Please leave." Artemis shrugged.
"Thank you, I guess. Good-bye."
"Have a nice day, sir."
He turned and walked out the nearest exit, where Butler was waiting for him. Artemis sighed upon getting in and buckled his seatbelt. "Butler."
"Yes, Artemis?"
"Now I've got all three," he said, pulling out the black golden eagle's feather from his pocket and showing it to the manservant. Butler drew in his breath and said, "Now what do we do?"
"We wait."
A day after Artemis had collected all three items, a letter came, with the same initials, T. S., and in silver, the letter.
It read,
Fowl,
Thank you for retrieving the items for me, but before you ask me who and where I am, so as you might give me them, you must answer me this riddle:
What was once a tree, but no more,
It opens and closes, but it is not a door.
It says many words, but never talks,
It goes around the world, but never walks.
What is it?
When you have a suitable answer, seeing as you are of so high intelligence, seal it in an envelope and set it outside by the forest at exactly 11:59 pm tonight, no later or it will pass. Go back inside and do not look back, close the door and wait until twelve ten. Look outside, and you will see a letter. Retrieve it and read the chant aloud, and an eagle will appear before you. It will wait for an hour, and you will have to pack all the things you need for a four hour's trip, including the three items, and give it to the bird, he will leave. Then you may resume with whatever you happen to be doing at the time, whether it be sleeping, writing, or computer hacking. Oh, and do not bother to give this to the LEP, they will know soon enough.
Regards,
T. S.
Artemis smirked. He loved riddles, and this one seemed especially challenging, albeit a simple one. He wondered how they could know about him giving the previous letter to the People, but shrugged it off, picking up a pen and paper and writing something down. He laid the pen back down and folded the paper up carefully, slipping it inside an envelope and writing A. F. in neat, cursive writing on the front, sealing it up. He set it by the door and strode into the kitchen, grabbing some caviar from the refrigerator and heading back up to his study to gather the things he would need for the journey, it was already ten thirty.