A short while later, Holly, Foaly, and Root could only watch in admiring,
horrified fascination as Butler donned medieval armor and beat the life out
of the troll. It was a classic man vs. beast struggle, the armor especially
hearkening back to tales of brave knights going head to head with ferocious
dragons. As Holly stared, incapable of movement or sound, she contemplated
Butler.
He was only a Mud Person, but he was enormous, and powerful enough to single-handedly humiliate an entire LEPretrieval squad. He was fiercely protective of both his young charge and his dim-witted sister. He was like no Mud Person the world had ever seen. But as soon as one troll tusk scraped his chest, he was gone. Dead. He could not heal himself. He was a Mud Person, and no more. Holly wondered about how it felt, to be so aware of one's own imminent death. Did Butler have feelings?
As he whacked at the troll, ceaselessly, systematically, and sickeningly, Holly wondered. Mud People always seemed such a selfish, piggish bunch, polluting the earth, infesting every corner of the planet, waging mindless war. Indeed, Captain Short had wondered about their intelligence until she'd met Artemis Fowl. He was clearly not mindless. The cruel murder of the troll that was taking place in front of her seemed soulless. Was it, though?
"Let's see how much bone you have under your chin," Butler growled around his teeth, preparing to finally put the one-sided struggle to an end. Holly could hear it in his voice: vengeance. This human had the capacity for desiring revenge. Could he, then, have the capacity for mercy? "No," Holly breathed, her nose stinging with tears, "don't do it."
Butler didn't turn around.
"Don't do it. You owe me. You owe me, human."
The man paused. With a sigh, he said, "Very well, Captain, the beast lives to fight another day. Lucky for him, I'm in a good mood."
Holly let out a choked giggle, hysterical with relief, confusion, and lightheadedness.
As Butler disposed of the troll's unconscious body, Holly wondered: if they were capable of intelligence and emotion, were the humans capable of love?
He was only a Mud Person, but he was enormous, and powerful enough to single-handedly humiliate an entire LEPretrieval squad. He was fiercely protective of both his young charge and his dim-witted sister. He was like no Mud Person the world had ever seen. But as soon as one troll tusk scraped his chest, he was gone. Dead. He could not heal himself. He was a Mud Person, and no more. Holly wondered about how it felt, to be so aware of one's own imminent death. Did Butler have feelings?
As he whacked at the troll, ceaselessly, systematically, and sickeningly, Holly wondered. Mud People always seemed such a selfish, piggish bunch, polluting the earth, infesting every corner of the planet, waging mindless war. Indeed, Captain Short had wondered about their intelligence until she'd met Artemis Fowl. He was clearly not mindless. The cruel murder of the troll that was taking place in front of her seemed soulless. Was it, though?
"Let's see how much bone you have under your chin," Butler growled around his teeth, preparing to finally put the one-sided struggle to an end. Holly could hear it in his voice: vengeance. This human had the capacity for desiring revenge. Could he, then, have the capacity for mercy? "No," Holly breathed, her nose stinging with tears, "don't do it."
Butler didn't turn around.
"Don't do it. You owe me. You owe me, human."
The man paused. With a sigh, he said, "Very well, Captain, the beast lives to fight another day. Lucky for him, I'm in a good mood."
Holly let out a choked giggle, hysterical with relief, confusion, and lightheadedness.
As Butler disposed of the troll's unconscious body, Holly wondered: if they were capable of intelligence and emotion, were the humans capable of love?
