Chapter 5
The Plot

Artemis sat on the floor of his planning room, deep in thought. He was in the meditation position that Butler had taught him, he was in a semi-conscious state where he could pull the strings of ideas from the corners of his mind and form a plan. Downstairs in the sitting room sat Butler, Juliet, Root, Alexia, Holly and a whole selection of various important elves and fairies.
"How long does he usually take in there?" said Root
"How long is a piece of string?" answered Butler. He was set the job of making sure that nobody disturbed Artemis. Juliet on the other hand had been set the job of protecting Alexia because most of the fairies looked like they were about to kill her.
At long last Artemis came downstairs and everyone looked round hopefully. "Right I have worked out most of the plan, but some of it depends."
"On what?" asked Root.
"On who you give me."
"You'll want Foaly and Holly I suppose."
"Definitely, but I also need to use Juliet, Alexia, Mulch Diggums."
"What do you need that convict for I can give you the most highly trained hit squads." Root said infuriated.
"Well your last hit squad did so well when they took on Alexia here."
"A fluke, but ok you can have the convict, anyone else?" replied Root.
"Well we might need one of your squads for back up, only if we need them though, and I'm not saying we will."
"No I'm sure you won't."
Later that evening Artemis was talking to Alexia in his study. "What I can't understand is how you knew that the technology was in the Techno lab basement fourteen, how did you know that anyway?"
"Well they say secrets talk and this was a rather big secret." she said smiling.
"Who told you?"
"That's my secret."
"I understand." Artemis replied.
"Do you? Do you understand how it feels to have your parents hate you and to be forced into the marriage of a man you hate. To leave all your schools because all your friends desert you and you are bullied and despised by everyone?" Alexia said sadly.
"Well I understand what it is like to have no friends." Artemis replied.
"I'm your friend."
"Thanks." Artemis suddenly found that this seemed very important even though he didn't understand why having her as a friend was so important to him.