Chapter 6
Fertigo
"Would you be able to do it though?" asked Alexia.
"Do what?" replied Artemis.
"Pull the trigger if you had to, to save, say me or Juliet or Butler?"
"I don't know, could you, to save me?" Artemis asked.
"To save you, I could because I care for you. But it is scary because it's taking a life, not like putting someone in prison because they are still alive. I don't know if I could do it and I don't mean to be cowardly but I don't know." She said sadly.
"You're not a coward." replied Artemis
"Artemis, there is someone to see you." said Butler as he walked into the room, "I believe that he was called Fertigo." he added.
"Oh god," said Alexia, "Artemis I have my reasons and please don't ask now, I swear I will tell all later, but please, you can't tell him I'm here and you can't let him see me, and I can't see him. Hide me, please."
"Butler you will think of an excuse, delay him in any way you can. Alexia, follow me." Artemis said seriously. He lead Alexia through a secret door that didn't look like it was there, in fact if you didn't know it was there you would not have seen it. "Go through here, if you wait in the next room I will give you the all clear when it is all clear." Alexia shot through the porthole as though her life depended on it.
"Was that just a bit strange or was it me?" asked Butler. Then he walked out of the room. Fertigo was an elf. Artemis could see it as soon as he walked in the room.
"Good afternoon," said the elf, "I am here to search your premises for a girl named Alexia, it may not be apparent to you. But if she knew where our technology was she will know where our princess is."
"That is not possible I'm afraid, she left about three hours ago for the airport."
"Well then you won't mind if I search the house then will you?" Fertigo snapped, "will you?" he said menacingly. Behind him Butler took out his gun just in case.
"You do not need to shout or threaten me, Fertigo." Artemis said calmly. "Please leave, I can assure you that she is not here and if she was I would like to know why she didn't go when she said she was going."
Fertigo was still trying to work out what Artemis had just said when he was jabbed very hard in the back with Butler's gun, "can I show you the way to the door sir." Butler said making his menacing tone clear. Fertigo scowled and stalked out of the room, Butler in close pursuit.
When Butler returned with news that Fertigo had left Artemis went up to the door in the wall and called through it, "it's ok you can come out now, he's gone." And when Alexia had come back into the room he added. "How did you know he would be after you?"
"Can I talk to you in private, please?" Alexia asked.
"I will be outside the door if you need me." Butler said, and left.
"Artemis you can't tell anyone this all right, not even Butler."
"Ok, but why not. Do you know where the princess is, is that why you had to hide?" Artemis asked.
"I am Ardreala."
"So that was how you knew Root's name before he had even said it."
"I am so not going back to the fairy world though, your land is much better. I was locked up practically every day and I had to learn to sew." Alexia shuddered.
"Why do they want you back if it would be against your will then?" Artemis asked.
"Because I have something they need and everybody else wants."
"Your looks?" asked Artemis.
"No. Haven't you heard of the key to the universe?"
"You are the bearer of that?"
"Yes according to prophesy, 'the thirteenth in the blood line of the great Queen someone or another will be bearer to the key to the universe.' And plus they reckon I would fetch a lot of gold if someone kidnapped me, which is not likely but anyway."
"How do you get the key then?" Artemis asked intrigued.
"I already got it but nobody knew they thought it was still locked away somewhere inside me."
"Can I see it?"
"If I show you it."
"What does it look like?"
"A key." she replied.
"Do you even know what it does?" Artemis asked.
"No."
"Will you show it to me?"
"If I can be bothered."
"Please."
"Oh fine." She took from around her neck a fine gold chain, on the end of it hung a key about the size of a fifty pence piece.
"That can unlock the whole universe."
"I believe so, but I have never tried all I know is that it unlocks any lock in the universe and I mean any. That is how I broke into Foaly's lab." She replied.
"Does it do anything else?
"I can control it but nobody else can touch it, unless I give it to them freely."
"So where is the technology?"
"In the cell I was kept in for the last thirteen years." She said
"They locked you up?" Artemis asked.
"Yes."
"Why did you say that the technology was in the techno lab?"
"I don't know."
"You had better get some sleep, I don't know what I am going to tell Root, you know where your room is I suppose." Artemis said. Alexia nodded and walked out the room.
"What did she say?" asked Butler as he walked in the room.
"I'm still not quite sure." Artemis replied.
Fertigo
"Would you be able to do it though?" asked Alexia.
"Do what?" replied Artemis.
"Pull the trigger if you had to, to save, say me or Juliet or Butler?"
"I don't know, could you, to save me?" Artemis asked.
"To save you, I could because I care for you. But it is scary because it's taking a life, not like putting someone in prison because they are still alive. I don't know if I could do it and I don't mean to be cowardly but I don't know." She said sadly.
"You're not a coward." replied Artemis
"Artemis, there is someone to see you." said Butler as he walked into the room, "I believe that he was called Fertigo." he added.
"Oh god," said Alexia, "Artemis I have my reasons and please don't ask now, I swear I will tell all later, but please, you can't tell him I'm here and you can't let him see me, and I can't see him. Hide me, please."
"Butler you will think of an excuse, delay him in any way you can. Alexia, follow me." Artemis said seriously. He lead Alexia through a secret door that didn't look like it was there, in fact if you didn't know it was there you would not have seen it. "Go through here, if you wait in the next room I will give you the all clear when it is all clear." Alexia shot through the porthole as though her life depended on it.
"Was that just a bit strange or was it me?" asked Butler. Then he walked out of the room. Fertigo was an elf. Artemis could see it as soon as he walked in the room.
"Good afternoon," said the elf, "I am here to search your premises for a girl named Alexia, it may not be apparent to you. But if she knew where our technology was she will know where our princess is."
"That is not possible I'm afraid, she left about three hours ago for the airport."
"Well then you won't mind if I search the house then will you?" Fertigo snapped, "will you?" he said menacingly. Behind him Butler took out his gun just in case.
"You do not need to shout or threaten me, Fertigo." Artemis said calmly. "Please leave, I can assure you that she is not here and if she was I would like to know why she didn't go when she said she was going."
Fertigo was still trying to work out what Artemis had just said when he was jabbed very hard in the back with Butler's gun, "can I show you the way to the door sir." Butler said making his menacing tone clear. Fertigo scowled and stalked out of the room, Butler in close pursuit.
When Butler returned with news that Fertigo had left Artemis went up to the door in the wall and called through it, "it's ok you can come out now, he's gone." And when Alexia had come back into the room he added. "How did you know he would be after you?"
"Can I talk to you in private, please?" Alexia asked.
"I will be outside the door if you need me." Butler said, and left.
"Artemis you can't tell anyone this all right, not even Butler."
"Ok, but why not. Do you know where the princess is, is that why you had to hide?" Artemis asked.
"I am Ardreala."
"So that was how you knew Root's name before he had even said it."
"I am so not going back to the fairy world though, your land is much better. I was locked up practically every day and I had to learn to sew." Alexia shuddered.
"Why do they want you back if it would be against your will then?" Artemis asked.
"Because I have something they need and everybody else wants."
"Your looks?" asked Artemis.
"No. Haven't you heard of the key to the universe?"
"You are the bearer of that?"
"Yes according to prophesy, 'the thirteenth in the blood line of the great Queen someone or another will be bearer to the key to the universe.' And plus they reckon I would fetch a lot of gold if someone kidnapped me, which is not likely but anyway."
"How do you get the key then?" Artemis asked intrigued.
"I already got it but nobody knew they thought it was still locked away somewhere inside me."
"Can I see it?"
"If I show you it."
"What does it look like?"
"A key." she replied.
"Do you even know what it does?" Artemis asked.
"No."
"Will you show it to me?"
"If I can be bothered."
"Please."
"Oh fine." She took from around her neck a fine gold chain, on the end of it hung a key about the size of a fifty pence piece.
"That can unlock the whole universe."
"I believe so, but I have never tried all I know is that it unlocks any lock in the universe and I mean any. That is how I broke into Foaly's lab." She replied.
"Does it do anything else?
"I can control it but nobody else can touch it, unless I give it to them freely."
"So where is the technology?"
"In the cell I was kept in for the last thirteen years." She said
"They locked you up?" Artemis asked.
"Yes."
"Why did you say that the technology was in the techno lab?"
"I don't know."
"You had better get some sleep, I don't know what I am going to tell Root, you know where your room is I suppose." Artemis said. Alexia nodded and walked out the room.
"What did she say?" asked Butler as he walked in the room.
"I'm still not quite sure." Artemis replied.
