"I want to see the blueprints for Fowl Manor," barked Root.
"Okay, I can have those on the screen in just a-"
"I don't think so, pony. It'll be quicker for Short to go get them from my office. You know which cabinet. On the double, Captain!"
Holly exited quickly.
Foaly's tail twitched irritably. "I could have pulled them up quicker." Instantly, there were the floor plans.
"Get rid of those, donkey. I had to send Short away for a minute."
"What for?"
"Holly deserves better than Kelp. What does she see in him?"
"Sir?"
"What?"
"I've known Holly and Trouble both for a long time. I've known you for even longer. I never saw Trouble happier than when he was dating Holly. I don't think I've seen Holly happier either. Trouble's an excellent officer, much like you at his age. You've got fatherly worry over Holly. I've had many ex-girlfriends, well, at least a couple ex-girlfriends, and let me tell you: there's never a guy good enough for any father's daughter. Colonel Short is gone, sir. You're the closest thing Captain Short has to a father."
"What about you, Foaly?"
"Me? I'm the annoying big brother."
"You got the annoying part right. Put the screen back."
Foaly did so and Holly came in with the hard copy blue prints. "We need a plan of attack."
"I know that, Short," said Root. "Why do you think we're here?"
"Well, if we're going to come up with a plan I suggest e bring the rest of the team in, sir."
"Who exactly, Captain?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Kelp and Mulch Diggums."
"I'm not letting that dwarf anywhere near my sensitive computers!" shrieked Foaly.
Root sighed. "Bring Kelp in. The convict stays in his cell."
Holly opened the door and went out. Foaly saw through the crack that Mulch and Kelp were both there already. He snickered.
"Something funny?"
"No, sir," said Foaly. "All joking aside, I think they were good for each other."
"How do you mean?"
"I said I never saw either of them happier. It was good for Holly to feel like someone seriously cared about her; someone who wasn't just one of the idiots that flirt with her when she doesn't want them to."
"I care! You care. She doesn't see that?"
"I'm just a stupid horse, what do I know?" Foaly shrugged. "And Trouble, well it was a heck of a confidence boost for him."
Root was about to say something, but Holly and Trouble walked in.
Trouble was muttering angrily under his breath.
Foaly grinned. "Mulch swiped your wallet again, huh?"
"Yes!" Trouble snapped.
Foaly snickered. "Let's figure out what we're going to do. I suggest we send Mulch in first, to look around. Fowl's friendly with him and even if Fowl sees him it won't be a big deal. Fowl knows the LEP isn't exactly friendly with Mulch and he shouldn't suspect anything. It's not like he's smart enough to be me or anything."
All the elves in the room rolled their eyes.
"No one appreciates me! Mulch can pretend he escaped and is looking for a friend."
Root snorted. "What's the point of sending the convict in? Fowl's not dumb enough to secure us an invitation. Or if he did do it, it'd be on purpose. Besides, I'm not giving the convict a chance to escape."
"Mulch can check the all-clear for us, see what he can find, come back out to us, and if we need to, we send Holly in. Her invitation from the kidnapping should still be valid. The wording was 'none of your People may enter here while I am alive', but that didn't apply to Holly. She was already there."
Root and Trouble both looked very angry. "We are not sending her in alone!" they shouted at Foaly. They blinked at each other in surprise. They'd actually agreed.
"IF anyone cares what I think," Holly said loudly, "I think it's a good plan."
"Thank you, Holly," said Foaly pompously.
"Don't flatter yourself, horse. I said it was a good plan. I didn't think it was great. But it's the best we got and I don't think there will be a better one anytime soon. So, Foaly, you take care of things down here. Mulch and I will go to the surface. Everything will be taken care of in no time." She obviously saw the look Trouble and Julius were giving her. "Fine. I'll take a few back up officers. No more than 2!"
"We're your men," said Trouble.
"I want to come!" said Foaly.
"You'll be more helpful here. Get us some gear and we can hop on the next shuttle out of here. I suppose both of you are coming?" she looked with exasperation at Root and Trouble. Remembering it did not pay to be rude to your commanding officer, Holly instead glared only at Trouble. Trouble was her superior too, but it didn't matter. She could terrorize him all she wanted. "Kelp, go get Mulch."
"Watch it, Captain. I'm a Lieutenant. Besides, Commander Root hasn't given the orders yet."
"Do as she says, Kelp! I'm officially putting her in charge over you."
"But, sir-"
"That's an order, Kelp! Hop to it now!"
Trouble saluted and vacated the vicinity.
Within an hour, Root, Short, Kelp, and Diggums were on a shuttle leaving the Haven.
"Okay, I can have those on the screen in just a-"
"I don't think so, pony. It'll be quicker for Short to go get them from my office. You know which cabinet. On the double, Captain!"
Holly exited quickly.
Foaly's tail twitched irritably. "I could have pulled them up quicker." Instantly, there were the floor plans.
"Get rid of those, donkey. I had to send Short away for a minute."
"What for?"
"Holly deserves better than Kelp. What does she see in him?"
"Sir?"
"What?"
"I've known Holly and Trouble both for a long time. I've known you for even longer. I never saw Trouble happier than when he was dating Holly. I don't think I've seen Holly happier either. Trouble's an excellent officer, much like you at his age. You've got fatherly worry over Holly. I've had many ex-girlfriends, well, at least a couple ex-girlfriends, and let me tell you: there's never a guy good enough for any father's daughter. Colonel Short is gone, sir. You're the closest thing Captain Short has to a father."
"What about you, Foaly?"
"Me? I'm the annoying big brother."
"You got the annoying part right. Put the screen back."
Foaly did so and Holly came in with the hard copy blue prints. "We need a plan of attack."
"I know that, Short," said Root. "Why do you think we're here?"
"Well, if we're going to come up with a plan I suggest e bring the rest of the team in, sir."
"Who exactly, Captain?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Kelp and Mulch Diggums."
"I'm not letting that dwarf anywhere near my sensitive computers!" shrieked Foaly.
Root sighed. "Bring Kelp in. The convict stays in his cell."
Holly opened the door and went out. Foaly saw through the crack that Mulch and Kelp were both there already. He snickered.
"Something funny?"
"No, sir," said Foaly. "All joking aside, I think they were good for each other."
"How do you mean?"
"I said I never saw either of them happier. It was good for Holly to feel like someone seriously cared about her; someone who wasn't just one of the idiots that flirt with her when she doesn't want them to."
"I care! You care. She doesn't see that?"
"I'm just a stupid horse, what do I know?" Foaly shrugged. "And Trouble, well it was a heck of a confidence boost for him."
Root was about to say something, but Holly and Trouble walked in.
Trouble was muttering angrily under his breath.
Foaly grinned. "Mulch swiped your wallet again, huh?"
"Yes!" Trouble snapped.
Foaly snickered. "Let's figure out what we're going to do. I suggest we send Mulch in first, to look around. Fowl's friendly with him and even if Fowl sees him it won't be a big deal. Fowl knows the LEP isn't exactly friendly with Mulch and he shouldn't suspect anything. It's not like he's smart enough to be me or anything."
All the elves in the room rolled their eyes.
"No one appreciates me! Mulch can pretend he escaped and is looking for a friend."
Root snorted. "What's the point of sending the convict in? Fowl's not dumb enough to secure us an invitation. Or if he did do it, it'd be on purpose. Besides, I'm not giving the convict a chance to escape."
"Mulch can check the all-clear for us, see what he can find, come back out to us, and if we need to, we send Holly in. Her invitation from the kidnapping should still be valid. The wording was 'none of your People may enter here while I am alive', but that didn't apply to Holly. She was already there."
Root and Trouble both looked very angry. "We are not sending her in alone!" they shouted at Foaly. They blinked at each other in surprise. They'd actually agreed.
"IF anyone cares what I think," Holly said loudly, "I think it's a good plan."
"Thank you, Holly," said Foaly pompously.
"Don't flatter yourself, horse. I said it was a good plan. I didn't think it was great. But it's the best we got and I don't think there will be a better one anytime soon. So, Foaly, you take care of things down here. Mulch and I will go to the surface. Everything will be taken care of in no time." She obviously saw the look Trouble and Julius were giving her. "Fine. I'll take a few back up officers. No more than 2!"
"We're your men," said Trouble.
"I want to come!" said Foaly.
"You'll be more helpful here. Get us some gear and we can hop on the next shuttle out of here. I suppose both of you are coming?" she looked with exasperation at Root and Trouble. Remembering it did not pay to be rude to your commanding officer, Holly instead glared only at Trouble. Trouble was her superior too, but it didn't matter. She could terrorize him all she wanted. "Kelp, go get Mulch."
"Watch it, Captain. I'm a Lieutenant. Besides, Commander Root hasn't given the orders yet."
"Do as she says, Kelp! I'm officially putting her in charge over you."
"But, sir-"
"That's an order, Kelp! Hop to it now!"
Trouble saluted and vacated the vicinity.
Within an hour, Root, Short, Kelp, and Diggums were on a shuttle leaving the Haven.