Artemis went downstairs. He stood on the landing speaking with
Butler.
The door opened and a snow-covered dwarf stomped in. "Do you realize how hard you make it for a dwarf to get in here? Solid limestone! It didn't used to be so bad."
"I got wary after you stole my father's pocket watch."
"All that fuss for a watch? I'll sell it back for a price."
"Last I heard, you were in jail. Is this the result of another of your triumphant escapes?"
"Not this time. I'm out on business. Got anywhere I can sit down and have something to drink?"
"Yes. Come into the parlor." Artemis went to an intercom, "Juliet, bring refreshments to the parlor. Be sure to include some Irish mineral water and some carrots."
"Yes, Arty."
"Right this way, Mister Diggums."
Mulch grinned. Fowl always was the gracious host.
They sat down. "What brings you to my humble abode?"
"Business." Mulch completely disregarded the story he had worked out with Root. "Foaly seems to think you're tampering with LEP security. I don't know if that's the case and I don't care. But you and I could make a killing working together and that's what I do care about."
"I'm supposed to be going straight, you know. No more illegal activities now that my father is back from Russia. His business with Russia was legal."
"You and I both know, Mud Boy, that what is and what's supposed to be are very different things. Like you said before, with the two of us, Fort Knox would be a pushover!"
"That's true. But do you mean to say, you want me to risk getting mindwiped by your government and protect you while we make our fortunes?"
"Between you and me, Fowl, they're just looking for an excuse to mindwipe you."
"And helping you would be the perfect excuse for them to do it. This may very well be a trap. I want proof."
"Proof?" Mulch sputtered. Maybe this wasn't going too well. "I was supposed to come in here, look for proof that you were spying on us, and get back out. In fact, Julius, Trouble, and Holly are waiting outside. By kidnapping Holly when you first found out about us you secured her an invitation that you never rescinded! She can come in at any point in time she wants. If I'm not back out within an hour of coming in here then she's coming to get me. You'll be mesmered and on the first shuttle back to Haven."
"Really? You think so with only you, a magicless dwarf, and 3 LEP officers?"
Holly stood framed in the doorway and said, "The 3 best LEP officers."
A half an hour after Mulch had gone in, Root said, "Go in after him, Holly."
Trouble asked, "I thought you were giving him an hour?"
Holly snorted. "A whole hour? That's idiotic. Of course I'm going in after him." With that, she took off for the house. (Then we see her when she says "The 3 best LEP officers")
Root approached Trouble. Trouble had watched Holly leave and sighed. Root whispered menacingly in his ear, "So, I hear you're interested in officer Short."
"Yes, sir. She's a very interesting person."
"I mean, you're interested in her as more than a friend or colleague."
"Yes. But I haven't broken any harassment regulations."
"I know that. But you go out of your way to be around and see her." He took a puff of his noxious-smelling, trademark, fungal cigars, and exhaled right in Kelp's face. "Keep talking."
Trouble's eyes strung from the smoke but he didn't blink. He held Root's stare, without wavering. "That's because I miss her, sir."
"You see her nearly everyday, Lieutenant."
"That's the worst way to miss someone, sir. To see them and know they're there, but know you can't have them. It's harsh. I love her."
"Then why are you quitting LEP? You're one of my best officers!"
"Because, she doesn't love me. It's too painful to see her everyday and know she doesn't feel the way I do."
"Don't start crying, Lieutenant. You don't know how she feels until you ask her. When she comes back, ask her. That's an order!"
A/N: This author's note is a spoiler, but if you still want to read it, scroll down.
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Okay. I know it seriously sounds like Holly hates Trouble and can't stand him, or it at least sounds like she doesn't want to date him. But that's not necessarily the case. I was going to leave that whole conversation between Trouble and Root until later but I thought I might as well put it in now. I'm not guaranteeing anything but things are at as hopeless as they seem between Holly and Trouble.
The door opened and a snow-covered dwarf stomped in. "Do you realize how hard you make it for a dwarf to get in here? Solid limestone! It didn't used to be so bad."
"I got wary after you stole my father's pocket watch."
"All that fuss for a watch? I'll sell it back for a price."
"Last I heard, you were in jail. Is this the result of another of your triumphant escapes?"
"Not this time. I'm out on business. Got anywhere I can sit down and have something to drink?"
"Yes. Come into the parlor." Artemis went to an intercom, "Juliet, bring refreshments to the parlor. Be sure to include some Irish mineral water and some carrots."
"Yes, Arty."
"Right this way, Mister Diggums."
Mulch grinned. Fowl always was the gracious host.
They sat down. "What brings you to my humble abode?"
"Business." Mulch completely disregarded the story he had worked out with Root. "Foaly seems to think you're tampering with LEP security. I don't know if that's the case and I don't care. But you and I could make a killing working together and that's what I do care about."
"I'm supposed to be going straight, you know. No more illegal activities now that my father is back from Russia. His business with Russia was legal."
"You and I both know, Mud Boy, that what is and what's supposed to be are very different things. Like you said before, with the two of us, Fort Knox would be a pushover!"
"That's true. But do you mean to say, you want me to risk getting mindwiped by your government and protect you while we make our fortunes?"
"Between you and me, Fowl, they're just looking for an excuse to mindwipe you."
"And helping you would be the perfect excuse for them to do it. This may very well be a trap. I want proof."
"Proof?" Mulch sputtered. Maybe this wasn't going too well. "I was supposed to come in here, look for proof that you were spying on us, and get back out. In fact, Julius, Trouble, and Holly are waiting outside. By kidnapping Holly when you first found out about us you secured her an invitation that you never rescinded! She can come in at any point in time she wants. If I'm not back out within an hour of coming in here then she's coming to get me. You'll be mesmered and on the first shuttle back to Haven."
"Really? You think so with only you, a magicless dwarf, and 3 LEP officers?"
Holly stood framed in the doorway and said, "The 3 best LEP officers."
A half an hour after Mulch had gone in, Root said, "Go in after him, Holly."
Trouble asked, "I thought you were giving him an hour?"
Holly snorted. "A whole hour? That's idiotic. Of course I'm going in after him." With that, she took off for the house. (Then we see her when she says "The 3 best LEP officers")
Root approached Trouble. Trouble had watched Holly leave and sighed. Root whispered menacingly in his ear, "So, I hear you're interested in officer Short."
"Yes, sir. She's a very interesting person."
"I mean, you're interested in her as more than a friend or colleague."
"Yes. But I haven't broken any harassment regulations."
"I know that. But you go out of your way to be around and see her." He took a puff of his noxious-smelling, trademark, fungal cigars, and exhaled right in Kelp's face. "Keep talking."
Trouble's eyes strung from the smoke but he didn't blink. He held Root's stare, without wavering. "That's because I miss her, sir."
"You see her nearly everyday, Lieutenant."
"That's the worst way to miss someone, sir. To see them and know they're there, but know you can't have them. It's harsh. I love her."
"Then why are you quitting LEP? You're one of my best officers!"
"Because, she doesn't love me. It's too painful to see her everyday and know she doesn't feel the way I do."
"Don't start crying, Lieutenant. You don't know how she feels until you ask her. When she comes back, ask her. That's an order!"
A/N: This author's note is a spoiler, but if you still want to read it, scroll down.
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Okay. I know it seriously sounds like Holly hates Trouble and can't stand him, or it at least sounds like she doesn't want to date him. But that's not necessarily the case. I was going to leave that whole conversation between Trouble and Root until later but I thought I might as well put it in now. I'm not guaranteeing anything but things are at as hopeless as they seem between Holly and Trouble.