Eventually they smuggled Fowl, Butler, and Mulch into the Ops Room.
Mulch was only there because he'd threatened to scream that Mud Men were on
the premises if they returned him to his cell so soon. Foaly was not happy.
"Anything in that you need to report, horse?"
"Yeah. There's two Mud Men in my Ops Booth."
"FOALY!"
"Nothing," he said miserably.
"So you still have no idea who has penetrated your information network?" asked Artemis.
Foaly glared at him. "If we knew who it was, you wouldn't be here."
Artemis sat down in Foaly's chair (with as much grace and dignity as he could, considering it wasn't made for bipedals). "We need to formulate a comprehensive list of everyone who has been in here the last 12 months."
Foaly's eyes nearly left their sockets. "EVERYONE? That'll take days! Weeks even. 6 months."
Artemis smiled, his trademark vampire smile. "Then I suggest we begin." He took out an ordinary spiral notebook (he'd grown somewhat accustomed to these) and a ballpoint pen.
Foaly began his list of everyone who had been inside the Ops booth in the last 6 months. His list included nearly every member of the LEP, two repairmen, and 7 of Foaly's techies. Foaly didn't do a complete list for the whole year gone by but he added Fowl to the list anyway, just for good measure.
"So I'm guessing it was an inside job," said Artemis.
"What?" Root was clearly offended.
"Come, come, Commander, it's not as though we haven't known officers to go to the bad here." His voice was like smooth silk.
"I don't think that was the case this time," Root was trying to keep his cool. It wasn't working.
"Then that leaves the repairmen and myself. Although I certainly have not been here in the last six months."
"Prove it," Foaly said, quite frustrated.
"Surely a genius such as yourself or your fine police squad would have caught me long before this. After all, I'm just a stupid Mud Boy."
"Are you mocking us, Fowl?" growled Root.
"Not at all," he said sarcastically.
Holly hit him with her baton.
"Ow!"
"Smarts, don't it?" asked Diggums, who had been on the receiving end of such blows many times.
Artemis didn't dignify the question with a response. "If you are so convinced that it was not an inside job, then you must get the repairmen back immediately and question them. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Foaly began to search through files for the name of the repair company. He couldn't believe he was taking orders from a Mud Boy. Especially this Mud Boy! He got a strong urge to strangle someone.
While Foaly searched Holly said to Commander Root, "Sir, might it not be better to get the Mud Men out of here?"
"That's just what I was thinking, Short. Kelp!"
"Yessir," Trouble said guiltily, tearing his eyes away from Holly and bringing himself back to reality.
Root sighed. Why didn't that boy just tell her and get it over with? Whimp. "Return the convict to his cell."
"Now, sir?"
"NOW, Kelp!"
"Yes, sir!" He exited hastily with a protesting Mulch.
"About the Mu-I mean humans, sir?"
"Take Fowl to Archie's. I'll give him a call so he knows to expect you."
Artemis did not like the grin that appeared on Holly's face when she replied, "Yessir!"
"What about me?" asked Butler.
"You're staying here, big man," said Holly.
"Artemis doesn't go anywhere without me."
Root said, "Butler, you will remain here until I leave for the day and then you're coming home with me. There's enough room there. If you duck."
Sorry it's been so long between chapters. More will go up when I get reviews!
"Anything in that you need to report, horse?"
"Yeah. There's two Mud Men in my Ops Booth."
"FOALY!"
"Nothing," he said miserably.
"So you still have no idea who has penetrated your information network?" asked Artemis.
Foaly glared at him. "If we knew who it was, you wouldn't be here."
Artemis sat down in Foaly's chair (with as much grace and dignity as he could, considering it wasn't made for bipedals). "We need to formulate a comprehensive list of everyone who has been in here the last 12 months."
Foaly's eyes nearly left their sockets. "EVERYONE? That'll take days! Weeks even. 6 months."
Artemis smiled, his trademark vampire smile. "Then I suggest we begin." He took out an ordinary spiral notebook (he'd grown somewhat accustomed to these) and a ballpoint pen.
Foaly began his list of everyone who had been inside the Ops booth in the last 6 months. His list included nearly every member of the LEP, two repairmen, and 7 of Foaly's techies. Foaly didn't do a complete list for the whole year gone by but he added Fowl to the list anyway, just for good measure.
"So I'm guessing it was an inside job," said Artemis.
"What?" Root was clearly offended.
"Come, come, Commander, it's not as though we haven't known officers to go to the bad here." His voice was like smooth silk.
"I don't think that was the case this time," Root was trying to keep his cool. It wasn't working.
"Then that leaves the repairmen and myself. Although I certainly have not been here in the last six months."
"Prove it," Foaly said, quite frustrated.
"Surely a genius such as yourself or your fine police squad would have caught me long before this. After all, I'm just a stupid Mud Boy."
"Are you mocking us, Fowl?" growled Root.
"Not at all," he said sarcastically.
Holly hit him with her baton.
"Ow!"
"Smarts, don't it?" asked Diggums, who had been on the receiving end of such blows many times.
Artemis didn't dignify the question with a response. "If you are so convinced that it was not an inside job, then you must get the repairmen back immediately and question them. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Foaly began to search through files for the name of the repair company. He couldn't believe he was taking orders from a Mud Boy. Especially this Mud Boy! He got a strong urge to strangle someone.
While Foaly searched Holly said to Commander Root, "Sir, might it not be better to get the Mud Men out of here?"
"That's just what I was thinking, Short. Kelp!"
"Yessir," Trouble said guiltily, tearing his eyes away from Holly and bringing himself back to reality.
Root sighed. Why didn't that boy just tell her and get it over with? Whimp. "Return the convict to his cell."
"Now, sir?"
"NOW, Kelp!"
"Yes, sir!" He exited hastily with a protesting Mulch.
"About the Mu-I mean humans, sir?"
"Take Fowl to Archie's. I'll give him a call so he knows to expect you."
Artemis did not like the grin that appeared on Holly's face when she replied, "Yessir!"
"What about me?" asked Butler.
"You're staying here, big man," said Holly.
"Artemis doesn't go anywhere without me."
Root said, "Butler, you will remain here until I leave for the day and then you're coming home with me. There's enough room there. If you duck."
Sorry it's been so long between chapters. More will go up when I get reviews!