Artemis awoke, for the second time that day, with a splitting headache.
Raising a hand to the back of his head, he felt the now pronounced lump.
Concussion, most likely.
He was lying on a stretcher bed, in a white-washed room. A window to his left was pushed open, but there was no chance of escape. The view it gave was three storeys up.
The door opened with a click. An enormously fat man walked in, wearing a suit, bright violet shirt and a Winnie the Poo tie.
Artemis stared. This was the man who'd managed to sneak him away from under Butler's nose?
"Good morning Master Fowl. May I call you Artemis? I am Mr Bernado." Bernado lowered himself into an armchair, standing in the corner. It looked a tad ridiculous in the bleak room.
"I suppose you are wondering what you are doing here, yes?"
Artemis raised an eyebrow. Well done, Einstein. "Yes. I am."
Bernardo nodded. "Well. That is a rather long story, you see. You're a smart kid. You know the purpose in life. You know what it's all about."
"The Hokey-Pokey?" said Artemis randomly, remembering the line in the song. Wow, he must've hit his head hard.
Bernado shook his head. "Gold. Money. Power."
"When I heard about the Mafia, and their capture of your father- don't look so surprised Artemis, I do have my contacts- I was intrigued. Whether they pulled it off or not, the Mafia hit on a good idea. So, I thought to myself, Bernado, you're not going to be young forever. If you want to retire early, you're going to have to make sure you have a nice big stockpile."
Bernado twinkled at Artemis. It was very disturbing. Artemis had just been kidnapped by this man, who looked and acted like a grandfather.
"You see, my boy, the Mafia's main mistake, was leaving you on the outside. From what a hear, you're a bright young spark."
Artemis snorted.
"And now, they say, your father's gone on the straight and narrow. And you haven't. And because your father is trying to build himself a better reputation, he won't do anything stupid, or illegal, to get you out. And so, he will pay the money."
Artemis felt cold. He knew, without a doubt, that his father would pay up. Artemis Fowl Snr wouldn't risk his reputation in anything illegal either.
The door swung open again, and the matronly woman who had tranquilised him came through. In her arms was a bundle of clothes.
"Ah," said Bernado with a smile. "Here comes your clothes! After all, people will remember a child in Armani, won't they?" Artemis glowered. First at being called a child, then when he saw the clothes. Second hand, the lot of them, and probably not worth more than a fiver in an op-shop. Never, never had he had to wear second hand clothes before.
Half an hour later, Artemis was staring glumly out the window. Not only was he wearing the tasteless clothes, his hair had been gelled into spikes. He looked like a street tough, for Pete's sake!
And of course, it didn't help that the woman had told him he 'looked a picture'.
Something catches his eye as he leans out the window. Right beneath it. A dumpster.
Artemis weighed up the pro's and con's. Well. he'd get out of here, and save a substantial amount of money. But.a DUMPSTER?
Behind him, the door handle turned, and it opened an inch. "I'll be right there. Just let me finish this." Said Bernado
That clinched it. Artemis turned, and catapulted himself out.
***************
Holly switched on her wings, and took off. These wings were brand new, one of Foaly's newest inventions. Personally Holly though Koboi's Double-Dex had been better, whatever Koboi herself had been like.
Just don't tell Foaly.
Shielded and soaring over the Irish landscape, Holly smiled. Even though the surface was contaminated by Mud men, and everything that came with them, the land was still beautiful.
Her mood soured somewhat though, as Fowl Manor loomed in front of her.
Her mission was simple: find Fowl, do whatever's necessary to make him regain his memories, and get him back to Haven to help, even if she had to bash him over the head and chuck him in a sack.
Unfortunately for Holly, someone had already done that.
Holly got in through an open window, alighting in the Fowl's sitting room. She frowned. It was unlike Butler to leave such an obvious security flaw.
Still shielded, she pushed open the door, and froze. Artemis's mother was sitting on her bed, crying.
Holly stared. She'd helped to heal Angeline before, and she knew that the woman had a strong personality. Except when something happened to her family.
Behind her, the hallway door swung open, and Artemis Snr walked through.
Holly stared, shocked. If both the adult Fowls were here, then it must be Artemis Angeline was crying for.
Holly sped down the hallway, looking for one of the Butlers. Hearing the tap of the key board, and the hum of a computer, she peeked through another open door.
Butler sat at the desk, his mammoth fingers typing rapidly away. He looked like he hadn't slept for days.
Unshielding, Holly approached. "Butler?"
Butler spun, a flash of silver, and suddenly a knife was at her throat. He stared at her, perplexed.
"How did you get in? And...where have I seen you before?"
Holly sucked in a breath. "LEP. Mud Men. Elves. Magic. Commander Root. Tomatoes. Foaly. Goblins. Jon Spiro. Opal Koboi. Haven. Shuttle. Mulch Diggums."
With each word, Butler looked more and more confused. Then.... "Holly?"
A smile spread over her face. "Nice to have you back Butler. Where's Artemis?"
Butler's face fell. "He...he was kidnapped Holly. We don't know how. No ransom demand has come through yet."
Holly stared. Fowl, gone? Not possible. Fowl, KIDNAPPED? Not even delusional.
************************ Foaly stared at the wall, unable to believe what he'd just heard.
"Holly," said Root "we NEED the mud boy. Foaly! Find him!"
"The Fowl's have got a private detective after him." Said Holly. Foaly snorted.
"Anything the Mudmen can do, believe me, I can do better. Do you have a DNA sample?" Holly shook her head. Then hesitated.
"I've got one of his socks though. It was found on the floor after he was taken."
Root raised an eyebrow. "Riight." Foaly took the sock, and handed it to an assistant. "We'll have the DNA soon." He assured them.
******************
"Soon, he says." Holly muttered. It was almost twelve hours since Foaly had told them that, and she'd just been called in now.
Whatever else Fowl might be, he was also a friend, in a weird, twisted sort of way. Twelve hours was a long time, and Holly had a short temper.
Foaly spun to face her as she entered the Ops Booth. "News, Holly. Maybe bad, maybe good."
"Just tell me."
"Ok. We know Fowl's in the USA. In New York City."
Holly frowned. "And the bad news?"
Foaly shrugged. "That was it. We can't get a lock on him. And that's one big, dangerous city. Maybe things have changed, but I'll bet Artemis still relies on the Butlers for protection."
Holly nodded. "Guess it's time I went on a field trip, hey?"
**************************
thanks everyone who reviewed
He was lying on a stretcher bed, in a white-washed room. A window to his left was pushed open, but there was no chance of escape. The view it gave was three storeys up.
The door opened with a click. An enormously fat man walked in, wearing a suit, bright violet shirt and a Winnie the Poo tie.
Artemis stared. This was the man who'd managed to sneak him away from under Butler's nose?
"Good morning Master Fowl. May I call you Artemis? I am Mr Bernado." Bernado lowered himself into an armchair, standing in the corner. It looked a tad ridiculous in the bleak room.
"I suppose you are wondering what you are doing here, yes?"
Artemis raised an eyebrow. Well done, Einstein. "Yes. I am."
Bernardo nodded. "Well. That is a rather long story, you see. You're a smart kid. You know the purpose in life. You know what it's all about."
"The Hokey-Pokey?" said Artemis randomly, remembering the line in the song. Wow, he must've hit his head hard.
Bernado shook his head. "Gold. Money. Power."
"When I heard about the Mafia, and their capture of your father- don't look so surprised Artemis, I do have my contacts- I was intrigued. Whether they pulled it off or not, the Mafia hit on a good idea. So, I thought to myself, Bernado, you're not going to be young forever. If you want to retire early, you're going to have to make sure you have a nice big stockpile."
Bernado twinkled at Artemis. It was very disturbing. Artemis had just been kidnapped by this man, who looked and acted like a grandfather.
"You see, my boy, the Mafia's main mistake, was leaving you on the outside. From what a hear, you're a bright young spark."
Artemis snorted.
"And now, they say, your father's gone on the straight and narrow. And you haven't. And because your father is trying to build himself a better reputation, he won't do anything stupid, or illegal, to get you out. And so, he will pay the money."
Artemis felt cold. He knew, without a doubt, that his father would pay up. Artemis Fowl Snr wouldn't risk his reputation in anything illegal either.
The door swung open again, and the matronly woman who had tranquilised him came through. In her arms was a bundle of clothes.
"Ah," said Bernado with a smile. "Here comes your clothes! After all, people will remember a child in Armani, won't they?" Artemis glowered. First at being called a child, then when he saw the clothes. Second hand, the lot of them, and probably not worth more than a fiver in an op-shop. Never, never had he had to wear second hand clothes before.
Half an hour later, Artemis was staring glumly out the window. Not only was he wearing the tasteless clothes, his hair had been gelled into spikes. He looked like a street tough, for Pete's sake!
And of course, it didn't help that the woman had told him he 'looked a picture'.
Something catches his eye as he leans out the window. Right beneath it. A dumpster.
Artemis weighed up the pro's and con's. Well. he'd get out of here, and save a substantial amount of money. But.a DUMPSTER?
Behind him, the door handle turned, and it opened an inch. "I'll be right there. Just let me finish this." Said Bernado
That clinched it. Artemis turned, and catapulted himself out.
***************
Holly switched on her wings, and took off. These wings were brand new, one of Foaly's newest inventions. Personally Holly though Koboi's Double-Dex had been better, whatever Koboi herself had been like.
Just don't tell Foaly.
Shielded and soaring over the Irish landscape, Holly smiled. Even though the surface was contaminated by Mud men, and everything that came with them, the land was still beautiful.
Her mood soured somewhat though, as Fowl Manor loomed in front of her.
Her mission was simple: find Fowl, do whatever's necessary to make him regain his memories, and get him back to Haven to help, even if she had to bash him over the head and chuck him in a sack.
Unfortunately for Holly, someone had already done that.
Holly got in through an open window, alighting in the Fowl's sitting room. She frowned. It was unlike Butler to leave such an obvious security flaw.
Still shielded, she pushed open the door, and froze. Artemis's mother was sitting on her bed, crying.
Holly stared. She'd helped to heal Angeline before, and she knew that the woman had a strong personality. Except when something happened to her family.
Behind her, the hallway door swung open, and Artemis Snr walked through.
Holly stared, shocked. If both the adult Fowls were here, then it must be Artemis Angeline was crying for.
Holly sped down the hallway, looking for one of the Butlers. Hearing the tap of the key board, and the hum of a computer, she peeked through another open door.
Butler sat at the desk, his mammoth fingers typing rapidly away. He looked like he hadn't slept for days.
Unshielding, Holly approached. "Butler?"
Butler spun, a flash of silver, and suddenly a knife was at her throat. He stared at her, perplexed.
"How did you get in? And...where have I seen you before?"
Holly sucked in a breath. "LEP. Mud Men. Elves. Magic. Commander Root. Tomatoes. Foaly. Goblins. Jon Spiro. Opal Koboi. Haven. Shuttle. Mulch Diggums."
With each word, Butler looked more and more confused. Then.... "Holly?"
A smile spread over her face. "Nice to have you back Butler. Where's Artemis?"
Butler's face fell. "He...he was kidnapped Holly. We don't know how. No ransom demand has come through yet."
Holly stared. Fowl, gone? Not possible. Fowl, KIDNAPPED? Not even delusional.
************************ Foaly stared at the wall, unable to believe what he'd just heard.
"Holly," said Root "we NEED the mud boy. Foaly! Find him!"
"The Fowl's have got a private detective after him." Said Holly. Foaly snorted.
"Anything the Mudmen can do, believe me, I can do better. Do you have a DNA sample?" Holly shook her head. Then hesitated.
"I've got one of his socks though. It was found on the floor after he was taken."
Root raised an eyebrow. "Riight." Foaly took the sock, and handed it to an assistant. "We'll have the DNA soon." He assured them.
******************
"Soon, he says." Holly muttered. It was almost twelve hours since Foaly had told them that, and she'd just been called in now.
Whatever else Fowl might be, he was also a friend, in a weird, twisted sort of way. Twelve hours was a long time, and Holly had a short temper.
Foaly spun to face her as she entered the Ops Booth. "News, Holly. Maybe bad, maybe good."
"Just tell me."
"Ok. We know Fowl's in the USA. In New York City."
Holly frowned. "And the bad news?"
Foaly shrugged. "That was it. We can't get a lock on him. And that's one big, dangerous city. Maybe things have changed, but I'll bet Artemis still relies on the Butlers for protection."
Holly nodded. "Guess it's time I went on a field trip, hey?"
**************************
thanks everyone who reviewed