Chapter III: The Return of Holly Short
"I don't get it," said Artemis leaving the office with Butler. "First a strange man asks for me at the library and then a woman offers me a job to tutor her son who was in a car accident two weeks ago."
"I'm sure it is just coincidence Sir."
"For some reason I don't," said Artemis suspiciously. "I think that these things linked somehow, but I don't know how yet."
"I'm sure that no harm will come to you or your family. Juliet is at the Manor right now and you're parents are still locked up in their room. Nothing is going to happen."
"You're probably right, Butler. Nothing can happen when you're around. We will wait for a couple of days and then if anything happens we will investigate."
"Yes Artemis," said Butler. "The limo is waiting outside."
"Very well, let's go home.
Artemis and Butler left the school from the front door and headed to the limo in the parking lot. The driver got out and opened the back door for Artemis and Butler to get in.
"Where to Sir?" he asked.
"Take us home George," said Artemis. "Take us home."
* * *
Holly Short skimmed across the landscape, flying towards Fowl Manner. She flew over a pond and ducked underneath the surface for a couple of seconds. She flew for a few more minutes and then stopped underneath a stooping willow tree to take a breather.
She removed her helmet, and took a deep breath of fresh air. She gazed over the endless landscape.
She could see a couple of jackrabbits chasing each other around.
"I bet it is Artemis Fowl," she muttered to herself. "I'll bet my promotion on it."
"I wouldn't say that," said Foaly's voice as Holly's intercom crackled to life.
"Why not," asked Holly.
"Because there is no evidence that Artemis Fowl was the cause of this disturbance. Besides, Rooty wants you back here as soon as possible. We have a problem of our own here."
"What is it?"
"There is a new enemy called something like a Bokogoblin or something. To tell you the truth, it looks something like Rooty's mother."
"Foaly, you know better than to say something like that," said Holly failing to stifle a laugh.
"But it's true! You should see it for yourself, it's hideous!"
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
"That's good to hear. Rooty's really ticked off."
There was a filter of static as Foaly's voice faded out.
"Better get going," she said to herself, "Fowl Manner is just fifteen minutes away."
* * *
"Sir you have a package."
Artemis and Butler had arrived home had had just gotten through the door when their maid, Mrs. Cobs came into the foyer and handed them a package. Butler had grabbed the package immediately to check that it was perfectly safe before handing it to Artemis.
"A package?" said Artemis who took the package and shook it. Nothing rattled inside. His name was scrawled sloppily across the brown rapping, but there was no return address.
"What do you think it is?" asked Butler. "There's no stamp. Someone must have left it."
"Who? I don't know anyone who would send me anything."
"Is there something important you're not telling me about Artemis?"
"You open it," Artemis said suddenly thrusting the package at Butler.
"Okay, but if it something personal don't blame me."
Butler ripped open the package. A solitary piece of paper floated out and fell to the floor. Butler bent over, picked it up and handed it to Artemis. Artemis took it and examined it.
"It's a calendar."
"A what?"
"A page torn from a calendar. January. oh God."
Butler took the page from him. "There's a circle around the date of the anniversary. It's circled in. blood.
There was a long pause in which Butler looked around the room and Artemis examined the paper. Then there was a faint humming noise and Butler and Artemis both turned around to the window.
"DOWN!" shouted Butler and he dove and grabbed Artemis by the waist and pulled him down onto the floor.
There was a loud crash as something flew through the window and into the kitchen. Artemis and Butler were sprayed with little shards of flying glass. There was a loud ping as whatever it was hit something metal in the kitchen.
"What was that?" Artemis asked breathlessly.
"Stay here Artemis," said Butler, getting to his feet. "I will find out what it was."
Butler strode into the kitchen and surveyed the area. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary. He made up his mind that what ever it was flew out another window when he heard a small:
"Ouch!"
He whirled around just in time to see a small head poking out of the tea pot. Butler couldn't help but smile. "Good evening Miss Short," he said, nodding.
"Hello, Butler," said Holly, getting out of the tea pot and rubbing her head.
"What brings you to the Manor?"
"Artemis Fowl," she replied. "Is he here?"
"Yes, you nearly took off his head when you flew through the window."
Artemis watched as Butler entered from the kitchen. "Did you find anything?" he asked?
"Just a fairy."
"A fair."
But Holly came up from behind Butler's shoulder and stared at Artemis.
"Holly," said Artemis in surprise. What are you doing here?"
"Commander Root wants me to take you to him because we scoped some serious mud-man activity on the surface two weeks ago.
There was an awkward pause as Artemis and Butler exchanged worried glances.
"I will go with you," said Artemis, "as long as Butler can escort me there."
"Can't go anywhere without Butler, can you?" said Holly.
"I am at too great a risk," said Artemis.
"Well, I suppose there is no harm in taking Butler along," said Holly as she took a sharp pointy object out of her jumpsuit.
"What are you going to do with that?" asked Artemis.
"I am going to have to sedate you," said Holly smiling. "We have to take you deep underground and if you were conscious the tremendous ground pressure would definitely crush you."
"I see," said Artemis sticking out his forearm for Holly to prick. "Butler, do the same," said Artemis.
Holly pricked both of them and in a few moments they were both unconscious on the floor. Holly flew into the air, picked them both up by the back of their shirts and flew out of the window to begin the long journey home.
"I don't get it," said Artemis leaving the office with Butler. "First a strange man asks for me at the library and then a woman offers me a job to tutor her son who was in a car accident two weeks ago."
"I'm sure it is just coincidence Sir."
"For some reason I don't," said Artemis suspiciously. "I think that these things linked somehow, but I don't know how yet."
"I'm sure that no harm will come to you or your family. Juliet is at the Manor right now and you're parents are still locked up in their room. Nothing is going to happen."
"You're probably right, Butler. Nothing can happen when you're around. We will wait for a couple of days and then if anything happens we will investigate."
"Yes Artemis," said Butler. "The limo is waiting outside."
"Very well, let's go home.
Artemis and Butler left the school from the front door and headed to the limo in the parking lot. The driver got out and opened the back door for Artemis and Butler to get in.
"Where to Sir?" he asked.
"Take us home George," said Artemis. "Take us home."
* * *
Holly Short skimmed across the landscape, flying towards Fowl Manner. She flew over a pond and ducked underneath the surface for a couple of seconds. She flew for a few more minutes and then stopped underneath a stooping willow tree to take a breather.
She removed her helmet, and took a deep breath of fresh air. She gazed over the endless landscape.
She could see a couple of jackrabbits chasing each other around.
"I bet it is Artemis Fowl," she muttered to herself. "I'll bet my promotion on it."
"I wouldn't say that," said Foaly's voice as Holly's intercom crackled to life.
"Why not," asked Holly.
"Because there is no evidence that Artemis Fowl was the cause of this disturbance. Besides, Rooty wants you back here as soon as possible. We have a problem of our own here."
"What is it?"
"There is a new enemy called something like a Bokogoblin or something. To tell you the truth, it looks something like Rooty's mother."
"Foaly, you know better than to say something like that," said Holly failing to stifle a laugh.
"But it's true! You should see it for yourself, it's hideous!"
"I'll be back as soon as I can."
"That's good to hear. Rooty's really ticked off."
There was a filter of static as Foaly's voice faded out.
"Better get going," she said to herself, "Fowl Manner is just fifteen minutes away."
* * *
"Sir you have a package."
Artemis and Butler had arrived home had had just gotten through the door when their maid, Mrs. Cobs came into the foyer and handed them a package. Butler had grabbed the package immediately to check that it was perfectly safe before handing it to Artemis.
"A package?" said Artemis who took the package and shook it. Nothing rattled inside. His name was scrawled sloppily across the brown rapping, but there was no return address.
"What do you think it is?" asked Butler. "There's no stamp. Someone must have left it."
"Who? I don't know anyone who would send me anything."
"Is there something important you're not telling me about Artemis?"
"You open it," Artemis said suddenly thrusting the package at Butler.
"Okay, but if it something personal don't blame me."
Butler ripped open the package. A solitary piece of paper floated out and fell to the floor. Butler bent over, picked it up and handed it to Artemis. Artemis took it and examined it.
"It's a calendar."
"A what?"
"A page torn from a calendar. January. oh God."
Butler took the page from him. "There's a circle around the date of the anniversary. It's circled in. blood.
There was a long pause in which Butler looked around the room and Artemis examined the paper. Then there was a faint humming noise and Butler and Artemis both turned around to the window.
"DOWN!" shouted Butler and he dove and grabbed Artemis by the waist and pulled him down onto the floor.
There was a loud crash as something flew through the window and into the kitchen. Artemis and Butler were sprayed with little shards of flying glass. There was a loud ping as whatever it was hit something metal in the kitchen.
"What was that?" Artemis asked breathlessly.
"Stay here Artemis," said Butler, getting to his feet. "I will find out what it was."
Butler strode into the kitchen and surveyed the area. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary. He made up his mind that what ever it was flew out another window when he heard a small:
"Ouch!"
He whirled around just in time to see a small head poking out of the tea pot. Butler couldn't help but smile. "Good evening Miss Short," he said, nodding.
"Hello, Butler," said Holly, getting out of the tea pot and rubbing her head.
"What brings you to the Manor?"
"Artemis Fowl," she replied. "Is he here?"
"Yes, you nearly took off his head when you flew through the window."
Artemis watched as Butler entered from the kitchen. "Did you find anything?" he asked?
"Just a fairy."
"A fair."
But Holly came up from behind Butler's shoulder and stared at Artemis.
"Holly," said Artemis in surprise. What are you doing here?"
"Commander Root wants me to take you to him because we scoped some serious mud-man activity on the surface two weeks ago.
There was an awkward pause as Artemis and Butler exchanged worried glances.
"I will go with you," said Artemis, "as long as Butler can escort me there."
"Can't go anywhere without Butler, can you?" said Holly.
"I am at too great a risk," said Artemis.
"Well, I suppose there is no harm in taking Butler along," said Holly as she took a sharp pointy object out of her jumpsuit.
"What are you going to do with that?" asked Artemis.
"I am going to have to sedate you," said Holly smiling. "We have to take you deep underground and if you were conscious the tremendous ground pressure would definitely crush you."
"I see," said Artemis sticking out his forearm for Holly to prick. "Butler, do the same," said Artemis.
Holly pricked both of them and in a few moments they were both unconscious on the floor. Holly flew into the air, picked them both up by the back of their shirts and flew out of the window to begin the long journey home.