Chapter Five
Somewhere over the Atlantic, off the East Coast
"Master Fowl?"
Artemis turned towards the cockpit. "Yes, Butler?"
"We're approaching the East Coast now. You should probably buckle in now. It's a bit choppy."
"Of course, Butler." Artemis hardly paid attention. He was busy thinking of ways that he could exploit this Champlain person. Supposedly he was a young person. How young, there was some doubt. Butler's contact said that they had tracked him down and put him in 'temporary detention,' but had not interrogated him yet. "Where is Master Champlain now, Butler?" "According to my friend, they returned him to school a week ago. It's in Rhode Island. We're going to land at Logan and go from there. I've already contacted a limo from the airport service." "Thank you, Butler," Artemis replied. The whole thing was a shadowy enigma. And the only enigmas Artemis was fond of were his own.
Mount Saint Charles Academy, Rhode Island
"Bull," Brendan said. "There's no way you hacked the NSA, Eric."
Eric Champlain grinned. "Then where was I for the past week?"
"We were on vacation," Brendan argued. "You could have been anywhere."
"The fact is, I was sitting in a federal detention cell. They don't appreciate jokes over there." Eric retorted. He was about five ten, brown hair, brown eyes. His hair was everywhere, but that was how it looked all the time. Right now he was wearing the polo shirt that was part of the uniform at the academy. He and his friend, Brendan Quinn, were in the school's library area during one of their few free periods. "Anyway, I could do it again right now, except for the fact that I'm being monitored."
"I have to agree with that," Brendan acquiesced. "You've got more men in black following you than the President."
"Just one, and he'll leave soon. Where is he now, anyway?"
"The last I saw, he was in Mr. Richer's office, trying to explain that sitting in the back of all your classes was a matter of national security."
"Hardly," Eric breezed. "I just messed with the supervisor's profile a bit."
Brendan pressed on. "Look, even if you did get in, there's no way you'd be able to change anything without a password."
Eric grinned. "I had a password. It only took me three tries to find it."
"Bull," Brendan said.
Woonsocket streets
The airport limo cruised smoothly down the streets of Woonsocket. It was an old, dreary town, with projects every three blocks. Gangs hung out on street corners, and homeless people around bars. Artemis Fowl the Second, however, was insulated from the realms of common people. Being so close to normal (and he applied the term loosely) people irritated him very much. However, it would be worth it if he could convince this hacker to help him. Money, he thought, money and privileges. Stock options, or perhaps something else. Everyone had their price, and Artemis had the means to meet it.
When Artemis arrived at the school, however, he was surprised. "When you said school, Butler, I thought that you meant college. This is—it's only a high school," he said frostily.
"I was somewhat unaware myself, Master Fowl," he replied. "I was thinking along the same lines as you."
Artemis frowned. This was another unexpected variable. His plan to unmask whoever had put the lenses in was going to have to be adjusted. He wasn't worried. His brain hadn't failed him yet.
Mount Saint Charles Academy
As Butler parked the limo, Artemis made his way to the school. His Armani suit did not match the uniform employed there, however, and he received some odd stares. He proceeded directly to the main office, where a large man in a black suit was arguing with what seemed to be the principal. "I'm telling you, sir, the Champlain kid is a threat to national security," he was saying as Artemis entered. "I can't believe it," the principal said. He was a tall man with a mustache and a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt. "I've known Eric since he was in seventh grade, and there's no way he would have done something like this. I'll hear no more of this. Now leave, or I'll be forced to call the police." He turned to spot Artemis and frowned. "While I'm glad you're wearing a formal outfit, it's still against the dress code. That's a detention, Mr.—" "The name is Fowl, sir, and I do not attend school here," Artemis retorted. "In fact, I am here to track down the object of your conversation. One Eric Champlain, of Millville, Massachusetts?" "That's all well and good, Mr. Fowl, but I can't release a student to the company of another minor," Mr. Richer replied. Artemis sighed. "Listen, I was just talking to the director of one branch of the NSA. In order to help him find out how Champlain penetrated their security, I need to bring him with me. To Ireland." He grinned his vampire grin. "You can even talk to him yourself."
Five minutes later, Artemis was walking up the stairs to the library, where Eric was at the moment. The sight of Butler had persuaded the principal that it was necessary to release Eric to the two of them. As Artemis approached, he could hear a terse conversation. Apparently this Eric person was talking to one of his friends. "Pardon me," Artemis said as he entered. "Is there an Eric Champlain here?"
The conversation ended abruptly as he entered. Everyone busied themselves with something.
"Well?" Artemis asked. "Is he?"
Someone muttered in the background. Artemis' eyes zeroed in. One of the boys, his shirt defiantly untucked, was whispering into his cell phone. "Sell all my shares in Studio 1089," he said. "I just got a tip that there's about to be a drop."
"You there," Artemis said. "Would you be Eric?"
"That's the genius," the kid next to him said. "Here." He handed Eric a five. "You were right."
Eric and Artemis left the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Eric started talking.
"So why did the NSA send another kid over?" he cracked. "Those the only sane people left?"
Artemis ignored him. "We're taking a slight trip, Mr. Champlain."
"Oh, yeah?" he said. "Where to?"
"Ireland."
Somewhere over the Atlantic, off the East Coast
"Master Fowl?"
Artemis turned towards the cockpit. "Yes, Butler?"
"We're approaching the East Coast now. You should probably buckle in now. It's a bit choppy."
"Of course, Butler." Artemis hardly paid attention. He was busy thinking of ways that he could exploit this Champlain person. Supposedly he was a young person. How young, there was some doubt. Butler's contact said that they had tracked him down and put him in 'temporary detention,' but had not interrogated him yet. "Where is Master Champlain now, Butler?" "According to my friend, they returned him to school a week ago. It's in Rhode Island. We're going to land at Logan and go from there. I've already contacted a limo from the airport service." "Thank you, Butler," Artemis replied. The whole thing was a shadowy enigma. And the only enigmas Artemis was fond of were his own.
Mount Saint Charles Academy, Rhode Island
"Bull," Brendan said. "There's no way you hacked the NSA, Eric."
Eric Champlain grinned. "Then where was I for the past week?"
"We were on vacation," Brendan argued. "You could have been anywhere."
"The fact is, I was sitting in a federal detention cell. They don't appreciate jokes over there." Eric retorted. He was about five ten, brown hair, brown eyes. His hair was everywhere, but that was how it looked all the time. Right now he was wearing the polo shirt that was part of the uniform at the academy. He and his friend, Brendan Quinn, were in the school's library area during one of their few free periods. "Anyway, I could do it again right now, except for the fact that I'm being monitored."
"I have to agree with that," Brendan acquiesced. "You've got more men in black following you than the President."
"Just one, and he'll leave soon. Where is he now, anyway?"
"The last I saw, he was in Mr. Richer's office, trying to explain that sitting in the back of all your classes was a matter of national security."
"Hardly," Eric breezed. "I just messed with the supervisor's profile a bit."
Brendan pressed on. "Look, even if you did get in, there's no way you'd be able to change anything without a password."
Eric grinned. "I had a password. It only took me three tries to find it."
"Bull," Brendan said.
Woonsocket streets
The airport limo cruised smoothly down the streets of Woonsocket. It was an old, dreary town, with projects every three blocks. Gangs hung out on street corners, and homeless people around bars. Artemis Fowl the Second, however, was insulated from the realms of common people. Being so close to normal (and he applied the term loosely) people irritated him very much. However, it would be worth it if he could convince this hacker to help him. Money, he thought, money and privileges. Stock options, or perhaps something else. Everyone had their price, and Artemis had the means to meet it.
When Artemis arrived at the school, however, he was surprised. "When you said school, Butler, I thought that you meant college. This is—it's only a high school," he said frostily.
"I was somewhat unaware myself, Master Fowl," he replied. "I was thinking along the same lines as you."
Artemis frowned. This was another unexpected variable. His plan to unmask whoever had put the lenses in was going to have to be adjusted. He wasn't worried. His brain hadn't failed him yet.
Mount Saint Charles Academy
As Butler parked the limo, Artemis made his way to the school. His Armani suit did not match the uniform employed there, however, and he received some odd stares. He proceeded directly to the main office, where a large man in a black suit was arguing with what seemed to be the principal. "I'm telling you, sir, the Champlain kid is a threat to national security," he was saying as Artemis entered. "I can't believe it," the principal said. He was a tall man with a mustache and a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt. "I've known Eric since he was in seventh grade, and there's no way he would have done something like this. I'll hear no more of this. Now leave, or I'll be forced to call the police." He turned to spot Artemis and frowned. "While I'm glad you're wearing a formal outfit, it's still against the dress code. That's a detention, Mr.—" "The name is Fowl, sir, and I do not attend school here," Artemis retorted. "In fact, I am here to track down the object of your conversation. One Eric Champlain, of Millville, Massachusetts?" "That's all well and good, Mr. Fowl, but I can't release a student to the company of another minor," Mr. Richer replied. Artemis sighed. "Listen, I was just talking to the director of one branch of the NSA. In order to help him find out how Champlain penetrated their security, I need to bring him with me. To Ireland." He grinned his vampire grin. "You can even talk to him yourself."
Five minutes later, Artemis was walking up the stairs to the library, where Eric was at the moment. The sight of Butler had persuaded the principal that it was necessary to release Eric to the two of them. As Artemis approached, he could hear a terse conversation. Apparently this Eric person was talking to one of his friends. "Pardon me," Artemis said as he entered. "Is there an Eric Champlain here?"
The conversation ended abruptly as he entered. Everyone busied themselves with something.
"Well?" Artemis asked. "Is he?"
Someone muttered in the background. Artemis' eyes zeroed in. One of the boys, his shirt defiantly untucked, was whispering into his cell phone. "Sell all my shares in Studio 1089," he said. "I just got a tip that there's about to be a drop."
"You there," Artemis said. "Would you be Eric?"
"That's the genius," the kid next to him said. "Here." He handed Eric a five. "You were right."
Eric and Artemis left the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Eric started talking.
"So why did the NSA send another kid over?" he cracked. "Those the only sane people left?"
Artemis ignored him. "We're taking a slight trip, Mr. Champlain."
"Oh, yeah?" he said. "Where to?"
"Ireland."