Butler stopped the truck in front of Foaly, effectively blocking the hoofed fairy's attempts to go any further. 'Foaly' he said wearily as he got out and stood in front of the centaur. 'What are you doing here?' Foaly stood his ground and glared at the huge bulk. 'I want to speak with Artemis.' he said stubbornly. Butler sighed and then squirmed slightly as Foaly added suspiciously. 'And weren't you supposed to be mind wiped?'

'I was.' he said defensively. 'But I left myself something which triggered total recall.' Foaly was flabbergasted. 'but we took everything away from the mansion which might cause total recall!' he cried. Butler had the decency to look embarrassed.

'Well…I didn't exactly leave it in the mansion…' Foaly narrowed his eyes and sighed in deafeat. There went his ace.

'I guess Artemis has total recall as well then.' he said dully.

'um, no. Not as such.' Foaly glared at the body guard to one of the most feared criminals in the underworld although when he spoke there was a undertone of surprise.

'What do you mean 'no, not as such'?'

Butler sighed and opened up the rear ramp of the truck. 'I'll tell you on the way up.'

As Butler placed the truck into reverse he started to explain why, almost six months ago he had done what he had done.

…..

It hadn't taken the trained Butler long to read through the computer readout although he knew that others could have done it faster. And, as his younger self had figured, or to be more accurate, as Artemis had figured, the disk was enough to trigger total recall. And it was only then that Butler realised what he had meant in his letter when he had said if you do receive your memory back, what you choose to do with them is your own concern. I can only hope that you, that I, choose to do the right thing.

How could he give Artemis his memories back, when Artemis would undoubtedly use them to exploit the fairies again and place everyone in danger again? And Butler owed a fairy his life twice over. He couldn't let them be endangered when he could prevent it. And it wasn't as though it was life or death for Artemis. In fact, losing his memories would properly increase Artemis' safety because the fairies would no longer be trying to kill/hunt down/punch his lights outs.

So Butler had made the decision not to tell Artemis. It would only cause pain on both sides, not to mention above and below ground. There was no need to go and cause aggravation between two sides when it could just as easily be prevented.

By the time the truck had rolled into the garage, Butler had completed his story. It was a long driveway after all. 'So,' Butler said slyly, glancing over at his comrade. 'what are you doing here? Obviously you had no clue that the mind wipe had been deactivated for me at least and even if it had, by your own book there isn't anything you can do about it.' Sometimes, if Artemis repeated a lecture often enough, parts of it actually stuck and made sense. Foaly shifted nervously dancing slightly with his hooves.

'well, no we didn't know that you had triggered total mind recall. I came because' he gave and he visibly sank slightly looking at Butler with tired, defeated eyes. 'I need Artemis' help' he said wearily. 'and I'd prefer to tell you my story all at once. It's not something I want to forget' he said, viciousness coursing through each syllable, 'but it's not something I particularly feel like saying too often.' Butler glanced over at the four legged horse like fairy. 'what makes you think Artemis will help you?' he inquired. 'Being helpful isn't exactly what that young prodigy is well known for.'

Foaly slowly turned to Butler and Butler had to fight back the gasp that threatened to escape him. 'because' he said hoarsely, as only a centaur can. 'because he knows what I'm feeling.' And Foaly would say no more on the subject.

Artemis Fowl the Second stepped back from his sculpture and stared at it critically before beginning to polish out a tiny flaw that almost nobody else would have noticed. And probably nobody else would have cared about. When he had first been informed of what his mother wanted him to do, Artemis had felt like screaming but he was a Fowl and screaming was not part of his character at any rate. But it had almost brought him to his breaking point. Not something he came across easily.

Angeline Fowl had wanted something creative, something mystic, something mythical. And so that's what Artemis had set out to create. Right now, he was working on centaur's. He had plenty of sketch's of horses, most done when he was younger and more inclined to do things for the sake of doing them and getting the torso and upper body wasn't that hard. This centaur was rearing, fore legs slightly splayed as the stallion showed his dominance. And somehow, the statue was peculiarly familiar.

Before this, Artemis had done several lying down, running through water, fairies, unicorn's, but somehow, he was certain that it was this one that his mother would like best to show of to all her friends. Artemis sighed and wonder not for the first time that just how he managed to let his mother talk him into things he normally wouldn't dream of doing. Or at least, not without very good reasoning. He didn't bother turning around again as the door swung open. 'back so soon Butler?' he asked dryly, not particularly caring what the answer was to a question posed only out of boredom. 'Why Fowl.' said a voice which seemed to neigh slightly and soundly oddly familiar. 'don't tell me you've forgotten me? Not surprising really. I knew you couldn't live with the knowledge that there was something so much smarter than you out there.' Artemis turned slowly features as calm and collected as always.

'Hmph. It seems that someone has found my sculpting rather amusing. Right we've all had a good laugh' Artemis's face was still set in it's, for all practical purposes, cement foundation which hadn't even cracked a smile 'so you can all come out now' he continued. The…creature, Artemis was loathed to call it a centaur when he was perfectly aware of the fact that magic and thus magical creatures didn't exist, trotted into the room and Artemis' ears swore they heard the hoof's clicking on the floor despite his mind's loud arguments that they couldn't possibly be. It examined the sculpture trotting around it appraising every detail careful.

'Well done Fowl' it or possibly he commented 'An extremely good likeness' Artemis chose not to dignify such a such comment with a response despite the fact the statue did look eerie similar to the centaur.

At that moment Butler actually did enter the room. 'Ah' said Artemis, grateful that this stupid game was going to end, 'Butler, we seem to have an intruder in our midst. Kindly see him off the grounds will you' Despite the phrasing it had not been a request and therefore it came as a slight shock when Butler refused. 'I'm sorry sir, I can't do that.'

'Why not?' snapped Artemis who was trying to ignore flashes of…things… that were going through his head. He'd call them memories, but there could be no way any of it had ever occurred.

'there has been…something I have not told you' Butler said, keeping his eyes straight ahead. Somehow, it was easier to tell Artemis this way rather than look him in the eyes and admit that he'd lied to the young boy. Artemis was now slightly curious and a little apprehensive. What could Butler possibly have kept from him?

'Do you recall that incident with the contacts 6 months ago?' Butler was being very careful with his words, and this was not lost on the young prodigy. His eyebrows drew closer together and a slight edge crept dangerously into his voice. 'yes. I recall. Myself, Juliet and you all discovered contacts on our person. But you went to Limerick, found the culprit and taught him a lesson' The edge became a lot more pronounced as Artemis asked 'didn't you?'

Butler had been in several wars. He'd faced down death more times than he cared to count. He had been captured by enemy forces, had been in more dangerous situations than he cared to remember. And he was currently being intimidated by a boy who hadn't even reached his 15th birthday yet. It was truly scary how Artemis could be sometimes. 'So' continued Artemis, his silky tones only just marring the poison his words contained. "You tell me that you haven't been completely honest with me. And you bring up an event which occurred barely six months ago. Obviously the two are connected. But why' and the slightest hints of puzzlement crept into Artemis' voice as he asked 'but why did you feel the need for a centaur puppet?"

"Puppet!" snorted the centaur in question. "Listen Mud boy the only reason I'm letting you get away with all of this is because I know you don't believe in magic.' A smirk crossed his lips 'Not yet at any rate' he added with some satisfaction. A frown tugged at Artemis' face and he deftly turned his back on the centaur trying his best to ignore the thoughts that were now demanding his attention. Something about breaking into a building in Chicago….

Butler held out a disk. 'better you see for yourself.' he advised gruffly. 'I wasn't too certain if it would bring up total recall for me, but it did. And since you originally designed it for yourself to look at, I'm sure you'll have no problems.' Artemis glared at his manservant and Butler knew the young Irish boy hadn't forgiven him for lying to his face, despite not knowing that such an event had even occurred. It was the principle the young billionaire felt. Lying to people was his job.

Muttering darkly the raven hair youth easily slid the disk into his laptop's drive. Deft fingers flew over the keyboard as he typed commands to the computer and settled down to read in the chair. Butler watched blue eyes flicker rapidly over the lines, Artemis was a talented speed reader who could digest full paragraph's at a time and several times a thin eyebrow would arch upwards, a rare show of emotion's for the calculating cold youth. He had not been reading for more than five minutes, which Butler figured that even by Artemis' standards, couldn't be that far and turned to the centaur reading over his shoulder. 'So Foaly. We met again.'

Foaly raised his own eyebrow in response. "How cliché of you Fowl.' he neighed with slight laughter, 'A genius like yourself could only come up with that?' Artemis scowled and ice barriers shut themselves down tightly on his already Siberia like features. 'What are you doing here anyway?' he said, diverting the attention away from himself. Foaly sighed and decades seemed to etch themselves onto him as he slumped on his hooves, leaning against the marble for support.

"I've been fired' he said jadedly, sadness and bitterness radiating from him in a smouldering blanket that closed down on everything in it's past. "I was the best, and they fired me for something I didn't even do.' he laughed bitterly. 'Best job under the world they said. Most valuable technician ever they said. And they discard me like that!' he snapped his fingers and stared morosely at Artemis' work again. Artemis had though the rant was other, and high time he disliked those who spent forever brooding instead of using the valuable emotion's for something useful like revenge, when the centaur started again. "you know, I was the only reason we fairies kept ahead of you mud men?' That caught Artemis' attention. 'really?' he asked despite himself.

Foaly nodded and Artemis was silent for a few seconds as he though all that he'd been told over. "so what do you want from me?" he asked at last. Foaly shrugged his shoulders and moved to stand by the window, staring out at the vast acres of the Fowl estate. "what everyone wants I suppose. Friendship, acknowledgement, someone to share my vast knowledge with and who'll actually get it.' he turned towards the human "but all that can wait. Right now, I need a place to stay, and someone to help me plot revenge.' He gave a short bark of laughter. "I stayed at LEP assigned quarters. So not only did I lose my job I lost my home as well.' Artemis winced slightly in calculated sympathy. Foaly gave him a look of pity which told Artemis his ploy had been seen straight through. He shrugged. "the majority of those things I can give you.' he said with some care 'but what would you grant me in return?'

Foaly smiled in a way which chilled Butler to the bone. He had seen that smile so often, only on a different genius' face. 'If you help me fulfil my dreams, then I'll help you fulfil yours.'