Disclaimer: Artemis Fowl and related characters are not mine. They are the
works of and are copyrighted to Eoin Colfer.
Act 2: Masquerade
Scene One: St. Bartleby's Institute for Young Gentlefolk
The full moon bathed the countryside in a pale glow. In the horizon, sweet green hills rolled off in the distance. Fertile, dark green trees dotted the rolling plains. This land was sweet and tame. The Mud Men had yet to corrupt it fully. But although the wind that blew into the limousine she was traveling in was fresh and cool, she could definitely smell the pollutants in it. She sighed.
St. Bartleby was located in a rural area of about thirty or twenty miles away from the nearest urban center. As Foaly said, the estate was extremely large. The actual grounds were separated from the surroundings by a neat, red-bricked wall ten feet high and a foot wide. As the Mud Man vehicle approached, Holly could discern the six towers of the cathedral spiraling against the sky, like iron gray fangs striking a vault of darkness. The monastery's rounded ceiling hunched some ways away from the actual cathedral.
The road she was traveling in presently was well marked and well kept. It wound through the countryside and snaked into the ornate black metal gate that barred the main entrance to the estate of St. Bartleby. It was quaint and of a style from the Victorian era. It contrasted sharply with the late Medieval/Gothic cathedral that towered several hundred feet behind it. But as Holly approached, quaint began to diminish due to the sheer size of the gate. It was very large, around sixty feet in width. Two sixteen wheelers abreast could pass easily through the gate.
The limousine paused in front of the large gate, under the light of two powerful lamplights that extended from the wall. They created a circle of light with a radius of about ten feet. Holly guessed that they were extensions from the mechanisms that operated the gate. In the gloom, the elf saw the two cameras jutting from the shadows. They were still cameras, intended to monitor the activity in the front gate.
The driver descended and approached the intercom placed on the side of the wall. The LEP had placed a call to a rent-a-limousine place and left Holly, along with all her baggage, in the sidewalk of a ritzy hotel somewhere in Dublin. The driver had simply assumed that Holly was the son of one of the tenants in the hotel, and put all her baggage in the trunk. Of course, he had look puzzled at the time he was called and why no one but he was there, but he had kept quiet. He was paid handsomely for his services, even for such a ways as a ride to Wicklow.
From the back, Holly had instructed the driver the address of her destination and also told him to give her name to the intercom when they approached the gate. Obediently, the driver stepped out of the car and walked close to the buzzing intercom. He pressed the metal button.
"Who is it?" asked a low, deep voice.
The driver shivered at the depth of the voice and was glad for the warmth his snug uniform provided. "It's Master Alexei Forster, sir," he said. He looked around from under the brim of his cap. The place was, for some reason he could not fathom, giving him the chills. "Come from Dublin to enroll in St. Bartleby."
"Wait a moment," said the voice. Although it was polite, there was a quality in it that brooked no arguments. The driver was only too happy to comply. He returned to the limousine, glad to be out of the night air. Holly heard the entire thing from her open window. Thankfully, her fairy senses had only been sharpened by her change. She perceived her temporary employee's mood, and silently concurred. There was something odd about St. Bartleby, something sinister, despite the facade it used as a church. In fact, the disguise as a church only more sharply tingled her senses.
In a few minutes, twin spotlights appeared within the gated estate. A small car was approaching, crunching upon the gravel driveway. It stopped when it reached the gate, and a large man descended. The figure dressed in a drab gray uniform stepped closer and closer, and withdrew a rather large key from a ring of keys and inserted it into a lock. Holly realized that a small door was inlaid in the metalworking of the gate. The man stooped through the gate and stepped into the light.
The figure was gaunt, thin, and very tall. Despite his hoarse appearance, Holly could immediately discern the strength in his build. He reminded Holly of a pike. He approached the driver and looked into the window. By now, the driver was quite spooked and looked pale underneath the spotlight. He looked with wide eyes at what looked like an undertaker in the horror flick he had watched with his girlfriend last week.
The man's eyes seemed to shine with inner mirth at the driver's fear, but then they were drawn away, attracted to the back of the limousine. The LEP had not thought a stretch limousine essential to the charade but they had given Holly a limousine, which was enough. Holly had not closed her window and she was still seated in the edge of the backseat. She could see the man quite well in the light, and she had been watching him as he had looked at her driver.
She stiffened at his approach, but smoothed her expression to a cool mask. Her eyes looked to the side, head cocked to the side, the very picture of rich snobbery and totally uncaring towards the man who moved to scrutinize her.
The man growled. It was a sound coming from deep inside his throat and rumbled in his chest. It was an indiscernible sound by human standards, but quite audible to Holly. Her eyes whipped to face him, hazel fire flashing in their depths. She realized her mistake by acknowledging the sound a split second after she made the action, but had no choice to go along with it.
She pitched her voice lower, "Problems?"
The man looked taken aback by her action. One, dark, thick brow raised up and he said in a rough voice as though unused to talking, "No. no problem."
"Can we get on with it then?" she demanded. "It's cold outside."
The man nodded clumsily. "Sister Carmen is expecting you in the cathedral. Just follow the main road. Can't miss it," he grunted. He walked back to the small gate and closed it behind him. He moved his small vehicle away from the driveway and from his seat, clicked on a small remote that swung open the large gates. As he moved away, Holly noticed something curious. His stride was long and loping, and he had extremely long arms. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't place what it was.
The limousine started forward and they were wounding through an avenue of elegant chestnut and oak, their leaves just starting to turn into beautiful shades of brown and gold. Holly's sharp gaze lingered on the man who had been watching their progress. His eyes were deep-set and hidden by shadows, but she could tell he was watching them by the way his face moved to follow the limousine. Then the shadows swallowed him, and all Holly could see were the trees flickering past. Even at a full moon, the shadows in the estate were dark.
The car drove slowly down the full avenue to where the cathedral was. It was a quite a distance and took about ten minutes. From a distance, it had been imposing. From up close as Holly was now, it was oppressive. It stood larger and grander than the Fowl Manor. It was obviously one of the cathedrals whose construction had been stretched over a century so the constructers' goals had been conflicting. However, the predominating style of the cathedral was Gothic. Flying buttresses exuded an aura of sheer pride and majesty. Stone gargoyles and other horrific monsters meant to scare sinners into repentance jutted from stone parapets and stood upon pedestals. Hundreds of dark windows flickered in the moonlight. Carvings and stone reliefs were crammed into every available surface; some were of saints while others were of passages from the human Judaeo-Christian Bible.
A flight of stone steps elevated walkers into the main floor of the cathedral. Like the gate, the doors inside were also very huge and also highly decorated. Holly made sure to take the entire structure in through her ear set. The limousine stopped in front of these steps. The driver hopped out and opened the door for Holly.
Holly took a deep breath, made sure that the large earpieces covered her pointy ears fully, and stepped out, pulling a small briefcase behind her. Master "Alexei Forster" smoothed his blazer and slacks, and told the driver, "Stay here for a moment. This might take several minutes." He walked purposefully up the steps. Since the arrival of the limousine, a small door made invisible by the various decorations of the thick oak doors had slid open and a woman with iron gray hair dressed in a severe habit of a nun's stood atop the steps.
"Good evening, sir. Master Alexei Forster?" greeted the woman. Alexei nodded. "My name is Sister Carmen, the administrator of St. Bartleby. Come inside then." She opened the door and stepped through. Alexei followed with some trepidation.
Inwardly, the elf was wincing. Fairies avoided places of reverence for the same reason they avoided going aboveground in daylight except when absolutely necessary. Daylight faded their magic. Religious objects or places disrupted the magic inside fairies, thus causing them pain. If a fairy entered a place of extreme reverence or belief, then that belief would start to wash away the magic from the fairy effectively killing them. If ingested, it would eat them from inside out. However since the humans were beginning to wane in belief, this danger had dwindled into an uncomfortable tingle. In addition, since this was not an official cathedral, mostly a school, and most of the masses were probably meant for show, there should be only a very weak force of belief in the area.
Somewhat surprised, Holly didn't feel a thing. Thanking her stars that Foaly's hypothesis had been correct, Alexei now turned his attention towards his surroundings. The door opened to a very large hallway that was initially meant to hold the main masses. Now, however, the benches had been hidden somewhere else and various doors stood closed in the gloom. The dim lighting that had been meant as a courtesy to Alexei was far too weak to fully illuminate the interior, but the red haired boy guessed that, judging from the sounds and the air currents, the dimensions were cavernous.
The nun had proceeded only a few feet before opening a door to her left. She gestured for the boy to go in and Alexei did so with some trepidation. This place was beginning to remind her of those horror movie castles. He dismissed such silly thoughts and took a look around this room. Yet again, he was in another hallway with several more rooms behind handsome, polished redwood doors. The walls were paneled with a handsome wood, oak presumably, and their shade was lighter in contrast to the doors. Paintings hung on the wall of past nuns and priests. Alexei assumed that they had probably worked for the school before. Electric torches dimly lit this hallway. The couple walked up to about the middle before Sister Carmen opened another door.
They were in an office of some size. Overhead lights were switched on to reveal several computer terminals behind a long, low desk in the far side of the room. Alexei could see the outlines of a green door behind it. To the left and right were two doors each. Most of the room was for conference, however, and several comfortable chairs and couches were available for the people who visited it.
"Do sit down, Mr. Forster," said Sister Carmen, pointing to a chair. Alexei slipped down the chair, eyes now following Sister Carmen. The nun had switched on a computer behind a desk, and was going through a program. "I hope you have all your papers with you as well as your parent signatures? It was really best if they could have been here. It's been a month since the first semester opened after all."
"Mrs. Forster is dead," answered Alexei expressionlessly, "Mr. Forster is in a diplomatic mission to Czechoslovakia. He was planning on taking me along, but the government didn't give the permit at the last second. He had to send me here along with all the necessary paperwork."
"Yes," said the nun. "I spoke to your father over the phone. He also spoke of your handicap." Her eyes lingered curiously on the mechanical contraptions that fully hid Alexei's ears before asking, " Do you have the medical papers?" Alexei nodded. He opened his leather briefcase, slipped out a file marked medical, and passed it to Sister Carmen.
Holly knew they were going to pass muster. The People had been able to fake all of Alexei Forster's identity. Foaly had opened up a large bank account for him, made a considerable sum of counterfeit physical euros, faked a file in the Irish government detailing his father's life that could be accessed only by school computers, and even talked to Sister Carmen using another machine to disrupt his natural voice in order to impersonate the phantom Mr. Forster. In addition to that, the genius centaur had also run a medical condition for Alexei. He had a genetic hearing disorder so he was wearing extremely advanced hearing aid that covered his whole ears. Truth be told, it was actually an ear set that allowed Foaly to communicate with Holly, monitor her vitals, and see what Holly was seeing. It was a bulky replacement to the iris cam, but as Foaly had pointed out, the idea of the mechanical device was to cover Holly's ears.
Sister Carmen slipped on glasses and examined the medical papers closely. "I see that you will not be participating in some of the physical programs we have," said the nun.
Alexei nodded once more, "These hearing aids are really sensitive and very expensive. I'd rather not risk them in any way. The doctor approved."
"That's fine," commented the nun. "And the enrollment papers and the check for the first semester?"
The boy passed a large sheaf of papers to the nun as well as a small envelope charging the ten thousand euros to his bank account. The nun took another several minutes to examine the files. Finally satisfied, she entered the necessary data and tucked away the papers inside a folder.
"Well, young Mr. Forster," said Sister Carmen. She smiled thinly, "Everything seems to be in order. Welcome to St. Bartleby's Institute for Young Gentlefolk."
"Thank you, Sister," nodded Alexei. "But isn't it School for Young Gentlemen?"
The nun nodded while stamping the seal on the envelope. "Originally, yes, but since the school was made coed two years past, we decided that it was high time to change the title," she answered. Alexei's jaw dropped to the floor and his hazel eyes popped wide open. Incredulity and indignation burst inside him quickly followed by anger as his thoughts centered on throttling one centaur's neck. The nun noticed his expression and said assuredly, "Oh, it was a good decision that we let females enter. They're all very well behaved, and they've helped advance St. Bartleby's. They won't be a bother at all. In fact, I'm quite certain that you'll be very good friends with them."
The hazel-eyed boy nodded dumbly, his heart beating quite fast. From over the ear set, his ears burned and, he could almost imagine Foaly's great shout of laughter. They had agreed not to do transmissions on the first try in case there might be disruptions, but he was allowed to hear. No doubt he was having an uproar over his own blunder.
"Mr. Forster, you didn't specify your levels," said the nun. "It's too late now, and we couldn't access your school records. You say that you moved around very much?"
"Y-yes." said Alexei, "I moved around with my father and as a diplomat, he didn't stay in one place for too long. Germany, Spain, China. my records are scattered all over the globe."
"Very well," frowned Sister Carmen, "We shall have to determine your levels ourselves. Now, we have prepared a dormitory for you. As you may know, the dormitory is a large living area. You will have a roommate. His name is." The nun looked up something from her computer and said, "Aidan Smith. He's a good young man. You will find him most helpful. If you need any help or have any questions, just ask him. Your room is on the seventh floor of the Monastery and the number is. 645. Here is the key. Tomorrow is Friday, so it's no use putting you in classes now. Breakfast is in the first floor main dining room at 7:30 AM. If you need it any earlier, just send a request down to the kitchens. Lunch is at the same place 12:30 and dinner is at 6. The cafeteria is open from eight in the morning to nine in the evening. School class schedules are variable. It all depends on which classes you take. The earliest class is at four in the morning and the latest class ends at twelve." There was a faint note of pride in her voice, "Our institution is known for running one of the finest educational standards and curriculum. Our system competes with various colleges and universities. Report to the main hall at 7:30 AM and proceed to room 112 in the first floor here. You shall take a few tests to determine your classes. You ought to be done by lunch and you can have a free day. Now, I expect you to use your time well and rest wisely, Master Forster. Your uniform is already waiting for you in your bedroom. I trust you don't need anything?"
"No, Sister," confirmed Alexei. Sister Carmen passed him a small pamphlet and a key.
"This is a small map and an explanation of the various workings of the institution. This should help clear up any problems," said the Sister. "I'll escort you out to your driver. There is a bellhop in the Monastery, but he is already asleep, I'm afraid. You'll have to make do with your driver."
"Will do, Sister Carmen," affirmed the red haired boy. He took the pamphlet and key, slipped it in the breast pocket of his blazer, and shook hands with nun. Sister Carmen led him out cathedral and stopped outside the doors of the cathedral.
"Good night, Mr. Forster. I'll be seeing you early in the morning," she said.
"One last thing, ma'am," said Alexei, "Out of curiosity, what's the name of the man who opened the front gates?"
"Oh, that's one of the various menservants we have around the institution. I'm not sure which one he was," frowned Sister Carmen.
"He was very tall, had gray hair."
"I can't seem to recall," dismissed the nun. "Now go off to bed, young sir."
Alexei frowned, dissatisfied with the nun's questioning. He could not be too certain if the nun truly did not remember or if she was evading the question. "Thank you, Sister Carmen. Good night." The boy descended the steps and slipped inside the waiting limousine.
The driver sighed in relief when his charge returned. He had been getting more and more frightened by the eerie appearance of the cathedral. His encounter with the gateman had evidently set him off. In addition, the stone gargoyles were not helping.
"Take me to the monastery," instructed Alexei. "I'm afraid I'll also have to ask for your assistance in moving my luggage once more. I'll put it in my payment."
The driver looked terrified at the prospect of staying in this strange estate more than absolutely necessary, but he couldn't find it in himself to refuse the boy. Mr. Alexei Forster had been alone when he had picked him up, and despite the tough and proud exterior, he also looked strangely fragile and young.
"Don't worry," said Alexei, smiling for the first time in the darkness of the limousine. His voice had lightened somewhat, and it was softer as well, "I'll make it well worth your time. Just go straight out the way we came back in. I'm sure you won't have to go through the gateman again."
The driver nodded worriedly. By this time, they were approaching the concave roofed monastery. In contrast to the cathedral, the structure was very simple. It hunched over the land, containing hundreds of rooms. The windows here were simple and well planed. No stained glass like the cathedral. The limousine crunched to a stop in front of the monastery. The building was level with the ground and double doors guarded the entry within.
The driver stepped outside, and Alexei followed before the man could even open the door for him. The driver shrugged and opened the trunk. For a young gentleman going to boarding school, Alexei had packed very lightly. He only had two suitcases and they were not very heavy. The driver didn't mind carrying them himself. Alexei led the way inside.
The front lobby of the monastery was lit by electric torchlights. Light enough to see your way, but dim enough not to be able to discern detail. A security guard was sitting in the front desk, scrutinizing the two who had entered. Alexei waved the key and the guard nodded.
"Elevators are to your right," said the guard helpfully.
"Thanks," said Alexei smoothly and he strode past the guard and stepped into a waiting elevator. The monastery dated somewhere around the seventeenth century. That much was made obvious by the design and the little decoration around the place. However, the electronic embellishments contrasted with the old world façade. Holly couldn't believe the taste Mud Men had for the schooling they sent their young to.
The boy and the driver stepped out of the elevators and went down various corridors. Once or twice they had gotten lost and had to retrace their steps back to the elevators. The hallways all looked identical to one another. The same drab gray walls, the same old style wooden doors, and the scrubbed wooden floors flowed throughout the whole structure unbroken except for the occasional rug standing underneath a lone, small desk.
Finally they made it to room 645. Alexei opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dark, but the moonlight streamed inside the windows. This room was facing the side of the estate where all you could see was more countryside. The interior was well furnished. Against the windows were a small TV and VCR. Two circular couches faced the sparse entertainment system. To the right of the entrance were a small kitchenette and a little table where snacks and meals could be eaten if one wanted privacy. To the left of the entrance was a door labeled bathroom. Holly inwardly shuddered at the grime she'd have to submerge herself in before this mission was over. The door beyond the bathroom was presumably hers as it was the only one open.
"Just leave my stuff inside that room. Thank you," said Alexei. As soon as the driver was done, he returned to the door leading out to the hallway where Alexei was waiting. Alexei handed the man five hundred euro bills. The driver mumbled his thanks. "Really, I appreciate the help," repeated the boy. "Make sure that you go straight back to the car, and go all the way back out to the gate. Don't stop for anyone. Don't mind the gateman. Just go straight through and go home."
The man nodded, looking terrified at the tone the rich boy employed and the gravity in his expression.
Alexei smiled faintly, a striking change, and for the second time since the driver had seen the boy, he noticed the strange, earthen beauty the boy possessed. It was not at all like the current rage at the time. The fashionable beauty was the striking pale complexion, blonde hair, and cherry sweet lips. No, Master Alexei was all earthen colors, but for all that, he possessed an air of strange exoticness about him that merely accentuated his pulchritude. "Don't worry. There are no such things as monsters although that's what the nuns would have us think. The thing you have to worry about this place are the gatemen, it seems." The driver laughed weakly and bid the boy goodbye. He quickly departed.
The elf doubted that anything would actually happen to the driver, but she felt responsible for him nonetheless. She silently and discreetly followed the driver to the elevator just in case. She watched the progress of the elevator on the meter and when it reached the first floor, she hurried to a hallway that faced inside the property. There was a window at the end, as well as a small table underneath holding a lone flower, wilting, inside a vase. From the window, she watched the progression of the limousine. It rolled smoothly, undeterred, except for the short ten seconds where it paused in the front gate. Thankfully, the gate opened almost immediately. The car zoomed away as fast as it dared. The driver seemed all right.
The elf sighed, exhaustion setting in her features. A lot of things had happened in a short amount of time. She had not faced such excitement since two years ago when. The red haired fairy shook her head and gazed at the lonely flower. The daisy was in a vase full of water, yet it was wilting. She touched it with one finger, and called to her magic. It remained unresponsive. Holly felt the frustration building inside her as she watched the daisy's petals fall.
She bit her lip and walked away. No use trying to call a near dead plant back to life now. She had a few things to unpack and tomorrow she needed to start early. In addition, she had a centaur to yell at.
Act 2: Masquerade
Scene One: St. Bartleby's Institute for Young Gentlefolk
The full moon bathed the countryside in a pale glow. In the horizon, sweet green hills rolled off in the distance. Fertile, dark green trees dotted the rolling plains. This land was sweet and tame. The Mud Men had yet to corrupt it fully. But although the wind that blew into the limousine she was traveling in was fresh and cool, she could definitely smell the pollutants in it. She sighed.
St. Bartleby was located in a rural area of about thirty or twenty miles away from the nearest urban center. As Foaly said, the estate was extremely large. The actual grounds were separated from the surroundings by a neat, red-bricked wall ten feet high and a foot wide. As the Mud Man vehicle approached, Holly could discern the six towers of the cathedral spiraling against the sky, like iron gray fangs striking a vault of darkness. The monastery's rounded ceiling hunched some ways away from the actual cathedral.
The road she was traveling in presently was well marked and well kept. It wound through the countryside and snaked into the ornate black metal gate that barred the main entrance to the estate of St. Bartleby. It was quaint and of a style from the Victorian era. It contrasted sharply with the late Medieval/Gothic cathedral that towered several hundred feet behind it. But as Holly approached, quaint began to diminish due to the sheer size of the gate. It was very large, around sixty feet in width. Two sixteen wheelers abreast could pass easily through the gate.
The limousine paused in front of the large gate, under the light of two powerful lamplights that extended from the wall. They created a circle of light with a radius of about ten feet. Holly guessed that they were extensions from the mechanisms that operated the gate. In the gloom, the elf saw the two cameras jutting from the shadows. They were still cameras, intended to monitor the activity in the front gate.
The driver descended and approached the intercom placed on the side of the wall. The LEP had placed a call to a rent-a-limousine place and left Holly, along with all her baggage, in the sidewalk of a ritzy hotel somewhere in Dublin. The driver had simply assumed that Holly was the son of one of the tenants in the hotel, and put all her baggage in the trunk. Of course, he had look puzzled at the time he was called and why no one but he was there, but he had kept quiet. He was paid handsomely for his services, even for such a ways as a ride to Wicklow.
From the back, Holly had instructed the driver the address of her destination and also told him to give her name to the intercom when they approached the gate. Obediently, the driver stepped out of the car and walked close to the buzzing intercom. He pressed the metal button.
"Who is it?" asked a low, deep voice.
The driver shivered at the depth of the voice and was glad for the warmth his snug uniform provided. "It's Master Alexei Forster, sir," he said. He looked around from under the brim of his cap. The place was, for some reason he could not fathom, giving him the chills. "Come from Dublin to enroll in St. Bartleby."
"Wait a moment," said the voice. Although it was polite, there was a quality in it that brooked no arguments. The driver was only too happy to comply. He returned to the limousine, glad to be out of the night air. Holly heard the entire thing from her open window. Thankfully, her fairy senses had only been sharpened by her change. She perceived her temporary employee's mood, and silently concurred. There was something odd about St. Bartleby, something sinister, despite the facade it used as a church. In fact, the disguise as a church only more sharply tingled her senses.
In a few minutes, twin spotlights appeared within the gated estate. A small car was approaching, crunching upon the gravel driveway. It stopped when it reached the gate, and a large man descended. The figure dressed in a drab gray uniform stepped closer and closer, and withdrew a rather large key from a ring of keys and inserted it into a lock. Holly realized that a small door was inlaid in the metalworking of the gate. The man stooped through the gate and stepped into the light.
The figure was gaunt, thin, and very tall. Despite his hoarse appearance, Holly could immediately discern the strength in his build. He reminded Holly of a pike. He approached the driver and looked into the window. By now, the driver was quite spooked and looked pale underneath the spotlight. He looked with wide eyes at what looked like an undertaker in the horror flick he had watched with his girlfriend last week.
The man's eyes seemed to shine with inner mirth at the driver's fear, but then they were drawn away, attracted to the back of the limousine. The LEP had not thought a stretch limousine essential to the charade but they had given Holly a limousine, which was enough. Holly had not closed her window and she was still seated in the edge of the backseat. She could see the man quite well in the light, and she had been watching him as he had looked at her driver.
She stiffened at his approach, but smoothed her expression to a cool mask. Her eyes looked to the side, head cocked to the side, the very picture of rich snobbery and totally uncaring towards the man who moved to scrutinize her.
The man growled. It was a sound coming from deep inside his throat and rumbled in his chest. It was an indiscernible sound by human standards, but quite audible to Holly. Her eyes whipped to face him, hazel fire flashing in their depths. She realized her mistake by acknowledging the sound a split second after she made the action, but had no choice to go along with it.
She pitched her voice lower, "Problems?"
The man looked taken aback by her action. One, dark, thick brow raised up and he said in a rough voice as though unused to talking, "No. no problem."
"Can we get on with it then?" she demanded. "It's cold outside."
The man nodded clumsily. "Sister Carmen is expecting you in the cathedral. Just follow the main road. Can't miss it," he grunted. He walked back to the small gate and closed it behind him. He moved his small vehicle away from the driveway and from his seat, clicked on a small remote that swung open the large gates. As he moved away, Holly noticed something curious. His stride was long and loping, and he had extremely long arms. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't place what it was.
The limousine started forward and they were wounding through an avenue of elegant chestnut and oak, their leaves just starting to turn into beautiful shades of brown and gold. Holly's sharp gaze lingered on the man who had been watching their progress. His eyes were deep-set and hidden by shadows, but she could tell he was watching them by the way his face moved to follow the limousine. Then the shadows swallowed him, and all Holly could see were the trees flickering past. Even at a full moon, the shadows in the estate were dark.
The car drove slowly down the full avenue to where the cathedral was. It was a quite a distance and took about ten minutes. From a distance, it had been imposing. From up close as Holly was now, it was oppressive. It stood larger and grander than the Fowl Manor. It was obviously one of the cathedrals whose construction had been stretched over a century so the constructers' goals had been conflicting. However, the predominating style of the cathedral was Gothic. Flying buttresses exuded an aura of sheer pride and majesty. Stone gargoyles and other horrific monsters meant to scare sinners into repentance jutted from stone parapets and stood upon pedestals. Hundreds of dark windows flickered in the moonlight. Carvings and stone reliefs were crammed into every available surface; some were of saints while others were of passages from the human Judaeo-Christian Bible.
A flight of stone steps elevated walkers into the main floor of the cathedral. Like the gate, the doors inside were also very huge and also highly decorated. Holly made sure to take the entire structure in through her ear set. The limousine stopped in front of these steps. The driver hopped out and opened the door for Holly.
Holly took a deep breath, made sure that the large earpieces covered her pointy ears fully, and stepped out, pulling a small briefcase behind her. Master "Alexei Forster" smoothed his blazer and slacks, and told the driver, "Stay here for a moment. This might take several minutes." He walked purposefully up the steps. Since the arrival of the limousine, a small door made invisible by the various decorations of the thick oak doors had slid open and a woman with iron gray hair dressed in a severe habit of a nun's stood atop the steps.
"Good evening, sir. Master Alexei Forster?" greeted the woman. Alexei nodded. "My name is Sister Carmen, the administrator of St. Bartleby. Come inside then." She opened the door and stepped through. Alexei followed with some trepidation.
Inwardly, the elf was wincing. Fairies avoided places of reverence for the same reason they avoided going aboveground in daylight except when absolutely necessary. Daylight faded their magic. Religious objects or places disrupted the magic inside fairies, thus causing them pain. If a fairy entered a place of extreme reverence or belief, then that belief would start to wash away the magic from the fairy effectively killing them. If ingested, it would eat them from inside out. However since the humans were beginning to wane in belief, this danger had dwindled into an uncomfortable tingle. In addition, since this was not an official cathedral, mostly a school, and most of the masses were probably meant for show, there should be only a very weak force of belief in the area.
Somewhat surprised, Holly didn't feel a thing. Thanking her stars that Foaly's hypothesis had been correct, Alexei now turned his attention towards his surroundings. The door opened to a very large hallway that was initially meant to hold the main masses. Now, however, the benches had been hidden somewhere else and various doors stood closed in the gloom. The dim lighting that had been meant as a courtesy to Alexei was far too weak to fully illuminate the interior, but the red haired boy guessed that, judging from the sounds and the air currents, the dimensions were cavernous.
The nun had proceeded only a few feet before opening a door to her left. She gestured for the boy to go in and Alexei did so with some trepidation. This place was beginning to remind her of those horror movie castles. He dismissed such silly thoughts and took a look around this room. Yet again, he was in another hallway with several more rooms behind handsome, polished redwood doors. The walls were paneled with a handsome wood, oak presumably, and their shade was lighter in contrast to the doors. Paintings hung on the wall of past nuns and priests. Alexei assumed that they had probably worked for the school before. Electric torches dimly lit this hallway. The couple walked up to about the middle before Sister Carmen opened another door.
They were in an office of some size. Overhead lights were switched on to reveal several computer terminals behind a long, low desk in the far side of the room. Alexei could see the outlines of a green door behind it. To the left and right were two doors each. Most of the room was for conference, however, and several comfortable chairs and couches were available for the people who visited it.
"Do sit down, Mr. Forster," said Sister Carmen, pointing to a chair. Alexei slipped down the chair, eyes now following Sister Carmen. The nun had switched on a computer behind a desk, and was going through a program. "I hope you have all your papers with you as well as your parent signatures? It was really best if they could have been here. It's been a month since the first semester opened after all."
"Mrs. Forster is dead," answered Alexei expressionlessly, "Mr. Forster is in a diplomatic mission to Czechoslovakia. He was planning on taking me along, but the government didn't give the permit at the last second. He had to send me here along with all the necessary paperwork."
"Yes," said the nun. "I spoke to your father over the phone. He also spoke of your handicap." Her eyes lingered curiously on the mechanical contraptions that fully hid Alexei's ears before asking, " Do you have the medical papers?" Alexei nodded. He opened his leather briefcase, slipped out a file marked medical, and passed it to Sister Carmen.
Holly knew they were going to pass muster. The People had been able to fake all of Alexei Forster's identity. Foaly had opened up a large bank account for him, made a considerable sum of counterfeit physical euros, faked a file in the Irish government detailing his father's life that could be accessed only by school computers, and even talked to Sister Carmen using another machine to disrupt his natural voice in order to impersonate the phantom Mr. Forster. In addition to that, the genius centaur had also run a medical condition for Alexei. He had a genetic hearing disorder so he was wearing extremely advanced hearing aid that covered his whole ears. Truth be told, it was actually an ear set that allowed Foaly to communicate with Holly, monitor her vitals, and see what Holly was seeing. It was a bulky replacement to the iris cam, but as Foaly had pointed out, the idea of the mechanical device was to cover Holly's ears.
Sister Carmen slipped on glasses and examined the medical papers closely. "I see that you will not be participating in some of the physical programs we have," said the nun.
Alexei nodded once more, "These hearing aids are really sensitive and very expensive. I'd rather not risk them in any way. The doctor approved."
"That's fine," commented the nun. "And the enrollment papers and the check for the first semester?"
The boy passed a large sheaf of papers to the nun as well as a small envelope charging the ten thousand euros to his bank account. The nun took another several minutes to examine the files. Finally satisfied, she entered the necessary data and tucked away the papers inside a folder.
"Well, young Mr. Forster," said Sister Carmen. She smiled thinly, "Everything seems to be in order. Welcome to St. Bartleby's Institute for Young Gentlefolk."
"Thank you, Sister," nodded Alexei. "But isn't it School for Young Gentlemen?"
The nun nodded while stamping the seal on the envelope. "Originally, yes, but since the school was made coed two years past, we decided that it was high time to change the title," she answered. Alexei's jaw dropped to the floor and his hazel eyes popped wide open. Incredulity and indignation burst inside him quickly followed by anger as his thoughts centered on throttling one centaur's neck. The nun noticed his expression and said assuredly, "Oh, it was a good decision that we let females enter. They're all very well behaved, and they've helped advance St. Bartleby's. They won't be a bother at all. In fact, I'm quite certain that you'll be very good friends with them."
The hazel-eyed boy nodded dumbly, his heart beating quite fast. From over the ear set, his ears burned and, he could almost imagine Foaly's great shout of laughter. They had agreed not to do transmissions on the first try in case there might be disruptions, but he was allowed to hear. No doubt he was having an uproar over his own blunder.
"Mr. Forster, you didn't specify your levels," said the nun. "It's too late now, and we couldn't access your school records. You say that you moved around very much?"
"Y-yes." said Alexei, "I moved around with my father and as a diplomat, he didn't stay in one place for too long. Germany, Spain, China. my records are scattered all over the globe."
"Very well," frowned Sister Carmen, "We shall have to determine your levels ourselves. Now, we have prepared a dormitory for you. As you may know, the dormitory is a large living area. You will have a roommate. His name is." The nun looked up something from her computer and said, "Aidan Smith. He's a good young man. You will find him most helpful. If you need any help or have any questions, just ask him. Your room is on the seventh floor of the Monastery and the number is. 645. Here is the key. Tomorrow is Friday, so it's no use putting you in classes now. Breakfast is in the first floor main dining room at 7:30 AM. If you need it any earlier, just send a request down to the kitchens. Lunch is at the same place 12:30 and dinner is at 6. The cafeteria is open from eight in the morning to nine in the evening. School class schedules are variable. It all depends on which classes you take. The earliest class is at four in the morning and the latest class ends at twelve." There was a faint note of pride in her voice, "Our institution is known for running one of the finest educational standards and curriculum. Our system competes with various colleges and universities. Report to the main hall at 7:30 AM and proceed to room 112 in the first floor here. You shall take a few tests to determine your classes. You ought to be done by lunch and you can have a free day. Now, I expect you to use your time well and rest wisely, Master Forster. Your uniform is already waiting for you in your bedroom. I trust you don't need anything?"
"No, Sister," confirmed Alexei. Sister Carmen passed him a small pamphlet and a key.
"This is a small map and an explanation of the various workings of the institution. This should help clear up any problems," said the Sister. "I'll escort you out to your driver. There is a bellhop in the Monastery, but he is already asleep, I'm afraid. You'll have to make do with your driver."
"Will do, Sister Carmen," affirmed the red haired boy. He took the pamphlet and key, slipped it in the breast pocket of his blazer, and shook hands with nun. Sister Carmen led him out cathedral and stopped outside the doors of the cathedral.
"Good night, Mr. Forster. I'll be seeing you early in the morning," she said.
"One last thing, ma'am," said Alexei, "Out of curiosity, what's the name of the man who opened the front gates?"
"Oh, that's one of the various menservants we have around the institution. I'm not sure which one he was," frowned Sister Carmen.
"He was very tall, had gray hair."
"I can't seem to recall," dismissed the nun. "Now go off to bed, young sir."
Alexei frowned, dissatisfied with the nun's questioning. He could not be too certain if the nun truly did not remember or if she was evading the question. "Thank you, Sister Carmen. Good night." The boy descended the steps and slipped inside the waiting limousine.
The driver sighed in relief when his charge returned. He had been getting more and more frightened by the eerie appearance of the cathedral. His encounter with the gateman had evidently set him off. In addition, the stone gargoyles were not helping.
"Take me to the monastery," instructed Alexei. "I'm afraid I'll also have to ask for your assistance in moving my luggage once more. I'll put it in my payment."
The driver looked terrified at the prospect of staying in this strange estate more than absolutely necessary, but he couldn't find it in himself to refuse the boy. Mr. Alexei Forster had been alone when he had picked him up, and despite the tough and proud exterior, he also looked strangely fragile and young.
"Don't worry," said Alexei, smiling for the first time in the darkness of the limousine. His voice had lightened somewhat, and it was softer as well, "I'll make it well worth your time. Just go straight out the way we came back in. I'm sure you won't have to go through the gateman again."
The driver nodded worriedly. By this time, they were approaching the concave roofed monastery. In contrast to the cathedral, the structure was very simple. It hunched over the land, containing hundreds of rooms. The windows here were simple and well planed. No stained glass like the cathedral. The limousine crunched to a stop in front of the monastery. The building was level with the ground and double doors guarded the entry within.
The driver stepped outside, and Alexei followed before the man could even open the door for him. The driver shrugged and opened the trunk. For a young gentleman going to boarding school, Alexei had packed very lightly. He only had two suitcases and they were not very heavy. The driver didn't mind carrying them himself. Alexei led the way inside.
The front lobby of the monastery was lit by electric torchlights. Light enough to see your way, but dim enough not to be able to discern detail. A security guard was sitting in the front desk, scrutinizing the two who had entered. Alexei waved the key and the guard nodded.
"Elevators are to your right," said the guard helpfully.
"Thanks," said Alexei smoothly and he strode past the guard and stepped into a waiting elevator. The monastery dated somewhere around the seventeenth century. That much was made obvious by the design and the little decoration around the place. However, the electronic embellishments contrasted with the old world façade. Holly couldn't believe the taste Mud Men had for the schooling they sent their young to.
The boy and the driver stepped out of the elevators and went down various corridors. Once or twice they had gotten lost and had to retrace their steps back to the elevators. The hallways all looked identical to one another. The same drab gray walls, the same old style wooden doors, and the scrubbed wooden floors flowed throughout the whole structure unbroken except for the occasional rug standing underneath a lone, small desk.
Finally they made it to room 645. Alexei opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dark, but the moonlight streamed inside the windows. This room was facing the side of the estate where all you could see was more countryside. The interior was well furnished. Against the windows were a small TV and VCR. Two circular couches faced the sparse entertainment system. To the right of the entrance were a small kitchenette and a little table where snacks and meals could be eaten if one wanted privacy. To the left of the entrance was a door labeled bathroom. Holly inwardly shuddered at the grime she'd have to submerge herself in before this mission was over. The door beyond the bathroom was presumably hers as it was the only one open.
"Just leave my stuff inside that room. Thank you," said Alexei. As soon as the driver was done, he returned to the door leading out to the hallway where Alexei was waiting. Alexei handed the man five hundred euro bills. The driver mumbled his thanks. "Really, I appreciate the help," repeated the boy. "Make sure that you go straight back to the car, and go all the way back out to the gate. Don't stop for anyone. Don't mind the gateman. Just go straight through and go home."
The man nodded, looking terrified at the tone the rich boy employed and the gravity in his expression.
Alexei smiled faintly, a striking change, and for the second time since the driver had seen the boy, he noticed the strange, earthen beauty the boy possessed. It was not at all like the current rage at the time. The fashionable beauty was the striking pale complexion, blonde hair, and cherry sweet lips. No, Master Alexei was all earthen colors, but for all that, he possessed an air of strange exoticness about him that merely accentuated his pulchritude. "Don't worry. There are no such things as monsters although that's what the nuns would have us think. The thing you have to worry about this place are the gatemen, it seems." The driver laughed weakly and bid the boy goodbye. He quickly departed.
The elf doubted that anything would actually happen to the driver, but she felt responsible for him nonetheless. She silently and discreetly followed the driver to the elevator just in case. She watched the progress of the elevator on the meter and when it reached the first floor, she hurried to a hallway that faced inside the property. There was a window at the end, as well as a small table underneath holding a lone flower, wilting, inside a vase. From the window, she watched the progression of the limousine. It rolled smoothly, undeterred, except for the short ten seconds where it paused in the front gate. Thankfully, the gate opened almost immediately. The car zoomed away as fast as it dared. The driver seemed all right.
The elf sighed, exhaustion setting in her features. A lot of things had happened in a short amount of time. She had not faced such excitement since two years ago when. The red haired fairy shook her head and gazed at the lonely flower. The daisy was in a vase full of water, yet it was wilting. She touched it with one finger, and called to her magic. It remained unresponsive. Holly felt the frustration building inside her as she watched the daisy's petals fall.
She bit her lip and walked away. No use trying to call a near dead plant back to life now. She had a few things to unpack and tomorrow she needed to start early. In addition, she had a centaur to yell at.