Disclaimer: Artemis Fowl and related characters are not mine. They are the
works of and are copyrighted to Eoin Colfer.
Scene Three: 'I must be in a nightmare, a never ending nightmare'
Monday morning dawned bright and clear. The sunlight doggedly forged its way across the sky, determined to bring some light into the already dismal land. Holly had woken up early just to make sure that she wouldn't be caught in a mad rush again. At seven AM sharp, she was already in the shower, scrubbing furiously. Holly could almost see the germs crawling all over her, and she shuddered. She also made sure that the door to the shower was locked tightly just in case her roommate decided to walk in on her while she wasn't decent. It wouldn't do for him to see Alexei without his earpieces and clothes on.
Her mysterious roommate was absent for the better part of the weekend. As a matter of fact, she only saw him once on Saturday night. Even then she had just caught a glimpse of him closing the door to his room. All she could make of him was that he was quiet and private. Not once in all the time Holly was snooping around the Monastery did Holly see him. If Holly's guesses were correct, the Monastery was where the bulk of the students congregated as it contained the cafeteria and the recreation area.
It took her the better part of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to finish checking the layout of the Monastery. So far so good, nothing seemed suspicious. The fifth to seventh floor were easily walked through. The second to fourth, however, was a different story. These were the girls' section, and boys were strictly not allowed. She had tried sneaking in several times on the pretense that she had gotten lost, but a security guard or a nun always spotted her before she could get far. The elf had tried compensating by looking into the surveillance booth in the first floor. As far as she could see, the girls' floor was pinker than the boys but other than that it looked identical. Still, one could never be sure. She spent the last few hours of Sunday evening quickly reading Scarlet Letter (which she discreetly borrowed from the library that evening; thankfully, her little accident only decimated the manual resource section and nothing else), and a quick essay on the topic. Her schedule arrived, as promised, on Sunday.
The little card told her that she would have six full periods on block schedule. The first three subjects were Advanced Modern History, AP Calculus, and English Literature. Her next three subjects were AP Physics, Protocol and Etiquette, and lastly, Physical Education. Holly frowned, unfamiliar with the Protocol and Etiquette class. Ah well. Her essay was to be turned in Advanced Modern History and the book report on Scarlet Letter was to be turned in English Lit. In addition, the schedule was sent down along with a package. When opened, Holly discovered that it was a standard book bag issued by St. Bartleby's. It contained three notebooks, an agenda, a bible, two pens, two mechanical pencils, two erasers, and two small containers for lead for the pencils. Holly was not prepared to be confronted with such archaic methods of writing. Still, the elf decided to keep the entire bag and bring it along with her.
She would have tried hacking into the computers already if it hadn't been for the fact that almost all library terminals were down. She had discovered that the library contained a large computer laboratory issued for student use. However, they were all down. The staff used the only other available terminals. The other classrooms that had computers were locked up during the weekend. In addition, in order for her own wrist computer to work, she needed to hook up to the actual computers on the school. She would have asked Foaly as well but the centaur was busy providing technical back up to numerous operations underground. Apparently, the crime waves were intensifying.
All in all, her investigations were not easy. She needed to write a report to Foaly each night, but due to the sheer size of the estate, one days' worth of work could be just half a building's report. In addition, she'd been extremely jumpy due to the fact that any second she might run into Artemis Fowl. Admittedly, there was an extremely remote possibility that he could be behind all this, but she somehow doubted it. Ironic that there had once been a time when she would have blamed him for every problem the People had from goblins to the traffic. Even if he was, there was no way of investigating him with any ease. One slip and she might just trigger Total Recall. She might as well have shot herself with a Neutrino if she was responsible for the return of the People's most feared enemy. That is, provided he already hadn't received Total Recall. He didn't seem to recognize her during the brief time they saw one another. But then again, even Root probably wouldn't have recognized her if he hadn't been watching the video feeds.
By this time, Holly had just finished buttoning up her blazer and was attaching the earpieces to her ears. She took one last look at her reflection in the area. Hazel eyes gazed pertly back at her from the mirror. She looked as human as an unusual human could be. Then she walked out the door. Aidan was waiting outside wearing only an oversized green t- short and boxers. He bid Holly a quiet good morning and went into the bathroom. His gray eyes were cast down and never once did he look at Holly in all that time. In contrast, Holly's gaze was lingering curiously over him. Aidan's chocolate hair was rumpled from sleep, and he looked bleary in the morning. Hazel eyes scrutinized his face. Yes. there was something in that face that did not belong to humans.
"Hey, Aidan." said "Alexei" hesitantly.
The taller boy glanced once his direction before saying, "Yeah?"
"Could.. Could you show me my classes for the day?"
"Mmm," said Aidan before quickly shutting the door inside the bathroom.
Holly blinked in his wake, unsure if that was a yes or a no. She decided that it was a polite way of blowing her off. Still.her eyes turned towards Aidan's open room. As a rule, she could not enter his room without permission. However, she could take a peek. Making sure that Aidan was still in the shower, she quickly crossed to the other side and looked in. Identical to hers, the room was long rather than wide. The window at the one end had the bed pushed up against it. There was a small desk at the head of the bed to provide as a bed stand and a lamp jutting from the wall. At the foot of the bed was a small chest as a container for various indeterminate properties Aidan had. In middle of the room, pushed against the wall, was a small, complete study desk. On the opposite end of the bed was a closet and a small bookshelf for Aidan's schoolbooks. The room was plain and bare of any personal effects that would have told Holly anything about its occupant.
She shrank back as soon as she heard the shower close. There was nothing incriminating there although she really hadn't expected such an easy break. She grabbed her book bag that was sitting at the couch. A glance at her wrist computer told her that breakfast started ten minutes ago. She had better get there ahead of the throng if she didn't want to be late.
Holly chose a secluded table in the corner of the cafeteria and put her tray and bag on it. Her tray consisted of a simple dish: just fresh salad and a bottle of Irish spring water. She glanced around her surreptitiously. Puffy eyed students who looked half asleep were stumbling around the food area carrying their trays or buying them. A few others looked fresh and easy, talking with their friends. Her glance landed on a table where guys seemed to circulate. Sabia, her group of friends, and a few other girls along with them that Holly did not recognize, looking picture perfect, were eating their breakfast of pancakes and orange juice. One of them spotted Holly's gaze and winked seductively. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, the elf decided not to keep her eyes for too long on any girl. Really, what was it with these Mud Girls???
The back of her neck prickled. Holly stiffened immediately. She knew that feeling. Intuition was telling her that someone was watching her. She took a bite of her salad cautiously and let her eyes take a quick sweep of the room. She couldn't pick anyone out to be paying attention to a lone student. By this time, many students were already clogging up the lines and fighting for tables. Her salad was quickly devoured, but she could not get rid of the feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around the room once more, letting her eyes freely scope the place out. She still couldn't see anyone. Her heart was beginning to pound. Who was looking at her?
Once again, her eyes fell on Sabia who was talking to an older boy. No doubt one of her admirers. The boy was tall, as tall as Aidan and Artemis, and he had light blonde hair spiked up in a style Holly recognized as popular among the males of the Mud race. He was at the back of Sabia's chair, leaning over her and listening to something she said. He looked friendly, open, and kind. He nodded once to Sabia who had gestured to Alexei. Holly frowned. Were they the ones looking at him?
Finally, the boy straightened up and his eyes fixed themselves on Alexei. At full height, Holly realized that he was a few inches taller than either her roommate or Artemis. He approached her table, and Holly monitored his approach while she drank deeply from her water bottle.
"Hey," greeted the boy once he reached her table. From up closer, his smile was quite friendly and warm. He had the same green eyes as Sabia as well as the sweetness in nature. However, there was pride and authority in his voice that differentiated him from the girl. Holly realized that he must be her brother. "Sabia told me that you're new here. My name is Ryan Davis, Sabia's big brother. She said you might need some help getting around the school."
"Oh," said Alexei. Some of the tension deflated out of him. "Um, yeah, I guess."
"All right," chuckled Ryan. "It would help if I knew your name and grade first."
"H- Alexei Forster," said Alexei, offering a hand. Ryan shook it cordially. "I'm in the third year."
"Same grade then, that makes it easier," nodded Ryan. He took a seat opposite Alexei. "What do you have?"
"I have a block schedule. Three subjects today: Advanced Modern History, AP Calculus, and English lit. They're on rooms." the boy rattled off a series of numbers.
"Wow," whistled Ryan appreciatively. "Those are some pretty intense subjects. You must be pretty smart."
Alexei shrugged. Truth be told, he had been a little surprised himself when he saw the classes.
"Let's see." frowned Ryan, green eyes gazing at the schedule card Alexei had brought out. "History should be in the fourth floor with Father Patrick. The rooms around the Cathedral, you'll notice, all circle the main hall. Odd numbered rooms face the interior. Even numbered rooms face the exterior. Even with that, it could still get pretty confusing. There are about two side stairs located in the Cathedral and one grand stair that most students use. I wouldn't recommend the grand stair because there's a lot of traffic there once the bell rings. As a matter of fact, I don't even recommend leaving the Monastery at the bell. You obviously won't make it unless you hijack those maintenance golf carts." Ryan told her quite a lot of details that Alexei would obviously need, but that prickling feeling was back again. Holly could not concentrate when hair on the back of her head stood on end. So, it was really with no surprise that when a hand touched her shoulder she quickly dodged to the side, arms raised up in a defensive position. Her table and chair had been knocked askew and it was safe to say Ryan was shocked when the last of Holly's salad landed on his lap.
Aidan stepped back, astonishment flashing in his eyes as well. He was already in his St. Bartleby's uniform. His book bag, with the help of a shoulder strap, hung neatly from his shoulder. He had tapped Alexei on the shoulder to get his attention and was greeted by the sight of the new students in some sort of fighting position. Alexei's eyes widened at the sight of Aidan, and he immediately dropped his arms. Blushing uncomfortably, the boy straightened up, muttering, "Sorry. I was just antsy." He coughed, "I didn't hear you come up behind me. my hearing aid must be on the blink or something." Up 'till now, Holly had cursed her situation. Of all things to go undercover as, it had to be a Mud Boy. They weren't even clean for heaven's sakes. But this really took the cake. Not only did he have to play a Mud Boy, but also he had to play one who seemed like he was senile.
"Oh," said Ryan, blinking in comprehension. His eyes had lingered curiously on the metal earpieces, but he had been too polite to ask. He gently used a stray tissue to brush the salad off his lap. Thankfully, Alexei had put no dressing in his dish. "If there was a problem, you should have told me. us." His gaze was now directed at Aidan who had the grace to look slightly abashed.
"Sorry," offered the brown haired boy, "but the bell is going to ring in about ten minutes so we had better go. if you wanted to get to the classes."
"Oh," said Alexei, fighting the urge to squirm even more uncomfortably. "Yeah, I was just about to dump my salad." He spotted Ryan look up from cleaning the vegetables of his uniform. "In the trashcan," finished the hazel-eyed boy. He coughed loudly and was suddenly aware that hundreds of eyes around the cafeteria were staring with intense curiosity at the three of them. Even the lunch ladies behind the lines had stopped their work and were gazing at them. Alexei cleared his throat loudly once more, asking clearly, "What?" The brazen voice suddenly activated the business in the cafeteria once more. Under his breath, Alexei muttered, "Voyeurs."
The surprise in Ryan and Aidan did not diminish with Alexei's bravado.
"You sure you don't need any help with that salad?" asked Alexei, turning to Ryan.
"Oh, no, no, no," objected Ryan. "I just had to brush the salad off. Anyway, we had all better be going to class. You go with Aidan. I have to meet up with a friend of mine first. That is, if it's all right with Aidan."
Aidan said, "Only if Alexei wants." His gray eyes focused in on Alexei's own eyes for once, and Alexei was surprised at the intensity of his eyes. Alexei had only seen his eyes once before, during that fateful meeting on Friday. Back then, they had been plain gray, but now, with such intensity roiling in them, they seemed like a foggy ocean covering up a storm.
"Yeah, no problem," said Alexei clearly, gazing directly back at him, "I did ask you first, didn't I?" He stood up and told Ryan, "Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll make it up to you. Promise."
Ryan waved it off with a laugh, "I'm just glad you weren't eating eggs."
Alexei had to smile. It seemed that Ryan possessed the same sweetness in disposition his sister had. "Come on, Aidan," urged Alexei, taking his tray, what was left of it, and his bag. Together, the two made their way across the cafeteria. Although no one was doing it openly, most of the students were staring at their progress across.
It was better as soon they were out of the Monastery. The fresh morning air was cool and crisp. Several students who looked more awake were walking cheerfully to the Cathedral.
Aidan lead the way, quiet once more. Alexei eyed him discreetly from the corner of her eyes.
Aidan asked without even looking, "What?"
Alexei blinked, but not in surprise. The subtle strangeness surrounding the boy merely grew and grew. "Nothing," said Alexei. "I just.thought you had some pretty quick reflexes there. I mean, not too many people have been able to sneak up on me, and that Friday morning when I accidentally tackled you. Thanks for saving me then by the way."
The brown haired boy shrugged, perhaps in ignorance of the merit of his own skills. And while he may not have realized the weight of Alexei's words, Alexei sure did. No one had ever managed to sneak up on Holly Short with the exception of two people: Artemis Fowl and his manservant Butler.
At this time, they were clambering inside the Cathedral. Many students were congregating within. The Cathedral was an impressive sight by day. Majestic and daunting with its flying buttresses, various stained glass, assortment of carvings, and a collection of statues, it looked as if it were a relic left behind from the Dark Ages. Alexei took the whole sweep of the Cathedral as much as he could. There were so many surfaces to be investigated in the Cathedral. Doubtless she'd need blueprints from Foaly.
Sunlight streamed inside the main hall. Again, Alexei took the whole area in one long and large sweep. Here, the greatness of size was in height. Rafters soared several hundred feet in the air. Chandeliers suspended from fifty feet of iron chains hung in the space the rafters carved out. Statues were crammed into every available niche and corner to serve as mini shrines. Paintings of saints dominated the lower left wall. The right wall was filled with portraits of angels. On the higher walls, giant stained glass windows allowed beautiful colored lights to illuminate the area. Exotic cobalt blues, rose reds, golden yellows, and ultraviolets bathed the entire room and its occupants in mysterious ways. It was very beautiful, very impressive, and also very arresting. Alexei could well believe where all the high tuition fees went to after seeing such a grand display of opulence within the Mud men religion.
"You should see it in the afternoon," smiled Aidan faintly. "The sunlight strikes the stained glass better. At night, when there's a mass and all the candles are aglow, sometimes you feel like you must be in the sky." Alexei glanced at Aidan who was looking up. There was an expression of pure appreciation in his face. This was one of the first few times that Alexei glimpsed more than just stoicism and nothingness radiating off Aidan.
On another note, he was right. This place was constructed for beauty and majesty. Elves were aesthetic creatures. They had a passion for the arts and beauty. However, there was a subtle something in the place that set Holly on edge, dampening the appreciation she had for its beauty.
There was something of a hold up just within the entrance. A large number of teenagers were stomping their feet on a thick rug that had been deposited near the entrance.
"One of St. Bartleby's emphasis is cleanliness," said Aidan, mechanically brushing off his shoes. Although he no longer talked with lightness in his voice, there was a lingering quality to it that made him seem welcomer and less inscrutable. Alexei decided that he must be an artist to truly appreciate the beauty of the Cathedral. "They want the students to be clean. If there's so much as a smidgen of dust on the main hall, then the entire student body cleans the whole Cathedral up. If not, there's a fine. A very steep one," explained Aidan. Alexei shrank against the crowd, inwardly agreeing with the nuns on the cleanliness issue. It was only a few hours into the morning, and she was already feeling so dirty.
"You sure you don't need help with your hearing aids or something?" asked Aidan. His gray eyes, now calm and light, were fixed on the mechanisms on Alexei's ears. The brown haired boy made move as if to touch it, but Alexei quickly dodged away.
"Eheh, sorry," apologized Alexei, noting Aidan's surprise once more. "Really expensive things, you see. Can't have anyone touch it but professional engineers. One of a kind sort of. Can't risk it."
"I see," frowned Aidan.
Up ahead, the students finished in cleaning their shoes were forming several neat columns and rows. Nuns were at the head of each column. Everything was done neatly and precisely. There was only a faint mutter of conversation in the air. The students in St. Bartleby's were very well trained.
"Every Monday, the entire school assembles in the main hall to do some prayers. One of the administrators then reads out important announcements. We line up alphabetically. Everything's arranged alphabetically, even our seating charts." There was a brief moment in which a few students separated Aidan and Alexei. Aidan called, "Line F is over there." He nodded to a line and walked to his own line.
Alexei swallowed, uncomfortable with such a large number of Mud Men surrounding him. He took a deep breath and walked to the line. It was easy enough to find your place as each student had an ID stating their name, homeroom, and other miscellaneous statistics clipped to their breast pocket. He slid into place behind a longhaired girl and waited. The wrist computer struck precisely 8:05 AM when a balding, gray haired man dressed in a gray three-piece suit walked in front of the students. He placed himself behind a little desk where a microphone was placed. Dead silence descended in the room.
"Good morning, students," said the man. "I hope you had a nice and constructive weekend." His humorless smile made his rather pathetic attempt at humor turn into a sarcastic remark. "Why don't we all start our morning prayers first? Let's have our junior president lead us today." He stepped back and Ryan Davis stepped out from his place in line. Some girls shifted and whispered in words too soft to hear.
Alexei was only mildly surprised. Ryan and Sabia seemed the type, really. But what dominated Alexei's mind the most, however, were the morning prayers. If there were even one devout religious Mud Men in the crowd, he'd be feeling a sting for sure.
Alexei didn't even bother following the words, whatever they were. It felt as if a thousand needles were tickling his arms, legs, and face. Quite a few Mud Men were truly faithful then. Good thing it was not the entire assembly or he'd be stumbling out trying not to projectile vomit. He merely closed his eyes, concentrating on not paying attention to the pain. In fact, he was concentrating so hard not to feel it that he barely noticed the end of the morning prayers. He did notice, however, when the man regained the use of the microphone and said, "Ah, Master Artemis Fowl."
That name was enough to knock any concentration Alexei had. He looked up to the man who was frowning at a young boy. The tall, slender youth was walking confidently into the Cathedral, not the slightest bit disconcerted at having the eyes of the entire congregation focusing on him.
"Late for the first assembly of the month, I see," frowned the man.
"Principal Guiney, surely my presence is not altogether vital to such a significant meeting," shrugged Artemis in a voice clear enough to be heard across the assembly without the aid of a microphone. Although his face and voice were devoid of any emotions, sarcasm clearly marked his sentence. "Not unless you plan on turning this into a public trial for the incident in the library? But I've already proven I wasn't the one did it."
Principal Guiney glowered sternly at the raven-haired boy. "As you probably have no good excuse, I shall spare the student body from hearing fake ones," he reproved. "Just go in line. I'll have one of the nuns write a tardy report and send it home."
"By all means," nodded Artemis absently. His book bag tapped on his hip as he walked in line. Students were still looking at him.
The principal coughed in irritation, "Now everyone. I shall begin the announcements. As everyone knows, there will be a dance in a week." Alexei tuned him out as a startling revelation hit his mind. If students were arranged in alphabetical order and if his own last name was Forster, then that meant.
Please let someone be between us, please let someone be between us, begged Holly inside her mind. Too late. Artemis slid in place behind Alexei. Holly did not even hold out the hope that Artemis would not notice or forget all about him. As the boy had proved so many times in the past, he was anything but stupid. Holly fought the urge to squirm once more even though she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickling. She was sure that Artemis was staring intensely at her back, or rather, the back of her head.
". dismissed. Have a productive day," finished Principal Guiney. The nuns at the head of each section dismissed each row accordingly. Holly dreaded the moment when her line would be free to move. Artemis could talk to her. He probably would, seeing as how he was being blamed for the library incident. With Holly's luck, Artemis would probably blackmail her or something.
The nun leading Line F had barely given the signal to move when the new student bolted. It was an involuntary action really, but it was done nevertheless. Alexei Forster ducked and barreled underneath the mass of students, staying low in the hopes that Artemis would lose her. He zigzagged through the crowd and made it through to the stairway. He looked back once. Even if it meant ditching Aidan, Holly would do anything to avoid Artemis Fowl.
Minutes later, she realized her mistake. Aidan was her only guide to the place, and she hadn't been paying very good attention to what Ryan was saying earlier. Now, neither boys were in sight, and the last students were going inside the classrooms. She wandered around briskly in a few hallways.
She bit her lip, troubled. Although getting to class was not a matter of life and death, it would not do for her to miss it either. She swallowed her pride and stepped inside a classroom to her left. Better to ask a teacher for help. If she was lucky, the teacher might forgive her for being late.
I must be in a nightmare, she thought, a never-ending nightmare. By extraordinary bad luck, she was in the same classroom as, you guessed it, Artemis Fowl II. He was walking to the door holding a blunt pencil in one hand (the mechanical pencil sharpener was located next to the door), when Holly walked in. One look at Fowl and Holly bolted again. But Aidan was just coming in from the hallway. He had spotted Alexei's back from the doorway.
"Alexei, there you are," he called, "I lost you-" he was cut off when Alexei turned around and ran into him once more. But due to the proximity and difference of bulk between them both, Holly merely bounced off him. Unfortunately for Artemis, at that time he had reached the sharpener and was in Alexei's path. Unfortunately for Artemis, he did not possess the quick physical reflexes Aidan had. Unfortunately for Artemis, although he was most definitely taller than Alexei, he did not have the heavier physique. Unfortunately for Artemis, Butler was not there to save him from blows. And so, without further ado, Alexei crashed into Artemis and both of them went down on the floor.
"D'Arvit," whispered Holly, seeing stars explode in front of her eyes. Luckily for Holly, she had landed on something soft. That is, she landed on Artemis. Not so luckily for Artemis, he had landed on the floor and was seeing far worse than stars dancing over his head.
"Would you be so kind as to remove your considerable weight on me," said the raven-haired boy testily, a few moments later, trying to stop the world from spinning. He braced himself on his elbows, grumbling. Holly could feel the grumbling since most of her upper body was right on top of his stomach.
She quickly righted herself, but nearly lost balance once more as her world had yet to stop spinning. However, they did focus on one thing. One of her earpieces was on the floor. But her ear wasn't attached to it. Her ear was still attached to her head and it was bare.
Scene Three: 'I must be in a nightmare, a never ending nightmare'
Monday morning dawned bright and clear. The sunlight doggedly forged its way across the sky, determined to bring some light into the already dismal land. Holly had woken up early just to make sure that she wouldn't be caught in a mad rush again. At seven AM sharp, she was already in the shower, scrubbing furiously. Holly could almost see the germs crawling all over her, and she shuddered. She also made sure that the door to the shower was locked tightly just in case her roommate decided to walk in on her while she wasn't decent. It wouldn't do for him to see Alexei without his earpieces and clothes on.
Her mysterious roommate was absent for the better part of the weekend. As a matter of fact, she only saw him once on Saturday night. Even then she had just caught a glimpse of him closing the door to his room. All she could make of him was that he was quiet and private. Not once in all the time Holly was snooping around the Monastery did Holly see him. If Holly's guesses were correct, the Monastery was where the bulk of the students congregated as it contained the cafeteria and the recreation area.
It took her the better part of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to finish checking the layout of the Monastery. So far so good, nothing seemed suspicious. The fifth to seventh floor were easily walked through. The second to fourth, however, was a different story. These were the girls' section, and boys were strictly not allowed. She had tried sneaking in several times on the pretense that she had gotten lost, but a security guard or a nun always spotted her before she could get far. The elf had tried compensating by looking into the surveillance booth in the first floor. As far as she could see, the girls' floor was pinker than the boys but other than that it looked identical. Still, one could never be sure. She spent the last few hours of Sunday evening quickly reading Scarlet Letter (which she discreetly borrowed from the library that evening; thankfully, her little accident only decimated the manual resource section and nothing else), and a quick essay on the topic. Her schedule arrived, as promised, on Sunday.
The little card told her that she would have six full periods on block schedule. The first three subjects were Advanced Modern History, AP Calculus, and English Literature. Her next three subjects were AP Physics, Protocol and Etiquette, and lastly, Physical Education. Holly frowned, unfamiliar with the Protocol and Etiquette class. Ah well. Her essay was to be turned in Advanced Modern History and the book report on Scarlet Letter was to be turned in English Lit. In addition, the schedule was sent down along with a package. When opened, Holly discovered that it was a standard book bag issued by St. Bartleby's. It contained three notebooks, an agenda, a bible, two pens, two mechanical pencils, two erasers, and two small containers for lead for the pencils. Holly was not prepared to be confronted with such archaic methods of writing. Still, the elf decided to keep the entire bag and bring it along with her.
She would have tried hacking into the computers already if it hadn't been for the fact that almost all library terminals were down. She had discovered that the library contained a large computer laboratory issued for student use. However, they were all down. The staff used the only other available terminals. The other classrooms that had computers were locked up during the weekend. In addition, in order for her own wrist computer to work, she needed to hook up to the actual computers on the school. She would have asked Foaly as well but the centaur was busy providing technical back up to numerous operations underground. Apparently, the crime waves were intensifying.
All in all, her investigations were not easy. She needed to write a report to Foaly each night, but due to the sheer size of the estate, one days' worth of work could be just half a building's report. In addition, she'd been extremely jumpy due to the fact that any second she might run into Artemis Fowl. Admittedly, there was an extremely remote possibility that he could be behind all this, but she somehow doubted it. Ironic that there had once been a time when she would have blamed him for every problem the People had from goblins to the traffic. Even if he was, there was no way of investigating him with any ease. One slip and she might just trigger Total Recall. She might as well have shot herself with a Neutrino if she was responsible for the return of the People's most feared enemy. That is, provided he already hadn't received Total Recall. He didn't seem to recognize her during the brief time they saw one another. But then again, even Root probably wouldn't have recognized her if he hadn't been watching the video feeds.
By this time, Holly had just finished buttoning up her blazer and was attaching the earpieces to her ears. She took one last look at her reflection in the area. Hazel eyes gazed pertly back at her from the mirror. She looked as human as an unusual human could be. Then she walked out the door. Aidan was waiting outside wearing only an oversized green t- short and boxers. He bid Holly a quiet good morning and went into the bathroom. His gray eyes were cast down and never once did he look at Holly in all that time. In contrast, Holly's gaze was lingering curiously over him. Aidan's chocolate hair was rumpled from sleep, and he looked bleary in the morning. Hazel eyes scrutinized his face. Yes. there was something in that face that did not belong to humans.
"Hey, Aidan." said "Alexei" hesitantly.
The taller boy glanced once his direction before saying, "Yeah?"
"Could.. Could you show me my classes for the day?"
"Mmm," said Aidan before quickly shutting the door inside the bathroom.
Holly blinked in his wake, unsure if that was a yes or a no. She decided that it was a polite way of blowing her off. Still.her eyes turned towards Aidan's open room. As a rule, she could not enter his room without permission. However, she could take a peek. Making sure that Aidan was still in the shower, she quickly crossed to the other side and looked in. Identical to hers, the room was long rather than wide. The window at the one end had the bed pushed up against it. There was a small desk at the head of the bed to provide as a bed stand and a lamp jutting from the wall. At the foot of the bed was a small chest as a container for various indeterminate properties Aidan had. In middle of the room, pushed against the wall, was a small, complete study desk. On the opposite end of the bed was a closet and a small bookshelf for Aidan's schoolbooks. The room was plain and bare of any personal effects that would have told Holly anything about its occupant.
She shrank back as soon as she heard the shower close. There was nothing incriminating there although she really hadn't expected such an easy break. She grabbed her book bag that was sitting at the couch. A glance at her wrist computer told her that breakfast started ten minutes ago. She had better get there ahead of the throng if she didn't want to be late.
Holly chose a secluded table in the corner of the cafeteria and put her tray and bag on it. Her tray consisted of a simple dish: just fresh salad and a bottle of Irish spring water. She glanced around her surreptitiously. Puffy eyed students who looked half asleep were stumbling around the food area carrying their trays or buying them. A few others looked fresh and easy, talking with their friends. Her glance landed on a table where guys seemed to circulate. Sabia, her group of friends, and a few other girls along with them that Holly did not recognize, looking picture perfect, were eating their breakfast of pancakes and orange juice. One of them spotted Holly's gaze and winked seductively. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, the elf decided not to keep her eyes for too long on any girl. Really, what was it with these Mud Girls???
The back of her neck prickled. Holly stiffened immediately. She knew that feeling. Intuition was telling her that someone was watching her. She took a bite of her salad cautiously and let her eyes take a quick sweep of the room. She couldn't pick anyone out to be paying attention to a lone student. By this time, many students were already clogging up the lines and fighting for tables. Her salad was quickly devoured, but she could not get rid of the feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around the room once more, letting her eyes freely scope the place out. She still couldn't see anyone. Her heart was beginning to pound. Who was looking at her?
Once again, her eyes fell on Sabia who was talking to an older boy. No doubt one of her admirers. The boy was tall, as tall as Aidan and Artemis, and he had light blonde hair spiked up in a style Holly recognized as popular among the males of the Mud race. He was at the back of Sabia's chair, leaning over her and listening to something she said. He looked friendly, open, and kind. He nodded once to Sabia who had gestured to Alexei. Holly frowned. Were they the ones looking at him?
Finally, the boy straightened up and his eyes fixed themselves on Alexei. At full height, Holly realized that he was a few inches taller than either her roommate or Artemis. He approached her table, and Holly monitored his approach while she drank deeply from her water bottle.
"Hey," greeted the boy once he reached her table. From up closer, his smile was quite friendly and warm. He had the same green eyes as Sabia as well as the sweetness in nature. However, there was pride and authority in his voice that differentiated him from the girl. Holly realized that he must be her brother. "Sabia told me that you're new here. My name is Ryan Davis, Sabia's big brother. She said you might need some help getting around the school."
"Oh," said Alexei. Some of the tension deflated out of him. "Um, yeah, I guess."
"All right," chuckled Ryan. "It would help if I knew your name and grade first."
"H- Alexei Forster," said Alexei, offering a hand. Ryan shook it cordially. "I'm in the third year."
"Same grade then, that makes it easier," nodded Ryan. He took a seat opposite Alexei. "What do you have?"
"I have a block schedule. Three subjects today: Advanced Modern History, AP Calculus, and English lit. They're on rooms." the boy rattled off a series of numbers.
"Wow," whistled Ryan appreciatively. "Those are some pretty intense subjects. You must be pretty smart."
Alexei shrugged. Truth be told, he had been a little surprised himself when he saw the classes.
"Let's see." frowned Ryan, green eyes gazing at the schedule card Alexei had brought out. "History should be in the fourth floor with Father Patrick. The rooms around the Cathedral, you'll notice, all circle the main hall. Odd numbered rooms face the interior. Even numbered rooms face the exterior. Even with that, it could still get pretty confusing. There are about two side stairs located in the Cathedral and one grand stair that most students use. I wouldn't recommend the grand stair because there's a lot of traffic there once the bell rings. As a matter of fact, I don't even recommend leaving the Monastery at the bell. You obviously won't make it unless you hijack those maintenance golf carts." Ryan told her quite a lot of details that Alexei would obviously need, but that prickling feeling was back again. Holly could not concentrate when hair on the back of her head stood on end. So, it was really with no surprise that when a hand touched her shoulder she quickly dodged to the side, arms raised up in a defensive position. Her table and chair had been knocked askew and it was safe to say Ryan was shocked when the last of Holly's salad landed on his lap.
Aidan stepped back, astonishment flashing in his eyes as well. He was already in his St. Bartleby's uniform. His book bag, with the help of a shoulder strap, hung neatly from his shoulder. He had tapped Alexei on the shoulder to get his attention and was greeted by the sight of the new students in some sort of fighting position. Alexei's eyes widened at the sight of Aidan, and he immediately dropped his arms. Blushing uncomfortably, the boy straightened up, muttering, "Sorry. I was just antsy." He coughed, "I didn't hear you come up behind me. my hearing aid must be on the blink or something." Up 'till now, Holly had cursed her situation. Of all things to go undercover as, it had to be a Mud Boy. They weren't even clean for heaven's sakes. But this really took the cake. Not only did he have to play a Mud Boy, but also he had to play one who seemed like he was senile.
"Oh," said Ryan, blinking in comprehension. His eyes had lingered curiously on the metal earpieces, but he had been too polite to ask. He gently used a stray tissue to brush the salad off his lap. Thankfully, Alexei had put no dressing in his dish. "If there was a problem, you should have told me. us." His gaze was now directed at Aidan who had the grace to look slightly abashed.
"Sorry," offered the brown haired boy, "but the bell is going to ring in about ten minutes so we had better go. if you wanted to get to the classes."
"Oh," said Alexei, fighting the urge to squirm even more uncomfortably. "Yeah, I was just about to dump my salad." He spotted Ryan look up from cleaning the vegetables of his uniform. "In the trashcan," finished the hazel-eyed boy. He coughed loudly and was suddenly aware that hundreds of eyes around the cafeteria were staring with intense curiosity at the three of them. Even the lunch ladies behind the lines had stopped their work and were gazing at them. Alexei cleared his throat loudly once more, asking clearly, "What?" The brazen voice suddenly activated the business in the cafeteria once more. Under his breath, Alexei muttered, "Voyeurs."
The surprise in Ryan and Aidan did not diminish with Alexei's bravado.
"You sure you don't need any help with that salad?" asked Alexei, turning to Ryan.
"Oh, no, no, no," objected Ryan. "I just had to brush the salad off. Anyway, we had all better be going to class. You go with Aidan. I have to meet up with a friend of mine first. That is, if it's all right with Aidan."
Aidan said, "Only if Alexei wants." His gray eyes focused in on Alexei's own eyes for once, and Alexei was surprised at the intensity of his eyes. Alexei had only seen his eyes once before, during that fateful meeting on Friday. Back then, they had been plain gray, but now, with such intensity roiling in them, they seemed like a foggy ocean covering up a storm.
"Yeah, no problem," said Alexei clearly, gazing directly back at him, "I did ask you first, didn't I?" He stood up and told Ryan, "Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll make it up to you. Promise."
Ryan waved it off with a laugh, "I'm just glad you weren't eating eggs."
Alexei had to smile. It seemed that Ryan possessed the same sweetness in disposition his sister had. "Come on, Aidan," urged Alexei, taking his tray, what was left of it, and his bag. Together, the two made their way across the cafeteria. Although no one was doing it openly, most of the students were staring at their progress across.
It was better as soon they were out of the Monastery. The fresh morning air was cool and crisp. Several students who looked more awake were walking cheerfully to the Cathedral.
Aidan lead the way, quiet once more. Alexei eyed him discreetly from the corner of her eyes.
Aidan asked without even looking, "What?"
Alexei blinked, but not in surprise. The subtle strangeness surrounding the boy merely grew and grew. "Nothing," said Alexei. "I just.thought you had some pretty quick reflexes there. I mean, not too many people have been able to sneak up on me, and that Friday morning when I accidentally tackled you. Thanks for saving me then by the way."
The brown haired boy shrugged, perhaps in ignorance of the merit of his own skills. And while he may not have realized the weight of Alexei's words, Alexei sure did. No one had ever managed to sneak up on Holly Short with the exception of two people: Artemis Fowl and his manservant Butler.
At this time, they were clambering inside the Cathedral. Many students were congregating within. The Cathedral was an impressive sight by day. Majestic and daunting with its flying buttresses, various stained glass, assortment of carvings, and a collection of statues, it looked as if it were a relic left behind from the Dark Ages. Alexei took the whole sweep of the Cathedral as much as he could. There were so many surfaces to be investigated in the Cathedral. Doubtless she'd need blueprints from Foaly.
Sunlight streamed inside the main hall. Again, Alexei took the whole area in one long and large sweep. Here, the greatness of size was in height. Rafters soared several hundred feet in the air. Chandeliers suspended from fifty feet of iron chains hung in the space the rafters carved out. Statues were crammed into every available niche and corner to serve as mini shrines. Paintings of saints dominated the lower left wall. The right wall was filled with portraits of angels. On the higher walls, giant stained glass windows allowed beautiful colored lights to illuminate the area. Exotic cobalt blues, rose reds, golden yellows, and ultraviolets bathed the entire room and its occupants in mysterious ways. It was very beautiful, very impressive, and also very arresting. Alexei could well believe where all the high tuition fees went to after seeing such a grand display of opulence within the Mud men religion.
"You should see it in the afternoon," smiled Aidan faintly. "The sunlight strikes the stained glass better. At night, when there's a mass and all the candles are aglow, sometimes you feel like you must be in the sky." Alexei glanced at Aidan who was looking up. There was an expression of pure appreciation in his face. This was one of the first few times that Alexei glimpsed more than just stoicism and nothingness radiating off Aidan.
On another note, he was right. This place was constructed for beauty and majesty. Elves were aesthetic creatures. They had a passion for the arts and beauty. However, there was a subtle something in the place that set Holly on edge, dampening the appreciation she had for its beauty.
There was something of a hold up just within the entrance. A large number of teenagers were stomping their feet on a thick rug that had been deposited near the entrance.
"One of St. Bartleby's emphasis is cleanliness," said Aidan, mechanically brushing off his shoes. Although he no longer talked with lightness in his voice, there was a lingering quality to it that made him seem welcomer and less inscrutable. Alexei decided that he must be an artist to truly appreciate the beauty of the Cathedral. "They want the students to be clean. If there's so much as a smidgen of dust on the main hall, then the entire student body cleans the whole Cathedral up. If not, there's a fine. A very steep one," explained Aidan. Alexei shrank against the crowd, inwardly agreeing with the nuns on the cleanliness issue. It was only a few hours into the morning, and she was already feeling so dirty.
"You sure you don't need help with your hearing aids or something?" asked Aidan. His gray eyes, now calm and light, were fixed on the mechanisms on Alexei's ears. The brown haired boy made move as if to touch it, but Alexei quickly dodged away.
"Eheh, sorry," apologized Alexei, noting Aidan's surprise once more. "Really expensive things, you see. Can't have anyone touch it but professional engineers. One of a kind sort of. Can't risk it."
"I see," frowned Aidan.
Up ahead, the students finished in cleaning their shoes were forming several neat columns and rows. Nuns were at the head of each column. Everything was done neatly and precisely. There was only a faint mutter of conversation in the air. The students in St. Bartleby's were very well trained.
"Every Monday, the entire school assembles in the main hall to do some prayers. One of the administrators then reads out important announcements. We line up alphabetically. Everything's arranged alphabetically, even our seating charts." There was a brief moment in which a few students separated Aidan and Alexei. Aidan called, "Line F is over there." He nodded to a line and walked to his own line.
Alexei swallowed, uncomfortable with such a large number of Mud Men surrounding him. He took a deep breath and walked to the line. It was easy enough to find your place as each student had an ID stating their name, homeroom, and other miscellaneous statistics clipped to their breast pocket. He slid into place behind a longhaired girl and waited. The wrist computer struck precisely 8:05 AM when a balding, gray haired man dressed in a gray three-piece suit walked in front of the students. He placed himself behind a little desk where a microphone was placed. Dead silence descended in the room.
"Good morning, students," said the man. "I hope you had a nice and constructive weekend." His humorless smile made his rather pathetic attempt at humor turn into a sarcastic remark. "Why don't we all start our morning prayers first? Let's have our junior president lead us today." He stepped back and Ryan Davis stepped out from his place in line. Some girls shifted and whispered in words too soft to hear.
Alexei was only mildly surprised. Ryan and Sabia seemed the type, really. But what dominated Alexei's mind the most, however, were the morning prayers. If there were even one devout religious Mud Men in the crowd, he'd be feeling a sting for sure.
Alexei didn't even bother following the words, whatever they were. It felt as if a thousand needles were tickling his arms, legs, and face. Quite a few Mud Men were truly faithful then. Good thing it was not the entire assembly or he'd be stumbling out trying not to projectile vomit. He merely closed his eyes, concentrating on not paying attention to the pain. In fact, he was concentrating so hard not to feel it that he barely noticed the end of the morning prayers. He did notice, however, when the man regained the use of the microphone and said, "Ah, Master Artemis Fowl."
That name was enough to knock any concentration Alexei had. He looked up to the man who was frowning at a young boy. The tall, slender youth was walking confidently into the Cathedral, not the slightest bit disconcerted at having the eyes of the entire congregation focusing on him.
"Late for the first assembly of the month, I see," frowned the man.
"Principal Guiney, surely my presence is not altogether vital to such a significant meeting," shrugged Artemis in a voice clear enough to be heard across the assembly without the aid of a microphone. Although his face and voice were devoid of any emotions, sarcasm clearly marked his sentence. "Not unless you plan on turning this into a public trial for the incident in the library? But I've already proven I wasn't the one did it."
Principal Guiney glowered sternly at the raven-haired boy. "As you probably have no good excuse, I shall spare the student body from hearing fake ones," he reproved. "Just go in line. I'll have one of the nuns write a tardy report and send it home."
"By all means," nodded Artemis absently. His book bag tapped on his hip as he walked in line. Students were still looking at him.
The principal coughed in irritation, "Now everyone. I shall begin the announcements. As everyone knows, there will be a dance in a week." Alexei tuned him out as a startling revelation hit his mind. If students were arranged in alphabetical order and if his own last name was Forster, then that meant.
Please let someone be between us, please let someone be between us, begged Holly inside her mind. Too late. Artemis slid in place behind Alexei. Holly did not even hold out the hope that Artemis would not notice or forget all about him. As the boy had proved so many times in the past, he was anything but stupid. Holly fought the urge to squirm once more even though she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickling. She was sure that Artemis was staring intensely at her back, or rather, the back of her head.
". dismissed. Have a productive day," finished Principal Guiney. The nuns at the head of each section dismissed each row accordingly. Holly dreaded the moment when her line would be free to move. Artemis could talk to her. He probably would, seeing as how he was being blamed for the library incident. With Holly's luck, Artemis would probably blackmail her or something.
The nun leading Line F had barely given the signal to move when the new student bolted. It was an involuntary action really, but it was done nevertheless. Alexei Forster ducked and barreled underneath the mass of students, staying low in the hopes that Artemis would lose her. He zigzagged through the crowd and made it through to the stairway. He looked back once. Even if it meant ditching Aidan, Holly would do anything to avoid Artemis Fowl.
Minutes later, she realized her mistake. Aidan was her only guide to the place, and she hadn't been paying very good attention to what Ryan was saying earlier. Now, neither boys were in sight, and the last students were going inside the classrooms. She wandered around briskly in a few hallways.
She bit her lip, troubled. Although getting to class was not a matter of life and death, it would not do for her to miss it either. She swallowed her pride and stepped inside a classroom to her left. Better to ask a teacher for help. If she was lucky, the teacher might forgive her for being late.
I must be in a nightmare, she thought, a never-ending nightmare. By extraordinary bad luck, she was in the same classroom as, you guessed it, Artemis Fowl II. He was walking to the door holding a blunt pencil in one hand (the mechanical pencil sharpener was located next to the door), when Holly walked in. One look at Fowl and Holly bolted again. But Aidan was just coming in from the hallway. He had spotted Alexei's back from the doorway.
"Alexei, there you are," he called, "I lost you-" he was cut off when Alexei turned around and ran into him once more. But due to the proximity and difference of bulk between them both, Holly merely bounced off him. Unfortunately for Artemis, at that time he had reached the sharpener and was in Alexei's path. Unfortunately for Artemis, he did not possess the quick physical reflexes Aidan had. Unfortunately for Artemis, although he was most definitely taller than Alexei, he did not have the heavier physique. Unfortunately for Artemis, Butler was not there to save him from blows. And so, without further ado, Alexei crashed into Artemis and both of them went down on the floor.
"D'Arvit," whispered Holly, seeing stars explode in front of her eyes. Luckily for Holly, she had landed on something soft. That is, she landed on Artemis. Not so luckily for Artemis, he had landed on the floor and was seeing far worse than stars dancing over his head.
"Would you be so kind as to remove your considerable weight on me," said the raven-haired boy testily, a few moments later, trying to stop the world from spinning. He braced himself on his elbows, grumbling. Holly could feel the grumbling since most of her upper body was right on top of his stomach.
She quickly righted herself, but nearly lost balance once more as her world had yet to stop spinning. However, they did focus on one thing. One of her earpieces was on the floor. But her ear wasn't attached to it. Her ear was still attached to her head and it was bare.