I know, I know. I haven't updated for, like, three months, but anyway. Thanks to all my reviewers, including The Xylia and Little Miss Demonthenes. Oh, and Short Fat Fag. Well, on with the story. Here's chapter 6!!!!

Hope you enjoy it and PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barbary Coast Casino

Mulch Diggums, former imprisoned kleplomatic fairy dwarf, had now been on the run for six months. And he was now very well off. Soon after his escape from the LEP, Mulch had found the wonderful world of gambling. He had ended up in the city of lights, Las Vegas.

Now, instead of being a runaway dwarf, and in theory he still was a runaway, he was a human gambler, but just happened to be a very short one.

Mulch was going around under the name of Bingo Diggers. He rode cabs from casino to casino. When we bumped into him, he was strolling around Barbary Coast Casino.

The dwarf strutted through the crowds of willing gamblers, counting his new winnings. Ten thousand American dollars. Not bad for an afternoon's work. Of course, he'd done better, there were millions to be won here, but all in all, it wasn't bad.

He made his way to the main hotel, where he had a room booked for a couple of weeks. He was just about to enter the elevator when he heard a familiar voice.

It belonged to a young girl. A girl with long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. A girl by the name of Juliet Butler. And, there, beside her was none other than Artemis Fowl the Second.

Seeing Artemis, Mulch immediately felt for the medallion tied around his neck. He had the urge to run up to the boy and thrust it into his hands, and in doing so, returning all his memories of the People along with it. But he resisted. Artemis had told him to keep clear for two years and then return it.

Mulch glanced around for Butler, but he wasn't to be seen.

The two walked straight passed him, Juliet gibbering on about something that Artemis was obviously finding tedious.

Mulch watched them turn the corner and breathed out. There was something strange about this. What would Artemis Fowl be doing in Las Vegas? Yes, Artemis loved to win money, but he won it through dastardly plots and schemes. He didn't seem the type to have a good old game of poker. Although, knowing the boy, a game of poker wouldn't do him any harm.

Mulch jumped into the elevator and selected the eighth floor. He ignored the several other people and began to fumble around with the medallion again.

The steel box stopped at floor five, where two people left and another crowd of celebrating winners entered. Mulch was shoved back and forth while the gamblers wrestled for the handrails at the side. Being short was a real burden in this place.

Entrance to Barbary Coast Casino

Juliet squealed with delight at the sight of the hotel. "There it is, Artemis!"

"I can see it for myself, thank you Juliet," snarled Artemis. He wasn't in a very good mood after trying his best for the past hour to work out why Jo Ripson looked familiar to him. There was definitely something suspicious about him, but nothing had come to Artemis. He forced himself not to believe that he was losing his touch.

Holly had also become annoyed, but for a different reason. Now that Artemis was his mean old self again, he was beginning to get on Holly's nerves, like he had on the night that she had spent in the manor.

Artemis and Juliet barged their way through the heavy crowd, (something that Artemis did not take fondly to). Holly was flying, shielded, somewhere above them.

Finally, the two humans were inside the hotel. Not that being in the building made any difference whatsoever. It was packed with people from all over the world. This meant, to Artemis's annoyance, another lot of pushing and shoving. He would rather still be at school with Gunther.

But at last the crowd thinned out a bit and Juliet was able to talk to Artemis. "You know, Artemis. I think this is all a trap, or that Spiro has lost it because, I mean, who threatens someone with a text message? Don't you think you're being a bit naïve?"

Artemis couldn't believe it. A girl who was by no means as smart as him had just called him naïve. Meanwhile, Holly was in silent fits of giggles above them.

Artemis composed himself and replied, trying to keep his cool, "Yes, Juliet. I have considered the possibilities, but if what Mister Spiro says about the People is true, then we will have to take those risks. And, I might add, I am only doing this for the gold." Up above, Holly had a sudden urge to punch the boy right in the face.

As they turned the corner Artemis changed the subject. "Juliet, I've booked two adjoining rooms. Could you please go and check in while I have a quick look around. No doubt you'll be in that queue for some time.

Juliet scowled and made her way to the desk. Artemis set off in the other direction.

Juliet hated to admit it, but Artemis was right. It took her half an hour to make her way through the queue. By the time Juliet finally made it to the desk she was faced with a rather large, red-faced man. He reminded her of someone.

"Name?" he grumbled.

Juliet guessed that Artemis had booked the rooms under his own name. "Fowl."

The man typed the name into his computer. "Sorry," he grunted. "There's nothing here under that name."

Of course, thought Juliet. Artemis would never book something like this under his name. Far too risky. "Butler, then."

The man sighed and searched again. "Rooms 1034 and 1035. Adjoining." He handed over the keys. "Have a nice stay."

Juliet highly doubted that the man was being sincere. "Thanks," she mumbled sarcastically. Barging through the crowds for the umpteenth time that day, she spotted Artemis waiting for her with a particularly bored expression printed on his face. "Had your look around?" she asked cheerfully.

"A short but sufficient one, thank you," he answered in his usual drooling voice.

"Where's Holly?"

In reply Artemis just curtly pointed to the ceiling.

"How can you tell?"

A voice came from above Artemis's head. "Because I told him I was here, that's how."

Juliet glared into the space that she assumed was Holly. "Do you want to be spotted or not?"

"Oh please. I could unshield and fly around this hotel screaming at the top of my voice, and half the people here wouldn't notice. That's the problem with you Mud People. You don't pay attention, and it doesn't help when you're in an extremely busy and noisy building like this. I just like to keep a low profile."

"Whatever," sighed Juliet, handing the two keys over to Artemis. "Question."

"What is it now, Juliet?" snarled Artemis.

"Spiro must have got his hands on an awful lot of money to be able to stay in a place like this. But where did he get it? I mean, the police would have taken all of his different accesses to money away when he was locked in the slammer. Wouldn't they?"

Artemis rolled his eyes and began to make his way down the various corridors that led to their rooms. "Yes, they would have. But, do you honestly think that Spiro would stay in a hotel full of police? I think not. Knowing Spiro, he's slinking around in secret. I would guess in the basement."

Juliet was quiet for the rest of the hike to the rooms. They had to climb seven flights of stairs and walking down fifteen corridors, they eventually ended up facing a door with the number 1034 painted on in gold. Artemis unlocked the door and stepped inside. Juliet ran past him in excitement.

"Cool!" she squealed.

"Tacky," Artemis mumbled. The room was painted blue with a huge double bed in the middle. There were many desks planted around the room and an enormous wardrobe directly opposite the bed.

Juliet, much to Artemis's annoyance, was running around the room, opening every door in sight. "Nice bathroom," she mused. "Hey, I found the other room. Oh, it's exactly the same as this one. How boring."

"Yes, Juliet," Artemis scowled. "Well, now that you know where the rooms are, you can go and collect the luggage."

"What! And carry it up those stairs? No chance."

"Juliet," Artemis shouted. "There are elevators. Use them. Just don't ask for assistance."

Juliet glared at the boy and stormed out of the room. Holly, now in the safety of the room, unshielded and addressed Artemis. "Hey, Mud Boy, mind if I go look around some more? I'll shield, don't worry. And when I come back I'll knock six times or something so you know that's it's me. OK?"

"Very well."

Holly grinned and shielded again. The door closed, on what anyone outside that room would have thought was on it's own accord.

Artemis spent the next hour thinking and planning. He was interrupted a few times by Juliet, who entered the room, threw the luggage on the bed and left to collect some more. Ten minutes after Juliet's fifth visit, there was a knock at the door. Six knocks to be precise. "Holly," he muttered to himself. He opened the door and came face to face with nothing but a slight blur. He didn't say anything and walked off for Holly to enter the room.

"Hold it, Mud Boy," came Holly's voice. "I've got something to show you."

Artemis turned around. Holly had unshielded and threw a short, hairy man towards him. The dwarf stumbled forward and stopped about a foot in front of Artemis. He looked up at the boy and gave a large toothy grin. Artemis studied him for a couple of seconds. "Well, well. If it isn't Mulch Diggums."

"Found him wandering round downstairs. Lucky, don't you think?" Holly said in a smug voice.

Artemis smirked. "Yes, very lucky."

But, what wasn't so very lucky, was the fact that Mulch's every movement, for the past fifteen minutes, had been watched by Jo Ripson. So, I suppose you could say it was lucky. For Jon Spiro, that is.

Yey! Chapter 6 is finished. Please review : ). And if you've got any suggestions then please mention them. Let me know if you like this chapter or not. I like it, but that's just me.