Chp: 6

Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Artemis Fowl...Eoin Colfer does. I do own Salt, Pepper, Sugar, and Mrs. Peters. Hey Eoin, wanna trade?

"Oh yeah! Leather baby!" Pepper bounced up and down on the seat, slapping his hands on the ceiling. Beside him Sugar was looking out the window, her nose pressed up against the glass and making her look like a pig. On the other side of Pepper, Salt desperately searched for the icebox.

Butler sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Please stop bouncing back there," he twisted around to look back at the terrors. "Miss. Sugar, please peel your face away from the window. I would rather not have to clean your mucus. Master Salt, the icebox is up here…you're not going to find it on the floor."

Pepper stopped bouncing and leaned forward in his seat. "Ya got a good boombox?"

Butler turned back around and wished Artemis would hurry. "Surround system with dual speakers."

"Awesome!" Pepper screamed. Butler grimaced.

"I'm hungry!" Salt wailed and kicked Butler's seat.

"There's nothing in the icebox but still water." Another kick. Butler stopped drumming.

"I'm hungry!" Salt shouted, and his stomach gave an answering growl.

Pepper rolled his eyes. "What's the difference between water and still water…it's just water!"

Sugar squealed angrily and jabbed a finger at Pepper. "It is not the same! Only rich and fashionable people like me drink still water!"

"Butler! Sugar's poking me!" Pepper whined and jabbed Butler from behind in the shoulder. "She's poking me like that, tell her to stop!"

"I'm hungry!" Salt began to repeatedly kick Butler's seat. The manservant sat straight and tall, unblinking. Poke, poke, poke. Kick, kick, kick.

"Butler!"

"Say you're sorry for insulting rich people!"

"I'm being abused! You're trying to starve me! I want my mommy! I want the police!"

Suddenly the passenger door swung open and Artemis climbed in. He glanced at his bodyguard, and then twisted around. The children stilled and climbed back into their seats as Artemis's icy-edged glare fell upon them. Artemis treated them to a vampire smile before turning back around. "They're finally learning," he murmured before instructing Butler to Georgita's Flower Suite.

"Stay here," Artemis ordered. "You are to wait right here in the limo until I come back. Do you understand?" Salt raised his hand and Artemis slanted him an impatient glare. "What?"

"I'm hungry."

Artemis slammed the door closed and began walking towards the small pink shop. Butler activated the alarm before following his charge.

"I have a bad feeling about this Artemis."

Artemis raised his hand dismissively. "You have a bad feeling as soon as I wake up in the morning."

"The e-mail could be a lure," Butler pressed.

"I sincerely doubt it."

"My job is to keep you safe Artemis, and I'm letting you walk into a dangerous situation."

Artemis paused near the entrance of the shop, and turned to face his manservant. "Trust me Butler. Just trust me."

Butler sighed, knowing he had lost even before he had begun. He did the only thing he could by checking to make sure he had enough firepower hidden on him to wipe out the city, or in other words, to protect Artemis.

Artemis stepped inside the shop and Butler followed right behind. The fragrance of sweet roses hung in the air, but the scent wasn't what made Artemis suddenly stop. It was the lone man, sitting at the small Victorian table in the middle of the room. Besides him, the shop was empty. It wouldn't have mattered if there was a crowd anyway, he would have drawn Artemis's eye no matter what. He was dressed in some exotic outfit with strings and sequins and silk draped all over him. His skin was a deep brown, and his hair was black and tightly curled. There seemed to be a foreign air about him, and this was confirmed as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Ah, young Master Fowl! You made it…as I knew you would."