Hey, I'm going nicely in this chapter. Only, expect a slow update, because I have no idea what to do now.
Shadow- I'm going to die! AAH! Hehe, not sure yet if I'm going to make this a happy ending for Chrysanthene.
aperfectattitude- Yeah, another cliffhanger. No, not his parents. It was your review that inspired this chapter, actually. You gave me an idea.
Butler had heard commotion outside. At first he thought it was just a dream, but then the noise grew louder and eventually he was convinced that something was happening to his charge.
He rushed to Artemis's room to see if he was okay, and a curious thing happened to him. It was like his forehead was submerged in water. That feeling soon left.
"I am so lucky I got a big guy to possess," he whispered to himself.
Well, actually it wasn't him whispering to himself. It was the infamous witch Chrysanthene. And she was angry. Extremely angry. No one really wanted to be the recipient of her wrath. It was the same with Butler, and they made a formidable team.
Butler stood in the doorway. Artemis and Holly seemed to be having a conversation. About his pulse rate, or something. The answer's obvious, Chrysanthene thought. His body was mostly relying on me for life, so when I went away, it stopped. But then his own mind kicked in, and it started again. Holly, aren't you just the stupid elf.
And then she was presented with a delicious, irresistible way to join the chaos.
"Exactly four years and one day."
She couldn't resist it. She just had to be melodramatic. "And counting," she said simply. Oh, the expressions on their faces are so satisfying….
"Butler?"
"Chrysanthene?"
Wow. Unrehearsed. These two could join a synchronized swimming contest. "Yes, it's both. Thank you ever so much for giving me the opportunity to get this guy. He's massive! Honestly, Fowl, you must be one of the safest people on earth."
"Actually, he isn't," Holly said. "Butler can take out fairies, yes, but when the fairies are his friends, they're more likely to take him out. And Butler always complains that Artemis always puts himself in a position where he can't do anything about it."
Stupid elf, stupid elf. Why can't you just shut your Cupid-inherited mouth for once? "So what? If he can do anything about it, Artemis escapes death. When I learned about the Eleven Wonders business, I was shocked. There you were, about to die, and suddenly a dwarf and this massive guy come around and save you! Opal Koboi must have had a fit.""Actually," the genius on the floor said calmly. "She had a fit when we took her truffles. Those were quite good. I do not usually like dessert, but if I had a chance I would take those truffles again."
"Oh yeah, you don't like dessert. For four years, though, you had strawberries and ice cream and spring rolls."
The boy turned paler than he usually was. "Strawberries? I'm allergic to them. They're the only thing I am allergic to apart from dust mites."
"Don't worry, Arty boy. I wasn't allergic to them, so nothing happened to you. Everyone was a bit unnerved, though. Oh yeah, why are you still on the floor anyway?"
Artemis sat up. "I am not lying on the floor. Not now, anyway."
The elf is probably going after her Neutrino. She thinks I'm stupid. Well, she's the idiot here. "My dear idiotic Holly, do think for a while. If you knock me unconscious with that weapon of yours, I'm going to fall on Artemis. That would undoubtedly break quite a few bones."
"I don't care," Holly said contemptuously. She fired, and pulled Artemis out of the way just as the unconscious manservant landed on the exact spot where the boy was only seconds ago.
For Artemis, this was probably the worst thing Holly could have done.
"Well, Arty," the possessed Holly said, aiming the Neutrino at him. "Let's see how you are with no hope of getting out of this mess."
Gah! Poor Arty...
