Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Artemis Fowl. Those go to Eoin Colfer.

Chapter 11: Lock and Key

E18

The LEP is full of hotshot pilots that enjoy showing of to one another. Holly Short and Trouble Kelp were two of the finest. And yet they decided to climb a chute wall, leaving Foaly at the controls of a very expensive shuttle. Where his mental skill was nearly unmatched in Haven, his motor skills concerning transportations weren't greatly admirable. He hadn't even been able to pilot a hover cart with a remote control. And is overall flying skills were worse than a wingless pixie.

After a few scary minutes of the shuttle almost grazing the chute wall, he'd managed to set the auto pilot. He walked back from the cockpit and headed over to the Mud Men circle. The girl had a medi-pac on her dislocated shoulder. They were all sitting in silence, obviously wondering how Holly, Trouble, and Mulch were faring. Well, maybe not the Mud Girl. She was more interested in the shuttle and himself.

"So, uh, Foaly. You are a centaur?" Alexis ventured cautiously. She was taking the existence of fairies living under the surface pretty well. Other than Artemis and Butler, most Mud Men simply stood stunned or ran off screaming until mind-wiped. It seemed that the smarter the Mud Man, the more probable the existence of the People seemed to be. Usually it was dumb kids that believed in fairies, not intelligent minds. For years human logic had been what stood between them and discovering fairies, and it looked as if that was all going down the drain. He'd have to step security of Haven up a notch.

"Yes, I am a centaur." And no, you can't ride me, Foaly mentally added. On his occasional trips to the surface, it had usually been to mind-wipe a human. In their mesmeric stupor, they often wanted to ride him and one even thought he was even a unicorn. That had kept the lab techs laughing for a good week straight. Of course, some centaurs at carnivals allowed themselves to be ridden, it wasn't dishonorable or anything, but a gigantic Mud Man would crush the biggest centaurs.

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" shesaid coolly.

"I'll explain," Artemis volunteered. He led her to a corner of the shuttle and starting describing the hidden existence of the People. Alexis listened with rapt attention. Butler turned to Foaly.

"Are you sure you want another intellect such as Alexis knowing about fairies? I figured that you would mind-wipe her for safety." Butler stopped as he observed the centaur's somber face.

"We will have to. Eventually," Foaly shrugged.

Butler was surprised. "Then why allow Artemis to tell her everything, only for her to lose it?"

"When Opal first attacked you and Artemis after the mind-wipe, it took a long time for both of you to regain your memories, even though your own lives were in the balance. If I were to mind-wipe her now, with her not knowing anything about the People, then it might be best. But if we arrived at the Sisterhood, and a fleet of goblins were waiting, then it would be worse for her."

"Why?"

"If she lost her limited knowledge of the People now, and we walk into a fight at Haven, she won't know what to do. She'll think she's dreaming and could injure herself."

"But wouldn't she be unconscious for a few hours afterwards? She can't sleep and fight."

"Yes, and there is a chance that our task would be done before she wakes up. But someday something might trigger her memories. Nothing wrong there, it happens occasionally. Like you and Artemis." Butler winced at the slight cold that entered the centaur's voice. Obviously, Foaly didn't like being outsmarted twice by the same Mud Boy. "Except," Foaly continued, his tone lowered, and Butler had to lean forward slightly, "if her memories of her kidnapping come back after this is all settled, then there would have to be a reason for it. Like an attack, or us needing her help."

Butler tried to comprehend. In a few moments, it came to him. If Alexis forgot being kidnapped, and happened to come across the path of a fairy, she would remember a strange adventure, and wouldn't understand. She'd be defensless. If her mind was wiped after she knew all the basic knowledge of the People, it would be best for her, rather than having to explain everything over to her again. It had taken Artemis a full hour to regain his memories, and he had been an expert on the People. Butler shuddered at the thought of if Artemis hadn't made the disc as well as he did, and needed Butler to clear up some of the finer points. It would have taken much longer than an hour.

"What do you have in mind?" Butler asked. "For breaking it to her, and actually getting her back where she belongs? Without her getting suspicious when she wakes up with no recollection of the lastfew days?"

"I can answer that," a small voice said from behind them. They turned to see Alexis and Artemis. "We heard what you said," she added sheepishly. Her shoulders slumped. "I realize that it is necessary to mind-wipe me. I'm a threat. Once Artemis finished explaining the situation, I devised a plausible plan for my return to my family."

"And you're fine with this?" Butler was surprised that the centaur's question was directed at Artemis.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Artemis scoffed.

"Well, you'd have someone to talk to about fairies other than Butler, for starters. Someone else to help you destroy our technology and create dangerous cubes. And you fought so hard for your own memories, I'd come to believe that you disliked the idea of mind-wipes."

"I do, but here it is for safety. I do realize the importance of the safety of the People," Artemis explained.

"How is it for the 'safety of the People'?"

"I have a little brother that spies on my every movement. Should I attempt to contact fairies in any way, or even talk to Artemis on the subject, he'd go sniveling back to my parents and I'd be sent to an asylum of some sort."

"Your parents would jump to the conclusion that you suffer mentally before even thinking that fairies could exist?" Foaly asked, shock evident on his face.

"I wouldn't be the first one in my family. There has been at least one Vanderbelt diagnosed with some sort of mental instability for the past four generations." Both Foaly and Butler reflected upon this for several moments. The centaur finally broke the silence.

"What is your plan?"

"That depends on how much I'll remember," Alexis grinned, her smile eerily reminiscent of Artemis' own vampiric smile.

"But first, what is this I hear about us arriving at the Sisterhood? I believed that plan was ruled out," Artemis said.

"Well, to directly attack the Sisterhood, yes. But Amber mentioned a time-stop. Someone has to warn the LEP about the trap before they enter the courthouse," Foaly said simply.

"Can't we just send a communication? I'm sure this shuttle is capable," Butler chimed in.

"Yes. I've tried, but it seems that our communication array is not responding."

"Can it be fixed?" Artemis queried. "I'm sure all of us together can--" But Foaly was already shaking his head, and pointed to a panel of the cockpit. It was scorched black from a fireball. "Oh."

"Besides," Foaly said, "what could convince Sool more that there is a plot of rebellion than three Mud Men at his doorstep?"

"Yes, I'm sure that it'll convince him, or cause the lot of us to undergo yet another mind-wipe and Haven is lost. How do we pass undetected through Haven?" Artemis asked.

"We borrow a wagon and coast in on the magnastrip. An LEP wagon would be best, because of the tinted windows, but we'll have to settle for whatever's big enough," Foaly said.

"And how would we obtain said transportation?" Artemis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Butler will just ask nicely," Foaly grinned. Artemis saw Butler wearing a similar expression, and could have sworn that the manservant was having way to much fun. Then again, Butler had spent the last fifteen years of his adventurous life doing very little of what he had been born to do. Except for about five different occasions, his body guarding service to Artemis wasn't necessary on a regular basis. Until Holly had come along, Butler had only cooked, cleaned, and tutored with Artemis. He knew from the start that Artemis was different, and he realized that he would see things that no one else would ever see. And recently, he was seeing more and more of those things.

After a shaky landing in a fairly empty shuttle port and sneaking past personnel with the help of a camfoil sheet, the foursome arrived on the outskirts of Haven. It wasn't long before a large van passed, and an even shorter amount of time before the driver was turning the starter chip over to Butler. It wasn't until the humans had settled into the back of the van that they noticed the low temperature.

"Ice-cream anyone?" Alexis joked, holding a miniscule popsicle up from one of the storage containers. She put it back and shivered. "Foaly? How long should this trip take?"

"Only twenty minutes," he called from the front seat.

"At least I have something on my feet," Alexis muttered. In a storage bin on the shuttle, there was an assortment of fairy clothing and a few pairs of pajamas. She'd borrowed a pair of soft slippers to wear, only because there had been no other type of footwear on board. Although, they were the softest material she had ever felt. She let out a sigh, knowing that she couldn't keep them. When she was mind-wiped, the pair could bring back residual memories so they would be taken away. Unlikely, but a necessary precaution.

Artemis saw her breath. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, trying to keep her voice level. She knew that she had to be mind-wiped, for her own safety, but it still scared her to think about losing her memories. Maybe she could plant a trigger, something that Foaly would overlook. It was a foolish hope, but Artemis and Butler had done it, so she would at least try.

"You'll be fine," Artemis reassured her, as if reading her mind. She smiled, and suddenly felt awkward.

"About what happened the other day, I'm sorry," she blurted.

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked, confused for perhaps the third time in his life.

"I didn't mean to offend you or anything, when I kissed you. I wasn't sure if it upset you because I had to leave immediately afterwards. I was a bit emotional, and, again, I'm sorry if I made you awkward or anything. When I played the day back in my mind, I felt that I made the wrong impression."

"No, it was fine," Artemis said. Then, he added hastily, "I would rather have gotten to know you a bit more…"

"Friends?" she winced, as if unsure herself. "Not anything more?"

"Of course. I could use a few more human friends," Artemis said, a genuine smile on his face. After regaining his memories, he'd been pleased to know that he had friends. Albeit they were all mythical creatures of whose existence was known to him and Butler only, they were his friends. And now, he had another human one. One his own age, that he would soon go to school with. A regular friend. One that will have no memory of this day, he thought. Not if I have my way.

"That model in your bedroom…was that actually a shuttle?" Alexis said, her voice hopeful. An idea formed into Artemis' head.

"No, no. It was an Americanspace shuttle," Artemis said. "Just like I told you."

"I thought it was…" Alexis stopped dead., her mouth forming an O. "Oh, yeah. I just thought it looked similar." Her mind raced. In his room, he had said Russian. He was lying now, and giving her a key to her memories.

A bit cheesy there on my part, but hey, where would the world be without cheese?