Chapter 3

A Conversation with Mulch

Review of last chapter: Artemis and Holly had just gone up to the Manor's library because they knew they would not be overheard and could talk freely about the People and their past experiences.

"Outsmarted my teacher Opal Koboi? What made you come up with that?" asked Artemis.

"Well, A-r-t-y," Holly chuckled as Artemis rolled his eyes, "Your mother was quite questioning this morning and that was the best code I could think of so I wouldn't be lying to her, even though it wasn't that exact truth. I'm an honest creature you know."

"Yes, I know...," Artemis smiled, "Honestly annoying, that is."

Holly pulled out her pocket communicator casting an evil look at Artemis that would have put fear into Butler. Her communicator was a high-tech fairy version of a human walkie-talkie. Holly's communicator even had a view screen, just like the one Holly had given Artemis for consulting business.

Holly quickly found a signal and connected with Mulch Diggums, dwarf thief extraordinaire and good friend to the two, even though his kleptomaniac ways often landed him ahead of an LEP Pursuit team.

"Mulch here, whatcha need Holly?" ask Mulch as his head filled the view screen on the communicator. HE was eating something, as always. Today it looked like a two-foot peanut butter and bug jelly sub.

Holly shrugged, trying to ignore the dripping bug jelly, "Oh, just checking in. Any new cases?"

"Nope. You know Holly, you really should be trying to enjoy your vacation, not checking in for a new case. Do you hate the mud boy that much?"

Artemis popped his head into view of Mulch's screen, "Yeah, I am right here. I can leave if you two would like to talk about me." Always sarcastic.

The sarcasm might have whistled as it flew over Mulch's head and he still would not have noticed it, "No, Fowl, you can stay. Anyway, Holly, if you really want a new case, there's some good news. I talked to Foaly yesterday and he said he might be able to get us a new client. Said he'd call today. I bet that centaur's forgotten though. Can't blame him though. He is not exactly supposed to be helping us do anything, and now, he had that Sool breathing down his back all the time, probably just can't find much free time."

Commander Ark Sool was a hot-headed (but not in a positive leadership way like Julius Root). Sool had been the internal affairs coordinator until Root's death convinced the council that the LEP needed a more controlling leader. Sool may be controlling, but he would not risk his rank for anything or anybody, which made him a bad LEP role model. He was not the easiest person to get along with, and if you were a past criminal, friend of Holly Short, or Holly Short herself, it was nearly impossible to get along with the gnome commander who hated your guts. Unfortunately, for our protagonists, they all fit the profile for Sool's most hated list.

The young elf private investigator nodded her head to let Mulch know she understood him. "That Sool is always out looking for ways to get Foaly fired. Luckily for us, Foaly doesn't have many faults. If that Sool ever did fire Foaly, the People would find themselves losing their edge against the mud men. Foaly's the reason we've been able to stay hidden so long."

Artemis followed the conversation, absorbing all the information instantly. He said, "I would surmise that things are getting pretty hot down there for Foaly then?"
Mulch sighed, "Let's just say that things are getting hot down here for everyone. Sool has given the LEP more power than it's ever had and making life tough for ex-criminals like me."

After a moment of silence, in which everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts of the Fairy situation, except Mulch who was finishing his sandwich, Holly said, "Well, I guess just keep me informed. I still have the best of two weeks vacation left, and I plan on using them to their fullest. You know how to reach us if you need to Mulch, Holly out." Holly closed the communicator and put it back into her pocket.

Artemis asked, "So what do you want to do till the ball this evening? We still have a long time to wait."

Tapping a finger on her lips, Holly thought about it. "How about we take a walk through the garden that your mother keeps and then you can show me what you've been up to while I've been away."

Artemis complied and they strode down to a beautiful garden that had many workers stringing up lights over the plants in preparation for the coming festivities. They strolled through the garden, which individually both Holly and Artemis were thinking that it would have been a much nicer stroll if they would have had the courage to take the other's hand in their own. Neither would be the first to take that step though. It would be too weird as they were different species, and yet it would feel so right said the small voices in their heads.

Artemis then led Holly up to his room, or small apartment as it seemed. His room consisted of the average bedroom, but also had a huge bathroom, a living room, and a side door that looked as though it led to a small study. Artemis continued leading Holly until he was in front of the study door. He rested a hand on the doorknob.
"Holly," he said, "I've had to entertain myself for an entire year almost without criminal activities. Therefore, I have taking up the hobby of painting. Are you sure you want to see my paintings?"

Now Holly was truly interested, "Painted and not forged did you say? Yes, of course I want to see them."

Artemis somewhat grudgingly turned the doorknob and then fumbled for the lightswitch in the darkness of the room. He flicked the switch on and heard an intake of breathe from Holly. The room was filled to bursting with his paintings. So were of ordinary things such as flowers or fruit, others were of humans, but the majority of the paintings were of the People.

"Oh, Artemis! They're beautiful, but could they expose our existence?"

"No, holly. People have been painting pictures of fairies for centuries. You will notice, perhaps, that I have neglected to paint any of your technology into the pictures. That is to insure that your existence is never brought into question."

Artemis continued walking to a corner with a white sheet draped over it. Artemis silently slid the sheet off and folded it up, stowing it on a shelf behind him. He once again her an intake of breathe from Holly and turned around to find her staring at a picture.

The picture was surrounded by a collection of different paintings of their past experiences together: Holly and Butler face a troll in the lobby of Fowl Manor, a healing in the Arctic, four figures approaching a half-sunken ship in a frozen sea with the water slightly glowing from radiation, Holly and Artemis in swirling water with their foreheads pressed together for comfort, but the last one was the one Holly was staring at with tears in her eyes. The picture was not finished yet, but it was unmistakably Julius Root, murdered by Opal Koboi. Holly's father figure.

Holly was engrossed in sobs that shook her entire body. Tears sprang from her eyes and she felled to her knees, head in her hands. Artemis watched her crying and then knelt down beside her putting a comforting arm over her shoulders. She fell into his embrace, crying into his shoulder. Artemis felt sorry that he could not join in on this emotional display and remained his usual stoic self. He whispered softly in her ear, "Holly, I've been painting this one of Root for you. As soon as it is done, it will be yours to keep."

Holly continued crying into Artemis shoulder for sometime. Eventually, she got in control of her emotions and looked up into Artemis' cold blue eyes and said, "Thank you Artemis. Just…thank you."

And then she broke the boy's embrace and rushed to her room before another emotional display overtook her. Artemis knew he should feel sorry for his elven friend's distress, but he was quietly overjoyed that they had been able to sit there so long with Holly in his arms.

Holly's good nature returned later that afternoon when they met up for lunch and neither mentioned that morning's adventure to the other. Artemis' mother was also in the kitchen. She informed them that Butler was due back from America that very night. The afternoon continued on into evening…