Chapter Four

The TV droned on and on. Artemis caught a segment or two about a school board meeting that had gone wrong, then several commercials for skin care products. It actually made him smile. Humans and fairies were surprisingly alike, given how superior the People seemed to consider themselves. Granted, the People had highly advanced technology, and their society did not contribute to climate change in a meaningful way, so he could understand their annoyance with his own species. That didn't mean he appreciated being tarred with the same brush, but then, he'd had his own private jet and flying lessons at 12. He was not an ordinary human.

Just as he started to feel around for the remote, a change in the announcer's tone caught his ear. Artemis frowned, interest piqued.

"Downtown Haven," crooned the typical Haven drawl. "Police Plaza is under siege after a shocking turn of events. A human, identified by eyewitnesses to his arrival as the notorious criminal Artemis Fowl, has been brought into the city and is currently being kept in an unknown location."

There was a pause, and the sound of an angry crowd. Presumably the public was not happy.

"The elf identified next to him is none other than Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon, the very same fairy that Fowl reportedly held to ransom when he first made himself known to the People. What her motivations for bringing him here are is unknown. Short is currently inside Police Plaza, where she cannot be reached for questioning. The Council were also seen entering the building earlier this afternoon, though whether these events are related is also unknown."

Artemis listened as the voice promised continued updates on the situation, then experimented until he found the off button on the remote. His stomach felt like it had dropped to somewhere around his knees. The Council being there wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be. No doubt they were questioning Holly and the Commander right now, demanding to know why they had gone against… well, admittedly, Artemis's grip on fairy law had slipped in the past six years, but he was sure that bringing him here without prior authorization broke at least a few rules.

What if the Council decided to fire Holly or Root because of him? Artemis couldn't imagine either of them as anything other than police officers. That was their calling, their path in life. His heart hurt at the thought that one or both might have to give it up just for helping him, just for being good people.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, sinking back against the couch. "I'm sorry…"

The apartment was silent, of course. The people he was addressing weren't there.

oOoOo

Smoke filled the air as the debate continued, irritating every throat. More than one of the fairies in the room had to make bathroom breaks to cover their coughing fits. This went on for over a half hour before anyone dared to speak up.

"Commander Root, could you please put that damnable thing out?" Chairman Cahartez asked, waving his ridiculous formal hat as though it could ward off the smoke.

Root grunted. He did not like taking such requests, particularly under stressful circumstances. But Wing Commander Vinyáya shot him a pointed look, and after a moment's hesitation he conceded, crushing the butt of his noxious cigar into a nearby ashtray – put there several minutes earlier by the distressed council reporter, who looked like she wanted nothing more than to be allowed to go home and take a long nap. She continued to type away, impractically long nails clacking with each keystroke, but if possible, the keystrokes sounded a little more lively as the smoke cleared.

"That aside," Vinyáya said calmly, bringing the conversation back to its original point, "the question remains. If we allow Fowl to remain underground, he must be given a role to play. If we do not allow him to remain here, we must ensure that he is given proper support."

A derisive snort escaped Ark Sool's mouth. "Ridiculous. I don't see why we should have any such obligation. Fowl may have been of use during one particular event, but he demonstrated his willingness to do just as much damage given half a chance. The point is moot. Send him to the surface – place him in a hospital or a care home, if you must – and be done with it. Let him be his own species' problem." The gnome looked around the table, throwing up his hands in a theatrical gesture of irritation. "Or have we forgotten that he is a kidnapper and a thief? Mud People, especially Mud Men, cannot be trusted, and neither can a criminal. He is both!"

Oh really? Thought Holly. Artemis and Butler were more helpful during a crisis than you, Sool. And so was Mulch! But she kept her tongue, knowing that any outbursts would earn her a verbal lashing in return. That was the rule with being 'invited' to Council meetings. You didn't speak to your superiors unless asked a direct question. She couldn't quite prevent her expression from souring, though.

"I hate to say this," Lope put in next, "because the human's condition is unfortunate, but if we let one Mud Man live and work in Haven, what comes next? Are we going to take in every human that's down on his luck? It's simply unfeasible. Captain Short's compassion for his… situation is admirable, but we cannot keep the People safe if we all become bleeding hearts."

Dimly, Holly became aware that her nails were cutting into her palm. Bleeding hearts? She wanted to shake these bureaucrats and hang them over a railing until they saw sense. Though she hated what the human race was doing to the planet as much as the next fairy, she remembered what her mother had told her before the accident that had claimed her life; humanity itself wasn't the People's enemy, only their ignorance. And if she knew anything, it was that whatever he'd done as a teenager, Artemis Fowl didn't deserve to be hurt the way he'd been and then dumped into a care home for the rest of his life with people he didn't even know. He was 19 or 20 at most! He needed support, not a cage by any other name. Holly's jaw ached from being clenched too long, the urge to give Lope and Sool a piece of her mind growing stronger by the second-

Thankfully Root cut in before she snapped, his pointy ears quivering with trademark rage. "I find it very amusing that you can say such a thing and not be ashamed of yourself. One minute you're praising my officer for her compassion, the next you're saying that you don't think it's reasonable. You're just afraid, and of what? A blind Mud Man who needs help?" The commander didn't even have to add anything more. He shook his head, slowly pulling out another cigar. Nobody asked where he'd stored it to get it by security. Nobody wanted to know, either.

"We said no such thing," Sool said silkily. "I simply don't see why his continued care should fall to us when we have no stake in what happened to cause his condition. As I said, he can receive perfectly acceptable care from his own kind – the Mud People have advanced that far, have they not? What could possibly be unethical about returning him?"

Root snorted. "Returning him? What is he, a broken toy?"

Murmurs from around the table. Nobody looked very happy about it when it was put that way. Good. Holly didn't like the entire situation, no matter what language people used to make it sound justified. Giving up on someone who needed her help went against every principle she'd ever believed in, fairy or not. The only saving grace she could think of was that if they did put him in a care home aboveground, she might be able to drop in and chat after missions. It wouldn't be much, of course, but surely better than nothing at all.

"If we allow him to remain here, he could consult as a strategic analyst–"

"–it's absolutely ridiculous, I won't allow it! Short is out of her mind, and Commander Root is enabling her."

"I wish we could guarantee that Fowl would be taken care of, but you know how humans are, even to their own–"

Holly sank back in her seat. She felt sick.

A bang as Cahartez used his chairman's staff to call order. "We've been arguing long enough, ladies and gentlefairies. I say it's time we put the motion to a vote. All those in favor of allowing Fowl to remain here and work under LEP supervision, say aye."

"Aye," Vinyáya said clearly.

Cahartez nodded. "I agree. Aye."

Lope bit his lip, torn. "Aye," he said at last, sighing.

From the anger in Sool's eyes, he wasn't happy in the slightest with how things had gone. He could hardly go against the majority vote on his own, though. The rules about emergency council meetings were quite clear, and Sool always prided himself on being a law and order type of gnome. Holly caught Root's gaze, grinning as she saw the flicker of amusement in the Commander's expression. He had to enjoy making the provisional councilman uncomfortable as much as she did.

"Very well." Sool stood with a sniff. "I only hope our charity doesn't backfire on us."

Holly managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. Barely. You don't have a charitable bone in your body. But dwelling on things would do no good. She had to get home and make sure Artemis was doing alright. He'd been left to his own devices for closing on three hours now – longer than she wanted to leave him when he was still so new to his surroundings.

She made sure to thank Vinyáya on the way out, though. She hadn't missed the warning look her old flight instructor had sent her when the decision had been finalized.

oOoOo

Author's Note: Things are moving, slowly but surely. As always, hope y'all enjoy, and thank you so much for reading!