The last rays of the setting sun filtered down through the swirling gray storm clouds to tinge th roofs red. It was a lonely town, in the middle of nowhere, the peeling signs waiting hopefully for someone to pass by. The road was dusty and strewn with litter, as though no one really cared. As it grew darker, slowly, resentfully, the lights went on in the shops that lined the street. A lone teenager was walking down the pavement. He looked as though he had seen better days. He looked to be about fifteen, slight for his age, awkwardly clothed in casual clothes as though he wasn't used to them. His hair was black and long, his face pale in the twilight, and he looked around cautiously as though expecting to be attacked. Nervously, he peered around a corner, then darted into the nearest fast-food restaurant.
Inside, the air smelled like grease, and the bright colors hurt his eyes. He scanned the menu, wincing slightly at the array of total junk. The boy made his way over to an isolated table as far from anyone else as possible, and attempted to find something edible to eat. Giving up, he peered about the restaurant. Two other children caught his eye.
They were about his age, a boy and a girl. They were sitting together at a table near him, and were talking animatedly among themselves. The boy was tall and dark, the girl small and fair. The boy was biting into a hamburger and the girl was eagerly drinking soda like she'd never had it before. But that wasn't what was so unusual about them. What was strange was that there was a red ferret-like creature around the girl's neck and a rather large, beautiful cat sitting on the table next to the boy. Even stranger was the fact that apparently none of the restaurant's other patrons had noticed the animals. He furrowed his brow in concentration, then came to a decision. The two teenagers might be what he was looking for. He stood up and sauntered over to them, positioning himself unobtrusively behind a convenient table and attempting to overhear their conversation.
"This tastes so delicious!" the girl was saying. "Will, they ent got anything like this at home!"
"It's just soda," the boy, Will, muttered.
"Yeah, but I ent had any before," the girl explained.
Then, to his utter astonishment, the ferret jumped down from its perch, opened its jaws, and spoke! "Give me a taste, Lyra," it urged the girl in a voice that sounded very alien yet distinctly male.
The girl obediently passed over the soda but Will seemed rather angry. "Pan, I told you not to talk!"
The eavesdropper was a bit more prepared when the cat spoke in a beautiful feminine voice. "Don't be angry with him, Will. You know those people can't see demons anyway." At least it sounded like she said demons. She said it with a weird pronunciation on the e.
The eavesdropper decided it was time to reveal himself. He stepped forward and briefly considered acting an idiot, but for all his brilliance acting had never come easy to him, so he dropped that idea. "Salutations," he said in a cold, impersonal voice.
All four of them glared up at him with extreme hostility. He gave a vampire smile and chuckled a bit inside at the thought of what he was going to say. "Excuse me, but I don't think animals are allowed inside this restaurant. It's rather unsanitary."
Well, that certainly took the wind out of their sails. The four reared back, looking dumbfounded. Finally the girl asked, "You can see 'em?"
He gave the unsettling grin again. "Indeed. Am I not supposed to?"
"Um, well..."
He sighed. "They seemed rather talkative for animals."
This time they all jumped. "Oh no!" the two 'animals' cried in unison.
"Perhaps we should discuss this?" he said. "I assume you are from another universe."
The boy, Will, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off his feet. "You know an awful lot about us," he growled. "How do you know so much?"
His captive brushed off his coat, apparently unperturbed. "Let's just say I'm extremely inquisitive and well-informed. Now if you will please put me down, I would like to make a deal with you."
Slowly, with much prodding from the girl and the demons, Will lowered him to the ground. "Who are you anyway?" he said gruffly.
The boy hesitated for just a fraction too long, and as an experienced liar the girl, Lyra, could tell that whatever he was going to say, it wouldn't be the truth. "Jacques."
Lyra decided to confront him later. "All right, Jacques," she said. "What's your deal? It better be good."
"Simple," he said, voice as cold and impersonal as steel. "It... would be convenient if I left this universe. Therefore I wish you to show me the gate between worlds, and warn me of the dangers of your universe. I, on the other hand, can help you greatly by providing false identities and bank accounts, which are necessary if you are to survive in my world."
"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Will asked sceptically. "This is my world, too, and I know how it works. You're just a kid like us."
"You're from my world?" 'Jacques' asked, startled. "Then what about her?" He gestured at the cat, which was now sitting, glaring at him, her long fluffy tail twitching irritably.
"It's a long story. And you still haven't answered my question," Will said.
"Well, sir, let me first inform you that I am certainly not just a kid," Jacques replied icily. "And I definitely am not like you. I promise, I have many resources." He became aware of the girl, who was looking very intently at him. It was almost enough to make him feel uneasy, but not quite. "I can give you whatever you want if you show me the gate."
"And you better tell us how you knew about it," Will said.
Jacques straightened his coat and adjusted his cuffs. "Sadly, that is impossible. I cannot give away my sources."
The two demons drew together for a hurried whispered conference. Then the ferret turned to Jacques. "We will consider your offer," he said, and once again the human boy was struck by the alien voice. "Meet us outside this restaurant tomorrow at this same time."
"Agreed." Jacques rose. "I'll see you then." He made his way to the door, apparently lost in thought. Then he paused, and addressed a small patch of hazy air.
"Give my regards to Commander Atreyan," he whispered, then swept out of the diner.
"Artemis Fowl," LEPrecon Captain Lupin hissed. "Oh, this is bad. This is really bad."