Disclaimer: I am not Eoin Colfer, and none of the characters are mine except for Ivy, Nubi, Melissa and Mr Kestrel. If Artemis &co. were mine, I'd also be an international bestseller, but, unfortunately, I'm not.
Chapter 8 – In which we find out that Ivy has more talents than meets the eye
Ivy was still wandering about Fowl Manor and marvelling at how much security the Butlers had managed to stuff into the walls (but considering their metre wide thickness, you wouldn't be too surprised) and she was still avoiding the music room (used only by one occupant in the house – if you can't guess who, then you're just thick, aren't you?).
Ever since she was a child, Ivy had been given the gift of Music. And not on a small basis either. If she sang a sad song, then everyone would be in tears. If she hummed a C major chord, everyone within hearing distance would be jumping for joy.
And that wasn't a figure of speech. Ivy had to be extra careful of her voice when it came to standing on the edge of cliffs.
And it wasn't as if she was rubbish at anything that was associated with females, in fact, she did dedicate some of her time to art, drama, music (well, the latter more than the other two). The problem was that she loved music. Perhaps a little too much. However much she loathed it when her mother showed her off to any guests who came, she was still passionate about it. Her hands itched to try the grand piano in the room…
"Are you going to enter or not?" Came a cold, yet slightly amused voice.
Ivy almost jumped. She was still not used to Artemis managing to turn up anywhere she was without making a single sound with his feet.
"Do you have to always sneak up on me all the time? It's really not amusing. And no, I am not going in there. I can't play any instruments, remember?" Okay, a lie, but not necessarily a bad one, right?
Wrong! She should have guessed what had happened even before Fowl's mouth opened. "The parcel your mother sent contradicts that story quite strongly. And she reminds you to keep on exercising your voice in case it freezes over through no practising. She says that you need to practise on the piano as well, and that the parcel should include all of your instruments."
Ivy's eyes widened at this thought. "Er…it's not often I say this, so consider yourself lucky… have you gone out of your mind?"
To this, Artemis was startled, "Pardon me?"
Rephrasing her question, Ivy let it out in a strangled whisper, "Have you seen how big the parcel is, by any chance?"
She had no need to carry on, as a walkie-talkie (which Artemis now carried around with him everywhere) squawked into life. Although 'squawked' wasn't the best adjective to use. If you closed your eyes and just listened, then you would swear that the sound was coming from a human being right in front of you that was how clearly the sound transmitted.
Of course, considering that Artemis and Foaly were now exchanging details and ideas… it's really not very difficult to comprehend.
"Artemis," Came the unusually hesitating voice of Artemis's old bodyguard and oldest friend, "There could be a problem with just two people lifting this thing."
"What do you mean, Dom? I'm sure that it's just a small case… or is it too valuable to pick up?" This he aimed at Ivy, eyebrow raised a fraction of a centimetre. Ivy's answer wasn't verbal. She simply shrugged.
Sometimes, Artemis groaned inwardly, it's as if the girl has no idea how to use her vast vocabulary that can easily rival mine. Note that he hesitated to say 'surpass'.
"Well, I'll come and see if you're joking or if the parcel really does need more people than just you, Juliet and Nubi to carry it. Are you at the main entrance?"
"We can't even get it into the building. It's really that heavy." He sounded serious. Now Artemis's sceptical mind was starting to turn over.
"We'll be there in about five minutes." He stated into the speaker, indicating towards the door for Ivy, and proceeded to follow her out.
Ivy skipped the stairs about three at a time, and considering her size, it was very impressive. Artemis was almost out of breath by the time they got up to the entrance. And that was when he was about ten steps behind. Why can't she wear a skirt like mother keeps on wanting her to? He wondered feverishly, thinking back to the conversation that was exchanged between his mother and Ivy.
"My dear, do you usually wear trousers and jeans at home?"
"Of course, Mrs Fowl. They are the most comfortable pieces of clothing my mother permits me to wear." A faint smile passed over her lips.
"Yes, but doesn't she encourage you to wear dresses?" Astonishment was hardly covered in Mrs Fowl's voice. A flash of annoyance burned in Ivy's heart.
"Yes, but I tend to disobey. It would stop me from moving with the freedom that most girls my age take for granted."
Sometimes, Artemis reflected, it's better to be prohibited. Then you'd have no way of overtaking me during a dash for the door.
He halted in his tracks as he came to the entrance. It took all of his willpower not to let his jaw drop. He now had proof that Domovoi was, in fact, telling the truth.
"How many instruments do you play?" He asked in a slightly strangled whisper.
"Well, I play the piano, but she's just packed the books, and the violin, the clarinet, the flute, the guitar, the trumpet, the Yan Qing, the recorder, I sing quite well… er… have I missed anything out, Nubi?"
With a slight glint in her eyes, Nubi smirked,
"There's the banjo, and the wind flute, and the organ, and the bassoon, and I specifically remember that your mother tried to make you learn how to play the…"
"Don't you dare, Nubi, don't you dare even mention that time. Those were the longest five days of my life when she tried to make me learn that instrument." Snapped Ivy, already unpacking her instruments. Artemis was astonished to see more than one book for each instrument.
The unpacking was followed by remarks like, "I can't believe she packed this," or "Per l'amore di Dio! When will she learn that I don't like to sing?"
When they started to take everything to the music room, Artemis was slightly doubtful. How could she learn so many instruments and be even remotely good at all of them? He concluded that she was still halfway through learning all of these instruments, and that was why her mother had had them shipped over to Ireland.
That is, of course, until Angeline Fowl and Artemis Fowl Senior confronted them at dinner.
Dinner at Fowl Manor was hardly a family occasion, not with a table over two feet long and three bodyguards surrounding the place. But, nonetheless, Angeline tried to make it as 'family' as possible.
"I heard that your mother had all of your instruments sent over today. Would you like to give us a demonstration?" Mrs Fowl was trying to be kind, Ivy reminded herself, she doesn't know how much you loathe performing.
"I prefer not to be heard, Mrs Fowl, if you'll take no offence." She looked at her napkin. Her affinity with air told her that Angeline was now disappointed that her son's exchange partner was not as fond of the limelight as Mrs Fowl had hoped she would be. Artemis Junior's aura revealed that his curiosity had been aroused, and Artemis Senior just wanted to hear someone else play apart from his wife.
Sighing, she conceded. "Very well, as it is quite clear that you would like me to play, I shall perform a short piece on every instrument until you tire and return to your rooms."
But she knew very well that nobody could tear themselves away from her music. It was like trying to tear your gaze away from a particularly strong mesmer (which was impossible even for the strongest wills). She stared at the dishes, and began to wish that she had never come.
Starting by the piano, she tried a couple of keys. Tuning not too bad, could do with a little dusting, but all in all, pretty good to work with.
She rummaged through her music until she found her copy of 'The Rose'. Hoping that she wouldn't have them all in tears halfway through the song, she started to play, and hoped that they wouldn't notice that she had to…
"Ivy, aren't you meant to sing with that piece?" Shoot you, Nubi!
"Why yes, thank you for reminding me." Ivy said in a dangerously sweet voice, throwing a glance at Nubi that clearly said, I'll deal with you later.
Repeating the first few bars as slowly as she could, she screwed her eyes up in prayer to any force that was listening, and opened her mouth to sing.
"Some say love, it is a river.
That drowns, the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor.
That leaves, your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless, aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed."
By the end of the first verse, even Artemis was shifting around uncomfortably. This song was beautiful, sang by a beautiful voice of a beautiful girl (wait, did he just think that?) but it just made him want to cry so much.
He managed to keep his dignity until the end of the second verse, when Ivy claimed that she couldn't play the next part. Unlikely, but I'm not about to complain, Artemis secretly told himself, swearing never to tell a soul about that single moment of weakness.
It was the same with every instrument she played, but luckily (for the Fowl family, at any rate) she announced that she was tired and needed rest.
"I'll escort her, mother." Artemis put on his usual mask as he nodded at the door, indicating that Ivy was safe with him.
Halfway down the corridor, Artemis halted suddenly. Thanks to her reflexes, Ivy stopped almost at the same time as Artemis. Before she could start explaining, he burst out into a fit of, dare I say it, something very close to rage.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" It spoken with virtually no accent, and almost no emotion.
The lack of emotion was what scared most people, but it was the loss of his Irish accent that Ivy found disturbing. She knew he had a tendency to ignore emotions… but his accent was something that he rarely abandoned.
"If you're angry at me because I have surpassed you in something, then you should know by now that I take little pleasure in such things." Ivy retorted angrily, indignant beyond imagination.
"I'm not angry at you because you are better than me at something; I accepted long ago that my musical skills were about as good as my survival skills in the Arctic." He shivered involuntarily at this. He still couldn't force himself to forget that night in the Arctic. "What I am angry about is that you kept this from me. I would have thought that you could consider me a friend and told me sooner rather than letting me find out this way."
Ivy was shocked. Even her best friend, Jane, knew better than to expect her real emotions, "What do you mean? The door to my emotions is usually locked… everyone who has had contact with me usually realises that."
"Really? I've thought that you've been quite open to me so far. More open than most of my other friends." The forlorn look in his eyes were too much for anyone to bear. Ivy had to say something.
Luckily, it was something that proved useful in the end.
"If I were completely open to you, Artemis, then there wouldn't be enough of me left to argue with you, would there?" She smiled, and, surprised by her own daring, even planted a swift kiss on his cheek.
A soft, pink tinge came up onto the boy's cheek. She smiled, saluted him the traditional sailor's way, and skipped off into her room, leaving a teenage boy wondering even more deeply about teenage girls and their strangely varying, yet somehow corresponding (please note that he knows no other teenage girls other than Juliet) behavioural patterns.
Perhaps I should make them my next psychological analysis. He thought, as he dawdled back to his own room.
On the other side of the globe, under the dim lights and with one hypnotised guard in the corner of a prison cell, a man and a woman were deep in conversation.
"Melissa, you will get back…"
"Yes, but what about my daughter? She may prefer this world."
"That will be for her to decide. She can go to her home reality, where she will be welcomed with open hands, or stay here where she'll never belong. Frankly, I don't think she'll complain too much." A pause. "Call for the Mach 15, and make sure you pick that Arty boy up for me, would you? I look forward to his face. It took a whole lot of my time and what remained of my funds to organise it enough for them two to be placed together."
A faint nod seemed to come from the woman. A cracking of knuckles proceeded. "Arty boy, Jon Spiro is back in town."
A/N: I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, people! I don't know if this can be said as a cliff hanger, but if it is, then you'll still have to wait a while till anything like this comes up again (smiles evilly)
Read and Reveiw please!