FOWL MANOR, 2:24 a.m. VACATION DAY
Artemis Fowl Junior made his steady way down the halls of Fowl Manor towards his parents' room. He smiled mischievously as he walked. This plan would be completed in no time. Dare he think it, it was easy as pie.
As he drew nearer, he softly began to moan. All part of the plan.
He knocked gently on the door of his parents' room. "Mother? Father?" he called.
Moments later, Angeline Fowl appeared in the doorway, halfway through pulling on her silken robe. "What is it, Arty?"
Artemis folded his arms tightly around his stomach and adopted a false wince of pain. "I don't feel too well," he stated.
Angeline's brow furrowed and her eyes filled with concern. "Have you talked to Butler yet?"
Artemis shook his head. "He wasn't in his room when I knocked," he said.
Which was perfectly true. His bodyguard, Butler, was in on the plan as well. Butler was presently down in the kitchen for a late night snack (nothing he normally did, but was a good enough excuse), so Artemis' parents wouldn't have a reason to suspect their son of lying to them if they got around to investigating Artemis' mock illness.
Angeline draped one arm around her son's shoulders and drew him close. "How about you go back to bed? I'll find Butler and send him up to take a look at you, all right?"
Artemis nodded. As he turned and began to walk away from his mother, a grin filled his face. Phase one, complete.
"Stomach flu," Butler said shortly. "I'm sure of it."
Angeline gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "It's not serious, is it?"
Butler shook his head solemnly. "No, but I don't advise taking him on the trip. His condition could worsen if you do. Bed rest is the best way to treat a virus. Medical 101."
Angeline turned to her husband. "Do you think we should postpone the trip, Timmy?"
Artemis Senior frowned. He was obviously thinking through his options. Finally, he answered his wife. "No, I think it should go on as planned. There'll be other opportunities in the future for Arty to join us. Besides, we've had this planned for a long time. Do you think something like this is reason enough to cancel it? Especially when all of those poor children are depending on us?"
"No," Angeline replied. "But Arty–"
"—will have Butler to look after him. He's never failed us yet, and I daresay Butler's competent enough to look after our son for two weeks."
Butler smiled smugly. He didn't have the blue diamond tattoo on his arm for nothing. He had gone through strenuous and trying circumstances at Madame Ko's to get that tattoo. The blue diamond was the reward a person got after completing Madame Ko's course. If he received the tattoo, Butler had to be good. In fact, one might go far enough to say that he was the best.
Angeline and Artemis once again thanked Butler for his assistance, then walked back to their room to sleep the remainder of the night away. Butler silently watched them leave, then stepped into Artemis Jr.'s room, shut the door behind him, and turned to face his charge, who was sitting upright in bed. He didn't look very sick anymore.
"Well, were they convinced?" Artemis asked, even though he knew the answer. He knew how gullible his parents could be.
Butler nodded. "Just like you said they would."
Artemis grinned. "I'm glad I got that out of my system." His smile faded. "I hate lying to them, Butler. I really do. But, sometimes it is completely necessary to achieve my goals in life."
Butler smiled in turn. "Frankly, I didn't think you could pull it off. Somehow I thought your strategy was a bit too...for want of a better word...amateur. I expected this grand scheme involving computer viruses or something similar, but instead you pretend like you had caught a bout of stomach flu."
Artemis, all remorse forgotten, laughed briefly. "It's worked for thousands of teenagers the world 'round, Butler. Why couldn't it have worked for me as well? It brought about the desired effect. I think I may want to do it again. It works wonders, and it's not very hard to accomplish."
The slight, raven-haired teen got out of bed and walked to the window. The sky was just beginning to brighten. "In a few hours, Mother and Father will be on the Lear jet to Zimbabwe, and I shall have two weeks to spend as I please." Artemis grinned again. "The world will be my oyster."
Artemis' last words sent shivers up and down Butler's spine. He did not want to figure out what was to happen inside Artemis' oyster.