Chapter Eight: Curious
Because of all his genius schemes and deep thoughts Artemis sometimes forgot that he did not excel at everything. Today Matt was painfully reminding him of that fact. He had somehow convinced the young genius to go into town and visit the local arcade for a few hours. By Artemis's watch they had now been there for 120 minutes and Matt had now managed to thoroughly embarrass him in 15 different games, the latest of which was some sort of dance game involving stepping on arrows as they appeared on the screen. The game was annoyingly simple which was why it was all the more irritating that he had failed miserably at it.
Artemis gasped for breath as he watched Matt finish the game on his own with lightning speed. It wasn't fair, Artemis knew he was proficient at several forms of ballroom dancing but those arrows were moving in patterns far too fast for him. He looked at his watch, it was almost time for him to meet Kagawa-san.
The week had gone by quickly, he had spent most of Monday sleeping in the library after his full night of laughing and mock fighting with Matt and most of the rest of the week convincing his teachers that he didn't have a sleeping disorder. This weekend he had been determined to spend time with his friend while it was still a reasonable hour and then go take care of business with his new Japanese acquaintance.
With a resounding stomp Matt finished his final song and went over to Artemis. "Would you like to try another game now? I'm sure we could find something your good at eventually."
Artemis scowled, "I hardly consider being unable to properly stomp on arrows or shoot zombies or do whatever else these ridiculous games require an inadequacy. I can't understand why you seem so obsessive about them."
"First of all I'm not obsessed and secondly it's not about arrow stomping, it's about having fun," Matt smiled slightly condescendingly. "In all honesty Arty you are horrible at having fun."
"What?" Artemis looked at him incredulously but then shook his head. It wasn't worth getting into a debate over and he knew that no matter how many good points he made Matt would continue to stubbornly hold on to his view until Artemis gave up.
Matt caught Artemis's look and they made a silent mutual agreement to drop the subject. "So, what would you like to do then?"
Artemis glanced at his watch again, "I have to get going now. There's someone I'm supposed to meet soon."
Artemis headed toward the door with a quick good-bye and left Matt swirling with surprise, unanswered questions, his natural curiosity, and his standard disregard for the respect of other people's privacy. Artemis should have known this to be a bad idea by now. As it was Matt only had the patience to wait 45 seconds before he began to sneak after his friend with all the stealth a standard, untrained, sixteen-year-old could manage while secretly pretending to be a ninja. Artemis, however, was sadly too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice this development and the English boy's rather obvious tailing was left unchecked.
Matt's mind awash with questions. Who was it that Artemis needed to meet? He would have told Matt if it was a matter of no consequence like his parents were visiting so what was he trying to hide? Did Artemis Fowl have some important secret he didn't want Matt to know about?
He knew the only way to get the answers he sought was to see what this meeting was all about. It wasn't spying really, Matt rationalized, he was looking out for his friend's safety, after all someone had already tried to kidnap Artemis. If he was involved in something that might put him in that danger again it was Matt's duty to try and protect him.
Because, of course, a sixteen-year-old boy with no training could protect a millionaire's son much better than a forty-something-year-old, fully-trained, professional bodyguard.
Matt tried to ignore that thought as he saw Artemis take a seat outside a local café.
Kagawa-san was already waiting with Butler when Artemis arrived. It seemed that Butler had managed to bring her without any difficulty but she still looked exceedingly nervous.
Artemis was pleased to see that she had managed to get some western clothes during their week apart, now the only reason people would have to stare at them would be the fact that they were an Irish boy and a Japanese girl speaking Russian to each other, though in perfectly normal clothes.
They had now been sitting opposite each other for five minutes without saying a word. Artemis decided to break the silence, "Well?"
Kagawa-san's eyes widened in their typical mouse-like fashion. She was really a very simple girl; it was almost pathetic how easily she was intimidated by such a straightforward question.
"I am sorry. What do you mean by well?"
Artemis sighed, she was a dense little thing but at least it meant she wasn't a threat. "You told me you had a problem which I was needed to solve. Now we are away from my school and I have been waiting for the last five minutes for you to tell me what it is."
"But," Kagawa-san looked around the café with a flustered expression, "we are still in such an open place, it can not be safe here either, can it?"
Artemis rubbed his forehead, deciphering this girl's strange accent gave him a headache. As a matter of fact everything about her was giving him a headache at the moment.
"I never wanted to meet you in a private setting, despite your seemingly innocent appearance it might have been a trap. I needed a public location to ensure my own safety, I'm sure you'll agree that your first appearance before me was of a very suspicious nature. I only put our meeting off a week so that I would have time to find out who you are. As for our privacy you needn't worry, few here speak Russian and Butler is on the look out for anyone who might be after you."
Kagawa-san looked stunned for a moment. "I see what I heard about your intelligence is true. I am very impressed. However, please forgive me for delaying my story for a few more moments, I have already told you my name, what do you mean by 'find out who I am'?"
"I've been researching you through your government and school records. Over the past week I have learned that you are Tomoe Kagawa, aged fourteen, daughter of a retired Russian solider and a Japanese housewife (that explains your language knowledge), an average student living in Osaka with no family history of criminal connections or scandal, I could go on and on but I think you get the point. All that I need to now is why such an average girl knows about me and has insisted on flying all the way to Ireland to contact me. Now would you be so kind as to enlighten me?"
Kagawa-san looked as if she wanted to ask more questions but she seemed to understand that Artemis's patience was running thin so she bowed her head and began.
"These records that you have researched can be misleading," she said nervously. "My father did not choose to leave the Russian army; he was forced to leave because an injury in his leg kept him from fighting. He hated to go though, he was fanatically devoted to his country. His superiors sympathized and, as a parting gift, sent him on a trip to Japan. While he was there he met and fell in love with my mother. She refused to leave her homeland so Father agreed to move to Japan so they could be married.
"It was not a choice he made lightly however. He was very torn for a long time and spoke to his former role-models from the army for advice. They told him that leaving Russia did not mean he loved it any less and that he might still serve his country over-seas. This convinced him and he spent many happy years with my mother while still openly supporting Russia.
"Sadly this support has recently led to sinister events. A group of fanatic Japanese nationalists took my mother and swore they would kill her if my father did not kill himself and his 'disgraceful half-breed daughter' within a month's time. Immediately Father went to the police with this news but they can find no trace of the group or my mother. He then sent me to Russia to look for help. He could not go himself because he knew he was being watched, it was hard enough to get me out unnoticed.
"Once there I spoke with Father's old army friends to see if they had any connections that could help us. They all told me they could not interfere with Japanese internal affairs but one had a slightly dark past and was able to put me in contact with the Russian mafia.
"It was very terrifying to speak with them but they also refused to help me. They were afraid I was trying to trick them into the police's hands because of my father's closeness to the military. I was lucky they decided not to kill me.
"Several days later I was still in Russia and had almost given up hope when one of the men from the mafia contacted me. He told me about you and said that if anyone could help me you could. So I have worked very hard to come here despite my language barriers to beg you to help me."
Kagawa-san began to cry, "Please Fowl-san, do not let my parents die. I know you can help me and I have no where left to turn."
Had the situation had a lighter tone Artemis would have been struck by how similar the scene was to the beginning of a soap opera or some cheap action-movie, as it was he only had time to think that his conscience could only allow him one course of action.
He looked at Butler who had been stone silent the whole time. He seemed to be staring into the distance but upon catching his employer's eye he gave a sympathetic nod and left them alone.
Kagawa-san was still crying so Artemis awkwardly patted her shoulder to help her calm down. "You don't have to worry anymore Kagawa-san. I'll help you and I'll make sure your parents are safe."
Kagawa-san broke into a wide grin and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so very, very much. There are only two weeks left until the deadline and I was so very worried that I would run out of time!"
Artemis pushed her away, blushing slightly, and straightened out his tie. "Very well, I will get to work immediately. I was able to find the inn you are staying at, you shouldn't register under your real name by the way, and I will contact you when I know where to find your mother, until then farewell Kagawa-san."
Kagawa-san smiled again. "Thank you again Fowl-san. You do not know how happy I am! Please, call me Tomoe from now on."
Artemis blushed again knowing how familiar that would be of him in Japanese culture but nodded anyway. "Very well, farewell Tomoe."
She was practically skipping as she went off.
Artemis leaned back and sighed. Really, the girl's problems were so dramatic it was almost ridiculous. He might have scoffed at it but he knew exactly what she must be feeling, after all he had had to save his own father from a very similar situation.
"I think that went rather well, don't you Butler?" He needed to fill the silence, it was painful to think of Tomoe's mother and even Estella's father. It was just another example of the injustices so-called intelligent creatures could inflict upon one another. The world was missing far too many lost parents.
"It went as well as could be expected sir," Butler still seemed to be looking into the distance. "Excuse me for a moment."
He proceeded to walk around to the bushes on the side of the café.
"Is something wrong?" asked Artemis curiously.
"Not exactly," replied Butler as he reached over the bushes, "but I believe we have an eavesdropper in our midst." Suddenly the manservant pulled up a boy who had been hiding behind the greenery. Artemis quickly recognized Matt and fixed him with a glare.
"What do you think you're doing here?" he asked icily.
Matt looked sheepish but held eye contact. "Well, I guess my curiosity got the better of me. It just seemed so mysterious that you were meeting someone and you didn't even say who it was. I mean you never go to see anyone except me or your parents, you can't blame me for wondering."
Artemis rubbed his forehead irritably. He should have known this would happen when he left the arcade so suddenly, Matt was always overly curious about everything. "No I don't blame you for wondering. I blame you for sneaking after me and then spying on me while I met with my acquaintance. What you did was down-right disgraceful."
Matt flushed with shame as Artemis pierced him with another harsh glare. He looked down at his shoes and mumbled. "I'm sorry Arty. I knew I shouldn't have been there as soon as I saw what was going on. I just couldn't leave then or you would have seen me. I won't do it again." He looked up with a pleading look on his face. "It's not like I heard what you were saying anyway. Well, I heard it but I can't understand German or Russian or whatever language you were speaking."
Artemis relaxed, he had almost forgotten that he and Tomoe hadn't been speaking English. At least now Matt wouldn't begin to ask him things like how the Russian mafia knew about him. But what did he think the meeting had been about? He seemed to have a pretty definite idea.
"So," Matt asked nervously, "are we still friends?"
Artemis nodded absently and Matt breathed a sigh of relief. They both headed to the car that Butler had driven Tomoe in and began the drive back to school.
Neither seemed to have anything to say but the silence was obviously irritating Matt. He kept tapping his fingers nervously and glancing around the car.
"She was pretty cute you know."
Artemis looked at Matt questioningly.
"Your girlfriend," Matt explained, "I thought she was pretty cute. She also seems to really like you Artemis, you're quite lucky to have a catch like that." He smiled brightly.
Artemis stared dumbfounded. At the front of the car he could almost have sworn he heard Butler snort but when he looked toward the driver's seat the manservant was as emotionless as ever.
Matt looked slightly worried, "Are you alright Arty? Your face hasn't moved for the last thirty seconds."
Artemis looked away, slightly embarrassed to have been caught speechless. "It's… nothing. Let's just not bring this up again please."
He glanced at Matt but he could only stand that one glance. His friend was now looking at him with an unbearable smirk. Artemis groaned inwardly.
He almost would have preferred the Russian mafia questions.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
It was pathetic. Centuries' worth of advanced technology of at her fingertips filled with near-infinite amounts of information and she couldn't find out anything about a single centaur.
Holly sighed as she closed yet another database. Maybe she just wasn't cut out for the detective business. Recon had never required this much deep thought and research, it had been all about quick-thinking and quicker action. Even when she had had to escape from Artemis's manor it had been a flash of insight not hours of slogging through online libraries and trying to decode mysterious hand signals that had saved her skin.
It didn't help that her client was being completely unhelpful. Holly had been trying to contact Estella for a week now but no one seemed able to reach her except Foaly on occasion and he hadn't been very willing to question her. Everyone who had seen her recently had done so at unusual hours and even Foaly had to admit that she seemed to be up to something. Whenever anyone spoke to Estella these days she seemed dazed and would jump at any excuse to leave the person right away.
However she wasn't the only one acting oddly. Mulch had popping in and out of their office at random intervals all week. He never stayed for more than a few moments; he would burst in without a word, check a map or something, eat whatever was in the fridge and be off again. Holly didn't know what he was up to but she had finally managed to pin him down just long enough to agree to confronting their client together.
All the computers in Haven might not have any information on Mamilton Lunos but his daughter would have to.
Holly heard a familiar clomping behind her and was happy to see that Foaly had arrived.
"Have you had any luck?" they asked in unison.
Holly smiled and answered first. "No, I can't find anything about this Mamilton guy. I've been searching for a week now and I can't even find proof that he exists. There's just nothing."
Foaly looked surprised, "That can't be right, I could understand some missing records from when he lived under Africa, they don't enforce record-taking very much there, but he's lived in Haven for years now. Haven't you found anything about when he moved here? Or licensing records for his business?"
Holly shook her head. "That's what's so bizarre. While he's been here he's been avoiding paperwork like the plague. I spoke with the former owner of his home, she says that she never met Mamilton in person, he only wrote to her and mailed her the money for the house completely in cash. As a matter of fact no one I've spoken to besides Estella has even seen him. She wasn't kidding when she said he was a recluse. I'm beginning to wonder if it's a ghost we're trying to find."
"You don't have to worry about that, we've seen him on the security tapes." Foaly sighed, he was looking extremely tired. "I still haven't been able to decode the sign language that Mamilton and that mystery elf used when they were in the back room. I had hoped to be able to figure it out based on some known sign language but it seems to be completely original. I have no basis to solve it from."
Holly patted his shoulder sympathetically. She had heard from some of her friends on the force that Foaly had been having a hard time with the new commander. With that in addition to his normal work-load at the station and all the help he was giving her the centaur was starting to fall apart a bit. Holly wanted to tell him to stop worrying about her problems but she knew she couldn't solve the case without his help and that he wouldn't do it anyway. The lengths to which Foaly would go for his friends were actually rather sweet. She decided to change the subject and try to cheer him up a bit.
"So, how've things been going with Estella?"
Foaly blushed, "Well, I, um, have been seeing her whenever I get some spare time. Of course she is still in a bit of a daze over this whole thing with her father but she seems glad to see me. I think this whole case is hitting her extra hard lately though. She seems to be more depressed every time I see her."
"That's why we're all going to solve this case as soon as possible. But in the meantime," Holly gave the centaur an affectionate nudge, "I'm sure she'd appreciate a shoulder to cry on."
Foaly's blush deepened but he smiled a little.
Just then they heard a slight rumbling beneath them. They stepped back just as a small hole opened in the floor and a figure stepped out of it.
"Mulch!" cried Holly, "What are you doing tunneling under the office for? We don't have the money to get that hole sealed."
"My tunnels are self-filling remember?" Mulch nodded toward the hole which was indeed now filled as he buttoned his bum flap. "Besides we're about to have a dramatic encounter, I needed a dramatic entrance."
Holly rolled her eyes but decided not to comment. She turned back to Foaly, "We have to talk to Estella now, we want to see if there's anything she might've forgotten to tell us about her father. We think it might give us a new lead."
Foaly nodded and yawned, "I'd offer to go with you but even I have to admit that I need to get some sleep. Good luck you two."
And with that they were off.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
A/N: I had intended to make this chapter longer but then I realized that had been almost two weeks since my last update so I'm moving the rest of Holly's segment to the beginning of chapter nine.
I hope this chapter has been worth the wait. Tomoe's segment took forever to get through. Is there nothing I can write about besides kidnapped parents? I feel like such cheese.
On a quick note I would also like to once again thank my two most loyal reviewers Zirra Nova and absolute power. My story would be lost without you. BTW I've mentioned absolute power in my livejournal if you've been keeping up. Does anyone bother to read that? Anyway I'll try to update as soon as possible, hopefully within a week or so. Bye!