Chapter Five:
Holly, We Have A Problem.
Artemis Fowl's Journal, Disc II (Encrypted)
After the rescue of my father, I changed the large screen of my computer room to show presentations, removing the CNN website from it. However, I still have one computer that shows the news site. I happened to glance at it while waiting for a document to load on the computer that I was currently working with. Though this time should have been trivial, as all of my computers are faster than any human-made computer, I noticed something of interest on its screen. The foremost headline was stating that some sort of super-technology had been discovered. As I inspected the pictures, I remembered that the technology was fairy-made. After some meditation, I realized that the glue on the device had been placed by me. I had applied it so as to secure the cover so that a commander, who's name I have yet to remember, would not notice that I had placed a high-resolution camera inside of his officer's locator. I then detonated some , which destroyed the whaler, but not the fairy. Later, I learned that fairy technology was nearly indestructible, but I did not apply this to the locator, as I was rather busy. However, it stands to reason that someone would find it eventually. And they have. This could spell catastrophe for not only the fairies, but the humans as well. It may prompt an inter-species war. Certainly, they will want to call me in to help them. This opens up many interesting opportunities. Even as I write this, my mind is dreaming up incredible plans. Now, I shall go discuss these plans with Butler.
Haven
Root was upset. Very upset. He had been chosen to personally bring the Mud Boy down. Enemy #1, and Root had to be the one that was getting him. If Fowl prompted some sort of crisis, then Root would be the one that was blamed. But a commanding officer has to make this sort of choice. If Root had been more philosophical, he might have morbidly pondered leaving the LEP, or at least weighed the rewards of staying against not having to bring Artemis down. However, this was Julius Root, and he did no such thing.
A few hours later, Root had emerged from the shuttle pod. His face, now slightly tinted green, was more hideous than it had any right to be. After a minute of staggering around, he switched his wingset on. Despite the fact that, only a few days ago, he had berated Holly Short for the thousandth time for exactly the same offence, he chose to take a land route. Now, with Armageddon staring the fairies in the face, he could not have cared less about protocol. With his shortened route, he managed to arrive at Fowl manor in only a few hours. This left him nearly five hours before dawn. As he swooped down to enter the building, he realized the ancient rule of not entering a dwelling without permission.
"D'arvit" he swore. The only fairy that could enter this manor was Holly Short. The next realization crept up on him like a snake. A very large, very poisonous snake. He couldn't contact anyone. The humans would have assumed that the technology was alien-made, which meant that they would be monitoring all radio channels, even the ones that they had never even tried to listen to before. That would include the fairy bands, or so Root thought. Without Folly, he couldn't be sure. Which was all the worse, because the uncertainty was never something that Root could deal with. He swore, then started up his wings. As he flew back towards E1, he nearly collided with another fairy. As he spun around, he saw that it was Commander Holly Short.
"Holly! What are you doing here?"
"Coming to Fowl manor. You can't enter."
"I know. Why do you think I am coming back?"
"Why couldn't you have just called me?"
"Humans are going to be monitoring all the radio bands. That includes the fairy ones."
"D'arvit. We need Folly."
"Well we can't have him. Get me Fowl."
"Yessir!"
Holly dived down in an overly-elaborate swoop, then pulled up just in time to zoom straight through the door. She only had half a second to ponder why the door was open before she came upon her reason. Actually, it was more like smashed into. Her reason was a huge man, holding the door open. For the next few seconds, her thoughts went something like this:
"Argh!"
"D'arvit!"
"Why is the man holding the door open for me?"
"Did I just collide with a human?
"D'arvit!"
"Wait… That's Butler!"
"He can see me!"
"D'arvit!"
"Wait, no, I have my shield on."
"Butler is the most observant human I know."
"Why did I just think tha…"
"He can tell where fairies are without technology!"
"D'arvit!"
As Holly retreated at speeds faster than her wings were ever approved for, she subconsciously flicked on her mesmer. After Butler had stood outside with his gun pointing everywhere visible, he eventually shook his head and motioned behind himself. Then, walking in front of his employer, Butler slowly walked to the car. Holly saw this as her chance. Unshielding, she shouted in the deep bass tones of the mesmer.
"Mudmen!"
As they turned to look at her, she came much closer. In an instant both humans were staring straight into her eyes. This was what she had hoped for.
"Sleep."
They fainted.
Author's Notes:
Thank you so much to all of my wonderful reviewers!
Sorry this chapter is short, but I felt I needed to update. It is really hard to write in this style. Takes much more work than writing in the style of Rowling.