I cannot believe I'm at the end of our journey together! :( It's been a lot of fun writing this story, and I am so glad people have enjoyed it.

Thank-you all for your continued support of my writing! :D

-Jackie

Left Foot Fowl
An Artemis Fowl Story

Epilogue: The Family Jewels

Needless to say, it hadn't been the best of days for Cormac Gallagher.

There is to say, however, that after school the humiliated and angered boy stormed over to his father's executive office at the Emerald Sky Hotel and Resort, blindly hustling past the "wet floor" sign and consequently bumping his rump on the crowded lobby floor.

"Master Gallagher, may I assist you up?" the doorman offered, but the boy was not blind to the muffled smile the man wore.

"Hump off, you damned gallute!"

Clearly, it most definitely hadn't been the best of days for Cormac Gallagher.

Brimming with mounting frustration and somehow blaming Artemis for his tumble, Cormac regained his footing and picked up his hustle, swiping his Restricted Access key and entering the frosted glass elevator behind the lobby desk. Four floors later he was at his destination, gingerly watching his step as he exited the lift.

Inside the room were two comfortable, emerald chairs sitting before a modern-style desk. Ms. Clark, his father's ever-strict secretary, did not bother to look up from her computer screen as she steadily moved her fingers over the keyboard.

"Good day, Master Gallagher," Ms. Clark saluted, keeping her head perfectly still as her hands clacked away. Cormac sourly ignored her greeting and headed for the glass doors that read "LORCAN GALLAGHER: CEO OF EMERALD SKY HOTELS AND RESORTS."

"Your father is in a meeting, Master Gallagher, and wishes to be undisturbed."

"He better well make time for me, right now," Cormac grumbled, grabbing the crescent-shaped door handle as he did so. Ms. Clark only sighed, still typing.

"Never having kids, never having kids, never having kids…"

Cormac threw open the door and barged into the middle of a conversation, abruptly cutting short the speaking visitor. His eyes widened when he saw who it was, but his father spoke first.

"My goodness, Cormac, surely Ms. Clark told you I was in a meeting?" Lorcan abruptly straightened his papers, closing the manila folder laying in the middle of the oval meeting table. Cormac didn't say a word; he held a firm gaze with the visitor. His father reddened at the social gaff.

"My apologies, Master Fowl, my son is obviously not about his wits."

The visitor straightened his tie, leaning back in his chair.

"It is quite acceptable, Mr. Gallagher; it is my understanding that your son did not have the most pleasant day at school," replied Artemis with the smallest hint of a grin. Lorcan, however, remained unappeased and embarrassed.

"Bad days are no excuse for poor manners, Cormac. Though I must admit I had quite forgotten the two of you went to the same school or that you still attended school at all! You seem so adult-like in manner," Lorcan addressed the last line towards Artemis, who took it with a small nod.

"St. Bartleby's requires my education for another few years, I am afraid." Artemis enjoyed the displeasure his words evoked from his rival. Lorcan nodded sympathetically before addressing his son again.

"Well, what have you intruded upon our meeting for?"

Artemis looked at his enemy with amusement, clasping his hands in his lap and raising an eyebrow at the boy. Cormac opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, glancing back and forth between his father and Artemis.

"Well—uh—nothing, Father. Just dropping by is all," the boy covered; of course he had been planning to tell his father what had happened that day in hopes of a meeting with the Dean or a civil suit or something, but now Artemis had invaded his home life as well. Cormac swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He should have just fought the boy when they were on the football field.

"Then how can you possibly excuse interrupting a business meeting in such a rude manner?" Lorcan leaned forward on the table, shaking his head and waving the problem away. "As luck would have it, I guess it was a good thing you did drop by today, Cormac. I think it will be easier to tell you the news first before having to break it to Cornelia."

Cormac eased himself into a seat, head whipping from Artemis to his father.

"What news? What do you have to tell Mother?" An uneasy sensation gripped the boy's stomach. Artemis gently swayed on his loafer's heel in the swivel chair, drumming his forefinger against his hand in sets of five. Lorcan tapped his pencil on the table for a while before setting it down and spreading his hands wide.

"We're in financial trouble, Cormac. Too much money has been invested in our resorts and hotels with too little—or, as the case has been lately—no income. Rather than filing bankruptcy and flushing our credit rating down the drain, I have decided to sell the Emerald Sky Hotels and Resorts chain—to young Master Fowl here, to be specific. He came by just a little before you did and made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

Cormac's mouth dropped open, and for a few seconds he was silent in his surprise.

"WHAT! What do you mean financial TROUBLE? Just last winter we went on vacation to the States; you said yourself a few weeks ago at dinner that our stock was selling for more than it ever had—"

Lorcan tried to abate his son's outburst.

"I know, Cormac, I know. We couldn't afford that vacation, I tried to tell your mother so, but she kept pressing me, and I couldn't bring myself to reveal just how horrible the money was. I gave it a few more months, hoping I could turn the business around, but to no luck. Those inflated stock prices only lasted a few days; we'd be lucky to get four euros a share today." Cormac stammered, turning quickly from one person to the next. "I'm sorry, son. But we can't afford to keep the Emerald Sky."

Lorcan gave his son a pitiful and sympathetic look, but Cormac began foaming over with anger.

"What do you mean you're sorry? This was supposed to be MY family inheritance! My LEGACY! And you SOLD it to ARTEMIS FOWL?"

"The second, to be correct," Artemis stepped in with a smirk. Cormac whipped his chair around, standing up with his hands gripping the table as he leaned forward.

"You're going to pay for this, Fowl! Mark my words, you arse-faced, two-timing—"

"CORMAC! That is enough! What has gotten into you today?" Lorcan was out of his seat, rounding the table to control his son. Artemis remained sitting and watched Cormac's expression with an amused face.

"I'm going to 'pay for this?' I suppose I'll have to, since your family apparently cannot."

Cormac's face went red at the insult, and he jumped towards Artemis with his hands outstretched. Artemis simply rolled the chair backwards a few feet, enormously enjoying watching his rival make a fool of himself.

"No! No, no, no, no, NO! Cormac, what has gotten into you? You're taking this like you're a bloody child, not a sixteen-year-old young adult! If you're going to act a child then you shall be as a child; I want you to apologize to Master Fowl, right here, right now. And it better be sincere!" Lorcan had finally caught his son around the waist, forcing him into his seat again. He gripped the back of Cormac's leather chair, and Artemis thought he saw his nails cutting into it. However, Cormac remained defiant.

"I refuse to apologize to that sorry excuse of a business boy when he is deliberately going down a path to destroy my family's fortune!" Lorcan popped his son on the top of his head and turned the chair to face him.

"What family fortune, Cormac? Oh sure, our name is written down for hundreds of thousands, but they're written in the debt books! Don't you see it? We have to sell, Cormac. Be thankful anyone is willing to risk buying this worthless name! If you aren't willing to apologize to such a generous and helpful businessman—" Artemis smirked,—"then at least have the decency to get out of my sight." Lorcan turned away from his son while running a hand through his hair and down his face, his gaze staring out the glass windows. It was raining outside.

Cormac thrust himself from his seat at the table, moving to the door. Artemis, however, caught him on his way.

"Gallagher, I know this business deal is leaving you a bit, shall we say, sore and blue," Cormac's chest heaved at the innuendo, "but know this: your family jewels are safe with me." With a very sarcastic smile and a gentle squeeze of the boy's shoulder, Artemis turned back to his seat. Noticing his father's back was still turned, Cormac quickly grabbed Artemis's suit jacket, holding him close so he could whisper.

"You know what, Fowl? Go to hell." Artemis's rival released his hold and shoved the genius back towards his seat before opening the meeting room door. Artemis chuckled and straightened his appearance.

"I'll be sure to save you a seat."

Cormac bristled one last time before storming out the door, yelling violently as he tripped over Ms. Clark, whom had been eavesdropping for quite some time.

"I trust everything is settled on the deal, Mr. Gallagher?" Artemis walked over to the window and stood next to the man.

"The what? Who—who are you?" Lorcan turned and faced Artemis, but not without blinking a few times first as a haze lifted. Artemis grinned; he had been expecting as much.

"The deal, Mr. Gallagher. You've recently sold me the Emerald Sky Hotels and Resorts chain due to financial trouble, remember?"

"Oh—oh yes, that, that deal. I am most apologetic…my memory deserts me at the most inopportune times." The businessman, however, still looked confused. Artemis reached out and shook his hand with reassuring firmness.

"Should you need to refresh yourself of the details, they are in the folder on the table," he said, gesturing towards the closed manila folder in the center of the meeting table.

"Thank-you, Master Fowl. It's been a pleasure doing business with you today." Lorcan still looked to have no idea of what he spoke.

"And the same to you, Mr. Gallagher. Good day, and I shall meet with you at a later date to finalize any details, such as moving the main office to the fifth floor. It really is such an abomination, having an office of such importance on the fourth floor." Artemis shook his head in disgust. Lorcan stood mystified.

"Of—of course. An oversight on my part. Good day, Fowl. Ms. Clark will be in touch with you."

Artemis retrieved his Armani briefcase and left the meeting room, greeting Ms. Clark before stepping into the elevator. The secretary removed her glasses once he was gone, rubbing her eyes.

"These poor old eyes are going to give out before I've even got a husband. Seeing shimmers, now, am I? Well, perhaps bad eyesight will make anybody who's interested in me look even that much more handsome," Ms. Clark mused before replacing her eyewear and resuming her typing.

Inside the elevator, Artemis couldn't suppress a grin as he checked the time.

"Most impressive mesmerizing, Captain," he said to the shimmer in the corner. An amused grunt came in reply.

"Humans are easy to mesmerize. What's more impressive is how you possibly convinced me into performing such an underhanded act. I looked over the charts; the business was in the red but was rapidly growing towards the green. He didn't need to sell." Artemis gave another wolfish smile.

"Can you imagine a boy like Cormac inheriting a fortune? He needs to work for his money; what you've really done is help change a character for the best." Holly snorted.

"And in doing so I've helped change another character for the worst. I believe my first instincts about you were correct, Fowl; you're a bad seed."

"A bad seed, perhaps," Artemis shrugged in acknowledgement, "but a wonderful businessman, generous philanthropist, award-winning genius, and devout son." The captain scoffed.

"You've forgotten one other thing, Fowl."

By now the elevator was coming to a stop on the ground floor.

"And what, perchance, is that?"

"A horrible football player: a Left Foot Fowl."

The End :)

Just to answer a few questions that were posed in the reviews, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm not some genius or anything buuuuut I did graduate first in my high school class of about 400 students, which makes me very proud. I plan to be an English major in college with dreams of being an editor & writer. I learned how to do the previous chapter's math in my pre-calculus class which I took in eleventh grade. I'm so very glad you all enjoyed this story and that you found its humor to be funny! If you can't tell, I have a weakness for bad puns and witty comebacks. :P

I hope to write more stories in the future! For now, this is the conclusion of "Left Foot Fowl" :)

It's been a fun journey!

-Jackie :D