That day Artemis Fowl the Second overslept for first time in his memory.

He awoke with his head resting uncomfortably on his keyboard and a crick in his back. With a wince, he straightened up and looked around, slightly surprised to find himself sitting at his desk with his laptop in front of him. Butler usually managed to convince him to turn in for the night when he started to make careless mistakes and lose focus on whatever his current project was. His bodyguard never let him fall asleep at his desk, and, Artemis was sure, that he would never leave him there if he ever did.

This was decidedly odd.

Where was Butler?

Pulling himself to his feet, and suppressing a wince when he realized that he had slept in his Armani suit, Artemis surveyed his surroundings. He was in his bedroom (no surprise) and everything was exactly as he had left it. A quick look at the clock, which read ten past noon, confirmed his suspicions that he had overslept. With a frown, Artemis headed out the door, intending to find his bodyguard and answers for why he had been allowed to rest in such an uncomfortable position the entire night.

He made his way down the hall and then down the stairs without encountering anyone. The house was oddly quiet for being past noon. The twins should be up, causing mindless havoc while Juliet ran after them, halfheartedly trying to rein them in. His parents should be going around, doing whatever it was that they did during the day. There should be some indication that the day was well underway and Butler should be by his side.

But there wasn't and he wasn't.

Perhaps they were having lunch.

Unconsciously, Artemis speed his pace, heading for the dining room. The lights were off in the room, but he could clearly make out the outline of a huge, bulky figure, seated in one of the chairs, slumped over onto the table.

"Butler."

The bodyguard didn't move. A vile taste began to emerge in Artemis's mouth and it suddenly became harder to breath. Butler was trained to awake at the smallest noise, at the faintest whisper. He should have woken up, surprised, perhaps a little disoriented, noticed Artemis standing there, and apologized for letting him sleep at his desk and explained why he had let the boy do so.

Butler didn't move.

Somehow, Artemis managed to, slowly, reluctantly, forcefully, make his way across the room, to the slumped form of his bodyguard.

"Butler?" he repeated in an almost whisper.

There was no reply.

Artemis reached for his oldest friend, intending to shake him, force him awake.

And his hand went right through Butler's shoulder, as though there was nothing there.

And then Artemis noticed the dark stains on the floor.

And then he saw the body that Butler had clutched to his chest, in a cold, eternal, embrace.