Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer [70]
“You owe me, human.” Butler sighed. He’d regret this later. “Very well, Captain. The beast lives to fight another day. Lucky for him, I’m in a good mood.” Holly made a noise. It was somewhere between a whimper and a chuckle. “Now let’s get rid of our hairy friend.” Butler rolled the unconscious troll on to an armored
trolley, dragging it to the devastated doorway. With a huge heave, he jettisoned the lot into the suspended night. “And don’t come back,” he shouted.
“Amazing,” said Root. “Tell me about it,” agreed Foaly.
CHAPTER 9
ACE IN THE HOLE
Artemis tried the doorknob and got a scorched palm for his trouble. Sealed. The fairy must have blasted it with her weapon. Very astute. One less variable in the equation. It was exactly what he himself would have done.
Artemis did not waste any time attempting to force open the door. It was reinforced steel, and he was twelve. You didn’t have to be a genius to figure it out, even though he was. Instead the Fowl heir apparent crossed to the monitor wall and followed developments from there.
He knew immediately what the LEP were up to—send in the troll to secure a cry for help, interpret it as an invitation, and next thing you know a brigade of goblin storm troopers were taking the manor. Clever. And unanticipated. It was the second time he’d underestimated his opponents. One way or another, there wouldn’t be a third.
As the drama below unfolded on the monitors, Artemis’s emotions jumped from terror to pride. Butler had done it. Defeated the troll, and without a single plea for aid passing his lips. Watching the display, Artemis appreciated fully, perhaps for the first time, the service provided by the Butler family.
Artemis activated the tri-band radio, broadcasting on revolving frequencies.
“Commander Root, you are monitoring all channels I presume. . . .”
For a few moments nothing but white noise emanated from the micro speakers, then Artemis heard the sharp click of a mike button.
“I hear you, human. What can I do for you?”
“Is that the commander?”
A noise filtered through the black gauze. It sounded like a whinny.
“No. This is not the commander. This is Foaly, the centaur. Is that the kidnapping lowlife human?”
It took Artemis a moment to process the fact that he’d been insulted.
“Mister . . . ah . . . Foaly. You have obviously not studied your psych texts. It is not wise to antagonize the hostage-taker. I may be unstable.”
“May be unstable? There’s no may about it. Not that it matters. Soon you’ll be no more than a cloud of radioactive molecules.”
Artemis chuckled. “That’s where you are mistaken, my quadruped friend. By the time that bio-bomb is detonated, I will be long gone from this time-stop.”
It was Foaly’s turn to chuckle. “You’re bluffing, human. If there was a way to escape the field, I would have found it. I think you’re talking through your—”
Thankfully it was at that moment Root took over at the microphone.
“Fowl? This is Commander Root. What do you want?”
“I would just like to inform you, Commander, that in spite of your attempted betrayal, I am still willing to negotiate.”
“That troll had nothing to do with me,” protested Root. “It was done against my wishes.”
“The fact is that it was done, and by the LEP. Whatever trust we had is gone. So here is my ultimatum. You have thirty minutes to send in the gold, or else I will refuse to release Captain Short. Furthermore, I will not take her with me when I leave the time-field, leaving her to be disintegrated by the bio-bomb.”
“Don’t be a fool, human. You’re deluding yourself. Mud technology is aeons behind ours. There is no way to escape the time-field.”
Artemis leaned in close to the mike, smiling his wolfish smile.
“There’s only one way to find out, Root. Are you willing to bet Captain Short’s life on your hunch?”
Root’s hesitation was highlighted by the hiss of interference. His reply, when it came, was tinged with just the right note of defeat.
“No,” he sighed. “I’m not. You’ll have your gold, Fowl.