Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer [71]
Artemis smirked. Quite the actor, our Commander Root.
“Thirty minutes, Commander. Count the seconds if your clock’s stopped. I’m waiting. But not for long.”
Artemis terminated the contact, settling back in the swivel chair. It would seem as though the bait had been taken. No doubt the LEP analysts had discovered his accidental invitation. The fairies would pay up because they believed the gold would be theirs again as soon as he was dead. Vaporized by the bio-bomb. Which, of course, he wouldn’t be. In theory.
Butler put three rounds into the door frame. The door itself was steel and would have sent the Devastator slugs ricocheting straight back at him. But the frame was the original porous stone used to build the manor. It crumbled like chalk. A very basic security flaw, and one that would have to be remedied once this business was over.
Master Artemis was waiting calmly in his chair by the monitor bank.
“Nice work, Butler.”
“Thank you, Artemis. We were in trouble for a moment there. If it hadn’t been for the captain . . .”
Artemis nodded. “Yes. I saw. Healing, one of the fairy arts. I wonder why she did it.”
“I wonder too,” said Butler softly. “We certainly didn’t deserve it.”
Artemis glanced up sharply. “Keep the faith, old friend. The end is in sight.”
Butler nodded; he even attempted a smile. But even though there were plenty of teeth in the grin, there was no heart.
“In less than an hour, Captain Short will be back with her people and we will have sufficient funds to relaunch some of our more tasteful enterprises.”
“I know. It’s just . . .”
Artemis didn’t have to ask. He knew exactly what Butler was feeling. The fairy had saved both their lives and yet he insisted on holding her to ransom. To a man of honor like Butler, this was almost more than he could bear.
“The negotiations are over. One way or another she will be returned to her kind. No harm will befall Captain Short. You have my word.”
“And Juliet?”
“Yes?”
“Is there any danger to my sister?”
“No. No danger.”
“The fairies are just going to give us this gold and walk away?”
Artemis snorted gently. “No, not exactly. They’re going to bio-bomb Fowl Manor the second Captain Short is clear.”
Butler took a breath to speak, but hesitated. Obviously there was more to the plan. Master Fowl would tell him when he needed to know. So instead of quizzing his employer, he made a simple statement.
“I trust you, Artemis.”
“Yes,” replied the boy, the weight of that trust etched on his brow. “I know.”
Cudgeon was doing what politicians did best: trying to duck responsibility.
“Your officer helped the humans,” he blurted, mustering as much indignation as possible. “The entire operation was proceeding exactly as planned, until your female attacked our deputy.”
“Deputy?” chortled Foaly. “Now the troll’s a deputy.”
“Yes. He is. And that human made mincemeat of him. This entire situation could be wrapped up if it wasn’t for your department’s incompetence.”
Ordinarily, Root would have blown his top at this point, but he knew that Cudgeon was grasping at straws, desperately trying to save his career. So the commander just smiled.
“Hey, Foaly?”
“Yes, Commander?”
“Did we get the troll assault on disk?”
The centaur heaved a dramatic sigh. “No, sir, we ran out of disks just before the troll went in.”
“What a pity.”
“A real shame.”
“Those disks could have been invaluable to Acting Commander Cudgeon at his hearing.”
Cudgeon’s cool went out the window. “Give me those disks, Julius! I know they’re in there! This is blatant obstruction.”
“You’re the only one guilty of obstruction around here, Cudgeon. Using this affair to further your own career.”
Cudgeon’s face took on a hue to match Root’s own. The situation was slipping away from him and he knew it. Even Chix Verbil and the other sprites were sidling out from behind their leader.
“I am still in charge here, Julius, so hand over those disks or I will have you detained.”
“Oh, really? You and whose army?”
For a second Cudgeon’s face glowed with the old pomposity. It evaporated