Artemis Fowl - Eoin Colfer [74]
“Open it,” he said at last, surprised at the tremble in his own voice.
It was an irresistible instant. Juliet approached tentatively, spangled eyes wide. Even Holly closed the throttle a notch, dropping until her feet brushed the marble tiling. Butler unzipped the black tarpaulin, dragging it back across the cargo.
Nobody said a thing. Artemis imagined that somewhere the 1812 Overture was playing. The gold sat there, stacked in shining rows. It seemed to have an aura, a warmth, but also an inherent danger. There were a lot of people willing to die or kill for the unimaginable wealth this gold could bring.
Holly was mesmerized. Fairies have an affinity for minerals, they are of the earth. But gold was their favorite. Its luster. Its allure.
“They paid,” she breathed. “I can’t believe it.”
“Neither can I,” murmured Artemis. “Butler, is it real?”
Butler hefted a bar from the stack. He dug the tip of a throwing knife into the ingot, gouging out a small sliver.
“It’s real all right,” he said, holding the scraping up to the light. “This one, at any rate.”
“Good. Very good. Begin unloading it, would you? We’ll send the trolley back out with Captain Short.”
Hearing her name dispelled Holly’s gold fever.
“Artemis, give it up. No human has ever succeeded in keeping fairy gold. And they’ve been trying for centuries. The LEP will do anything to protect their property.”
Artemis shook his head. Amused.
“I’ve told you . . .”
Holly took him by the shoulders. “You cannot escape! Don’t you understand?”
The boy returned her gaze coolly.
“I can escape, Holly. Look in my eyes and tell me that I can’t.”
So she did. Captain Holly Short gazed into her captor’s blue-black eyes, and she saw the truth in there. And for a moment she believed it.
“There’s still time,” she said desperately. “There must be something. I have magic.”
A crease of annoyance wrinkled the boy’s brow.
“I hate to disappoint you, Captain, but there is absolutely nothing.”
Artemis paused, his gaze tugged momentarily upstairs to the converted loft. Perhaps, he thought. Do I really need all this gold? And was his conscience not needling him, leaching some of the sweetness from his victory? He shook himself. Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan. No emotion.
Artemis felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.
“Everything all right?”
“Yes, Butler. Keep unloading. Get Juliet to help. I need to talk to Captain Short.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”
Artemis sighed. “No, old friend, I’m not sure. But it’s too late now.”
Butler nodded, returning to his task. Juliet toddled along behind him like a terrier.
“Now, Captain. About your magic.”
“What about it?” Holly’s eyes were hooded with suspicion.
“What would I have to do to buy a wish?”
Holly glanced at the trolley.“Well, that depends. What do you have to bargain with?”
Root was not what you’d call relaxed. Increasingly wide bands of yellow light were poking through the blue. Minutes left. Minutes. His migraine was not helped by the pungent cigar feeding toxins into his system.
“Have all nonessential personnel been evacuated?”
“Unless they’ve sneaked back in since the last time you asked me.”
“Not now, Foaly. Believe me, now is not the time. Anything from Captain Short?”
“Nope. We lost video after the troll thing. I’d guess the battery is ruptured. We’d better get that helmet off her ASAP, or the radiation will fry her brain. That’d be a pity after all this work.”
Foaly returned to his console. A red light began pulsing gently.
“Wait, motion sensor. We’ve got activity by the main entrance.”
Root crossed to the screens. “Can you enhance it?”
“No problem.” Foaly punched in the coordinates, blowing it up four hundred percent.
Root sat down on the nearest chair.
“Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”
“You sure are.” Foaly chuckled. “This is even better than the