Artemis Fowl_ The Arctic Incident - Eoin Colfer [21]
‘Butler blend in?’ said Artemis, smiling. ‘I doubt it.’
‘At least he doesn’t have four legs and a tail,’ observed Foaly.
‘Point taken. And there is no doubt that if any man alive can track down your rogue trader, it’s Butler. But…’
Here we go, thought Holly. Artemis Fowl does nothing for nothing.
‘But?’ prompted Root.
‘But if you want my help, I will require something in return.’
‘What exactly?’ said Root warily.
‘I need transport to Russia,’ replied Artemis. ‘The Arctic Circle to be precise. And I need help with a rescue attempt.’
Root frowned. ‘Northern Russia is not good for us. We can’t shield there because of the radiation.’
‘Those are my conditions,’ said Artemis. ‘The man I intend to rescue is my father. For all I know, it’s already too late. So I really don’t have time to negotiate.’
The Mud Boy sounded sincere. Even Holly’s heart softened for a moment. But you never knew with Artemis Fowl – this could all be part of yet another scheme. Root made an executive decision.
‘Deal,’ he said, holding out his hand.
They shook. Fairy and human. A historic moment.
‘Good,’ said Root. ‘Now, Foaly, wake the big one and give that goblin shuttle a quick systems check.’
‘What about me?’ asked Holly. ‘Back on stakeout duty?’
If Root had not been a commander, he probably would have cackled. ‘Oh no, Captain. You’re the best shuttle pilot we have. You’re going to Paris.’
CHAPTER 5: DADDY’S GIRL
KOBOI LABORATORIES, EAST BANK, HAVEN CITY, THE LOWER ELEMENTS
KOBOI Laboratories was carved from the rock of Haven’s East Bank. It stood eight storeys high, surrounded by half a mile of granite on five sides, with access from the front only. Management had beefed up their security, and who could blame them? After all, the B’ wa Kell had specifically targeted Koboi for arson attacks. The Council had gone so far as to grant the company special weapons permits – if Koboi went under, the entire Haven City defence network went under with it.
Any B’ wa Kell goblins attempting to storm Koboi Laboratories would have been met with DNA-coded stun cannons, which scanned an intruder before blasting him. There were no blind spots in the building, no place to hide. The system was foolproof.
But the goblins didn’t have to worry about that. The Laboratories’ defences were actually designed to keep out any LEP officers who might come snooping around at the wrong moment. It was Opal Koboi herself who was funding the goblin triad. The attacks on Koboi were actually a smokescreen to divert suspicions away from her own personal dealings: the tiny pixie was the mastermind behind the battery operation and the increased B’ wa Kell activity. Well, one of the masterminds. But why would an individual of almost limitless wealth possibly wish to associate with a goblin tunnel gang?
Since the day of her birth, nothing much had ever been expected of Opal Koboi. Born to a family of old-money pixies on Principality Hill, her parents would have been quite content had young Opal done nothing more than attend private school, complete some wishy-washy Arts degree and marry a suitable vice-president.
In fact, as far as her father, Ferall Koboi, was concerned, a dream daughter would have been moderately intelligent, quite pretty and, of course, complacent. But Opal did not display the personality traits Ferall would have wished for. By the age of ten months she was already walking unaided, by a year and a half she had a vocabulary of over five hundred words. Before her second birthday she had dismantled her first hard drive.
Opal grew to be precocious, headstrong and beautiful. A dangerous combination. Ferall lost count of the times he sat his daughter down, advising her to leave business to the male pixies. Eventually Opal refused to see him at all. Her blatant hostility was worrying.
Ferall was right to be worried. Opal’s first action in college was to ditch her History