Artemis Fowl_ The Arctic Incident - Eoin Colfer [29]
Below, in the goblin shuttle, Holly studied Luc’s pupils. ‘He’s been mesmerized,’ she pronounced. ‘Several times. You see how the iris has actually become jagged. You mesmerize a human too much and they can go blind.’
Artemis studied the image. ‘Is it safe to mesmerize him again?’
Holly shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter. He’s already under a spell. This particular individual is just following orders. His brain doesn’t know a thing about it.’
Artemis grabbed the mike stand. ‘Butler! Get out of there. Right now.’
In the apartment, Butler stood his ground. Any sudden movement might be his last.
‘Butler,’ said Holly. ‘Listen carefully. That gun pointed at you is a wide-bore low-frequency blaster. We call it a Bouncer. It was developed for tunnel skirmishes. If he pulls that trigger, a wide arc laser is going to ricochet off the walls until it hits something.’
‘I see,’ muttered Butler.
‘What did you say?’ asked Carrère.
‘Nothing. I just don’t like having my photo taken.’
A spark of Luc’s greedy personality surfaced. ‘I like that watch on your wrist. It looks expensive. Is it a Rolex?’
‘You don’t want this,’ said Butler, very reluctant to part with the com screen. ‘It’s cheap. A piece of trash.’
‘Just give me the watch.’
Butler peeled back the strap of the instrument on his wrist. ‘If I give you this watch, maybe you can tell me about all these batteries.’
‘It is you! Say cheese,’ squealed Carrère, forcing his pudgy thumb into the undersized trigger guard and pumping for all he was worth.
For Butler, time seemed to slow to a crawl. It was almost as though he were inside his personal time-stop. His soldier’s brain absorbed all the facts and analysed his options. Carrère’s finger was too far gone. In a moment, a wide-bore laser burst would be speeding his way, and would continue to bounce around the room until they were both dead. His gun was of no use in a situation like this. All he had was the Safetynet, but a two-metre sphere was not going to be enough. Not for two good-sized humans.
So, in the fraction of a second left to him, Butler formulated a new strategy. If the sphere could stop concussive waves coming towards him, perhaps it could stop them coming out of the blaster. Butler touched the screen of the Safetynet, and hurled the device in Carrère’s direction.
Not a nanosecond too soon, a spherical shield blossomed, enveloping the expanding beam from Carrère’s blaster: 360 degrees of protection. It was a sight to see, a fireworks display in a bubble. The shield hovered in the air, shafts of light ricocheting against the sphere’s curved planes.
Carrère was hypnotized by the sight, and Butler took advantage of the distraction to disarm him.
‘Start the engines,’ grunted the bodyguard into his throat mike. ‘The Sûreté are going to be all over this place in minutes. Foaly’s Safetynet didn’t stop the noise.’
‘Roger that. What about Monsieur Carrère?’
Butler dumped the dazed Parisian flat on the carpet. ‘Luc and I are going to have a little chat.’
For the first time Carrère seemed to be aware of his surroundings.
‘Who are you?’ he mumbled. ‘What’s happening?’
Butler ripped open the man’s shirt, placing his palm flat on the PI’s heart. Time for a little trick he’d learned from Madame Ko, his Japanese sensei. ‘Don’t worry, Monsieur Carrère. I’m a doctor. There’s been an accident, but you’re perfectly fine.’
‘An accident? I don’t remember any accident.’
‘Trauma. It’s quite normal. I’m just going to check your vitals.’
Butler placed a thumb on Luc’s neck, locating the artery. ‘I’m going to ask you a few questions, to check for concussion.’
Luc didn’t argue. Then again, who’d argue with a two-metre-plus Eurasian with muscles like a Michelangelo statue?
‘Is your name Luc Carrère?’
‘Yes.’
Butler noted the pulse rate. One from the heartbeat, and a second reference on the carotid artery. Steady, in spite of the accident.
‘Are you a private eye?’
‘I prefer the title investigator.’
No increase in pulse rate. The man was telling the truth.