Artemis Fowl_ The Arctic Incident - Eoin Colfer [81]
The micro-filaments in her suit deadened the cold, but they could not dispel it entirely. Holly knew that she had seconds before the temperature-drop slowed her reactions and sent her into shock.
Below her, the unconscious human was as pale as a ghost. Holly fumbled with her wing controls. A touch too much on the throttle could send her too deep. Not enough and she would fall short. And at these temperatures, you got one shot only.
Holly hit the throttle.The engine buzzed once, sending her ten fathoms down. Perfect. She grabbed Fowl Senior by the waist, quickly clipping him on to her Moonbelt. He hung there limply. He needed an infusion of magic, and the sooner the better.
Holly glanced upwards. It seemed as though the ice hole was already closing. Was there anything else that could go wrong? The commander was shouting in her ear, but she shut him out, concentrating on getting back to dry land.
Ice crystals spun themselves across the hole like spiders’ webs. The ocean seemed determined to claim them.
I don’t think so, thought Holly, pointing her helmeted head at the surface, and opening the throttle as far as it would go. They crashed through the ice, arced through the air and landed on the slatted surface of the sub’s forward deck.
The human’s face was the colour of the surrounding landscape. Holly crouched on his chest like a predatory creature, exposing the supposed wound to the night air. There was blood on the deck, but it was Artemis Junior’s blood: they had pried the cap from a Hydrosion shell, and half filled it with blood taken from Artemis’s arm. On impact, the Fizzer had knocked Artemis Senior off his feet, sending the crimson liquid spiralling through the air. Very convincing. Of course, being thrown into the freezing waters had not been part of the plan.
The shell had not penetrated his skin, but Mister Fowl was not safe yet. Holly’s thermal imager showed that his heartbeat was dangerously slow and weak. She laid her hands on his chest. ‘Heal,’ she whispered. ‘Heal.’
And the magic scurried down her fingers.
Artemis couldn’t watch Holly’s rescue attempt. Had he done the right thing? What if the Hydrosion shell penetrated? How could he ever face his mother again?
‘Oh no,’ said Butler.
Artemis was at his side in an instant. ‘What is it?’
‘Your father is in the water. One of the Russians threw him in.’
The boy groaned. That water was as deadly as any bullet. He’d been afraid that something like this would happen.
Root had also been following the rescue attempt. ‘OK. She’s over the water. Can you see him, Holly?’
No answer. Just static in his earphones.
‘Status, Captain? Respond.’
Nothing.
‘Holly?’
She’s not talking because it’s too late, thought Artemis. There’s nothing she can do to save my father and it’s all my fault.
Root’s voice cut through his thoughts. ‘The Russians are evacuating,’ he said. ‘Holly’s at the sub now, over the hole in the ice. She’s going in. Holly, what have you got? Come on, Holly. Talk to me.’
Nothing. For the longest time.
Then Holly erupted through the ice like a mechanized dolphin. She arced briefly through the Arctic night, crash-landing on the Typhoon’s deck.
‘She has your father,’ said the commander.
Artemis slipped on the spare Recon helmet, willing Holly’s voice to sound through the speakers. He magnified the picture in his visor until it seemed as though he could touch his father and watched Holly lean over his father’s chest, pulses of magic shooting down her fingers.
After several moments, Holly looked up, straight into Artemis’s eyes, as though she knew he was watching. ‘I got him,’ she gasped. ‘One live Mud Man. He’s not pretty, but he’s breathing.’
Artemis sank to the ground, sobs of relief shaking his thin shoulders. He cried for a whole minute. Then he was himself again.
‘Well done, Captain. Now let’s get out of here before Foaly activates one