Artemis Fowl_ The Opal Deception - Eoin Colfer [103]
She covered her face with her hands when they lowered an empty casket into the ornate decomposition vat. After six months, his bone and tissue would have been completely broken down and his remains would be used to nourish the earth.
Tears leaked out between Holly’s fingers, flowing over her hands.
Artemis sat beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Julius would have been proud of you. Haven is here today because of what you did.”
Holly sniffed. “Maybe. Maybe if I had been a little smarter, Julius would be here today, too.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. I have been thinking about it and there was no way out of that chute. Not without prior knowledge.”
Holly lowered her hands. “Thanks, Artemis. That’s a nice thing to say. You’re not going soft, are you?”
Artemis was genuinely puzzled. “I honestly don’t know. Half of me wants to be a criminal, and the other half wants to be a normal teenager. I feel like I have two conflicting personalities and a head full of memories that aren’t really mine yet. It’s a strange feeling, not to know who you are exactly.”
“Don’t worry, Mud Boy,” said Holly. “I’ll keep a close eye on you to make sure you stay on the straight and narrow.”
“I have two parents and a bodyguard already trying to do that.”
“Well then, maybe it’s time to let them.”
The lounge’s doors slid open, and Foaly clopped in excitedly, followed by Commander Sool and a couple of flunkies. Sool was obviously not as thrilled to be in the room as the centaur, and had brought the extra officers along just in case Butler got agitated.
Foaly grabbed Holly by the shoulders. “You’re clear.” He beamed. “The Tribunal voted seven to one in your favor.”
Holly scowled at Sool. “Let me guess who was the ‘one.’”
Sool bristled. “I am still your superior officer, Short. I want to see that reflected in your attitude. You may have escaped this charge, but I will be watching you like a hawk from now on.”
Mulch clicked his fingers in front of Foaly’s face. “Hey, ponyboy. Over here. What about me? Am I a free dwarf?”
“Well, the Tribunal decided to go after you for the grand theft auto.”
“What?” spluttered Mulch. “After I saved the entire city!”
“But,” continued Foaly, “considering the time already served for an illegal search, they’re prepared to call it even. No medal, I’m sorry to say.”
Mulch slapped the centaur’s haunch. “You couldn’t just say that, could you? You had to draw it out.”
Holly had not stopped scowling at Sool. “Let me tell you what Julius told me shortly before he died,” she said.
“Please do,” said Sool, his words dripping with sarcasm. “I find everything you say fascinating.”
“Julius told me, more or less, that my job was to serve the People, and that I should do that any way I could.”
“Smart fairy. I do hope you intend to honor those words.”
Holly ripped the LEP badge from her shoulder. “I do. With you looking over my shoulder on every shift, I won’t be able to help anyone, so I’ve decided to go it alone.” She tossed the badge on the table. “I quit.”
Sool chuckled. “If this is a bluff it won’t work. I’ll be glad to see the back of you.”
“Holly, don’t do this,” pleaded Foaly. “The force needs you. I need you.”
Holly patted his flank. “They accused me of murdering Julius. How can I stay? Don’t worry, old friend. I won’t be far away.” She nodded at Mulch. “Are you coming?”
“What, me?”
Holly grinned. “You’re a free dwarf now, and every private detective needs a partner. Someone with underworld connections.”
Mulch’s chest swelled. “Mulch Diggums, private detective. I like that. Hey, I’m not a sidekick, am I? Because the sidekick always gets it.”
“No. You’re a full-fledged partner. Whatever we make, we split.”
Holly turned to Artemis next. “We did it again, Mud Boy. We saved the world, or at least stopped two worlds colliding.”
Artemis nodded. “It doesn’t get any