Artemis Fowl_ The Opal Deception - Eoin Colfer [64]
Eight minutes later, the small chamber began to shake violently. Chunks of brittle spittle cracked from the wall, shattering on the floor. The ground beneath his feet glowed red, and a stream of insects and worms flowed away from the hot spot. Butler stood to one side, calmly brushing himself down. Moments later a cylindrical section of earth dropped cleanly out of the floor, leaving a steaming hole.
Mulch’s voice drifted through the hole, borne on the waves of the stolen shuttle’s amplification system.
“Let’s go, Mud Man. Move yourself. We have people to save, and the LEP are on my tail.”
On Mulch Diggums’s tail, thought Butler, shuddering. Not a nice place to be.
Nevertheless, the bodyguard lowered himself into the hole and through the open roof hatch of the hovering LEP shuttle. Police shuttles were cramped, even for fairies, but Butler could not even sit up straight in a chair, even if there had been a chair wide enough for him. He had to content himself with kneeling behind the command seat.
“All set?” he inquired.
Mulch picked a beetle from Butler’s shoulder. He shoved it into his beard, where the unfortunate insect was immediately cocooned by hair.
“For later,” he explained. “Unless you want it?”
Butler smiled, but it was an effort. “Thanks. I already ate.”
“Oh, really? Well whatever you ate, hold on to it, because we are in a hurry, so I may have to break a few speed limits.”
The dwarf cracked every joint in his fingers and toes, then sent the craft into a steep spiraling dive. Butler slid to the rear of the craft, and had to hook three seat belts together to prevent further jostling.
“Is this really necessary?” he grunted through rippling cheeks.
“Look behind you,” replied Mulch.
Butler struggled to his knees, directing his gaze through the rear window. They were being pursued by a trio of what looked like fireflies, but what were actually smaller shuttles. The crafts matched their every spiral and jink exactly. One fired a small sparking torpedo that sent a shock wave sparking through the hull. Butler felt the pores in his shaven head tingle.
“LEP uni-pods,” explained Mulch. “They just took out our communications mast, in case we have accomplices in the chutes somewhere. Those pods have got a lock on our navigation’s system. Their own computers will follow us forever, unless.”
“Unless what?”
“Unless we can outrun them. Get out of their range.”
Butler tightened the belts across his torso. “And can we?”
Mulch flexed his fingers and toes. “Let’s find out,” he said, flicking the throttle wide.
The Eleven Wonders, Temple of Artemis Exhibit, The Lower Elements
Holly and Artemis huddled together on the small island of rotting carcasses, waiting for the trolls to finish their bridge. The creatures were frantic now, hurling rock after rock into the shallow water. Some even braved placing a toe in the currents, but quickly drew them out again with horrified howls.
Holly wiped water from her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “I have a plan. I stay here and fight them. You go back in the river.”
Artemis shook his head curtly. “I appreciate it. But no. It would be suicide for both of us. The trolls would devour you in a second, then simply wait for the current to sweep me right back here. There must be another way.”
Holly threw a troll skull at the nearest creature. The brute caught it deftly in his talons, crushing it to shards. “I’m listening, Artemis.”
Artemis rubbed a knuckle against his forehead, willing the memory block to dissolve. “If I could remember. Then maybe ...”
“Don’t you remember anything?”
“Images. Something. Nothing coherent. Just nightmare pictures. This could all be a hallucination. That is the most likely explanation. Perhaps I should just relax and wait to wake up.”
“Think of it as a challenge. If this were a role-playing game, how would the character escape?”
“If this were a war game, I would need to know the other side’s weaknesses. Water is