Artemis Fowl_ The Opal Deception - Eoin Colfer [77]
Zito smiled. Heady days. He was about to close his eyes for a quick nap before dinner, when something moved in the shadows in the corner of the room. Something small, barely the height of the table.
Zito sat straight up in his chair. “What’s that? Is somebody there?”
A lamp flicked on to reveal a small girl perched on a log stool. She held the lamp cord in her hand and seemed not in the least afraid or upset in any way. In fact the girl was calm and composed, regarding Zito as if he were the intruder.
Giovanni stood. “Who are you, little one? Why are you here?”
The girl fixed him with the most incredible eyes. Deep brown eyes. Deep as a vat of chocolate.
“I am here for you, Giovanni,” she said in a voice as beautiful as her eyes. In fact, everything about the girl was beautiful. Her porcelain features. And those eyes. They would not let him go.
Zito fought her spell. “For me? What do you mean? Is your mother nearby?”
The girl smiled. “Not nearby, no. You are my family now.”
Giovanni tried to make sense of this simple sentence, but he could not. Was it really important? Those eyes, and that voice. So melodic. Layers of crystal tinkling.
Humans react differently to the fairy mesmer. Most fall immediately under its hypnotic spell, but there are those with strong minds who need to be pushed a little. And the more they are pushed, the greater the risk of brain damage.
“I am your family now?” said Zito slowly, as though he were searching each word for meaning.
“Yes, human,” snapped Opal impatiently, pushing harder. “My family. I am your daughter, Belinda. You adopted me last month, secretly. The papers are in your bureau.”
Giovanni’s eyes lost their focus. “Adopted? Bureau?”
Opal drummed her tiny fingers on the base of the lamp. She had forgotten how dull some humans could be, especially under the mesmer. And this one was supposed to be a genius.
“Yes. Adopted. Bureau. You love me more than life, remember? You would do absolutely anything for your darling Belinda.”
A tear pooled on Zito’s eyelid. “Belinda. My little girl. I’d do anything for you, dear, anything.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” said Opal impatiently. “Of course. I said that. Just because you’re mesmerized doesn’t mean you have to repeat everything I say. That is so tiresome.”
Zito noticed two small creatures in the corner. Creatures with pointed ears. This fact penetrated the mesmer’s fugue.
“I see. Over there. Are they human?”
Opal glowered at the Brill brothers. They were supposed to stay out of sight. Mesmerizing a strong mind such as Zito’s was a delicate enough operation without distractions.
She added another layer to her voice. “You cannot see those figures. You will never see them again.”
Zito was relieved. “Of course. Good. Nothing at all. Mind playing tricks.”
Opal scowled. What was it about humans and grammar? At the first sign of stress, it went out the window. Mind playing tricks. Really.
“Now, Giovanni, Daddy. I think we need to talk about your next project.”
“The water-powered car?”
“No, idiot. Not the water-powered car. The core probe.
I know you have designed one. Quite a good design for a human, though I will be making changes.”
“The core probe. Impossible. Can’t get through crust. Don’t have enough iron.”
“We can’t get through the crust. We don’t have enough iron. Speak properly, for heaven’s sake. It’s trying enough speaking Mud Man without listening to your gibberish. Honestly, you human geniuses are not all you’re cracked up to be.”
Zito’s beleaguered brain made the effort. “I am sorry, dearest Belinda. I simply mean that the core probe project is long term. It will have to wait until we can find a practical way to gather the iron, and cut through the earth’s crust.”
Opal looked at the dazed Sicilian. “Poor dear stupid Daddy. You developed a super laser to cut through the crust. Don’t you remember?”
A dewdrop of sweat rolled down Zito’s cheek. “A super