The Artemis Fowl Files - Eoin Colfer [3]
Holly tore back a Velcro strip covering the computer screen on her wrist. She opened the parking-fine program, sending one to Phyber’s account. The fact that giving someone a ticket made her feel good told Holly that it was high time she got out of Traffic.
Something moved inside the camper. Something big. The entire vehicle swayed on its axles.
Holly rapped on the blacked-out windows. “Step out of the vehicle, Mister Phyber.”
There was no reply from inside the camper, just more pronounced swaying. There was something inside. Something a lot bigger than a sprite.
“Mister Phyber. Open up, or I will conduct a search.” Holly tried to peer through the tinted windows, with no luck: her street helmet did not have the filters to penetrate. It felt as though there was some kind of animal in there. This was a serious crime. Transporting animals in a private vehicle was strictly forbidden. Not to mention cruel. The fairy People might eat certain animals, but they certainly did not keep them as pets. If this person was smuggling animals of some kind, it was quite possible that he was buying them direct from the surface.
Holly placed both hands on the side panel, pushing as hard as she could. Immediately the camper began to buck and vibrate, almost tipping over on one rail.
Holly stepped back. She would have to call this in.
“Ah … Is there a problem, Officer?”
There was a sprite hovering beside her. Sprites hover when they are nervous.
“Is this your vehicle, sir?”
The sprite’s wings beat even faster, lifting him another six inches off the sidewalk.
“Yes, Officer. Eloe Phyber. I am the registered owner.” Holly raised her visor. “Please land, sir. Flying is restricted on the boulevard. There are signs.”
Phyber touched down gently. “Of course, Officer. Pardon me.”
Holly studied Phyber’s face for signs of guilt. The sprite’s pale green skin was slick with perspiration.
“Are you worried about something, Mister Phyber?”
Phyber smiled a watery smile. “No. Worried? No, nothing. I’m running a bit late, that’s all. Modern life, you know, always on a timetable.”
The camper bounced on its axles.
“What have you got in there?” asked Holly.
Phyber’s smile froze. “Nothing. Just some flat-packed shelving. One of the units must have fallen over.”
He was lying. Holly was certain of it. “Oh really? There must be quite a few units in there, because that’s the fifth one that’s fallen over. Open it up, please.”
The sprite’s wings began pumping up. “I don’t think I have to. Don’t you need a warrant?”
“No. I need probable cause. And I have reason to believe that you are illegally transporting animals.”
“Animals? Ridiculous. Anyway, I can’t open the camper, I appear to have lost the chip.”
Holly drew an omnitool from her belt, placing the sensor against the camper’s rear door. “Very well. Be advised that I am opening this vehicle to investigate the possible presence of animals.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for a lawyer?”
“No. The animals could die of old age.”
Phyber moved back a yard. “I really wouldn’t do that.”
“No. I’m sure you wouldn’t.”
The omnitool beeped, and the rear door swung open. Holly was confronted by a huge, wobbling cube of orange jelly. It was hydrogel, used to safely transport injured sea life. The creatures could still breathe, but were spared travel bumps. A shoal of mackerel was struggling to swim inside the lined interior of the camper. They were no doubt destined for an illegal fish restaurant.
The gel might have held its shape if the shoal hadn’t decided to head for the light. Their combined efforts dragged the cuboid of gel out of the camper and into thin air. Gravity took hold and the blob exploded all over Holly. She was instantly submerged in a tidal wave of fish and fish-flavored gel. The gel found holes in her uniform that she had never known were there.
“D’Arvit!” swore Holly, falling on her backside. Unfortunately