Wait until Minerva gets there, then continue on to Kong. If they hustle you out straight away, count to twenty then open your hand. If they wait for us to leave, open your hand when the elevator doors have closed. Understand?'
'I understand everything. In any language you care to speak in.'
'Are you set?'
No.1 took a deep breath. He could feel his tail vibrating anxiously. He had been in a bit of a daze since the time tunnel. How could anyone take all of this in? Skyscrapers, for heaven's sake. Buildings that actually scraped the sky.
'I'm set,' he said.
'Off you go then. Good luck.'
No.1 began his long lonely walk back into captivity. Scores of humans thronged around him, excited, sweating, chewing things, pointing machines at each other.
Those would be cameras, I suppose.
The noon sun flashed through the ceiling-to-floor windows, catching on the silver of the mass damper, lighting it up like a disco ball. The tabletops loomed just above head height. Waiters and waitresses bustled past with loaded trays. Glasses fell, children screamed.
Too many people, thought No.1. I miss demons. Even Abbot. Well, OK, maybe not Abbot.
No.1 reached the reserved table. He had to stand on tippy-toes to see the folded piece of card with the word printed on it. He lifted the flap on his bonnet to get a clear look. He was beginning to realize that a muumuu and bonnet were not typical Mud Child garb, as Artemis had told him.
This is a terrible disguise. I look like a freak. Surely someone will see that I am not human. I wish I could shield, like Holly.
Unfortunately, even if No.1 could control his burgeoning magical powers, shielding had never been a weapon in the demon warlock arsenal.
No.1 took a step to the right, squinting past the glare of the giant mass damper. Minerva was on her way down. Taking small careful steps towards the reserved table. Behind her, Kong leaned forward in his seat, toes tapping with excitement and anticipation. He was like a dog on a leash with the scent of a fox in his nose.
Minerva arrived. She lifted the brim of No.1's bonnet to check it was him.
'It's not my bonnet,' said No.1. 'And this is certainly not my muumuu.'
Minerva took his hand. Before the abduction she had been eighty per cent genius and twenty per cent twelve-year-old girl.
Now it was about fifty-fifty. 'I'm sorry for everything. For tying you up, and the rest. I thought you would try to eat me.'
'We're not all savages,' said No.1. 'And my wrists did hurt for ages. But I forgive you, I suppose. As long as your tying-up days are over.'
'Yes. I promise.' Minerva looked over No.1's head, towards Artemis's table. 'Why is he helping me? Do you know?'
No.1 shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Holly, our friend, said it was something about puberty. Apparently you're pretty, though to be honest, I can't see it myself.'
Their conversation was interrupted by a whistle from further down the bar. Billy Kong was growing impatient. The ex-Paradizo employee beckoned No.1 on with his index finger.
'I should go. Leave. Depart.'
Minerva nodded. 'OK. Be careful. I will see you soon. Where is it? In your hand?'
'Yes,' said No.1 automatically, then, 'How did you know?'
Minerva walked on slowly. 'Genius. Can't help it.'
This place is littered with genii, thought No.1. I just hope Mister Kong isn't another one.
He continued on his way, being careful to keep his feet and hands inside the muumuu. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a panic by exposing his grey stumpy digits. Although, perhaps the humans would bow down and adore him. After all he was incredibly handsome compared to their own gangly males.
Billy Kong was all smiles when No.1 reached the table. On his face, a smile looked like the first symptom of a disease. His hair was spiked in perfect points. Even in the middle of a kidnapping, Kong still made time for hair. Good grooming says a lot about a person.
'Welcome back, demon,' he said, grabbing a hank of the muumuu. 'So nice to see you. If it is you. .'
'If it is me?' said No.1, confused. 'Me is all I can be.'
'Excuse me, if I don't take your word for it,' snorted Kong, tugging back the bonnet's frill for a quick peek at No.1 's face. 'If that Fowl kid is half as smart as I've heard, then he's sure to be trying something.'
Kong examined the imp's face, poking the plate on his forehead, pulling back the lips to check the pink gums and square white teeth. Finally he traced the rune on No.1's forehead with a finger, to make sure it wasn't painted on.
'Satisfied?'
'Pretty much. I guess little Artemis didn't have time to do a switch. I ran him too hard.'
'You ran us all too hard,' complained No.1. 'We had to fly here in a machine. I saw the moon close up.'
'You're breaking my heart, demon. After what you did to my brother, you're lucky to be alive. Something I hope to remedy in the next few minutes.'
No.1 twisted his head to catch a glimpse of the elevators. Artemis, Butler and Minerva were two steps away from the doors.
'Don't look at them. They can't help you. Nobody can help you.'
Kong clicked his fingers, and a muscular man joined them at the table.
He was hefting a large metal suitcase.
'In case you're wondering, this is a bomb. You know what a bomb is, don't you?'
'Bomb,' said No.1. 'Explosive. Incendiary device.' His eyes widened. 'But that could hurt someone. A lot of some-ones.'
'Exactly. Not humans though. Demons. I am going to strap this on to you, set the timer, then send you back to your island. The blast should at the very least put a big dent in the demon population. You won't be crossing over here for your little night-time hunts for quite a while.'
'I won't do it,' said No.1, actually stamping his foot.
Kong laughed. 'Are you sure you're a demon? From what I hear, the last one was more. . demonic.'
'I am a demon. A warlock demon.'
Kong leaned close enough for No.1 to smell his citrus aftershave. 'Well, little Mister Warlock, maybe you can turn this bomb into a bunch of flowers, but I doubt it.'
'I don't have to do anything, because you can't make me go back to Hybras.'
Kong took a set of handcuffs from his pocket. 'On the contrary. I know exactly what to do. I picked up a thing or two in the chateau. All we have to do is dig that silver slug out of your leg, and Hybras will suck you home.'
No.1 glanced again towards the elevator. The doors were closing on his new friends.
'You mean this silver slug?' he asked, showing Kong what had been concealed in his hand.
'He took it out,' breathed Billy Kong. 'Fowl took out the slug.'
'Took it out,' agreed No.1. 'Extracted. Removed.'
Then he dropped the silver nugget and disappeared.
Holly had been crouched on the mass damper watching events unfold.
So far, everything had gone according to plan. Minerva had reached
Artemis, and Butler had hustled them both to the elevator. At the other end of the bar, Billy Kong was doing his whole grinning psycho bit.
When this was all over, that Mud Man would have to be mind-wiped.
There would be quite a few loose ends to clear up, actually. Not by her, though — she was not LEP any more. After this she would be lucky to be Section 8.
Holly tapped a button on her wrist computer, zooming in on No.1. The imp raised his left hand. The signal.
This was it. Time to test theories. It was either hello again or goodbye forever.
Artemis's plan was a risky one because his calculations were theoretical, but it was the only chance to save
