No.1 knew the answer to that question. 'He went into the future. He told our secrets to the humans in exchange for one of their storybooks and an ancient weapon from a museum.'
Abbot pointed the sword at him. 'I was going to let you live, impling.'
No.1 felt a knot of rage in his stomach. 'Like you let me live the last time? You told me to jump into the crater. You mesmerized me!'
Abbot was in a tough spot. He could order the Council to attack, but that would leave many questions unanswered, and he couldn't mesmerize everybody. But if he let Qwan keep talking, every one of his secrets could be exposed. What he needed was some time to think.
Unfortunately time was something he did not have. He would have to use his wits and weapons to get out of this situation.
'I mesmerized you! Don't be ridiculous. Demons don't have magic. We abhor magic.' Abbot shook his head in disbelief. 'What am I even doing explaining myself to a runt like you? Shut your mouth, Number One, or
I'll stitch it shut and throw you into the volcano.'
Qwan did not appreciate his new apprentice being threatened.
'I have had enough of you, N'zall. You would threaten warlocks?
Number One, as you call him, has more power inside him than you will ever have.'
Abbot laughed. 'For once you are right, old warlock. I have no power inside me. Not a single spark of magic. What I do have is the power of my fist, and the strength of the pride behind me.'
Artemis was growing tired of this bickering.
'We don't have time for this,' he said, stepping out from behind Qwan.
'The time spell is unravelling and we need to make preparations for the journey home. For that journey, we need all the magic we can get.
Including yours, N'zall or Abbot or whatever your name is.'
'I don't argue with humans,' growled Abbot. 'But if I did, I might repeat that I don't have any magic.'
'Oh, come on,' scoffed Artemis. 'I know the side effects of the mesmer.
Including ragged pupils and bloodshot eyes. Some of your friends here have been mesmerized so much they barely have pupils any more.'
'And where did I get this magic?'
'You stole it in the time tunnel. I imagine you and Qweffor were literally melted together by the combination of lava and magic. When you emerged in Earth's recent past, you managed to hold on to some warlock magic.'
This was a bit of a stretch for everyone present. Abbot realized that he wouldn't need the mesmer to convince anybody that the human's theory was ridiculous. He could destroy this human's argument before destroying the human.
Abbot made a great show of scoffing at Artemis. He did the whole big tribe leader bit, running his nails along the curves of his horns, and barking out short bursts of laughter. Pretty soon, almost everyone else was laughing along.
'So, human,' said Abbot, when the furore had died down. 'I stole magic in the time tunnel. You must be losing your mind, Mud Boy. Maybe that's because I'm about to order my imps to skin your bones and suck the marrow from them. Even if what you say were possible, how would you know? How would a human know?' And Abbot grinned smugly, certain that no satisfactory answer could possibly be forthcoming.
Artemis Fowl grinned right back at him and pointed his index finger at the sky. Actually it was his middle finger, due to the time-tunnel switch.
From the tip of this finger sprang a small blue spark which exploded like a tiny firework.
'I know magic can be stolen,' said Artemis. 'Because I stole some myself.'
This piece of melodrama was greeted by a moment of stunned silence; then Qwan cackled loudly.
'I said you were smart, Mud Boy. I was wrong, you are exceptional.
Even in the time tunnel you were plotting. Stole a little magic, did you?'
Artemis shrugged, closing his fingers on the sparks. 'It was floating around. I wondered what would happen if I embraced it.'
Qwan squinted at him. 'Now you know. You are changed.
A magical creature like us. I hope you will use your gift wisely.'
'Just what we need,' moaned Holly. 'Artemis Fowl with magical powers.'
'I believe that if we count Mister N'zall here that makes five magical beings. Enough to reverse the time spell.'
Abbot was sunk and he knew it. The other demons were looking at him curiously. Wondering if he had been manipulating them magically. Even a few of the mesmerized Council were struggling to shake off their mental chains. It was only a matter of minutes before his dreams of kingship floated forever out of his reach.
There was only one option left to him.
'Kill them all!' he roared, not quite as fiercely as he would have liked.
'Imps, you have free rein.'
The mesmerized Council members lurched into action, not quite as graceful in battle as they would normally be. The imps were so delighted to be given a chance to kill something with only two legs that they barged forward with unconfined glee.
'Blood and guts!' howled one, and they all took up the cry. It was not particularly eloquent, but it got the message across.
Holly was not particularly worried. Her Neutrino could fire as fast as she could aim, and with a wide beam setting she could stun the entire line of demons and imps before they could do any damage. In theory.
She elbowed Artemis aside, took a stand and began firing. The beams erupted from the pistol in a spreading cone pattern. Blasting the demons off their feet and keeping them down for at least ten minutes.
Except for the ones that were getting back up immediately. Which seemed to be most of them. Even the imps were shaking off the blasts as if they were mere gusts of wind.
Holly frowned. This should not be happening. And she didn't dare raise the setting for fear of doing permanent damage. Something she would not risk under any circumstances.
'Qwan?' she said. 'My beam's not having much effect. Any ideas?'
Holly knew that warlocks weren't much use in combat situations. It was against their credo to harm, and they would only do so in the most dire situations. By the time Qwan overcame his pacifist nature, it would be too late.
While Qwan scratched his chin, Holly kept firing. Each pulse brought down a bunch of demons, but they were back on their feet in seconds.
'If the Council has been mesmerized, I can heal them,' concluded Qwan.
'But the brain is delicate; I need direct contact.'
'No time for that,' said Holly, loosing another burst. 'Artemis, have you got anything?'
Artemis had his hand on his stomach. T really need to use a bathroom.
A second ago I was fine. But now. .'
Holly really wished her wings were operational. If she could just get a bird's eye view on the targets, it would be much easier.
'Bathroom, Artemis? Is this really the time?'
One demon made it past the laser bursts. Close enough to smell. Holly ducked under his swinging mace, kicking him in the chest. The air left his lungs in a whoof, and the demon went down gasping for breath.
'I need the bathroom, and your Neutrino is having barely any effect.
Time is speeding up. We're in a surge.' Artemis grabbed Holly's shoulder, causing a burst to sail off high and wide.
'I need to get to the bomb. It could explode at any moment.'
Holly shrugged him off. 'Safety tip, Artemis. Don't jiggle me when I'm firing. Qwan, can you buy us some time?'
'Time,' said Qwan, smiling. 'You know, it's ironic that we need time because. .'
Holly ground her teeth. Why did she always have to end up with the intellectuals?
No.1 had been equal parts terrified and thoughtful during the attack.
