boxes. Say hello from me.'
Artemis nodded numbly. 'I will.'
The pilot swung in low, tucking the shuttle out of sight behind a deserted, ramshackle stone building. When he was certain that there was nobody in the sight lines, the pilot hit a green light over the rear door.
Holly helped Artemis out of his chair.
'We never get to hang out,' she said.
Artemis half chuckled. 'I know. There's always a crisis.'
'If it's not goblin gangs, it's time-travelling demons.' Holly kissed him on the cheek. 'That was probably dangerous. You being a pubescent volcano.'
'I've got it under control, just about.'
Holly pointed to her new blue eye. 'We'll always be a part of each other now.'
Artemis tapped the cheek below his fairy hazel eye. 'I'll keep an eye out for you.'
'Was that a joke? My goodness, you are changing.'
Artemis was a little dazed. 'Well, apparently I'm almost eighteen.'
'God help us all. Artemis Fowl, eligible to vote.'
Artemis chuckled. 'I've been voting for years.' He tapped his ring-phone. 'Call you later.'
'I have a feeling we'll have a lot to talk about.'
They hugged briefly, but tightly, then Artemis walked down the ramp.
He took three steps and looked back, but there was nothing there but sea and sky.
Artemis Fowl made for strange early morning viewing in the village of
Duncade. A lone teenager in a tattered suit, leaving a trail of ash behind him as he climbed through a stone stile, and half stumbled along the quay front.
There was a small group ahead of him, leaning on a concrete bollard.
One shaggily bearded fisherman was telling a wild story about a six-metre wave he had seen during the night which had simply evaporated before it reached the shore. He told the story well, complete with big arm gestures and whooshing noises. The other men nodded to his face, while behind his back winking and making drinky drinky motions with their hands.
Artemis ignored them, walking further down the quay front to the cottage with window boxes.
Window boxes? Who would have thought.
There was a keypad on the door — it looked out of place in such a rustic setting, but Artemis would have expected no less. He keyed in his own birthday, zero one zero nine, deactivating the lock and interior alarm.
It was dark inside, curtains drawn, lights off. Artemis stepped inside to a spartan living area, with functional kitchen, one chair and a sturdy wooden table. There was no television, but rudimentary shelves had been erected to store hundreds of books on various subjects. As
Artemis's eyes adjusted to the gloom, he could make out some of the titles. Gormenghast, The Art of War and Gone With the Wind being among them.
'You are full of surprises, old friend,' murmured Artemis, reaching out to touch the spine of Moby Dick.
As he traced the embossed title, a small red dot of light appeared on his fingertip.
'You know what that is?' said a low rumbling voice behind him. If thunder could speak, then this would be its voice.
Artemis nodded. This was no time for outbursts or sudden moves.
'Good. Then you know what happens if you do anything to upset me.'
Another nod.
'Excellent, you're doing very well. Now lace your fingers behind your head, and turn round.'
Artemis did as he was told, and found himself facing a huge man with a full beard and long hair drawn back in a ponytail. Both were flecked with grey. The man's face was familiar, but different. There were more lines round the eyes, and a deep frown slash between them.
'Butler?' said Artemis. 'Are you behind all that hair?'
Butler stepped back as though struck. His eyes widened and he swallowed rapidly, suddenly parched.
'Artemis? Is it… You're the wrong age! I always thought — ?'
'The time tunnel, old friend,' explained Artemis. 'I saw you only yesterday.'
Butler was not yet convinced. He moved quickly to the curtains, and in his haste pulled them, rail and all, away from the wall. The red light of sunrise flooded the small room. Butler turned to his young guest and took the boy's face in his hands. With massive thumbs, he wiped the grime from round Artemis's eyes.
What he saw in those eyes almost buckled his knees.
'Artemis, it is you. I had begun to think. . No, no. I knew you would come back.' And then again with more belief. 'I knew it. I always knew it.'
The bodyguard wrapped Artemis in arms strong enough to break a bear's back. Artemis could have sworn he heard sobs, but when Butler released him, he was his usual stoic self.
'Sorry about the beard, and the hair, Artemis. I was blending in with the natives. How was your… eh… trip?'
Artemis felt the sting of tears in his own eyes. 'Um, eventful. If it hadn't been for Holly, we never would have made it.'
Butler studied Artemis's face. 'Something is different. My God, your eyes!'
'Oh, yes. I have one of Holly's now. It's complicated.'
Butler nodded. 'We can swap stories later. There are calls to be made.'
'Calls?' said Artemis. 'More than one?'
Butler plucked a cordless phone from its cradle. 'There are your parents of course, but I should call Minerva too.'
Artemis was surprised. Pleasantly so. 'Minerva?'
'Yes. She's been over here several times. Almost every school holiday,
in fact. We've become good friends. She's the one who started me reading fiction.'
'I see.'
Butler pointed the phone aerial at Artemis. 'It's Artemis this, and
Artemis that. She has really built you up to be something special. You're going to have to work hard not to disappoint her.'
Artemis swallowed. He had been hoping for a break, not more challenges.
'Of course she's grown up a bit, even if you haven't,' continued Butler.
'And quite the beauty. Sharp as a samurai sword too. There's a young lady who could give you a run for your money at chess.'
Then again, thought Artemis. Nothing like a challenge to keep the brain active. But that could come later.
'My parents?'
'You just missed them. They were here yesterday, for the weekend.
They stay in the local guest house whenever they can.' Butler laid a hand on Artemis's shoulder. 'These last few years. It's been terrible for them. I told them everything, Artemis. I had to.'
'Do they believe you?'
Butler shrugged. 'Some days they do. Mostly my fairy stories just add to their pain. They think I've been driven mad with guilt. And even though you're back, things will never be the same again. It would take a miracle to erase my stories, and their suffering.'
Artemis nodded slowly. A miracle. He lifted his hand. On the palm there was a slight graze from his climb over the quayside stile. Artemis concentrated and five blue sparks 376 of magic leaped from his fingertips and zeroed in on the graze, wiping it out like a cloth wiping dirt. He had more magic left than he had pretended.
'Maybe we can arrange a miracle.'
Butler was beyond further amazement. 'That's a new trick,' he said laconically.
'I picked up a little more than an eye in the time tunnel.'
'I see,' said Butler. 'Just don't do it around the twins.'
'Don't worry,' said Artemis. 'I won't.' Then his brain computed what
Butler had actually said.
