I Could Smell The Roses

C Cubes And An Artemis Idea

The next day I wake with a more optimistic look at Artemis condition. He isn't changing that much, I think. But then I think a little more and wonder. Is there a way to improve Artemis the second time round. Could I make him a better person than he is already. And for the first time, I look back on our progress with memories and I find that he is a better person. More open. More kind. He smiles more. That's very important. And I smile. This is going to better. My mood seems to affect Artemis' and we talk more openly at breakfast. We agree to do the business today at home. And so Artemis and I have an open morning with each other. I decide to start my quest to make Artemis a better person as soon as possible. So I sit down with him and ask him more personal questions like what his favourite colour was, things I didn't get to ask him last time we went through this bit because we were always too busy fighting the bad guys. Before I ease the conversation in to Artemis and I's third adventure, I hesitate.
"Artemis, do you know what that thing we saw in the alley is?" Artemis closes his eyes and steeples his fingers.
"Not for sure," He admits,
"It could honestly be anything, from a troll to a huge gnome to a robot. There are lots of possibilities. But the growling noise is unique. I've never heard anything like it. I'm guessing it's an undiscovered species of faries, or at least a lost one." I frown,
"Artemis, there's only seven types of faries. You know that." Artemis shrugs.
"Whatever, as people nowadays say. I will not try to convince of anything unless I am sure what it is." I nod and then put a stop to that particular part of the conversation and ease it into C Cube territory. I pause before I start. If I regain Artemis' memories up till now, will he still be affected by the mind wipe? Artemis reads my face easily.
"Don't worry about the mind wipe. I've convinced myself to trust you, even after mind wipe." I don't ask Artemis how he did that, or we could be here all day, so instead I launch into a detailed account of our 'C Cube' adventure. How Butler almost died. This time, I don't get too far into the story. As soon as I mention "Kelvar", Artemis has his usual seizure, before slumping into the seat, unconscious. I don't remember that happening before. So all I do is drag him to his bed and lay him down and tiptoe out the room, as not to wake him. He needs the sleep. I open a computer and the virtual keyboard pops out in front of me. I set about looking up what we saw in that street yesterday, then I start writing Artemis' health report.
Artemis Fowl II Health Report
Memory recollection Stage 3
Complete
Witness
Holly Short
Complications
None, except unconsciousness after regained memory.
Remarks
Seems as bright as usual, things going well.
----
I'm snapped out of my thoughts by a slight cough behind me. I instinctively leap forwards and my hand goes to an empty gun pocket. Artemis looks astonished.
"Don't scare me like that." I growl, before realising I sound threatening.
"Sorry." Mummers Artemis, but he looks more alert, and a light twinkles in his cold eyes.
"You've got an idea." I guess, trying to put my attack on him behind us. The whole mission depends on our cooperation. Artemis apparently agrees, because he says,
"Just the beginning. I can't tell you anything till I'm ready to present it."
"Come to bounce ideas off me?"
"No actually, I just wanted a glass of water." I get Artemis his drink and we sit down at the table.
"Okay," I say in an attempt to sound brisk and business like.
"This is what I found out. The thing we might have seen in the alley is three possibilities. Number one, the obvious one, is that it could be a rogue troll. There is one on the loose at the moment, and there's a high probability rate of that. The next option is an LEP robot, I've asked Foaly, he's currently testing three new robots around the same size and shape, and he's going to check if there was any one tested in that urban area." Artemis chuckles.
"You never cease to amaze me."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Hmmm." I say suspiciously. Artemis tries to distract me.
"I would often agree with the reasons of options one and two, but the sound it made...that was unlike any other sound I've heard and sounds like it mixed several noises together. I think our unknown assailant is more like an animal, yet smarter than a troll. A troll would of attacked." I agreed.
"The last option is something a bit more mythical." Artemis' ears pricked up,
"It is a mythical 8th fairy type, the werewolf. Said to have gone killed off and gone extinct due to its blood lust a couple centuries ago. A few sightings, but not enough to make an appeal to the council." Artemis stood and paced the room.
"The third option fascinates me. The evidence fits: it's a more animal like creature, the growl sounded part bear, it's relatively smart. But my instincts tell me to ignore it." I frown,
"Isn't it a policy of yours to trust your instincts?" Artemis wagged a finger.
"As Hercule Poirot would say, there is no such thing as instincts, only experiance. I don't have experience in this area. No, I rather think that this creature has a particular skill, a certain charisma that makes people want to ignore it. This fits with the werewolf theory." I nod. His reasoning is very impressive. All to be expected from a child genius. Artemis stands and delivers his conclusion.
"I am maybe 90% sure we are dealing with a werewolf here, but there is not enough evidence to prove it to a jury. We need to gather some evidence." I go up to Artemis a look him in the eye.
"This better not be the start of another adventure." Artemis frowned.
"Why? To my memory, you mostly enjoyed our adventures, despite the heart stopping moments." I put the bittersweet joke to one side and grab the front of his shirt.
"Not an adventure, not now. I've almost had enough adventures for a lifetime. Last time this happened...you...died. It took six months and a whole load of law breaking to even get your clone ready. I'm spending my recon time helping you get back to what you used to be. And I don't want to lose you again."
"Why." The word that rushes into my mind was 'like', but I push that aside.
"Because you ended up being a real asset to society." And like that, I drop his shirt and go to my room, holding back tears till I get to my bed.