The Heir Game

Chapter 13

    This is a kind of boring chapter but it answers some questions and so is necessary.

    This one time, Artemis deferred to Foaly. The centaur knew more about technology than even Artemis. Searching all the files for an escape plan would take decades if you did it one by one, so Foaly instructed Artemis on how to open the correct file.
    "We need to save Trouble," Holly said.
    "I am aware of that, Holly," Artemis said through gritted teeth (he had never particularly liked Trouble), "but if we don't have an escape planned than we won't be able to save ourselves."
    "I'm just saying," Holly replied stubbornly, "in case you 'forgot'"
     She applied air quotes and a fair amount of sarcasm to the word forgot.
    "I know of Trouble and my mutual dislike for each other," Artemis admitted, "That doesn't mean I want him dead."
    "I saw the email," Holly blurted. "It was more recent than anyone thought."
    Artemis froze.
    "What email?" Vinyaya was instantly on alert.
    "It's not what Holly thought it was," Butler said soothingly, "Artemis was emailing Trouble long after he shut off contact from the LEP."
    "He didn't shut off contact-" Vinyaya began.
     "He did," Artemis interrupted, "He knew that he was going into enemy territory - faerie enemy territory. He didn't want any of the People to trace his signal, just in case it was the wrong part of the People. He thought that a human might be safe and he only knew me as a human. Opal didn't know about it. I don't know why he stopped now. He made me promise not to tell you about it just in case it was for nothing, but he wanted just to be sure that someone would know when he actually disappeared, not when the LEP thought he did."
    "And you didn't inform us immediately?!?!" Vinyaya said, her grasp on the situation decreasing.
    "I helped as soon as I lost contact."
     "But you didn't tell us about it, Artemis," Holly said, and this time it was her with her teeth clenched.
    "I was afraid that you would react like you are."
    "We wouldn't have reacted like this if you had just told us!" Holly protested.
    "There is no guarantee of that-"
    "No, you know what Artemis?" Holly burst out, "The real problem is that you don't trust any of us, even after everything we've been through!!!"
    "I trust you," Artemis said defensively.
     "Just get us out of here," Holly sighed, "We'll have a talk later."
     "And no tricks," Vinyaya added.
    "It wasn't..."
     "Artemis," Holly said warningly. Artemis understood dismissal when he heard it.
    "Foaly?" He asked weakly.
     "Alright, so you," etc.
     But all through the narration, Artemis wondered if maybe, he was wrong and should have told them.
    He was almost certain he should've. But the real question now was had he lost the trust of his only true friend forever?