鈥楴o more attitude, son, scolded Butler. 鈥楤ertholt is simply trying to make conversation.
From Artemis. Butler 鈥榮 grip tightened on the leather steering wheel. Alive. The boy was alive at least.
After half a dozen mouthfuls, the sonar filaments in his hair detected a shelf of rock ahead, so he adjusted his course accordingly. The stealth shuttle would not be set down on rock because it was top of the range, and as such would have a battery rod. The rods telescoped from the belly of the ship, drilling fifty feet below the ground and recharging the shuttle鈥檚 batteries with the power of the earth. The cleanest of energies.
鈥極f course, said Artemis, enlarging part of the map. 鈥漁pal revealed a little bit more of her plan than she knew. She let two words slip, though one would have been sufficient. She said that her human name was to be Belinda Zito. Now, if you wished to lead the humans to the Fairy People, who better to have adopt you than the renowned billionaire environmentalist Giovanni Zito?
In the picture, Artemis was seated at the very desk that the laptop rested on. Bizarre. Butler clicked the PLAY triangle.
Butler nodded again. He had fought a troll not so long ago. Without a doubt the toughest battle he had ever been involved in. He couldn鈥檛 believe the LEP had managed to wipe it from his mind.
鈥楾he brushwork is unmistakable, he said, closing the box. 鈥漇trong strokes. Thick blocks of light. It鈥檚 either Herve, or a brilliant copy. I do believe we鈥檝e done it, Butler, but I can鈥檛 be sure without X-ray and paint analysis.