I dont know, Commander. Something. Anything.
It took a few minutes, but finally Holly got it. She knew immediately that she was right. Her intuition was buzzing like a swarm of bees at the base of her neck.
Look here, she said, enlarging Boohns brow. A scale blister. This goblin is shedding.
So? said Foaly grumpily.
Holly reopened Boohns exit file. Now look. No blister.
So he burst the blister. Big deal.
No. Its more than that. Going in, Boohns skin was almost grey. Now hes bright green. He even has a camouflage pattern on his back.
Foaly snorted. A lot of good camouflage is in the city.
Whats your point, Captain? asked Root, stubbing out his cigar.
Boohn shed his skin in the visitors room. So wheres the skin?
There was silence for a long moment as the others absorbed the implications of this question.
Would it work? asked Root urgently.
Foaly was almost dumbstruck. By the gods, I think it would.
The centaur pulled out a keyboard, his thick fingers flying across the Gnommish letters. A new video box appeared on the screen. In this box, another goblin was leaving the room. It looked a lot like Boohn. A lot, but not exactly. Something wasnt quite right. Foaly zoomed in on the goblins head. At high magnification it was clear that the goblins skin was ill-fitting. Patches were missing altogether, and the goblin seemed to be holding folds together across his waist.
He did it. I cant believe it.
This was all planned, said Holly. This was no opportunistic act. Boohn waits until hes shedding. Then he visits his uncle and they peel off his skin. General Scalene puts on the skin and just walks out the front door, fooling all your scanners on the way. When Boohns name shows up again, you think its a glitch. Simple, but completely ingenious.
Foaly collapsed into a specially designed office chair. This is incredible. Can goblins do that?
Are you kidding? said Root. A good goblin seamstress can peel a skin without a single tear. Thats what they make their clothes from, when they bother wearing any.
I know that. I meant, could goblins think of this all on their own? I dont think so. We need to catch Scalene and find out who planned this.
Foaly dialled a connection to the Koboi cam in the Argon Clinic. Im going to check Opal Koboi is still under. This sort of thing is just her style. A minute later, he swivelled to face Root. Nope. Still in dreamland. I dont know if thats good or bad. Id hate to have Opal back in circulation, but at least wed know what we were up against.
A thought struck Holly, draining the blood from her face.
You dont think it could be him, do you? It couldnt be Artemis Fowl?
Definitely not, said Foaly. Its not the Mud Boy. Impossible.
Root wasnt convinced. I wouldnt be throwing that word around so much if I were you. Holly, as soon as we catch Scalene, I want you to sign out a surveillance pack and spend a couple of days on the Mud Boys trail. See what hes up to. Just in case.
Yes, sir.
And you, Foaly. Im authorizing a surveillance upgrade. Whatever you need. I want to hear every call Artemis makes and read every letter he sends.
But, Julius. I supervised his mind wipe myself. It was a sweet job. I scooped out his fairy memories cleaner than a goblin sucking a snail out of its shell. If we were to turn up at Artemiss front door dancing the cancan, he still wouldnt remember us. It would take some kind of planted trigger to initiate even partial recall.
Root did not appreciate being argued with. One, dont call me Julius. Two, do what I say, horsy boy, or Ill have your budget slashed. And three, what in Fronds name is the cancan?
Foaly rolled his eyes. Forget it. Ill organize the upgrades.
Wise move, said Root, plucking a vibrating phone from his belt. He listened for several seconds, grunting affirmatives into the speaker.
Forget Fowl for the moment, he said, closing the phone. Trouble has located General Scalene. Hes in E37. Holly, youre with me. Foaly, you follow us in the tech shuttle. Apparently the general wants to talk.
Haven City was waking up for morning trade. Although to call it morning was a bit misleading, as there was only artificial light this far underground. By human standards, Haven was barely more than a village, having fewer than ten thousand inhabitants. But in fairy terms, Haven was the largest metropolis since the original Atlantis, most of which lay buried beneath a three-storey shuttle dock in the new Atlantis.
Commander Roots LEP cruiser cut through the rush-hour traffic, its magnetic field automatically shunting other vehicles out of the way into slots on the slow lane. Root and Holly sat in the back, wishing the journey away. This situation was becoming stranger by the minute. First of all, Scalene escapes, and now his locater shows up and he wants to talk to Commander Root.
What do you make of this? asked Root eventually. One of the reasons he made such a fine commander was that he respected his officers opinions.