Mulch tucked the sack inside his shirt. OK. Possible big medal and probable amnesty. Ill take it. He put one foot outside on to the flat surface of the rock. Tunnel wind sucked at his leg, threatening to tumble him into the abyss. We meet back here in twenty minutes.
Artemis handed the dwarf a small walkie-talkie from the LEP locker. Remember the plan, Artemis shouted over the roar of the wind. Dont forget to leave the communicator. Only steal what you are supposed to. Nothing else.
Nothing else, echoed Mulch, looking none too pleased. After all, who knew what valuables Opal might have lying about up there. Unless something really jumps out at me.
Nothing, insisted Artemis. Now, are you sure you can get in?
Mulchs grin revealed rows of rectangular teeth. I can get in. You just make sure their power is off and theyre looking the other way.
Butler hefted the bag of tricks he had brought with him from Fowl Manor. Dont worry, Mulch. Theyll be looking the other way. I guarantee it.
POLICE PLAZA, THE LOWER ELEMENTS
All the brass were in the operations room, watching live television updates on the probes progress when Foaly burst in.
We need to talk, blurted the centaur to the general assembly.
Quiet, hissed Council Chairman Cahartez. Have a bowl of curry.
Chairman Cahartez ran a fleet of curry vans in Haven City. Vole curry was his speciality. Obviously, he was doing the catering for this little viewing session.
Foaly ignored the buffet table. He snatched a remote control from a chair armrest, muting the master volume.
We have big trouble, ladies and gentlemen. Opal Koboi is loose and I think shes behind the Zito probe.
A high-backed swivel chair swung round. Ark Sool was lounging in it.
Opal Koboi? Amazing. And shes doing all this psychically, I suppose.
No. What are you doing in that chair? Thats the commanders chair. The real commander, not Internal Affairs.
Sool tapped the golden acorns on his lapel. Ive been promoted.
Foaly blanched. Youre the new Recon commander.
Sools smile could have illuminated a dark room. Yes. The Council felt that Recon has been getting a bit out of hand lately. They felt and I must say I agree that Recon needs a firm hand. Of course, I will stay on at Internal Affairs until a suitable replacement can be found.
Foaly scowled. There was no time for this. Not now. He had to get clearance for a supersonic launch immediately.
OK, Sool, Commander. I can lodge my objection later. Right now we have an emergency on our hands.
Everyone was listening now. But none with much enthusiasm except Wing Commander Vinyaya, who had always been a staunch supporter of Julius Root and would certainly have not voted for Sool. Vinyaya was all ears. Whats the emergency, Foaly? she asked.
Foaly slipped a computer disk into the rooms multi-drive. That thing in the Argon Clinic is not Opal Koboi, its a clone.
Evidence? demanded Sool.
Foaly highlighted a window on the screen. I scanned her retinas and found that the last image the clone saw was Opal Koboi herself. Obviously during her escape.
Sool was not convinced. Ive never trusted your gadgets, Foaly. Your Retimager is not accepted as actual evidence in a courtroom.
Were not in a courtroom, Sool, said Foaly through clenched teeth. If we accept that Opal could be loose, then the events of the past twenty-four hours take on a whole new significance. A pattern begins to emerge. Scalene is dead, pixies are missing from the clinic, Julius is murdered and Holly blamed. Then, within hours of this, a probe is sent down, decades ahead of schedule. Koboi is behind all of this. That probe is on its way here and were sitting around watching it on PPTV Eating stinking vole curry!
I object to the disparaging curry remark, said Cahartez, wounded. But otherwise I take your point.
Sool jumped from his chair. What point? Foaly is joining dots that dont exist. All he is trying to do is exonerate his late friend, Captain Short,
Holly may be alive! snapped Foaly. And trying to do something about Opal Koboi.
Sool rolled his eyes. But her vitals flatlined, centaur. We remote-destroyed her helmet. I was there, remember.
A head poked into the room, one of Foalys lab apprentices.
I got that case, sir, he panted. Quick as I could.
Well done, Roob, said Foaly, snatching the case from the apprentices hand. He spun the case around. I issued Holly and Julius with new suits. Prototypes. They both have bio-sensors and trackers. They are not linked with the LEP mainframe. I never thought to check them earlier. Hollys helmet may be out of action, but her suit is still functioning.
What do the suits sensors tell us, Foaly? asked Vinyaya.
Foaly was almost afraid to look. If the suit sensors were flatlining, it would be like losing Holly again. He counted to three, then consulted the small screen in the case. There were two readouts on the screen. One was flat. Julius. But the other was active in all areas.
Holly is alive! shouted the centaur, kissing Commander Vinyaya soundly on the cheek. Alive and reasonably well, apart from elevated blood pressure and next to zero magic in her tank.