When Mulch Diggums crept out through the torn seal a minute later, the charges were no longer on the chair. In their place was a small hand-held communicator.
The three pixies sat quietly in the stealth shuttles cockpit. One was concentrating on the transport craft that was hovering two hundred metres off their bows. The other two were concentrating on not passing wind and not thinking about not passing wind.
The transport shuttles side entrance opened and something winked in the morning light as it tumbled earthwards. Seconds later, the something exploded, rocking the stealth shuttle on its suspension bags.
The Brill brothers gasped, and Opal cuffed them both on the ear.
Opal was not worried. They were searching. Shooting in the dark, or very close to it. Maybe in thirty minutes there would be enough light to see the ship with the naked eye, but until then they were blending very nicely into the surrounding countryside, thanks to a hull made from stealth ore and cam foil. Fowl must have guessed where they were because of this chutes proximity to the probe. But all he had was an approximation. Of course, it would be delightful to blast them out of the air, but plasma bursts would light up Foalys satellite scanners and paint a bullseye on their hull.
She plucked a digi-pad and pen from the dash and scrawled a message on it.
Stay quiet and calm. Even if one of those charges hits us, it will not penetrate the hull.
Mervall took the pad. Maybe we should leave. Mud Men will be coming.
Opal wrote a response. Dear Mervall, please dont start thinking you will hurt your head. We wait until they leave. At this close range, they could actually hear our engines starting.
Another explosion rocked the stealth shuttle. Opal felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. This was ridiculous, she didnt perspire certainly not in front of the help. In five minutes, the humans would come to investigate; it was their nature. So she would wait five minutes, then try to slip past the LEP shuttle, and if she couldnt slip past, then she would blast them out of the sky and take her chances with the supersonic shuttle that would no doubt come to investigate.
More grenades dropped from the LEP craft, but they were further away now and the Shockwaves barely caused a shudder in the stealth shuttle. This went on for two or three minutes without the remotest danger to Opal or the Brills, then suddenly the transport shuttle sealed its door and peeled away, back down the chute.
Hmm, said Opal. Surprising.
Maybe they ran out of ammunition, offered Merv, though he knew that Opal would punish him for offering an opinion.
Is that what you think, Mervall? They ran out of explosives and so they decided just to let us go. Do you really imagine that to be true, you imbecilic excuse for a sentient being? Dont you have any frontal lobes?
I was just playing devils advocate, mumbled Merv weakly.
Opal rose from her seat, waving a hand at each Brill brother. Just shut up. I need to talk to myself for a minute. She paced the narrow cockpit. Whats going on here? They track us to the chute, then put on a big fireworks display, then leave. Just like that. Why? Why? She rubbed both temples with her knuckles. Think. Suddenly Opal remembered something. Last night. A shuttle was stolen in E1. We heard about it on the police band. Who stole it?
Scant shrugged. I dunno. Some dwarf. Is it important?
Thats right. A dwarf. And wasnt there a dwarf involved in the Artemis Fowl siege? And werent there rumours of that same dwarf helping Julius to break into Koboi labs?
Rumours. No actual evidence.
Opal turned on Scant. Maybe thats because, unlike you, this dwarf is smart. Maybe he doesnt want to be caught. The pixie took a moment to join the dots. So they have a dwarf burglar, a shuttle and explosives. Short must know that those pathetic grenades cant penetrate our hull, so why drop them? Unless
The truth hit her like a physical blow in the stomach.
Oh no, she gasped. Distraction. We sat here like fools, watching the pretty lights. And all the time
She heaved Scant aside and rushed past him to the lounge.
The charges, she shrieked. Where are they?
Scant went straight to the chair. Dont worry, Miss Koboi, theyre right He stopped, the sentences final word stuck in his throat. I, ah, they were right there. In the chair.
Opal picked up the small hand-held radio. Theyre toying with me. Tell me you put the back-up somewhere safe.
No, said Scant miserably. They were together.
Merv pushed past him into the cargo bay. The engine compartment is open. He stuck his head through the hatch. His voice wafted up, muffled by the floor panels. The battery rod seal has been ripped apart. And there are footprints. Someone came in through here.
Opal threw back her head and screamed. She held it for a long time for such a small individual. Finally her breath ran out.
Follow the shuttle, she gasped, when her wind returned. I modified those charges myself and they cannot be disarmed. We can still detonate. At the very least we will destroy my enemies.
Yes, Miss Koboi, said Merv and Scant together.