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PROLOGUE

Murmansk, Northern Russia; Two Years Before

The two Russians huddled around a fla barrel in a futile attempt to ward off the Arctic chill The Gulf of Kola was not a place you wanted to be after September, especially not Murmansk In Murmansk, even the polar bears wore scarves Nowhere was colder, except perhaps Norilsk

Thetheir evenings inside stolen BMWs The large gangster, Mikhael Vassikin, checked the fake Rolex beneath the sleeve of his fur coat

“This thing could freeze up,” he said, checking the diving bezel “What a to do with it then?”

“Stop your co,” said the one called Kamar “It’s your fault we’re stuck outside in the first place”

Vassikin paused “Pardon me?”

“Our orders were sio bay It was a big enough ship, heaven knows Blow the cargo bay, and down she goes But no, the great Vassikin hits the stern Not even a backup rocket to finish the job So noe have to search for survivors”

“She sank, didn’t she?”

Kaed “So what? She sank slowly, plenty of ti Vassikin the farandmother could shoot better”

Lyubkhin, the Mafiya’s man on the docks, approached before the discussion could develop into an all-out brawl

“How are things?” asked the bearlike Yakut

Vassikin spat over the quay wall “How do you think? Did you find anything?”

“Dead fish and broken crates,” said the Yakut, offering both enforcers a steaht hours now I have goodall the way down to Green Cape”

Kaust

“What is this stuff? Pitch?”

Lyubkhin laughed “Hot cola Froht we are truly on the bay of Kola”

“Be warned,” said Vassikin, spilling the liquid into the snow “This weather is souring h that I have to listen to Kamar”

“Not for er,” muttered his partner “Onecould survive these waters for eight hours”

Vassikin held out his eer? I know you always keep a flask hidden somewhere”

Lyubkhin reached for his hip pocket, but stopped when the walkie-talkie on his belt began to emit static Three short bursts

“Three squawks That’s the signal”

“The signal for what?”

Lyubkhin hurried down the docks, shouting back over his shoulder

“Three squawks on the radio It means that the K9 unit has found someone”

The survivor was not Russian, thatfrom the Gore-Tex boots to the leather overcoat had obviously been purchased in western Europe, perhaps even Ahest-quality material

Though the man’s clothes were relatively intact, his body had not fared so well His bare hands werehad been snapped below the knee, and his face was a horrific mask of burns

The search crew had carried him from a ravine three klicks south of the harbor on a makeshift tarpaulin stretcher Thet

heir feet against the cold that invaded their boots Vassikin elbowed his way through the gathering, kneeling for a closer look

“He’ll lose the leg for sure,” he noted “A couple of fingers, too The face doesn’t look too good either”

“Thank you, Dr Mikhael,” commented Kamar dryly “Any ID?”

Vassikin conducted a quick thief’s search Wallet and watch

“Nothing That’s odd You’d think a rich man like this would have some personal effects, wouldn’t you?”

Kamar nodded “Yes I would”

He turned to the circle of men “Ten seconds, then there’ll be trouble Keep the currency, I need everything else”

The sailors considered it The anized-crime syndicate

A leather wallet sailed over the crowd, skidding into a dip in the tarpaulin Moraph Gold with diaes

“Wise decision,” said Ka up the treasure trove

“Well?” asked Vassikin “Do we keep him?”

Kamar pulled a platinu the name

“Oh, we keep hi his cell phone “We keep him, and put some blankets over him

The way our luck’s going, he’ll catch pneu to happen to thistime”

Ka excited This was completely out of character for hi? Who is this guy?” Ka Britva Who do you think I’erous

Britva ell known for shooting the bearers of bad news “It’s good news, right? You’re calling with good news?” Kamar flipped the Visa at his partner “Read that” Vassikin studied the card for several liiskii What does it say? What’s the name?” Kamar told him A slow smile spread across Mikhael’s face “Make the call,” he said

CHAPTER 1

FAMILY TIES

The loss of her husband had had a profound effect on Angeline Fowl She had retreated to her rooe in herdreams of the past to real life It is doubtful that she would have recovered had not her son, Artemis the Second, done a deal with the elf Holly Short: his old he had stolen from the fairy police His mother safely restored, Arte his father, investing large chunks of the faence, and Internet search companies

Young Arteuile But with the recovery of his ly difficult for hienious schemes, schemes that were ever more necessary to fund the search for his father

Angeline, distraught over her son’s obsession and afraid of the effects of the past year on Artened her thirteen-year-old up for treatment with the school counselor

You have to feel sorry for him The counselor, that is

Saint Bartleby’s School for Young Gentlemen, County Wicklow, Ireland; Present Day

Dr Po leaned back in his padded are in front of him

“Now, Master Fowl, let’s talk, shall we?”

Arte his dark hair back from a wide, pale brow When would people learn that a mind such as his could not be dissected? He hiy textbooks than the counselor He had even contributed an article to The Psychologists’Journal, under the pseudonym Dr F Roy Dean Schlippe

“Certainly, Doctor Let’s talk about your chair Victorian?”

Po rubbed the leather ar of a farandfather acquired it at auction in Sotheby’s Apparently it once stood in the palace The Queen’s favorite”

A taut smile stretched Artemis’s lips perhaps half an inch

“Really, Doctor They don’t generally allow fakes in the palace”

Po’s grip stretched the worn leather “Fake? I assure you, Master Fowl, this is completely authentic”