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“I abandoned French vocabulary and have joined the twins in play” He grinned and wiped his hands “It’s quite liberating, actually We are finger painting instead I did try to sneak in a little lecture on cubis for my troubles”

Artemis noticed then that his father was more than simply tired He was anxious

He stepped away from the twins and walked with Arte bookcase

“What is the ?”

Arte ladder and lifted his weight froe, and one that Arte

He realized his father was more than anxious Artemis Fowl Senior was afraid

“Father?”

Arte with such force that the wood creaked He opened his e his mind

Now Artereorried “Father, you must tell me”

“Of course,” said his father with a start, as if just re where he was “I must tell you”

A tear fell fro the blue

“I remember when I first saw your mother,” he said “I was in London, at a private party in The Ivy A rooest one in the bunch She changed eline saved my life Now”

Artemis felt ith nerves His blood pounded in his ears like the Atlantic surf

“Is Mother dying, Father? Is this what you are trying to tell me?”

The idea seemed ludicrous Impossible

His father blinked as if waking from a dream

“Not if the Fowlto say about it, eh, son? It’s time for you to earn that reputation of yours” Arteht with desperation “Whatever we have to do, son Whatever it takes”

Arte up inside him

Whatever we have to do?

Be calm, he told himself You have the power to fix this

Artemis did not yet have all the facts, but nonetheless he was reasonably confident that whatever rong with his ic And he was the only huh his system

“Father,” he said gently “Has the doctor left?”

For a moment the question seemed to puzzle Artemis Senior; then he reht talk to him Just in case there’s a question I may have missed”

Artemis was onlyexpert on rare diseases, in the lobby, and not the usual family practitioner Naturally his father would have sent for Schalke when Angeline Fowl’s condition began to deteriorate Schalke waited below the filigreed Fowl crest, a hard-skinned Gladstone bag standing sentry by his ankles like a giant beetle He was belting a gray raincoat across his waist and speaking to his assistant in sharp tones

Everything about the doctor was sharp, froes of his cheekbones and nose Twin ovals of cut glass nified Schalke’s blue eyes, and hisas he talked

“All of the symptoms,” he said, his accent muted German, “on all of the databases, you understand?”

His assistant, a petite young lady in an expensively cut gray suit, nodded several ti the instructions onto the screen of her smartphone

“Universities too?” she asked

“All,” said Schalke, acco the ith an impatient nod “Did I not say all? Do you not understand ?”

“Sorry, Doctor,”the assistant said contritely“All, of course”

Artemis approached Dr Schalke, hand outstretched The doctor did not return the gesture

“Contay or sympathy “We have not deterious”

Arte the hand behind his back The doctor was right, of course

“We have never ood as to describe my mother’s symptoms?”

The doctor huffed, irritated “Very well, youngwith children, so there will be no sugarcoating”

Artemis sed, his throat suddenly dry

Sugarcoating

“Your mother’s condition is possibly unique,” said Schalke, banishing his assistant to her ith a shake of his fingers“From what I c

an tell, her organs see”

“Which organs?”

“All of the equipe Obviously your en, Miss Book, will monitor her until my return Miss Book is not only my publicist but an excellent nurse A useful combination, wouldn’t you say?”

In his peripheral vision, Arte into her smartphone He hoped the publicist/nurse would displayfor his mother

“I suppose All ans? All of them?”

Schalke was not inclined to repeat hiressive, coes of Lyme disease I did observe an Amazonian tribe once with similar symptoms, but not so severe At this rate of decline, your mother has days left to her Frankly, I doubt ill have time to complete tests We need a miracle cure, and in my considerable experience, miracle cures do not exist”

“Perhaps they do,” said Artemis absently

Schalke picked up his bag “Put your faith in science, young man,” advised the doctor “Science will serve your mother better than some mysterious force”

Arte hie Mercedes-Benz The car was gray, like the bruised clouds overhead

There is no tiic is my only option

When Arte with Beckett crawling along his torso like a monkey

“May I see Mother now?” Artemis asked him

“Yes,” said Artemis Senior “Go now, see what you can find out Study her symptoms for your search”

My search, thought Artemis There are difficult times ahead

Arteuard, Butler, waited for hi full kendo aruard folded away from his weathered features

“I was in the dojo, sparring with the holograph,” he explained “Your father called and toldon?”