Page 9 (1/2)
Ériú; Present Day
The Berserkers lay arranged in a spiral under the rune stone, looping down, down into the earth—boots out, heads in, as the spell deround, there were no physical boots or heads There was just the plas their consciousness intact, and even that was dissipating, tainting the land, causing strange strains of plants to appear and infecting the aniression In perhaps a dozen full one utterly, and their last spark of poould flow into the earth
We are not all disappeared yet, thought Oro of the Danu, captain of the Berserkers We are ready to seize our gloriousthe humans
He sent the thought into the spiral and was proud to feel his re fairy warriors echo the sentiment
Their will is as keen as their blades once were, he thought Though we are dead and buried, the spark of bloody purpose burns bright in our souls
It was the hatred of huic of the warlock Bruin Fadda More than half of their company of warriors had already expired and been drawn to the afterlife, but still five score remained to complete their duties should they be called upon
Remember your orders, the elfin warlock had told the on their flesh Remember those who have died and the humans who murdered them
Oro did reet the sensation of stones and earth rattling across his dying skin
We will remember, he sent into the spiral Remember and return
The thought drifted down, then echoed up froer to be released from their tomb and see the sun once more
Froon, Psych Brotherhood
Artee crienius Apparently he has changed (Note to self: Harrumph)
For the past sixweekly therapy sessions at my clinic in Haven City in an atteical condition that he developed as a result of ht, silly Mud Boy)
Reeous bill to Lower Elements Police
Artemis appears to be cured, and in record time too Is this likely? Or even possible?
Discuss my theory of relativity with Arte chapter inthe S!)
Order more painkillers for my blasted hip
Issue clean bill of mental health for Artemis Final session today
Dr Argon’s office, Haven City, the Lower Elements
Arteon was late This final session was just as unnecessary as the past half dozen He was cohteen His prodigious intellect had accelerated the process, and he should not have to twiddle his thunome psychiatrist
At first Arte to be calhts; then he sat for a en booth, which he found calmed him a little too much
Oxygen booth indeed, he thought, quickly ducking out of the chamber
Finally the door hissed and slid aside on its track, adnome limped directly to his chair He dropped into the e the arently
“Aaaah,” he sighed “My hip is killinghelps, honestly People think they know pain, but they have no idea”
“You’re late,” noted Artemis in fluent Gnommish, his voice devoid of sympathy
Argon sighed blissfully again as the heated chair pad went to work on his hip “Always in a hurry, eh, Mud Boy? Why didn’t you have a puff of oxygen or meditate by the water wall? Hey-Hey Monks swear by those water walls”
“I am not a pixie priest, Doctor What Hey-Hey Monks do after first gong is of little interest to me Can we proceed with my rehabilitation? Or would you prefer to waste more of my time?”
Argon huffed a little, then swung his bulk forward, opening a siet, the nastier you are?”
Artee relaxed for the first tier, Doctor Where does it all stem from?”
“Let’s stick to your disposition, shall we, Arteoing to show you soest to you”
Artemis’s moan was extended and theatrical “Inkblots Oh, please My life span is considerably shorter than yours, Doctor I prefer not to waste valuable time on worthless pseudo-tests We may as well read tea leaves or divine the future in turkey entrails”
“Inkblot readings are a reliable indicator of on objected “Tried and tested”
“Tested by psychiatrists for psychiatrists,” snorted Artemis
Argon slapped a card down on the table “What do you see in this inkblot?”
“I see an inkblot,” said Artemis
“Yes, but what does the blot suggest to you?”
Arte fashion “I see card five hundred and thirty-four”
“Pardon me?”
“Card five hundred and thirty-four,” repeated Artemis “Of a series of six hundred standard inkblot cards Iour sessions You don’t even shuffle”
Argon checked the number on the back of the card: 534 Of course
“Knowing the number does not answer the question What do you see?”
Arte with blood Also a scared child, and an elf clothed in the skin of a troll”
“Really?” Argon was interested now
“No Not really I see a secure building, perhaps a family home, with four s A trustworthy pet, and a pathway leading from the door into the distance I think, if you check your manual, you will find that these answers fall inside healthy parameters”
Argon did not need to check The Mud Boy was right, as usual Perhaps he could blindside Arteraht earn him a little respect
“Have you heard of the theory of relativity?”
Arteh ti about relativity”
“No Not that theory; ical are related and influenced by ancient spells or ical hot spots”
Arte But I think you’ll find that your postulation should be called the theory of relatedness”
“Whatever,” said Argon, waving the quibble away “I did a little research, and it turns out that the Fowls have been a bother to fairy folk off and on for thousands of years Dozens of your ancestors have tried for the crock of gold, though you are the only one to have succeeded”
Arte “And I never knew about this because you mind-wiped my forefathers”
“Exactly,” said Argon, thrilled to have Artemis’s full attention “When he was a lad, your own father actually ine he still dreams of that moment”
“Good for hiht struck Artem
is “Why was the dwarf attracted to our estate?”
“Because the residualhappened on the Fowl Estate once So”
“And this lingering power plants ideas in the Fowls’ heads and nudges us toward a belief in ic,” Artemis murmured, almost to himself
“Exactly It’s a goblin-and-egg situation Did you think about ic ic?”
Arteical event—can you be more specific?”
Argon shrugged “Our records don’t go back that far I’d say we’re talking about back when fairies lived on the surface, o”
Arteno for the theory of relatedness, which would certainly bear soation
“Dr Argon, did you have turned-in feet as a child?”
Argon was so surprised that he blurted an honest answer to a personal question, very unusual for a psychiatrist “Yes Yes, I did”