No1 twisted his head to catch a glimpse of the lifts. Artemis, Butler and Minerva were two steps away from the doors.

'Don't look at them. They can't help you. n.o.body can help you.'

Kong clicked his fingers, and a muscular man joined them at the table. He was hefting a large metal suitcase.

'In case you're wondering, this is a bomb. You know what a bomb is, don't you?'

'Bomb,' said No1. 'Explosive. Incendiary device.' His eyes widened. 'But that could hurt someone. A lot of some-ones.'

'Exactly. Not humans though. Demons. I am going to strap this on to you, set the timer, then send you back to your island. The blast should at the very least put a big dent in the demon population. You won't be crossing over here for your little night-time hunts for quite a while.'

'I won't do it,' said No1, actually stamping his foot.

Kong laughed. 'Are you sure you're a demon? From what I hear, the last one was more... demonic.'

'I am a demon. A warlock demon.'

Kong leaned close enough for No1 to smell his citrus aftershave. 'Well, little Mister Warlock, maybe you can turn this bomb into a bunch of flowers, but I doubt it.'

'I don't have to do anything, because you can't make me go back to Hybras.'

Kong took a set of handcuffs from his pocket. 'On the contrary. I know exactly what to do. I picked up a thing or two in the chateau. All we have to do is dig that silver slug out of your leg, and Hybras will suck you home.'

No1 glanced again towards the lift. The doors were closing on his new friends.

'You mean this silver slug?' he asked, showing Kong what had been concealed in his hand.

'He took it out,' breathed Billy Kong. 'Fowl took out the slug.'

'Took it out,' agreed No1. 'Extracted. Removed.'

Then he dropped the silver nugget and disappeared.

Holly had been crouched on the ma.s.s damper watching events unfold. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Minerva had reached Artemis, and Butler had hustled them both to the lift. At the other end of the bar, Billy Kong was doing his whole grinning psycho bit. When this was all over, that Mud Man would have to be mind-wiped. There would be quite a few loose ends to clear up, actually. Not by her, though she was not LEP any more. After this she would be lucky to be Section Eight.

Holly tapped a b.u.t.ton on her wrist computer, zooming in on No1. The imp raised his left hand. The signal. This was it. Time to test theories. It was either h.e.l.lo again or goodbye forever.

Artemis's plan was a risky one because his calculations were theoretical, but it was the only chance to save the demon island. And Artemis had been right so far. If Holly had to rely on someone's theories, she would prefer those theories to be Artemis Fowl's.

As Holly watched No1 drop the silver slug and disappear, she could not resist snapping a photo of Kong's face with her helmet camera. His reaction was priceless. They would have a good laugh over that later.

Then she activated her wings, rising above the giant silver ball, watching for signs.

Seconds later, a faint blue electrical rectangle began spinning at the silver ball's crown, exactly where Artemis had known it would. No1 was coming back. Just as Artemis had predicted.

Such a large ma.s.s of silver within three metres should interrupt No1's journey home. It should cause a momentary materialization at the summit, where the damper's energy field is most concentrated. You, Holly, have to be there to make sure this momentary materialization becomes more permanent.

On the ma.s.s damper, No1's shape was visible inside the glowing rectangle. He seemed a little confused, as though half asleep. One arm snaked through into this world, grasping at reality. It was enough for Holly. She darted down and clamped a silver bracelet round No1's grey wrist. The ghostly fingers wiggled, then solidified. Solidity sped along No1's arm like grey paint, rescuing him from Limbo. In seconds, where there had only been s.p.a.ce, now crouched a shivering creature.

'Did I go?' asked the little imp. 'Am I back?'

'Yes and yes,' said Holly. 'Now stay quiet and still. We have to get you out of here.'

The ma.s.s damper swung slowly, dissipating the wind power buffeting Taipei 101. Holly leaned into the sway, grabbed hold of No1 and took off vertically, careful to keep her cargo shielded by the seven-hundred-tonne silver ball.

The next floor up was another observation floor, but it was closed for decoration. A single workman was slicing carpet for a corner section, and he did not seem surprised to see a muumuu-clad imp come sailing over the railing.

'Hey,' he said. 'It's an imp in a muumuu. You know something, imp?'

No1 landed on the floor with a thump. 'No,' he said cautiously. 'Tell me something.'

'I am not a bit surprised to see you,' said the man. 'In fact, you are so unremarkable that I am going to forget all about you as soon as you've gone.'

No1 picked himself up, straightening his bonnet. 'You've had a talk with him, I see.'

Holly switched off her shield, speckling into view. 'I gave him a blast of the mesmer mesmer.' She peered over the railing down into the restaurant. 'Come here, Number One. You'll enjoy this.'

No1 placed his fingers against the gla.s.s. Kong and his cronies were creating chaos below, blundering towards the lifts. Kong was particularly perturbed, barging tourists from his path and overturning tables.

'We probably don't have time for this,' said No1.

'Probably not,' agreed Holly. Neither fairy moved.

'Hey, look,' said the workman. 'Another fairy. How utterly unremarkable.'

Only when the Toshiba lift doors had closed behind Billy Kong and his crew did Holly turn to leave.

'Where to now?' asked No1, wiping a happy-tear from his eye.

'Now, we go to stage two,' replied Holly, calling the lift. 'Time to save Hybras.'

'Never a dull moment,' said No1, scurrying into the metal box. 'Hey, my first cliche.'

Artemis and Butler had watched Minerva cross the restaurant towards them. She bore herself with considerable courage under the circ.u.mstances. Her chin was up and she had a determined look in her eye.

'Butler, can I ask you something?' said Artemis.

Butler was trying to keep an eye on every single person in the restaurant.

'I'm a little busy at the moment, Artemis.'

'Nothing taxing. Just a "yes" or "no" answer. Is it normal, during p.u.b.erty, to feel these blasted feelings of attraction at stressful times? During a ransom drop, for instance.'

'She's pretty, isn't she?'

'Extremely. And funny too remember that quark joke?'

'I do. We must have a talk about jokes someday. Perhaps Minerva could sit in. And in response to your question, it is is normal. The more stressful the situation, the more your body pumps out the hormones.' normal. The more stressful the situation, the more your body pumps out the hormones.'

'Good. Normal then. Back to business.'

Minerva didn't rush. She picked her way around tourists and tables as she walked steadily towards them.

When she drew level, Butler placed a guiding and protective hand on her back.

'Get kidnapped every day, do you?' he growled, steering her to the lift.

Artemis followed, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure they were not being pursued. Kong was not even looking at them, so happy was he with his prize.

The lift opened and the trio stepped inside. On the lift wall, the floor light was rapidly winking downwards.

Artemis held out his hand to Minerva. 'Artemis Fowl the Second. Pleased to meet you finally.'

Minerva shook the hand warmly. 'Minerva Paradizo. Likewise. You gave up your demon for me. I do appreciate it.' She blushed slightly.

The lift slowed to a smooth stop, and the steel doors slid open with barely a hiss.

Minerva peeked out. 'This is not the lobby. Why aren't we leaving?'

Artemis stepped out on to the fortieth floor. 'Our work here is not finished. I need to get our demon back and it's about time you knew what you almost went up against.'

CHAPTER 12: HEART OF STONE.

TAIPEI 101, F 101, FORTIETH F FLOOR, KIMSICHIOG G GALLERY.

ARTEMIS strode through the Kimsichiog Gallery lobby, flanked by Butler and Minerva. strode through the Kimsichiog Gallery lobby, flanked by Butler and Minerva.

'We're in an art gallery,' said Minerva. 'Do we really have time for art?'

Artemis halted, surprised. 'There's always time for art,' he said. 'But we're here for a very special piece of art.'

'Which is?'

Artemis pointed at painted silk banners hanging at regular intervals from the ceiling. Each banner was emblazoned with a single dramatic spiralling rune.

'I follow what is happening in the art world. This exhibition is of particular interest to me. The centrepiece is the remains of a fantastic sculpture. A semicircle of strange dancing creatures. Maybe ten thousand years old. Believed to have been found off the sh.o.r.e of Ireland, and yet here it is, in Taiwan, being exhibited by an American oil company.'

'Artemis, why are we here? I need to get home to my father.'

'Don't you recognize the rune? Haven't you seen it somewhere?'

Minerva remembered immediately. 'Mais oui! Certainement. It is the rune from the demon's forehead. The very same.'

Artemis snapped his fingers and continued walking.

'Exactly. When I met Number One, I knew his markings were familiar. It took me a while to remember where I had seen them before, but once I knew, then it occurred to me that maybe this sculpture was not a sculpture at all.'

Minerva's brain raced ahead. 'It was the ring of warlocks. From the original time spell.'

'Precisely. What if they were not blasted into s.p.a.ce. What if one of them had the quick thinking to use the gargoyle's touch, to turn them all to stone.'

'And if Number One is a warlock, then he is the only one who can reanimate them.'

'Very good, Minerva. You catch on quickly. Young, quick and arrogant. You remind me of someone. Who could that be?'

'Beats me,' said Butler, rolling his eyes.

'But how did you set this up?' the French girl wondered. 'The meeting site was Kong's idea. I heard him on the phone.'

Artemis smiled at his own cleverness. 'While he was thinking about it, I said, "I'll be wearing a burgundy tie tie. Pay Pay attention to that. There are attention to that. There are a hundred and one a hundred and one ways this could go wrong. If it does, the police could ways this could go wrong. If it does, the police could tie one tie one of us up for a long time." Do you see?' of us up for a long time." Do you see?'

Minerva plucked at a curl thoughtfully. 'Mon Dieu! You used the power of suggestion. Tie pay. A hundred and one. Tie one.' You used the power of suggestion. Tie pay. A hundred and one. Tie one.'

'Or what Kong's subconscious heard: "Taipei 101. Taiwan."'

'Brilliant, Artemis. Extraordinary. And coming from me, that means something.'

'It was brilliant,' said Artemis, with characteristic lack of modesty. 'Allied to the fact that Kong's second home is Taiwan, I was reasonably confident that it would work.'

There was a harried-looking man at the gallery's reception desk. He was dressed in a neon blue suit, and his head was completely shaven, except for a spiral of stubble in the shape of No1's rune. He spoke in rapid Taiwanese into a Bluetooth headset clipped to his ear.

'No, no. Salmon is not good enough. Squid and lobster are what we ordered. You have them here by eight o'clock, or I will come down there, slice you up and serve you as sushi instead.'

'Trouble with the caterers?' said Artemis pleasantly in Taiwanese, when the man had disconnected.

'Yes,' replied the man. 'The exhibition is opening tonight and...'

The man stopped because he had looked up to see who he was talking to and spotted Butler.

'Well, wow. Big. I mean h.e.l.lo. I am Mister Lin, the curator here. Can I help you?'

'We were hoping for a private preview of the exhibition,' said Artemis. 'Specifically, the dancing figures.'

Mister Lin was so surprised he could do little more than bl.u.s.ter. 'What? A what? Private? No, no, no. Impossible, out of the question. This is important art. Look at my head. Look! I don't just do this for any old exhibition.'

'I realize that, but my friend here, the large one, would be extremely happy if you could let us in for a minute.'

Mister Lin opened his mouth to answer, but something down the hall caught his attention.

'What is that? Is that a muumuu?'