COMMANDER Root was sucking on a particularly noxious2 fungus3 cigar. Several of the Retrieval Squad4 had nearly passed out in the shuttle. Even the pong from the manacled troll seemed mild in comparison. Of course, no one said anything, their boss being touchier5 than a septic bum6 boil.
Foaly, on the other hand, delighted in antagonizing his superior. 'None of your rancid stogies in here, Commander!' he brayed7, the moment Root made it back to Ops. 'The computers don't like smoke!'
Root scowled9, certain that Foaly was making this up. Nevertheless, the commander was not prepared to risk a computer crash in the middle of an alert and so doused10 his cigar in the coffee cup of a passing gremlin.
'Now, Foaly, what's this so-called alert? And it better be good this time!'
The centaur11 had a tendency to go completely hyper over trivialities. He'd once gone to Defcon Two because his human satellite stations were out.
'It's good all right,' Foaly assured him. 'Or should I say bad? Very bad.'
Root felt the ulcer12 in his gut13 begin to bubble like a volcano.
'How bad?'
Foaly punched up Ireland on the Eurosat. 'We lost contact with Captain Short.'
'Why am I not surprised?' groaned14 Root, burying his face in his hands.
'We had her all the way over the Alps.'
'The Alps? She took a land route?'
Foaly nodded. 'Against regulations, I know. But everyone does it.'
The commander agreed grudgingly15. Who could resist a view like that? As a rookie, he'd been placed on report himself for that exact offence.
'OK. Move on. When did we lose her?'
Foaly opened a VT box on the screen.
'This is the feed from Holly16's helmet unit. Here we are over Disneyland Paris
The centaur pressed the fast-forward.
'Now dolphins, blah blah blah. The Irish coastline. Still no worries. Look, her locator comes into shot. Captain Short is scanning for magic hotspots. Site fifty-seven shows up red, so she heads for that one.'
'Why not Tara?'
Foaly snorted. 'Tara? Every fairy hippie in the northern hemisphere will be dancing around the Lia Fáil at the full moon. There'll be so many shields on, it'll look like the whole place is under water.'
'Fine,' grunted19 Root through gritted20 teeth. 'Just get on with it, will you.'
'All right. Don't get your ears in a knot.' Foaly skipped several minutes of tape. 'Now. Here's the interesting bit ... Nice smooth landing, hangs up the wings. Holly takes off the helmet.'
'Against regulations,' interjected Root. 'LEP officers must never remove -'
'LEP officers must never remove their headgear above ground, unless said headgear is defective,' completed Foaly. 'Yes, Commander, we all know what the handbook says. But are you trying to tell me that you never sneaked21 a breath of air after a few hours in the sky?'
'No,' admitted Root. 'What are you? Her fairy godmother or something? Get to the important bit!'
Foaly smirked22 behind his hand. Driving up Root's blood pressure was one of the few perks23 of the job. No one else would dare to do it. That was because everybody else was replaceable. Not Foaly. He'd built the system from scratch and if anyone else even tried to boot it up, a hidden virus would bring it crashing about their pointy ears.
'The important bit. Here we are. Look. Suddenly Holly drops the helmet. It must land lens down because we lose picture. We've still got sound though, so I'll bring that up.'
Foaly boosted the audio signal, filtering out background noise.
'Not great quality. The mike is in the camera. So that was nose down in the dirt too.'
'Nice pea-shooter,' said a voice. Definitely human. Deep too. That usually meant big.
Root raised an eyebrow24. 'Pea-shooter?'
'Slang for gun.'
'Oh.' Then the importance of that simple statement struck him. 'She drew her weapon.'
'Just wait. It gets worse.'
'I don't suppose you would consider peaceful surrender?' said a second voice. Just listening to it gave the commander shivers. 'No,' continued the voice. 'I suppose not.'
'This is bad,' said Root, his face uncharacteristically pale. 'This feels like a set-up. These two goons were waiting. How is that possible?'
Holly's voice came through the speaker then, typically brazen25 in the face of danger. The commander sighed. At least she was alive. It was more bad news though as the parties exchanged threats, and the second human displayed an uncommon26 knowledge of fairy affairs.
'He knows about the Ritual!'
'Here's the worst bit.'
Root's jaw27 dropped. 'The worst bit?'
Holly's voice again. This time layered with the mesmer.
'Now she has them,' crowed Root.
But apparently28 not. Not only did the mesmer prove ineffective, but the mysterious pair seemed to find it amusing.
'That's all there is from Holly,' noted29 Foaly. 'One of the Mud People messes around with the camera for a bit and then we lose everything.'
Root rubbed the creases30 between his eyes. 'Not much to go on. No visual, not even a name. We can't really be a hundred per cent sure that we have a situation.'
'You want proof?' asked Foaly, rewinding the tape. 'I'll give you proof.'
He ran the available video.
'Now watch this. I'm going to slow it right down. One frame per second.'
Root leaned in close to the screen, close enough to see the pixels.
'Captain Short comes in for a landing. She takes off her helmet. Bends down, presumably to pick up an acorn31, and ... there!'
Foaly jabbed the pause button, freezing the picture completely. 'See anything unusual?'
The commander felt his ulcer churn into overdrive. Something had appeared in the top right-hand corner of the frame. At first glance it seemed like a shaft33 of light, but light from what or reflected from what?
'Can you blow that up?'
'No problem.'
Foaly cut to the relevant area, increasing it by 400 per cent. The light expanded to fill the screen.
'Oh no,' breathed Root.
There on the monitor before them, in frozen suspension, was a hypodermic dart34. There could be no doubt. Captain Holly Short was missing in action. Most probably dead, but at the very least held captive by a hostile force.
'Tell me we still have the locator.'
'Yep. Strong signal. Moving north at about eighty klicks an hour.'
Root was silent for a moment, formulating35 his strategy.
'Go to full alert, and get Retrieval out of their bunks36 and back down here. Prep them for a surface shot. I want full tactical and a couple of techies.You too, Foaly. We may have to stop time on this one.'
'Ten four, Commander. You want Recon in on this?'
Root nodded. 'You bet.'
'I'll call in Captain Vein37. He's our number one.'
'Oh no,' said Root. 'For a job like this, we need our very best. And that's me. I'm reactivating myself.'
Foaly was so amazed, he couldn't even formulate39 a smart comment.
'You're ...You're ...'
'Yes, Foaly. Don't act so surprised. I have more successful recons under my belt than any officer in history. Plus I did my basic training in Ireland. Back in the top hat and shillelagh days.'
'Yes, but that was five hundred years ago, and you were no spring bud then, not to put too fine a point on it.'
Root smiled dangerously. 'Don't worry, Foaly. I'm still running red hot. And I'll make up for my age with a really big gun. Now get a pod ready. I'm leaving on the next flare40.'
Foaly did what he was told without a single quip. When the commander got that glint in his eyes, you hopped41 to and kept your mouth shut. But there was another reason for Foaly's silent compliance42. It had just hit him that Holly could be in real trouble. Centaurs43 don't make many friends and Foaly was worried he might lose one of the few he had.
Artemis had anticipated some technological44 advances, but nothing like the treasure trove45 of fairy hardware spread out on the four-wheel drive's dashboard.
'Impressive,' he murmured. 'We could abort46 this mission right now and still make a fortune in patents.'
Artemis ran a hand-held scanner bar over the unconscious elf's wristband. He then fed the fairy characters into his PowerBook translator.
'This is a locator of some kind. No doubt this leprechaun's comrades are tracking us right now.'
Butler swallowed. 'Right now, sir?'
'It would seem so. Or at any rate they're tracking the locator -'
Artemis stopped speaking suddenly, his eyes losing focus as the electricity in his cranium sparked off another brainwave.
'Butler?'
The manservant felt his pulse quicken. He knew that tone. Something was afoot.
'Yes, Artemis?'
'That Japanese whaler. The one seized by the port authorities. Is she still tied up at the docks?'
Butler nodded. 'Yes, I believe so.'
Artemis twirled the locator's band around his index finger.
'Good. Take us down there. I believe it's time to let our diminutive48 friends know exactly who they're dealing49 with.'
Root rubber-stamped his own reactivation with remarkable50 speed - very unusual for LEP upper management. Generally it took months, and several mind-crushingly dull meetings, to approve any application to the Recon Squad. Luckily, Root had a bit of influence with the commander.
It felt good to be back in a field uniform and Root even managed to convince himself that the jumpsuit was no tighter around the middle than it used to be. The bulge51, he rationalized, was caused by all the new equipment they jammed into these things. Personally, Root had no time for gadgetry52. The only items the commander was interested in were the wings on his back and the multiphase, water-cooled, tri-barrelled blaster strapped53 to his hip17 the most powerful production handgun under the world. Old, to be sure, but it had seen Root through a dozen fire fights and it made him feel like a field officer again.
The nearest chute to Holly's position was E1:Tara. Not exactly an ideal location for a stealth mission, but with barely two hours of moon time left there was no time for an overground jaunt54. If there was to be any chance of sorting out this mess before sunrise, speed was of the essence. He commandeered the El shuttle for his team, bumping a tour group who had apparently been queuing for two years.
'Tough nuggets,' Root growled55 at the holiday rep. 'And what's more, I'm shutting down all non-essential flights until the present crisis is past.'
'And when might that be?' squeaked56 the irate57 gnome58, brandishing59 a notebook as though she were prepared to make a complaint of some kind.
Root spat60 out the butt32 of his cigar, squashing it comprehensively beneath his boot heel. The symbolism was all too obvious.
'The chutes will be opened, madam, when I feel like it,' growled the commander. 'And if you and your fluorescent61 uniform don't get out of my way, I'll yank your operating licence and have you thrown into the cells for obstructing62 an LEP officer.'
The holiday rep wilted63 before him and slunk back into line, wishing her uniform wasn't quite so pink.
Foaly was waiting at the pod. Serious though the moment was, he couldn't resist an amused whinny at the sight of Root's belly64 wobbling ever so slightly in his clinging jumpsuit.
'Are you sure about this, Commander? Generally we allow only one passenger per pod.'
'What do you mean?' snarled65 Root. 'There is only one ...'
Then he caught Foaly's meaningful glance at his stomach.
'Oh. Ha ha. Very amusing. Keep it up, Foaly. I have my limit, you know.'
But it was a hollow threat and they both knew it. Not only had Foaly built their communications network from scratch, but he was also a pioneer in the field of flare prediction. Without him, human technology could very easily catch up with the fairy brand.
Root strapped himself into the pod. No half-century-old crafts for the commander. This baby was fresh off the assembly line. All silver and shiny, with the new jagged fin18 stabilizers that were supposed to read the magma currents automatically. Foaly's innovation, of course. For a century or so his pod designs had leaned towards the futuristic - plenty of neon and rubber. Lately, however, his sensibilities had become more retrospective, replacing the gadgetry with walnut67 dashes and leather upholstery. Root found this old-style decor strangely comforting.
He wrapped his fingers around the joysticks and suddenly realized just how long it was since he had ridden the hotshots. Foaly noticed his discomfort68.
'Don't worry, chief,' he said without the usual cynicism. 'It's like riding a unicorn69. You never forget.'
Root grunted, unconvinced. 'Let's get the show on the road,' he muttered. 'Before I change my mind.'
Foaly hauled the door across until the suction ring took hold, sealing the portal with a pneumatic hiss70. Root's face took on a green hue71 through the quartz72 pane47. He didn't look too scary any more. Quite the opposite in fact.
Artemis was performing a little field surgery on the fairy locator. It was no mean feat73 to alter some of the dimensions without destroying the mechanisms74. The technologies were most definitely incompatible75. Imagine trying to perform open-heart surgery with a sledgehammer.
The first problem was opening the cursed thing. The screwheads defied both flathead and Phillips screwdrivers76. Even Artemis's extensive set of Alien keys were unable to find purchase in the tiny grooves77. Think futuristic, Artemis told himself. Think advanced technology.
It came to him after a few moments' silent contemplation. Magnetic bolts. Obvious really. But how to construct a revolving78 magnetic field in the back of a four-wheel drive? Impossible. The only thing for it was to chase the screws around manually with a domestic magnet.
Artemis hunted the small magnet from its niche79 in the toolbox and applied80 both poles to the tiny screws. The negative side wiggled them slightly. It was enough to give Artemis some purchase with needlenose pliers, and he soon had the locator's panel disassembled before him.
The circuitry was minute. And not a sign of a solder81 bead82. They must use another form of binder83. Perhaps if he had time the principles of this device could be unravelled84, but for now he would have to improvise85. He would have to rely on the inattention of others. And if the People were anything like humans, they saw what they wanted to see.
Artemis held the locator's face up to the cab's light. It was translucent86. Slightly polarized but good enough. He nudged a slew87 of tiny shimmering88 wires aside, inserting a buttonhole camera in the space. He secured the pea-sized transmitter with a dab89 of silicone. Crude but effective. Hopefully.
The magnetic screws refused to be coaxed91 back into their grooves without the proper tool, so Artemis was forced to glue them too. Messy, but it should suffice, provided the locator wasn't examined too closely. And if it was? Well, he would only lose an advantage that he never expected to have in the first place.
Butler knocked off his high beams as they entered the city limits. 'Docks coming up, Artemis,' he said over his shoulder. 'There's bound to be a Customs and Excise92 crew around somewhere.'
Artemis nodded. It made sense. The port was a thriving artery93 of illegal activity. Over fifty per cent of the country's contraband94 made it ashore95 somewhere along this half-mile stretch.
'A diversion then, Butler. Two minutes are all I need.'
The manservant nodded thoughtfully.
'The usual?'
'I don't see why not. Knock yourself out ... Or rather don't.'
Artemis blinked. That was his second joke in recent times. And his first aloud. Better take care. This was no time for frivolity96.
The dockers were rolling cigarettes. It wasn't easy with fingers the size of lead bars, but they managed. And if a few strands97 of brown tobacco dropped to the rough flagstones, what of it? The pouches98 were available by the carton from a little man who didn't bother adding government tax to his prices.
Butler strolled over to the men, his eyes shadowed beneath the brim of a watch cap.
'Cold night,' he said to the assembled group.
No one replied. Policemen came in all shapes and sizes.
The big stranger persevered99. 'Even work is better than standing100 around on a frosty one like tonight.'
One of the workmen, a bit soft in the head, couldn't help nodding in agreement. A comrade drove an elbow into his ribs101.
'Still though,' continued the newcomer, 'I don't suppose you girls ever did a decent day's work in your lives.'
Again there was no reply. But this time it was because the dockers' mouths were hanging open in amazement102.
'Yep, you're a pathetic-looking bunch, right enough,' went on Butler blithely103. 'Oh, I've no doubt you would have passed as men during the famine. But by today's standards you're little more than a pack of blouse-wearing weaklings.'
'Arrrrgh,' said one of the dock hands. It was all he could manage.
Butler raised an eyebrow. 'Argh? Pathetic and inarticulate. Nice combination. Your mothers must be so proud.'
The stranger had crossed a sacred line. He had mentioned the men's mothers. Nothing could get him out of a beating now, even the fact that he was obviously a simpleton. Albeit104 a simpleton with a good vocabulary.
The men stamped out their cigarettes and spread slowly into a semi-circle. It was six against one. You had to feel sorry for them. Butler wasn't finished yet.
'Now before we get into anything, ladies, no scratching, no spitting and no tattling to mummy.'
It was the last straw. The men howled and attacked as one. If they had been paying any attention to their adversary105 in that moment before contact, they might have noticed that he shifted his weight to lower his centre of gravity. They might also have seen that the hands he drew out of his pockets were the size and approximate shape of spades. But no one was paying attention to Butler - too busy watching their comrades, making sure they weren't alone in the assault.
The thing about a diversion is that it has to be diverting. Big. Crude. Not Butler's style at all. He would have preferred to take these gentlemen out from 500 metres with a dart rifle. Failing that, if contact was absolutely necessary, a series of thumb jabs to the nerve cluster at the base of the neck would be his chosen modus operandi - quiet as a whisper. But that would be defeating the purpose of the exercise.
And so Butler went against his training, screaming like a demon106 and utilizing107 the most vulgar combat actions. Vulgar they may have been, but that's not to say they weren't effective. Perhaps a Shao Lin priest could have anticipated some of the more exaggerated movements, but these men were hardly trained adversaries108. In fairness, they weren't even completely sober.
Butler dropped the first with a roundhouse punch. Two more had their heads clapped together, cartoon style. The fourth was, to Butler's eternal shame, dispatched with a spinning kick. But the most ostentatious was saved for the last pair. The manservant rolled on to his back, caught them by the collars of their donkey jackets and flipped109 them into Dublin harbour. Big splashes, plenty of wailing111. Perfect.
Two headlights poked112 from the black shadow of a cargo113 container and a government saloon screeched114 along the quay115. As anticipated, a Customs and Excise team on stakeout. Butler grinned with grim satisfaction and ducked around the corner. He was long gone before the agents had flipped their badges or begun inquiries116. Not that their interrogations would yield much. 'Big as a house' was hardly an adequate description to track him down.
By the time Butler reached the car, Artemis had already returned from his mission.
'Well done, old friend,' he commented. 'Although I'm certain your martial-arts sensei is turning in his grave. A spinning kick? How could you?'
Butler bit his tongue, reversing the four-wheel drive off the wooden works. As they crossed the overpass117, he couldn't resist glancing down at the chaos118 he had created. The government men were hauling a sodden119 docker from the polluted waters.
Artemis had needed this diversion for something. But Butler knew there was no point in asking what. His employer did not share his plans with anyone until he thought the time was right. And if Artemis Fowl120 thought the time was right, then it usually was.
Root emerged shaking from the pod. He didn't remember it being like this in his time. Although truth be told, it had probably been an awful lot worse. Back in the shillelagh days, there were no fancy polymer harnesses, no auto66 thrusters and certainly no external monitors. It was just gut instinct and a touch of enchantment121. In some ways Root preferred it like that. Science was taking the magic out of everything.
He stumbled down the tunnel into the terminal. As the number-one preferred destination, Tara had a fully90 fledged passenger lounge. Six shuttles a week came in from Haven122 City alone. Not on the flares123, of course. Paying tourists didn't like to be jostled around quite that much, unless of course they were on an illegal jaunt to Disneyland.
The fairy fort was crammed124 with full-moon overnighters complaining about the shuttle suspensions. A beleaguered125 sprite was sheltering behind her ticket desk, besieged126 by angry gremlins.
'There's no point hexing me,' squealed127 the sprite, 'there's the elf you want right there.'
She pointed128 a quivering green finger at the approaching commander. The gremlin mob turned on Root, and when they saw the triple-barrelled blaster on his hip, they kept right on turning.
Root grabbed the PA stand from behind the desk, and hauled it out to the extent of its cable.
'Now hear this,' he growled, his gravelly tones echoing around the terminal. 'This is Commander Root of the LEP. We have a serious situation above ground and I would appreciate cooperation from all you civilians129. First, I would like you all to stop your yapping so I can hear myself think!'
Root paused to make certain his wishes were being respected. They were.
'Secondly130, I would like every single one of you, including those squawling infants, to sit down on the courtesy benches until I have gone on my way. Then you can get back to griping or stuffing your faces. Or whatever else it is civilians do.'
No one had ever accused Root of political correctness. No one was ever likely to either.
'And I want whoever's in charge to get over here. Now!'
Root tossed the stand on to the desk. A blare of whistling feedback grated on every eardrum in the building. Within fractions of a second, an out-of-breath elf/goblin hybrid131 was bobbing at his elbow.
'Anything we can do, Commander?'
Root nodded, twisting a thick cigar into the hole beneath his nose.
'I want you to open a tunnel straight through this place. I don't want to be bothered by Customs or Immigration. Start moving everybody below after my boys get here.'
The shuttle port director swallowed. 'Everybody?'
'Yes. That includes terminal personnel. And take everything you can carry. Full evacuation.' He stopped and glared into the director's mauve eyes. 'This is not a drill.'
'You mean -'
'Yes,' said Root, continuing down the access ramp132. 'The Mud People have committed an overtly133 hostile act. Who knows where this is going?'
The elf/goblin combo watched as Root disappeared in a cloud of cigar smoke. An overtly hostile act? It could mean war. He punched in his accountant's number on his mobile.
'Bark? Yes. This is Nimbus. I want you to sell all my shares in the shuttle port. Yes, all of them. I have a hunch134 the price is about to take a severe dive.'
Captain Holly Short felt as though a sucker slug was drawing her brain out through her earhole. She tried to figure out what could possibly have caused such agony, but her faculties135 didn't stretch to memory just yet. Breathing and lying down were about all she could manage.
Time to attempt a word. Something short and pertinent136. Help, she decided137, would be the one to go for. She took a trembling breath and opened her mouth.
'Mummlp,' said her treacherous138 lips. No good. Incomprehensible even by a drunken gnome's standards.
What was going on here? She was flat on her back with no more strength in her body than a damp tunnel root. What could have done this to her? Holly concentrated, skirting the edge of blinding pain.
The troll? Was that it? Had the troll mauled her in that restaurant? That would explain a lot. But no. She seemed to remember something about the old country. And the Ritual. And there was something digging into her ankle.
'Hello?'
A voice. Not hers. Not even elfin.
'You awake then?'
One of the European languages. Latin. No, English. She was in England?
'I thought the dart might have killed you. Aliens' insides are different from ours. I saw that on television.'
Gibberish. Aliens, insides? What was the creature talking about?
'You look fit. Like Muchacho Maria, she's a Mexican midget wrestler139.'
Holly groaned. Her gift of tongues must be on the blink. Time to see exactly what kind of craziness she was dealing with here. Focusing all her strength at the front of her head, Holly cracked open one eye. She closed it again almost immediately. There appeared to be a giant blonde fly staring down at her.
'Don't be scared,' said the fly. 'Just sunglasses.'
Holly opened both eyes this time. The creature was tapping a silver eye. No, not an eye. A lens. A mirrored lens. Like the lenses worn by the other two ... It all came back in a jolt140, rushing to fill the hole in her memory like a combination lock clicking into place. She had been abducted141 by two humans during the Ritual. Two humans with an extraordinary knowledge of fairy affairs.
Holly tried speaking again. 'Where ... where am I?'
The human giggled143 delightedly, clapping her hands together. Holly noticed her nails, long and painted.
'You can speak English. What sort of accent is that? Sounds like a little bit of everything.'
Holly frowned. The girl's voice was corkscrewing right to the middle of her headache. She lifted her arm. No locator.
'Where are my things?'
The girl wagged her finger, as one might at a naughty child.
'Artemis had to take your little gun away, and all those other toys. Couldn't have you hurting yourself.'
'Artemis?'
'Artemis Fowl. This was all his idea. Everything is always his idea.'
Holly frowned. Artemis Fowl. For some reason, even the name made her shiver. It was a bad omen8. Fairy intuition was never wrong.
'They'll come for me, you know,' she said, her voice rasping through dry lips. 'You don't know what you've done.'
The girl frowned. 'You're absolutely right. I have no clue what's going on. So there's no future in trying to psych me out.'
Holly frowned. It was obviously pointless playing mind games with this human. The mesmer was her only hope, but that couldn't penetrate144 reflective surfaces. How the devil did these humans know that? That could be worked out later. For now she had to figure a way to separate this vacuous145 girl from her mirrored sunglasses.
'You are a pretty human,' she said, voice dripping with honeyed flattery.
'Why, thank you ...?'
'Holly.'
'Why, thank you, Holly. I was in the local paper once. I won a competition. Miss Sugar Beet146 Fair Nineteen-Ninety-Nine.'
'I knew it. Natural beauty. I'll bet your eyes are spectacular.'
'So everyone tells me.' Juliet nodded. 'Lashes110 like clock springs.'
Holly sighed. 'If only I could see them.'
'Whyever not.'
Juliet's fingers curled around the glasses' arm. Then she hesitated.
'Maybe I shouldn't.'
'Why not? Just for a second.'
'I don't know. Artemis told me never to take these off.'
'He'd never know.'
Juliet pointed to a viewcam mounted on the wall.
'Oh, he'd find out. Artemis finds out about everything.' She leaned in close to the fairy. 'Sometimes I think he can see inside my head too.'
Holly frowned. Foiled again by this Artemis creature.
'Come on. One second. What harm could it do?'
Juliet pretended to think about it. 'None, I suppose. Unless of course you're hoping to nail me with the mesmer. Just how stupid do you think I am?'
'I have another idea,' said Holly, her tone altogether more serious. 'Why don't I get up, knock you out and take those stupid glasses off.'
Juliet laughed delightedly, as if this was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.
'Good one, fairy girl.'
'I'm deadly serious, human.'
'Well, if you're serious,' sighed Juliet, reaching a delicate finger behind her lenses to wipe away a tear, 'two reasons. One, Artemis said that while you're in a human dwelling147, you have to do what we want. And I want you to stay on that cot.'
Holly closed her eyes. Right again. Where did this group get their information?
'And two.' Juliet smiled again, but this time there was a hint of her brother in those teeth. 'Two, because I went through the same training as Butler, and I've been dying for somebody to practise my piledriver on.'
We'll see about that, human, thought Holly. Captain Short wasn't a hundred per cent yet, and there was also the small matter of the thing digging into her ankle. She thought she knew what it could be, and if she was right, then it could be the beginnings of a plan.
Commander Root had Holly's locator frequency keyed into his helmet face screen. It took Root longer than expected to reach Dublin. The modern wing rigs were more complicated than he was used to, plus he'd neglected to take refresher courses. At the right altitude, he could almost superimpose the luminous148 map on his visor over the actual Dublin streets below him. Almost.
'Foaly, you pompous149 centaur,' he barked into his mouthpiece.
'Problem, bossman?' came the tinny reply.
'Problem? You can say that again. When was the last time you updated the Dublin files?'
Root could hear sucking noises in his ear. It sounded as though Foaly was having lunch.
'Sorry, Commander. Just finishing off this carrot. Ahm ... Dublin, let's see. Seventy-five ... Eighteen seventy-five.'
'I thought so! This place is completely different. The humans have even managed to change the shape of the coastline.'
Foaly was silent for a moment. Root could just imagine him wrestling with the problem. The centaur did not like to be told that any part of his system was out of date.
'OK,' he said at last. 'Here's what I'm going to do. We have a Scope on a satellite TV bird with a footprint in Ireland.'
'I see,' muttered Root, which was basically a lie.
'I'm going to e-mail last week's sweep direct to your visor. Luckily there's a video card in all the new helmets.'
'Luckily.'
'The tricky150 bit will be to coordinate151 your flight pattern with the video feed ...'
Root had had enough. 'How long, Foaly?'
'Ahm ... Two minutes, give or take.'
'Give or take what?'
'About ten years if my calculations are off.'
'They'd better not be off then. I'll hover152 until we know.'
One hundred and twenty-four seconds later, Root's black and white blueprints153 faded out, to be replaced by full-colour daylight imaging. When Root moved it moved, and Holly's locator beacon154 dot moved too.
'Impressive,' said Root.
'What was that, Commander?'
'I said impressive,' shouted Root. 'No need to get a swollen155 head.'
The commander heard the sound of a roomful of laughter, and realized that Foaly had him on the speakers. Everyone had heard him complimenting the centaur's work. There'd be no talking to him for at least a month. But it was worth it. The video he was receiving now was bang up to date. If Captain Short was being held in a building, the computer would be able to give him 3D blueprints instantaneously. It was foolproof. Except ...
'Foaly, the beacon's gone off shore. What's going on?'
'Boat or ship, sir, I'd say at a guess.'
Root cursed himself for not thinking of it. They'd be having a right old giggle142 in the situation room. Of course it was a ship. Root dropped down a few hundred metres until its shadowy outline loomed156 through the mist. A whaler by the looks of it. Technology may have changed over the centuries, but there was still nothing like a harpoon157 to slaughter158 the world's largest mammal.
'Captain Short is in there somewhere, Foaly. Below decks. What can you give me?'
'Nothing, sir. It's not a permanent fixture159. By the time we've run down her registration160, it'd be way too late.'
'What about thermal161 imaging?'
'No, Commander. That hull162 must be at least fifty years old. Very high lead content. We can't even penetrate the first layer. I'm afraid you're on your own.'
Root shook his head. 'After all the billions we've poured into your department. Remind me to slash163 your budget when I get back.'
'Yes, sir,' came the reply, sullen164 for once. Foaly did not like budget jokes.
'Just have the Retrieval Squad on full alert. I may need them at a moment's notice.'
'I will, sir.'
'You'd better. Over and out.'
Root was on his own. Truth be told, that was the way he liked it. No science. No uppity centaur whinnying in his ear. Just a fairy, his wits and maybe a touch of magic.
Root tilted165 his polymer wings, hugging the underside of a fogbank. There was no need to be careful. With his shield activated166, he was invisible to the human eye. Even on stealth-sensitive radar167 he would be no more than a barely perceptible distortion. The commander swooped168 low to the gunwales. It was an ugly craft, this one. The smell of death and pain lingered in the blood-swabbed decks. Many noble creatures had died here, died and been dissected169 for a few bars of soap and some heating oil. Root shook his head. Humans were such barbarians170.
Holly's beeper was flashing urgently now. She was close by. Very close. Somewhere within a 200-metre radius171 was the hopefully still-breathing form of Captain Short. But without blueprints he would have to navigate172 the belly of this ship unaided.
Root alighted gently on the deck, his boots adhering slightly to the mixture of dried soap and blubber coating the steel surface. The craft appeared to be deserted173. No sentry174 on the gangplank, no bosun on the bridge, not a light anywhere. Still, no reason to abandon caution. Root knew from bitter experience that humans popped up when you least expected them. Once, when he was helping175 the Retrieval boys scrape some pod wreckage176 off a tunnel wall, they were spotted177 by a group of potholing humans. What a mess that had been. Mass hysteria, high-speed chases, group mind-wipes. The whole nine yards. Root shuddered178. Nights like that could put decades on a fairy.
Keeping himself fully shielded, the commander stowed his wings in their sheath, advancing on foot across the deck. There were no other life forms showing up on his screen but, like Foaly said, the hull had a high lead content; even the paint was lead-based! The entire boat was a floating eco-hazard. The point being that there could be an entire battalion179 of stormtroopers concealed180 below decks and his helmetcam would never pick them up. Very reassuring181. Even Holly's beacon was a few shades below par1, and that had a micro nuclear battery sending out the pulses. Root didn't like this. Not one bit. Keep calm, he derided182 himself. You're shielded. There's not a human alive that can see you now.
Root hauled open the first hatch. It swung easily enough. The commander sniffed183. The Mud People had greased the hinges with whale blubber. Was there no end to their depravity?
The corridor was steeped in viscous184 darkness, so Root flicked185 down his infrared186 filter. OK, so sometimes technology did come in handy, but he wouldn't be telling Foaly that. The maze38 of pipes and grilling187 before him was immediately illuminated188 with an unnatural189 red light. Minutes later, he was regretting even thinking something nice about the centaur's technology. The infrared filter was messing with his depth perception and he'd whacked190 his head on two protruding191 U-bends so far.
Still no sign of life - human or fairy. Plenty of animal. Mostly rodents192. And when you're just topping a metre in height yourself, a good-sized rat can be a real threat, especially since rats are one of the few breeds that can see straight through a fairy shield. Root unstrapped his blaster and set it to level three, or medium rare, as the elves in the locker193 room called it. He sent one of the rats scurrying194 away with a smoking behind as a warning to the rest. Nothing fatal, just enough to teach him not to look sideways at a fairy again in a hurry.
Root picked up his pace. This place was ideal for an ambush195. He was virtually blind with his back to the only exit. A Recon nightmare. If one of his own men had pulled a stunt196 like this, he'd have their stripes for it. But desperate times required judicious197 risk-taking. That was the essence of command.
He ignored several doors to either side, following the beacon. Ten metres now. A steel hatch sealed the corridor, and Captain Short, or her corpse198, lay on the other side of it.
Root put his shoulder to the door. It swung open without protest. Bad news. If a live creature was being held captive, the hatch would be locked. The commander flicked the blaster's power level to five and advanced through the hole. His weapon hummed softly. There was enough power on tap now to vaporize a bull elephant with a single blast.
No sign of Holly. No sign of anything much. He was in a refrigerated storage bay. Glittering stalactites hung from a maze of piping. Root's breath fanned before him in icy clouds. How would that look to a human? Disembodied breathing.
'Ah,' said a familiar voice. 'We have a visitor.'
Root dropped to one knee, levelling the handgun at the voice's source.
'Come to rescue your missing officer, no doubt.'
The commander blinked a bead of sweat from his eye. Sweat? At this temperature?
'Well, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place.'
The voice was tinny. Artificial. Amplified199. Root checked his locator for life signs. There were none. Not in this chamber200 at any rate. He was being monitored somehow. Was there a camera here somewhere, concealed in the maze of overhead plumbing201, that could penetrate the fairy shield?
'Where are you? Show yourself!'
The human chuckled203. It echoed unnaturally204 around the vast hold.
'Oh no. Not yet, my fairy friend. But soon enough. And believe me, when I do, you'll wish I hadn't.'
Root followed the voice. Keep the human talking.
'What do you want?'
'Hmm. What do I want? Again, you will know soon enough.'
There was a low crate205 in the centre of the hold. On it sat an attaché case. The case was open.
'Why bring me here at all?'
Root poked the case with his pistol. Nothing happened.
'I brought you here for a demonstration206.'
The commander leaned over the open container. Inside, in snug207 foam208 packing, were a flat vacuum-packed package and a triple-band VHP transmitter. Resting on top was Holly's locator. Root groaned. Holly wouldn't willingly give up her equipment; no LEP officer would.
'What sort of demonstration, you demented freak?'
'A demonstration of my utter commitment to my goals.'
Root should have started to worry about his own health then, but he was too busy worrying about Holly's.
'If you've harmed one tip of my officer's pointy ears ...'
'Your officer? Oh, we have management. How privileged. All the better to make my point.'
Alarm bells went off in Root's head.
'Your point?'
The voice emanating209 from the aluminium210 speaker grid211 was as serious as nuclear winter.
'My point, little fairy man, is that I am not someone to be trifled with. Now, if you would please observe the package.'
The commander duly observed. It was a nondescript enough shape. Flat, like a slab212 of putty, or ... Oh no.
Beneath the sealant, a red light flicked on.
'Fly, little fairy,' said the voice. 'And tell your friends Artemis Fowl the Second says hello.'
Beside the red light, green symbols began to click through a routine. Root recognized them from his human studies class back in the Academy. They were ... numbers. Going backwards213. A countdown!
'D'Arvit!' growled Root.(There is no point translating that word as it would have to be censored214.)
He turned and fled up the corridor, Artemis Fowl's mocking tones carrying down the metal funnel215.
'Three,' said the human. 'Two ...'
'D'Arvit,' repeated Root.
The corridor seemed much longer now. A sliver216 of starry217 sky peeked218 through a wedge of open door. Root activated his wings. This would take some fancy flying. The Hummingbird's span was barely narrower than the ship's corridor.
'One.'
Sparks flew as the electronic wings scraped a protruding pipe. Root cartwheeled, righting himself at MACH 1.
'Zero ...' said the voice. 'Boom!'
Inside the vacuum-packed package, a detonator sparked, igniting a kilogram of pure Semtex. The white-hot reaction devoured219 the surrounding oxygen in a nanosecond and surged down the path of least resistance, which was, of course, immediately after LEP Commander Root.
Root dropped his visor, opening the throttle220 to maximum. The door was metres away now. It was just a matter of what reached it first - the fairy or the fireball.
He made it. Barely. He could feel the explosion rattling221 his torso as he threw himself into a reverse loop. Flames latched222 on to his jumpsuit, licking along his legs. Root continued his manoeuvre223, crashing directly into the icy water. He broke the surface swearing.
Above him, the whaler had been totally consumed by noxious flames.
'Commander,' came a voice in his earpiece. It was Foaly. He was back in range.
'Commander. What's your status?'
Root lifted free of the water's grip.
'My status, Foaly, is extremely annoyed. Get on your computers. I want to know everything there is to know about one Artemis Fowl, and I want to know it before I get back to base.'
'Yessir, Commander. Right away.'
No wisecrack. Even Foaly realized that this was not the time.
Root hovered224 at 300 metres. Below him the blazing whaler drew emergency vehicles like moths225 to a light. He dusted charred226 threads from his elbows. There will be a reckoning for this Artemis Fowl, he vowed227. Count on it.
收听单词发音 |
1
par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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fungus
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| n.真菌，真菌类植物 | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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touchier
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| adj.易动气的( touchy的比较级 )；小心眼的；需要小心对待的；棘手的 | |
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bum
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| n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨 | |
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brayed
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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scowled
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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doused
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| v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火] | |
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centaur
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| n.人首马身的怪物 | |
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ulcer
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| n.溃疡，腐坏物 | |
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gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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grudgingly
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holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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fin
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| n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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smirked
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| v.傻笑( smirk的过去分词 ) | |
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perks
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| 额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 ) | |
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eyebrow
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| n.眉毛，眉 | |
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brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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creases
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| （使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的第三人称单数 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹 | |
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acorn
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| n.橡实，橡子 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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formulating
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| v.构想出( formulate的现在分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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formulate
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| v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述 | |
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flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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centaurs
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| n.（希腊神话中）半人半马怪物( centaur的名词复数 ) | |
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technological
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| adj.技术的；工艺的 | |
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trove
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| n.被发现的东西，收藏的东西 | |
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46
abort
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| v.使流产，堕胎；中止；中止(工作、计划等) | |
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pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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48
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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50
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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51
bulge
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| n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀 | |
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52
gadgetry
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| n.小机械，小器具 | |
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53
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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54
jaunt
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| v.短程旅游；n.游览 | |
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55
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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56
squeaked
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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gnome
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| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
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59
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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60
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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61
fluorescent
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| adj.荧光的，发出荧光的 | |
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62
obstructing
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| 阻塞( obstruct的现在分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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63
wilted
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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66
auto
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| n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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67
walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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unicorn
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| n.(传说中的)独角兽 | |
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70
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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quartz
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| n.石英 | |
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73
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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74
mechanisms
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| n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用 | |
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75
incompatible
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| adj.不相容的，不协调的，不相配的 | |
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76
screwdrivers
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| n.螺丝刀( screwdriver的名词复数 )；螺丝起子；改锥；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒 | |
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77
grooves
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| n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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78
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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79
niche
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| n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等) | |
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80
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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81
solder
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| v.焊接，焊在一起；n.焊料，焊锡 | |
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82
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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83
binder
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| n.包扎物，包扎工具；[法]临时契约；粘合剂；装订工 | |
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84
unravelled
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| 解开，拆散，散开( unravel的过去式和过去分词 )； 阐明； 澄清； 弄清楚 | |
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85
improvise
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| v.即兴创作；临时准备，临时凑成 | |
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86
translucent
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| adj.半透明的；透明的 | |
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87
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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88
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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89
dab
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| v.轻触，轻拍，轻涂；n.(颜料等的)轻涂 | |
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90
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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91
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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92
excise
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| n.(国产)货物税；vt.切除，删去 | |
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93
artery
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| n.干线，要道；动脉 | |
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94
contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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95
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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96
frivolity
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| n.轻松的乐事，兴高采烈；轻浮的举止 | |
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97
strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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98
pouches
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| n.（放在衣袋里或连在腰带上的）小袋( pouch的名词复数 )；（袋鼠等的）育儿袋；邮袋；（某些动物贮存食物的）颊袋 | |
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99
persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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101
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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102
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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103
blithely
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| adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地 | |
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104
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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105
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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106
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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107
utilizing
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 ) | |
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108
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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109
flipped
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| 轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥 | |
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110
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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111
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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112
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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113
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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114
screeched
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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115
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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116
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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117
overpass
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| n.天桥，立交桥 | |
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118
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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119
sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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120
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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121
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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122
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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123
flares
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| n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开 | |
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124
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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125
beleaguered
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| adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰 | |
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126
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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127
squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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128
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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129
civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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130
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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131
hybrid
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| n.(动，植）杂种，混合物 | |
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132
ramp
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| n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速 | |
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133
overtly
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| ad.公开地 | |
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134
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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135
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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136
pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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137
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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138
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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139
wrestler
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| n.摔角选手，扭 | |
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140
jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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141
abducted
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| 劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展 | |
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142
giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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143
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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144
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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145
vacuous
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| adj.空的，漫散的，无聊的，愚蠢的 | |
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146
beet
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| n.甜菜；甜菜根 | |
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147
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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148
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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149
pompous
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
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150
tricky
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| adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的 | |
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151
coordinate
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| adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调 | |
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152
hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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153
blueprints
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| n.蓝图，设计图( blueprint的名词复数 ) | |
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154
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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155
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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156
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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157
harpoon
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| n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获 | |
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158
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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159
fixture
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| n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款 | |
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160
registration
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| n.登记，注册，挂号 | |
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161
thermal
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| adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的 | |
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162
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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163
slash
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| vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩 | |
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164
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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165
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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166
activated
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| adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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167
radar
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| n.雷达，无线电探测器 | |
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168
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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169
dissected
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| adj.切开的，分割的，（叶子）多裂的v.解剖（动物等）( dissect的过去式和过去分词 )；仔细分析或研究 | |
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170
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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171
radius
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| n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限 | |
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172
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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173
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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174
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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175
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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176
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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177
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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178
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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179
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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180
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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181
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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182
derided
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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183
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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184
viscous
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| adj.粘滞的，粘性的 | |
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185
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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186
infrared
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| adj./n.红外线(的) | |
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187
grilling
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| v.烧烤( grill的现在分词 )；拷问，盘问 | |
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188
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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189
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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190
whacked
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| a.精疲力尽的 | |
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191
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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192
rodents
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| n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 ) | |
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193
locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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194
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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195
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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196
stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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197
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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198
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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199
amplified
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| 放大，扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 )； 增强； 详述 | |
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200
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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201
plumbing
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| n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究 | |
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202
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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203
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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204
unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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206
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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207
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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208
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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209
emanating
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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210
aluminium
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| n.铝 (=aluminum) | |
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211
grid
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| n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅 | |
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212
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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213
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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214
censored
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| 受审查的，被删剪的 | |
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215
funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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216
sliver
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| n.裂片，细片，梳毛；v.纵切，切成长片，剖开 | |
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217
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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218
peeked
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| v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出 | |
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219
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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220
throttle
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| n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压 | |
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221
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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222
latched
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| v.理解( latch的过去式和过去分词 )；纠缠；用碰锁锁上（门等）；附着（在某物上） | |
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223
manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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224
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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225
moths
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| n.蛾( moth的名词复数 ) | |
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226
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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227
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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