TIME to introduce a new character to our otherworldly pageant1. Well, not strictly2 speaking a new character. We have encountered him before, in the LEP booking line. On remand for numerous larcenies3: Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac4 dwarf5. A dubious6 individual, even by Artemis Fowl7's standards. As if this account didn't already suffer from an overdose of amoral individuals.
Born to a typical dwarf cavern-dwelling family, Mulch had decided8 early that mining was not for him and resolved to put his talents to another use, namely digging and entering, generally entering Mud People's property. Of course this meant forfeiting9 his magic. Dwellings10 were sacred. If you broke that rule, you had to be prepared to accept the consequences. Mulch didn't mind. He didn't care much for magic anyway. There had never been much use for it down the mines.
Things had gone pretty well for a few centuries, and he'd built up quite a lucrative11 above-ground memorabilia business. That was until he'd tried to sell the Jules Rimet Cup to an undercover LEP operative. From then on his luck had turned, and he'd been arrested over twenty times to date. A total of 300 years in and out of prison.
Mulch had a prodigious12 appetite for tunnelling, and that, unfortunately, is a literal translation. For those unfamiliar13 with the mechanics of dwarf tunnelling, I shall endeavour to explain them as tastefully as possible. Like some members of the reptile15 family, dwarf males can unhinge their jaws17, allowing them to ingest several kilos of earth a second. This material is processed by a super-efficient metabolism18, stripped of any useful minerals and ... ejected at the other end, as it were. Charming.
At present, Mulch was languishing19 in a stone-walled cell in LEP Central. At least, he was trying to project an image of a languishing, unperturbed kind of dwarf. Actually, he was quaking in his steel-toe-capped boots.
The goblin/dwarf turf war was flaring20 up at the moment and some bright spark LEP elf had seen fit to put him in a cell with a gang of psyched-up goblins. An oversight21 perhaps. More likely a spot of revenge for trying to pick his arresting officer's pocket in the booking line.
'So, dwarf,' sneered22 the head-honcho goblin, a wart-faced fellow covered in tattoos23. 'How come you don't chew your way outta here?'
Mulch rapped on the walls. 'Solid rock.'
The goblin laughed. 'So what? Can't be any harder than your dwarf skull24.'
His cronies laughed. So did Mulch. He thought it might be wise. Wrong.
'You laughin' at me, dwarf?'
Mulch stopped laughing.
'With you,' he corrected. 'I'm laughing with you. That skull joke was pretty funny.'
The goblin advanced until his slimy nose was a centimetre from Mulch's own. 'You pay-tron-izin' me, dwarf?'
Mulch swallowed, calculating. If he unhinged now, he could probably swallow the leader before the others reacted. Still, goblins were murder on the digestion25. Very bony.
The goblin conjured26 up a fireball around his fist. 'I asked you a question, stumpy.'
Mulch could feel every sweat gland29 on his body pop into instant overdrive. Dwarfs30 did not like fire. They didn't even like thinking about flames. Unlike the rest of the fairy races, dwarfs had no desire to live above ground. Too close to the sun. Ironic31 for someone in the Mud People Possession Liberation business.
'N-no need for that,' he stammered32. 'I was just trying to be friendly.'
'Friendly,' scoffed34 wart-face. 'Your kind don't know the meanin' of the word. Cowardly back-stabbers, the lot of you.'
Mulch nodded diplomatically. 'We have been known to be a bit treacherous35.'
'A bit treacherous! A bit treacherous! My brother Phlegm was ambushed36 by a crowd of dwarfs disguised as dung heaps! He's still in traction37!'
Mulch nodded sympathetically. 'The old dung heap ruse38. Disgraceful. One of the reasons I don't associate with the Brotherhood39.'
Wart-face twirled the fireball between his fingers. 'There are two things under this world that I really despise.'
Mulch had a feeling that he was about to find out what they were.
'One is a stinkin' dwarf.'
No surprises there.
'And the other is a traitor40 to his own kind. And from what I hear, you fall neatly41 into both categories.'
Mulch smiled weakly. 'Just my luck.'
'Luck ain't got nothin' to do with it. Fortune delivered you into my hands.'
On another day, Mulch might have pointed43 out that luck and fortune were basically the same thing. Not today.
'You like fire, dwarf?'
Mulch shook his head.
Wart-face grinned.
'Now ain't that a shame, 'cause any second now I'm going to ram44 this here fireball down your throat.'
The dwarf swallowed drily. Wasn't it just typical of the Dwarf Brotherhood? What do dwarfs hate? Fire. Who are the only creatures with the ability to conjure27 fireballs? Goblins. So who did the dwarfs pick a fight with? What a real no-brainer.
Mulch backed up to the wall.
'Careful there. We could all go up.'
'Not us,' grinned wart-face, snorting the fireball up two elongated45 nostrils46. 'Completely fireproof.'
Mulch was perfectly47 aware what would happen next. He'd seen it too many times in the back alleys48. A group of goblins would corner a stray brother dwarf, pin him down, and then the leader would give him the double barrels straight in the face.
Wart-face's nostrils quivered as he prepared to vent49 the inhaled50 fireball. Mulch quailed51. There was only one chance. The goblins had made a basic mistake. They'd forgotten to pin his arms.
The goblin drew a breath through his mouth, then closed it. More exhalation pressure for the fire stream. He tilted52 his head back, pointing his nose at the dwarf, and let fly. Quick as a flash, Mulch jammed his thumbs up wart-face's nostrils. Disgusting, yes, but definitely better than being dwarf kebab.
The fireball had nowhere to go. It rebounded53 on the balls of Mulch's thumbs and ricocheted back into the goblin's head. The tear ducts provided the path of least resistance, so the flames compressed into pressurized streams, erupting just below the goblin's eyes. A sea of flame spread across the cell roof.
Mulch withdrew his thumbs and, after a quick wipe, thrust them in his mouth, allowing the natural balm in his saliva54 to begin the healing process. Of course if he'd still had his magic, he could have just wished the scorched55 digits56 better. But that was the price you paid for a life of crime.
Wart-face didn't look so good. Smoke was leaking from every orifice in his head. Flameproof goblins may be, but the errant fireball had given his tubes a good scouring57. He swayed like a strand58 of seaweed, then collapsed60 face down on the concrete floor. Something crunched62. Probably a big goblin nose.
The other gang members did not react favourably63.
'Look what he did to the boss!'
'Let's fry 'im.'
Mulch backed up even further. He'd been hoping the remaining goblins would lose their nerve once their leader was out of commission. Apparently64 not. Even though it was most definitely not in his nature, Mulch had no option but to attack.
He unhinged his jaw16 and leaped forward, clamping his teeth around the foremost goblin's head.
'Ow, bagg off!' he shouted around the obstruction65 in his mouth. 'Bagg off or ur briend gedds it!'
The others froze, uncertain of their next move. Of course they'd all seen what dwarf molars could do to a goblin head. Not a pretty sight.
Each one popped a fireball in his fist.
'I'm warnih ooh!'
'You can't get us all, stumpy.'
Mulch resisted the impulse to bite down. It is the strongest of dwarf urges, a genetic66 memory born from millennia67 spent tunnelling. The fact that the goblin was wriggling68 slimily didn't help. His options were running out. The gang was advancing and he was powerless as long as his mouth was full. It was crunch61 time. Pardon the pun.
Suddenly the cell door clanked open and what seemed like an entire squadron of LEP officers flooded the confined space. Mulch felt the cold steel of a gun barrel against his temple.
'Spit out the prisoner,' ordered a voice.
Mulch was delighted to comply. A thoroughly70 slimed goblin collapsed retching on the floor.
'You goblins, put 'em out.'
One by one the fireballs were extinguished.
'That's not my fault,' whined71 Mulch, pointing to the spasming wart-face. 'He blew himself up.'
The officer holstered his weapon, drawing out a set of cuffs72.
'I couldn't care less what you do to each other,' he said, spinning Mulch and snapping the cuffs on. 'If it was up to me, I'd put the whole lot of you in a big room, and come back a week later to sluice73 it out. But Commander Root wants to see you above ground ASAP.'
'ASAP?'
'Now, if not sooner.'
Mulch knew Root. The commander was responsible for several of his government hotel visits. If Julius wanted to see him, it probably wasn't for drinks and a movie.
'Now? But it's daylight now. I'll burn.'
The LEP officer laughed.
'It ain't daylight where you're going, pal74. Where you're going it ain't anything.'
Root was waiting for the dwarf inside the time-field portal. The portal was yet another of Foaly's inventions. Fairies could be introduced to and leave the time-field without affecting the altered flow inside the field. This effectively meant that even though it took nearly six hours to get Mulch to the surface, he was injected into the field only moments after Root had the notion to send for him.
It was Mulch's first time in a field. He stood watching life proceed at an exaggerated rate outside the shimmering75 corona76. Cars zipped by at impossible speeds, and clouds tumbled across the skyline as though driven by force-ten gales77.
'Mulch, you little reprobate,' roared Root. 'You can take off that suit now. The field is UV-filtered, or so I'm told.'
The dwarf had been issued a blackout suit at E1. Even though dwarfs had thick skins, they were extremely sensitive to sunlight and had a burn time of less than three minutes. Mulch peeled off the skintight suit.
'Nice to see you, Julius.'
'That's Commander Root to you.'
'Commander now. I heard that. Clerical error, was it?'
Root's teeth ground his cigar to a pulp79.
'I don't have time for this impudence80, convict. And the only reason that my boot is not up your behind right now is that I have a job for you.'
Mulch frowned. 'Convict? I have a name, you know, Julius.'
Root squatted82 to the dwarf's level. 'I don't know what dreamworld you live in, convict, but in the real world you are a criminal and it is my job to ensure your life is as unpleasant as possible. So if you're expecting civility just because I've testified against you some fifteen times, forget it!'
Mulch rubbed his wrists where the handcuffs had left red welts.
'Fine, Commander. No need to blow a gasket. I'm not a murderer, you know, just a petty criminal.'
'From what I hear, you nearly made the transformation83 below in the cells.'
'Not my fault. They attacked me.'
Root screwed a fresh cigar into his mouth.
'Fine, whatever. Just follow me, and don't steal anything.'
'Yessir, Commander,' said Mulch innocently. He didn't need to steal anything else. He'd already palmed Root's field-access card when the commander had made the mistake of leaning over.
They crossed the Retrieval perimeter84 to the avenue.
'What manor?'
Root rounded on him. 'I don't have time for this, convict. Nearly half my time-stop has elapsed. Another few hours and one of my best officers will be blue-rinsed!'
Mulch shrugged86. 'None of my concern. I'm just a criminal, remember. And by the way, I know what you want me to do, and the answer is no.'
'I haven't even asked you yet.'
'It's obvious. I'm a housebreaker. That's a house. You can't go in because you'll lose your magic, but my magic is already gone. Two and two.'
Root spat87 out the cigar. 'Don't you have any civic88 pride? Our entire way of life is on the line here.'
'Not my way of life. Fairy prison, human prison. It's all the same to me.'
The commander thought about it.
'OK, you slime. Fifty years off your sentence.'
'I want amnesty.'
'In your dreams, Mulch.'
'Take it or leave it.'
'Seventy-five years in minimum security. You take it or leave it.'
Mulch pretended to think. It was all academic, seeing as he intended escaping anyway.
'Single cell?'
'Yes, yes. Single cell. Now, will you do it?'
'Very well, Julius. Only because it's you.'
Foaly was searching for a matching iris-cam.
'Hazel, I think. Or perhaps tawny89. You really do have stunning90 eyes, Mister Mulch.'
'Thank you, Foaly. My mother always said they were my most attractive feature.'
Root was pacing the shuttle floor.
'You two do realize we're on a deadline here, don't you? Never mind matching the colour. Just give him a camera.'
Foaly plucked a lens from its solution with tweezers91.
'This is not just vanity, Commander. The closer the match, the less interference from the actual eye.'
'Whatever, whatever, just get on with it.'
Foaly grabbed Mulch's chin, holding him still.
'There you are. We're with you all the way.'
Foaly twisted a tiny cylinder92 into the thick tufts of hair growing from Mulch's ear.
'Wired for sound now too. In case you need to call for assistance.'
The dwarf smiled wryly93. 'Forgive me for not swelling94 with confidence. I find I've always done better on my own.'
'If you can call seventeen convictions doing better,' chuckled95 Root.
'Oh, we have time for jokes now, do we?'
Root grabbed him by the shoulder. 'You're right. We don't. Let's go.'
He dragged Mulch across a grassy96 verge97 to a cluster of cherry trees.
'I want you to tunnel in there and find out how this Fowl person knows so much about us. Probably some surveillance device. Whatever it is, destroy it. Find Captain Short if possible and see what you can do for her. If she is dead, at least it will clear the way for a bio-bomb.'
Mulch squinted98 across the landscape. 'I don't like it.'
'What don't you like?'
'The lie of the land. I smell limestone99. Solid-rock foundation. There might not be a way in.'
Foaly trotted100 across. 'I've done a scan. The original structure is based totally on rock, but some of the later extensions stray on to clay. The wine cellar in the south wing appears to have a wooden floor. It should be no problem for someone with a mouth like yours.'
Mulch decided to take that as a statement of fact rather than an insult. He opened the bum101-flap on his tunnelling trousers. 'Right. Stand back.'
Root and the surrounding LEP officers rushed for cover, but Foaly, who had never actually seen a dwarf tunnelling, decided to stay for a peek102.
'Good luck, Mulch.'
The dwarf unhinged his jaw.
'Ank oo,' he mumbled103, bending over for launch.
'Where's everyone -'
He never finished that statement, because a blob of recently swallowed and even more recently recycled clay whacked105 him in the face. By the time he'd cleared his eyes, Mulch had disappeared down a vibrating hole, and there was the sound of hearty106 laughter shaking the cherry trees.
Mulch followed a loamy vein107 through a volcanic108 fold in the rock. Nice consistency109, not too many loose stones. Plenty of insect life too. Vital for strong healthy teeth, a dwarf's most important attribute - the first thing a prospective110 mate looked at. Mulch went low to the limestone, his belly111 almost scraping the rock. The deeper the tunnel, the less chance of subsidence on the surface. You couldn't be too careful these days, not with motion sensors112 and landmines113. Mud People went to extraordinary lengths to protect their valuables. With good reason, as it happened.
Mulch felt a vibration114 cluster to his left. Rabbits. The dwarf fixed115 the location in his internal compass. Always useful to know where the local wildlife hung out. He skirted the warren, following the manor foundations around in a long north-westerly loop.
Wine cellars were easy to locate. Over the centuries, residue116 seeped117 through the floor, infusing the land beneath with the wine's personality. This one was sombre, nothing cheeky here. A touch of fruit, but not enough to lighten the flavour. Definitely an occasion wine on the bottom rack. Mulch burped. That was good clay.
The dwarf aimed his scything118 jaws skywards, punching through the floorboards. He hauled himself through the jagged hole, shaking the last of the recycled mud from his trousers.
He was in a blessedly dark room, perfect for dwarf vision. His sonar had guided him to an uncovered spot in the floor. One metre to the left and he would have emerged in a huge barrel of Italian red.
Mulch rehinged his jaw and padded across to the wall. He flattened119 a conch-like ear to the red brickwork. For a moment he was absolutely still, absorbing the house's vibrations120. A lot of low-frequency humming. There was a generator121 somewhere, and plenty of juice running through the wires.
Footsteps too. Way up. Maybe on the third floor. And close by. A crashing sound. Metal on concrete. There it was again. Someone was building something. Or breaking something down.
Something skittered past his foot. Mulch squashed it instinctively122. It was a spider. Just a spider.
'Sorry, little friend,' he said to the grey smear123. 'I'm a bit on the jittery124 side.'
The steps were wooden, of course. More than a century old too by the smell of them. Steps like that creaked as soon as you looked at them. Better than any pressure pads for giving away intruders. Mulch climbed along the edges, one foot in front of the other. Right in by the wall was where the wood had most support and was less likely to creak.
This was not as simple as it sounds. Dwarf feet are designed for spadework, not for the delicate intricacies of ballet dancing or balancing on wooden steps. Nonetheless, Mulch reached the door without incident. A couple of minor126 squeaks127, but nothing that would be detectable128 by human ears or hardware.
The door was locked, naturally, but it may as well not have been for all the challenge it presented to a kleptomaniac dwarf.
Mulch reached into his beard, plucking out a sturdy hair. Dwarf hair is radically129 different from the human variety. Mulch's beard and head hair were actually a matrix of antennae130 that helped him to navigate131 and avoid danger below ground. Once removed from its pore, the hair immediately stiffened132 in rapid rigor133 mortis. Mulch twisted the end in the seconds before it became completely rigid134. A perfect pick.
One quick jiggle and the lock yielded. Only two tumblers. Terrible security. Typical of humans, they never expected an attack from below. Mulch stepped on to a parquet135 corridor. The whole place smelled of money. He could make a fortune here, if only he had the time.
There were cameras just below the architrave. Tastefully done, nestling in the natural shadows. But vigilant136 none the less. Mulch stood for a moment, calculating the system's blindspot. Three cameras on the corridor. Ninety-second sweep. No way through.
'You could ask for help?' said a voice in his ear.
'Foaly?' Mulch pointed his wired eyeball at the nearest camera. 'Can you do anything about those?' he whispered.
The dwarf heard the sound of a keyboard being manipulated, and suddenly his right eye zoomed137 like a camera lens.
'Handy,' breathed Mulch. 'I've got to get me one of these.'
Root's voice crackled through the tiny speaker. 'No chance, convict. Government issue. Anyway, what would you do with one in prison? Get a close-up of the other side of your cell?'
'You're such a charmer, Julius. What's the matter? Are you jealous because I'm succeeding where you failed?'
Root's foul138 swearing was drowned out by Foaly.
'OK, I've got it. Simple video network. Not even digital. I'm going to broadcast a loop of the last ten seconds to every camera through our dishes. That should give you a few minutes.'
Mulch shuffled139 uncomfortably. 'How long will that take? I'm a bit exposed here, you know.'
'It's already started,' replied Foaly. 'So get moving.'
'Are you sure?'
'Of course I'm sure. Elementary electronics. I've been messing with human surveillance since kindergarten. You'll just have to trust me.'
I'd rather trust a bunch of humans not to hunt a species to extinction140 than trust an LEP consultant141, thought Mulch. But aloud he said, 'OK. I'm away. Over and out.'
He sneaked142 down the hall. Even his hands were sneaky, padding the air as if he could somehow make himself lighter143. Whatever that centaur did must have worked, because there were no agitated144 Mud People racing145 down the stairs, waving primitive146 gunpowder147 weapons.
Stairs. Ah, stairs. Mulch had a thing for stairs. They were like predug shafts148. He found that inevitably149 the best booty lay at their summit. And what a stairway. Stained oak, with the intricate carvings150 generally associated with either the eighteenth century or the obscenely rich. Mulch rubbed his finger along an ornate banister. In this case, probably both.
Still, no time to moon about. Stairways did not tend to remain deserted151 for long, especially during a siege. Who could tell how many bloodthirsty troopers waited behind each door, eager for a fairy head to add to their stuffed trophy152 wall.
Mulch climbed carefully, taking nothing for granted. Even solid oak creaked. He stuck to the borders, avoiding the carpet inlay. The dwarf knew from conviction number eight how easy it was to conceal153 a pressure pad beneath the deep shag of some antique weave.
He reached the landing with his head still attached to his shoulders. But there was another problem quite literally154 brewing155. Dwarf digestion, due to its accelerated rate, can be quite explosive. The loosely packed soil on the Fowl estate was very well aerated156 and a lot of that air had entered Mulch's tubes along with the soil and minerals. Now the air wanted to get out.
Dwarf etiquette157 dictated158 that gas be passed while still in the tunnel, but Mulch didn't have time for manners. Now he regretted not taking a moment to get rid of the gas while he was in the cellar. The problem with dwarf gas was that it couldn't go up, only down. Imagine, if you will, the catastrophic effects of burping while digesting a mouthful of clay. Total system back-up. Not a pretty sight. Thus dwarf anatomy159 ensured that all gas was passed below, actually aiding in the expulsion of unwanted clay. Of course, there's a simpler way of putting this, but that version can only be read in the adult book.
Mulch wrapped his arms around his stomach. He'd better get out of the open. A blowout on a landing like this could take out the windows. He shuffled along the corridor, skipping through the first doorway160 he encountered.
More cameras. Quite a lot of them, in fact. Mulch studied the lenses' sweep. Four were surveying the general floorspace, but another three were fixed.
'Foaly? You there?' whispered the dwarf.
'No!' The typical sarcastic161 reply. 'I have much better things to do than worry about the collapse59 of civilization as we know it.'
'Yes, thank you. Don't let my life being in danger interrupt your merriment.'
'I'll try not to.'
'I have a challenge for you.'
Foaly was instantly interested. 'Really? Go on.'
Mulch pointed his gaze at the recessed162 cameras, half hidden in the swirling163 architrave. 'I need to know where those three cameras are pointing. Exactly.'
Foaly laughed. 'That's not a challenge. Those old video systems emit faint ion beams. Invisible to the naked eye, of course, but not with your iris-cam.'
The hardware in Mulch's eye flickered164 and sparked.
'Oww!'
'Sorry. Small charge.'
'You could have warned me.'
'I'll give you a big kiss later, you baby. I thought dwarfs were tough.'
'We are tough. I'll show you just how tough when I get back.'
Root's voice interrupted the posturing165. 'You won't be showing anyone anything, convict, except perhaps where the toilet is in your cell. Now, what do you see?'
Mulch looked at the room again through his ion-sensitive eye. Each camera was emitting a faint beam, like the last evening sunrays. The rays pooled on a portrait of Artemis Fowl Senior.
'Not behind the picture. Oh, please.'
Mulch placed his ear against the picture glass. Nothing electrical. Not alarmed then. Just to be sure, he sniffed166 the frame's edge. No plastic or copper167. Wood, steel and glass. Some lead in the paint. He curled a nail behind the frame and pulled. The picture came away smoothly168, hinged on the side. And behind it. A safe.
'It's a safe,' said Foaly.
'I know that, you idiot. I'm trying to concentrate here! If you want to help, tell me the combination.'
'No problem. Oh, by the way, there's another little shock coming. Maybe the big baby would like to suck his thumb for comfort.'
'Foaly. I'm going to ... Owww!'
'There. That's the X-ray on.'
Mulch squinted at the safe. It was incredible. He could see right into the works. Tumblers and catches stood out in shadowy relief. He blew on his hairy fingers and twisted the combination dial. In seconds the safe lay open before him.
'Oh,' he said, disappointed.
'What is it?'
'Nothing. Just human currency. Nothing of value.'
'Leave it,' ordered Root. 'Try another room. Get going.'
Mulch nodded. Another room. Before his time ran out. But something was niggling at him. If this guy was so clever, why did he put the safe behind a painting? Such a cliché. Totally against form. No. Something wasn't right here. They were being duped somehow.
Mulch closed the safe, swinging the portrait back into position. It swung smoothly, weightless on the hinges. Weightless. He swung the picture out again. And back in.
'Convict. What are you doing?'
'Shut up, Julius! I mean, quiet a moment, Commander.'
Mulch squinted at the frame's profile. A bit thicker than normal. Quite a bit thicker. Even taking the box frame into account. Five centimetres. He ran a nail down the heavy cartridge169 backing and stripped it away to reveal ...
'Another safe.'
A smaller one. Custom-made, obviously.
'Foaly. I can't see through this.'
'Lead-lined. You're on your own, burglar boy. Do what you do best.'
'Typical,' muttered Mulch, flattening170 his ear to the cold steel.
He twirled the dial experimentally. Nice action. The clicks were muted by the lead, he would have to concentrate. The upside was that something this thin could have only three tumblers at the most.
Mulch held his breath and twisted the dial, one cog at a time. To the normal ear, even with amplification171, the clicks would have seemed uniform. But to Mulch, each cog had a distinctive172 signature and when a ratchet caught, it was so loud as to be deafening173.
'One,' he breathed.
'Hurry it up, convict. Your time is running out.'
'You interrupted to tell me that? I can see now how you made commander, Julius.'
'Convict. I'm going to ... '
But it was no use. Mulch had removed his earpiece, slipping it into his pocket. Now he could devote his full attention to the task at hand.
'Two.'
There was noise outside. In the hall. Someone was coming. About the size of an elephant by the size of it. No doubt this was the man mountain that had made mincemeat of the Retrieval Squad69.
Mulch blinked a bead174 of sweat from his eye. Concentrate. Concentrate. The cogs clicked by. Millimetre by millimetre. Nothing was catching175. The floor seemed to be hopping176 gently, though he could be imagining it.
Click, click. Come on. Come on. His fingers were slick with perspiration177, the dial slipping between them. Mulch wiped them on his jerkin. 'Now, baby, come on. Talk to me.' Click. Thunk. 'Yes!'
Mulch twisted the handle. Nothing. Still an obstruction. He ran a fingertip over the metal face. There. A small irregularity. A micro keyhole. Too small for your average lock pick. Time for a little trick he'd learned in prison. Quickly though, his stomach was bubbling like stew178 in the oven, and the footsteps were getting closer.
Selecting a sturdy chin hair, Mulch fed it gently into the tiny hole. When the tip reappeared, he pulled the root from his chin. The hair immediately stiffened, retaining the shape of the lock's interior.
Mulch held his breath and twisted. Smooth as a goblin's lie, the lock opened. Beautiful. At moments like these, it was almost worth all the jail time.
The kleptomaniac dwarf swung back the little door. Beautiful work. Almost worthy179 of a fairy forge. Light as a wafer. Inside was a small chamber180. And in the chamber was ...
'Oh, gods above,' breathed Mulch.
Then things came to a head rather rapidly. The shock that Mulch had experienced communicated itself to his bowels181, and they decided the excess air had got to go. Mulch knew the symptoms. Jelly legs, bubbling cramps182, wobbly behind. In the seconds remaining to him, he snatched the object from the safe and, leaning over, he clasped his knees for support.
The constrained183 wind had built itself up to mini-cyclone intensity184 and could not be constrained. And so it exited. Rather abrasively. Blowing open Mulch's bum-flap and slamming into the rather large gentleman who had been sneaking185 up behind him.
Artemis was glued to the monitors. This was the time when things traditionally went wrong for kidnappers186 - the third quarter of operations. Having been successful thus far, the abductors tended to relax, light up a few cigarettes, get chatty with their hostages. Next thing they knew, they were flat on their faces with a dozen guns pointed at the backs of their heads. Not Artemis Fowl. He didn't make mistakes.
No doubt the fairies were reviewing the tapes of their first negotiating session, searching for anything that would give them a way in. Well, it was there all right. All they had to do was look. Buried just deep enough to make it look accidental.
It was possible that Commander Root would try another ruse. He was a wily one, no doubt about it. One who would not take kindly187 to being bested by a child. He would bear watching.
The mere33 thought of Root gave Artemis the shivers. He decided to check in again. He inspected the monitors.
Juliet was still in the kitchen, scrubbing at the sink. Washing the vegetables.
Captain Short was on her bunk188. Quiet as the grave. No more bed banging. Perhaps he had been wrong about her. Perhaps there was no plan.
Butler stood at his post outside Holly189's cell. Odd. He should have been on his rounds by now. Artemis grabbed a walkie-talkie.
'Butler?'
'Roger, base. Receiving.'
'Shouldn't you be on your rounds?'
There was a pause. 'I am, Artemis. Patrolling the main landing. Coming up on the safe room. I'm waving at you right now.'
Artemis glanced at the landing cameras. Deserted. From every angle. Definitely no waving manservant. He studied the monitors, counting under his breath .. .There! Every ten seconds, a slight jump. On every screen.
'A loop!' he cried, jumping from his chair. 'They're feeding us a loop!'
Over the speaker, he could hear Butler's pace quickening to a run.
'The safe room!'
Artemis's stomach dropped into queasy190 hell. Duped! He, Artemis Fowl, had been duped, even though he'd known it was coming. Inconceivable. It was arrogance191 that had done it. His own blinding arrogance, and now the entire plan could collapse around his ears.
He switched the walkie-talkie to Juliet's band. It was a pity now that he'd taken the house's intercom off-line, but it didn't operate on a secure frequency.
'Juliet?'
'Receiving.'
'Where are you right now?'
'In the kitchen. Wrecking192 my nails on this grater.'
'Leave it, Juliet. Check on the prisoner.'
'But, Artemis, the carrot sticks will dry out!'
'Leave it, Juliet!' shouted Artemis. 'Drop everything and check on the prisoner!'
Juliet obediently dropped everything, including the walkie-talkie. She'd sulk for days now. Never mind. There was no time to worry about a teenage girl's bruised193 ego42. He had more important matters to tend to.
Artemis depressed194 the master switch on the computerized surveillance system. His only chance of purging195 the loop was a complete reboot. After several agonizing196 moments of screen snow, the monitors jumped and settled. Things were not as they had seemed only seconds before.
There was a grotesque197 thing in the safe room. It had apparently discovered the secret compartment198. Not only that but it had managed to open the whisper lock. Amazing. Butler had it covered though. He was sneaking up behind the creature, and any moment now the intruder would find itself nose down in the carpet.
Artemis switched his attention to Holly. The elf was back to bed banging. Slamming the frame down over and over again, as though she could ...
It hit Artemis then, like a blast from a water cannon199. If Holly had somehow smuggled200 an acorn201 in here, then one square centimetre of ground would be enough. If Juliet left that door open ...
'Juliet!' he shouted into the walkie-talkie. 'Juliet! Don't go in there!'
But it was useless. The girl's walkie-talkie lay buzzing on the kitchen floor, and Artemis could only watch helplessly as Butler's sister strode towards the cell door, muttering about carrots.
'The safe room!' exclaimed Butler, quickening his pace. His instinct was to go in all guns blazing, but training took over. Fairy hardware was most definitely superior to his own, and who knew how many barrels were aimed at the other side of that door right now. No, caution was most definitely the best part of valour in this particular situation.
He placed a palm against the wood, feeling for vibration. Nothing. No machinery202 then. Butler curled his fingers around the knob, twisting gently. With his other hand, he drew a Sig Sauer automatic from his shoulder holster. No time to fetch the dart203 rifle, it would have to be shoot to kill.
The door swung open noiselessly, as Butler knew it would, having oiled every hinge in the house himself. Before him was ... Well, to be honest, Butler wasn't quite sure what it was. If he didn't know better, that is at first glance, he could have sworn that the thing resembled nothing more than an enormous quivering ...
And then the thing exploded, jettisoning204 an amazing amount of tunnel waste directly at the unfortunate manservant! It was like being battered205 with a hundred sledgehammers simultaneously206. Butler was lifted bodily and flung against the wall.
And as he lay there, consciousness slipping away from him, he prayed that Master Artemis hadn't managed to capture the moment on video.
Holly was weakening. The bedframe was nearly twice her body weight and the ridges207 were tearing cruel welts in her palms. But she couldn't stop now. Not when she was so close.
She slammed the post into the concrete again. A cloud of grey dust spiralled around her legs. Any second now, Fowl would tumble to her plan and she'd get the hypodermic treatment again. But until then ...
She gritted208 her teeth against the pain, heaving the bedframe to knee height. Then she saw it. A sliver209 of brown among the grey. Could it be true?
Pain forgotten, Captain Short dropped the bed, sinking quickly to her knees. There was indeed a small patch of earth poking210 through the cement. Holly fumbled211 the acorn from her boot, clasping it tightly in bloody212 fingers.
'I return you to the earth,' she whispered, worming her fist into the tiny space. 'And claim the gift that is my right.'
Nothing happened for a heartbeat. Perhaps two. Then Holly felt the magic rush up her arm like a jolt213 from an electrified214 troll fence. The shock sent her spinning across the room. For a moment the world swirled215 in a disconcerting kaleidoscope of colour, but when it settled Holly was no longer the defeated elf she had been.
'Right, Master Fowl.' She grinned, watching the blue sparks of fairy magic seal her wounds. 'Let's see what I have to do to get your permission to leave this place.'
'Drop everything,' sulked Juliet. 'Drop everything and check the prisoner.' She flicked216 blonde tresses expertly over a shoulder. 'He must think I'm his maid or something.'
She hammered on the cell door with the flat of her hand.
'I'm coming in now, fairy girl, so if you're doing anything embarrassing, please stop.'
Juliet punched the combination into the keypad. 'And no, I don't have your vegetables, or your washed fruit. But it's not my fault, Artemis in-sis-ted I come right down ...'
Juliet stopped talking, because there was nobody listening. She was preaching to an empty room. She waited for her brain to pass on an explanation. Nothing came. Eventually the notion to take another look filtered down.
She took a tentative step into the concrete cube. Nothing. Only a slight shimmering in the shadows. Like a mist. It was probably these stupid glasses. How were you supposed to see anything wearing mirrored sunglasses underground? And they were so nineties, they weren't even retro yet.
Juliet glanced guiltily at the monitor. Just a quick peek, what harm could it do? She whipped up the frames, sending her eyeballs spinning around the room.
In that instant a figure materialized before her. Just stepped out of the air. It was Holly. She was smiling.
'Oh, it's you. How did you -'
The fairy interrupted with a wave of her hand.
'Why don't you take off those glasses, Juliet? They really don't suit you.'
She's right, thought Juliet. And what a lovely voice. Like a choir217 all on its own. How could you argue with a voice like that?
'Sure. Caveman glasses off. Cool voice, by the way. Doh ray me and all that.'
Holly decided not to try deciphering Juliet's comments. It was hard enough when the girl was in full control of her brain.
'Now. A simple question.'
'No problem.' What a great idea.
'How many people in the house?'
Juliet thought. One and one and one.
And another one? No, Mrs Fowl wasn't there.
'Three,' she said finally. 'Me and Butler and, of course, Artemis. Mrs Fowl was here, but she went bye-bye, then she went bye-bye.'
Juliet giggled218. She'd made a joke. A good one too.
Holly drew a breath to ask for clarification, then thought better of it. A mistake as it turned out.
'Has anyone else been here. Anyone like me?'
Juliet chewed her lip. 'There was one little man. In a uniform like yours. Not cute though. Not one bit. Just shouted and smoked a smelly cigar. Terrible complexion219. Red as a tomato.'
Holly almost smiled. Root had come himself. No doubt the negotiations220 had been disastrous222.
'No one else?'
'Not that I know of. If you see that man again, tell him to lay off the red meat. He's just a coronary waiting to happen.'
Holly swallowed a grin. Juliet was the only human she knew who was probably more lucid223 under the mesmer.
'OK. I'll tell him. Now, Juliet, I want you to stay in my room, and no matter what you hear, don't come out.'
Juliet frowned. 'This room? It's so boring. No TV or anything. Can't I go up to the lounge?'
'No. You have to stay here. Anyway, they've just installed a wall television. Cinema size. Wrestling, twenty-four hours a day.'
Juliet almost fainted with pleasure. She ran into the cell, gasping224 as her imagination supplied the pictures.
Holly shook her head. Well, she thought, at least one of us is happy.
Mulch gave his rear end a shake to dislodge any clumps225 of earth. If only his mother could see him now, spraying mud on the Mud People. That was irony226, or something like it. Mulch had never been big on grammar in school. That or poetry. He'd never seen the point. Down the mines, there were only two phrases of any importance: 'Look, gold!' and 'Cave in, everybody out!' No hidden meanings there, or rhymes.
The dwarf buttoned his bum-flap, which had been blasted open by the gale78 emanating227 from his nether228 regions. Time to make a run for it. Whatever hope he'd had of escaping undiscovered had been blown. Literally.
Mulch retrieved229 his earpiece, screwing it firmly into his ear. Well, you never knew, even the LEP might prove useful.
'... And when I get my hands on you, convict, you'll wish you stayed down those mines ...'
Mulch sighed. Ah well. Nothing new there then.
Clasping the safe's treasure tightly in his fist, the dwarf turned to retrace230 his steps. To his utter amazement231 there was a human entangled232 in the banisters. Mulch was not one bit surprised that his recyclings had managed to hurl233 the elephantine Mud Man several metres through the air. Dwarf gas had been known to cause avalanches234 in the Alps. What did surprise him was the fact that the man had managed to get so close to him in the first place.
'You're good,' said Mulch, wagging a finger at the unconscious bodyguard235. 'But nobody takes a body blow from Mulch Diggums and stays on their feet.'
The Mud Man stirred, the whites of his eyes showing beneath fluttering lids.
Root's voice crackled in the dwarf's ears. 'Get a move on, Mulch Diggums, before that Mud Man gets up and rearranges your innards. He took out an entire Retrieval team, you know.'
Mulch swallowed, his bravado236 suddenly deserting him.
'An entire Retrieval team? Maybe I should get back underground ... for the good of the mission.'
Skipping hurriedly around the groaning237 bodyguard, Mulch took the steps two at a time. No point in worrying about creaking stairs when you've just sent the intestinal238 equivalent of Hurricane Hal scurrying239 around the corridors.
He'd almost reached the cellar door when a figure shimmered240 into focus before him. Mulch recognized it as his arresting officer from the Renaissance241 Masters smuggling242 case.
'Captain Short.'
'Mulch. I wasn't expecting to see you.'
The dwarf shrugged. 'Julius had a dirty job. Someone had to do it.'
'I get it,' said Holly, nodding. 'You've already lost your magic. Smart. What did you find out?'
Mulch showed Holly his find. 'This was in his safe.'
'A copy of the Book!' gasped243 Holly. 'No wonder we're in this fix. We were playing into his hands all along.'
Mulch opened the cellar door. 'Shall we?'
'I can't. I'm under eyeball orders not to leave the house.'
'You magical types and your rituals. You have no idea how liberating244 it is to be rid of all that mumbo-jumbo.'
A series of sharp noises drifted down from the upper landing. It sounded like a troll thrashing around in a crystal emporium.
'We can debate ethics245 at a later date. Right now I suggest we make ourselves scarce.'
Mulch nodded. 'Agreed. This guy took out an entire Retrieval squad apparently.'
Holly paused, half shielded.
'An entire squad? Hmm. Fully14 equipped. I wonder ..."
She continued her fade-out, and the last thing to go was her widening grin.
Mulch was tempted246 to hang around. There weren't many things more fun to watch than a heavily armed Recon officer going to town on a bunch of unsuspecting humans. By the time Captain Short got through with this Fowl character, he'd be begging her to get out of his manor.
The Fowl character in question was watching it all from the surveillance room. There was no denying it. Things were not good. Not good at all. But certainly not irredeemable. There was still hope.
Artemis catalogued the events of the last few minutes. The manor's security had been compromised. The safe room was in a shambles247, blown apart by some sort of fairy flatulence. Butler lay unconscious, possibly paralysed by the same gaseous248 anomaly. His hostage was loose in the house, her fairy powers restored to her. There was an unsightly creature in leather chaps burrowing250 holes beneath the foundations, with no apparent regard for the fairy commandments. And the People had retrieved a copy of the Book, one of several copies as it happened, including one on disk in a Swiss vault251.
Artemis's finger combed an errant strand of dark hair. He would have to dig very deep to uncover the good in this particular scenario252. He took several deep breaths, finding his chi as Butler had taught him.
After several moments' contemplation, he realized that these factors meant little to the overall strategies of both sides. Captain Short was still trapped in the manor. And the time-stoppage period was running out. Soon the LEP would have no option but to launch their bio-bomb, and that was when Artemis Fowl would unveil his coup125 de grace. Of course, the whole thing depended on Commander Root. If Root was as intellectually challenged as he looked, it was quite possible the entire scheme would collapse around his ears. Artemis hoped fervently253 that someone on the fairy team had the wit to spot the 'blunder' he'd made during the negotiation221 session.
Mulch unbuttoned his bum-flap. Time to suck some dirt, as they said down the mines. The trouble with dwarf tunnels was that they were self-sealing, so that if you had to go back the way you came, there was a whole new burrow249 to be excavated254. Some dwarfs retraced255 their steps exactly, chewing through the less compact and pre-digested dirt. Mulch preferred to dig a fresh tunnel. For some reason, eating the same dirt twice didn't appeal to him.
Unhinging his jaw, the dwarf pointed himself torpedo-like through the hole in the floorboards. His heart calmed immediately as the scent256 of minerals filled his nostrils. Safe, he was safe. Nothing could catch a dwarf underground, not even a Skaylian rock worm. That was, of course, if he managed to get underground ...
Ten very powerful fingers gripped Mulch by the ankles. This just wasn't the dwarf's day. First wart-face, now this homicidal human. Some people never learn. Usually Mud People.
'Egg go,' he mumbled, unhinged jaw flapping uselessly.
'Not a chance,' came the reply. 'The only way you're leaving this house is in a body bag.'
Mulch could feel himself being dragged backwards257. This human was strong. There weren't many creatures that could dislodge a dwarf with a grip on something. He scrabbled in the dirt, cramming258 handfuls of wine-impregnated clay into his cavernous mouth. There was only one chance.
'Come on, you little goblin. Out of there.'
Goblin! Mulch would have been indignant had he not been busy chewing clay to eject at his enemy.
The human stopped talking. Possibly he had noticed the bum-flap, and probably the bum. No doubt what had happened in the safe room was coming back to him.
'Oh...'
What would have followed the 'Oh' is anyone's guess, but I'd be willing to bet that it wouldn't have been 'dearie me'. As it happened, Butler never had time to finish his expletive, because he wisely chose that moment to relinquish259 his grip. A wise choice indeed, because it coincided with the instant Mulch decided to launch his earthen offensive.
A lump of compacted clay sped like a cannonball directly at the spot where Butler's head had been barely a second previously260. Had it still occupied that space, the impact would have separated it from Butler's shoulders. An ignoble261 end for a bodyguard of his calibre. As it was, the soggy missile barely grazed his ear. Nevertheless, the force was sufficient to spin Butler like an ice skater, landing him on his rump for the second time in as many minutes.
By the time his vision had settled, the dwarf had disappeared into a maelstrom262 of churning muck. Butler decided not to attempt pursuit. Dying below ground was not very high on his things to do list. But there will be another day, fairy, he thought grimly. And there was to be. But that's another story.
Mulch's momentum263 propelled him underground. He'd gone several metres along the loamy vein before he realized no one was following. Once the taste of earth had settled his heart rate, he decided it was time to implement264 his escape plan.
The dwarf altered his course, chewing his way towards the rabbit warren he'd noted265 earlier. With any luck, the centaur hadn't run a seismology test on the manor grounds, or his ruse might be discovered. He'd just have to bank on the fact that they had more important things to worry about than a missing prisoner. There shouldn't be any problem deceiving Julius, but the centaur, he was a smart one.
Mulch's internal compass steered266 him true, and within minutes he could feel the gentle vibrations of the rabbits loping along their tunnels. From here on timing267 was crucial if the illusion was to be effective. He slowed his digging rate, poking the soft clay gently until his fingers breached268 the tunnel wall. Mulch was careful to look the other way, because whatever he saw would be showing up on the viewscreen back in LEP HQ.
Laying his fingers on the tunnel floor like an upturned spider, Mulch waited. It didn't take long. In seconds he felt the rhythmic269 thump270 of an approaching rabbit. The instant the animal's hind81 legs brushed the trap, he tightened271 his powerful digits around its neck. The poor animal never had a chance.
Sorry, friend, thought the dwarf. If there was any other way ... Pulling the rabbit's body through the hole, Mulch rehinged his jaw and began screaming. 'Cave in! Cave in! Help! Help!'
Now for the tricky272 bit. With one hand he agitated the surrounding earth, bringing showers of it crumbling273 around his own head. With the other hand he popped the iris-cam out of his left eye and slid it into the rabbit's. Given the almost total darkness and the landfall confusion, it should be almost impossible to spot the switch.
'Julius! Please. Help me.'
'Mulch! What's happening? What's your status?'
What's my status? thought the dwarf incredulously. Even in times of supposed crisis, the commander couldn't abandon his precious protocol274.
'I ... Argh ...' The dwarf dragged his final scream out, petering off to a gargling rattle275.
A bit melodramatic perhaps, but Mulch never could resist theatrics. With a last regretful glance at the dying animal, he unhinged his jaw and finned276 off to the south-east. Freedom beckoned277.
收听单词发音 |
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pageant
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| n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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larcenies
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| n.盗窃（罪）( larceny的名词复数 ) | |
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kleptomaniac
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| n.有偷窃狂的人 | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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forfeiting
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| （因违反协议、犯规、受罚等）丧失，失去( forfeit的现在分词 ) | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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lucrative
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| adj.赚钱的，可获利的 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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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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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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metabolism
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| n.新陈代谢 | |
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languishing
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| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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oversight
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| n.勘漏，失察，疏忽 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tattoos
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| n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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conjure
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| v.恳求，祈求；变魔术，变戏法 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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gland
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| n.腺体，(机)密封压盖，填料盖 | |
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dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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ambushed
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| v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着 | |
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traction
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| n.牵引；附着摩擦力 | |
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ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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elongated
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| v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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quailed
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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rebounded
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| 弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效 | |
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saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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digits
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| n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾 | |
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scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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59
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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60
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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61
crunch
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| n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声 | |
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62
crunched
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| v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的过去式和过去分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄 | |
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63
favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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64
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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65
obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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66
genetic
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| adj.遗传的，遗传学的 | |
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67
millennia
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| n.一千年，千禧年 | |
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68
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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69
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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70
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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71
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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72
cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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73
sluice
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| n.水闸 | |
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74
pal
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| n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友 | |
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75
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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76
corona
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| n.日冕 | |
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77
gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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78
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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79
pulp
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| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
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80
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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81
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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82
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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83
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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84
perimeter
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| n.周边，周长，周界 | |
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85
manor
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| n.庄园，领地 | |
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86
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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87
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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88
civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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89
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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90
stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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91
tweezers
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| n.镊子 | |
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92
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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93
wryly
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| adv. 挖苦地，嘲弄地 | |
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94
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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95
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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96
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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97
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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98
squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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99
limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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100
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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101
bum
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| n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨 | |
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102
peek
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| vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥 | |
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103
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
centaur
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| n.人首马身的怪物 | |
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105
whacked
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| a.精疲力尽的 | |
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106
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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107
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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108
volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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109
consistency
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| n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度 | |
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110
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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111
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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112
sensors
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| n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 ) | |
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113
landmines
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| 潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 ) | |
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114
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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115
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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116
residue
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| n.残余，剩余，残渣 | |
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117
seeped
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| v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
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118
scything
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| v.（长柄）大镰刀( scythe的现在分词 ) | |
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119
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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120
vibrations
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| n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动 | |
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121
generator
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| n.发电机，发生器 | |
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122
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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123
smear
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| v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑 | |
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124
jittery
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| adj. 神经过敏的, 战战兢兢的 | |
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125
coup
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| n.政变；突然而成功的行动 | |
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126
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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127
squeaks
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| n.短促的尖叫声，吱吱声( squeak的名词复数 )v.短促地尖叫( squeak的第三人称单数 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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128
detectable
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| adj.可发觉的；可查明的 | |
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129
radically
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| ad.根本地，本质地 | |
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130
antennae
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| n.天线；触角 | |
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131
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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132
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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133
rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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134
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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135
parquet
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| n.镶木地板 | |
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136
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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137
zoomed
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| v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去式 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨 | |
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138
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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139
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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140
extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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141
consultant
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| n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生 | |
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142
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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143
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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144
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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145
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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146
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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147
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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148
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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149
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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150
carvings
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| n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物 | |
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151
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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152
trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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153
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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154
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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155
brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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156
aerated
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| v.使暴露于空气中，使充满气体( aerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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157
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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158
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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159
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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160
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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161
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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162
recessed
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| v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的过去式和过去分词 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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163
swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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164
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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165
posturing
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) | |
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166
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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167
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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168
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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169
cartridge
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| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
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170
flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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171
amplification
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| n.扩大，发挥 | |
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172
distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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173
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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174
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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175
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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176
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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177
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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178
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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179
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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180
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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181
bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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182
cramps
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| n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚 | |
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183
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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184
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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185
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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186
kidnappers
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| n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 ) | |
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187
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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188
bunk
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| n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位；废话 | |
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189
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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190
queasy
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| adj.易呕的 | |
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191
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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192
wrecking
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| 破坏 | |
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193
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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194
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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195
purging
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| 清洗； 清除； 净化； 洗炉 | |
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196
agonizing
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| adj.痛苦难忍的；使人苦恼的v.使极度痛苦；折磨(agonize的ing形式) | |
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197
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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198
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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199
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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200
smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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201
acorn
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| n.橡实，橡子 | |
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202
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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203
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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204
jettisoning
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| v.抛弃，丢弃( jettison的现在分词 )；投下 | |
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205
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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206
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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207
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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208
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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209
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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210
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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211
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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212
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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213
jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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214
electrified
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| v.使电气化( electrify的过去式和过去分词 )；使兴奋 | |
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215
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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216
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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217
choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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218
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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219
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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220
negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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221
negotiation
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| n.谈判，协商 | |
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222
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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223
lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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224
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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225
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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226
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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227
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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228
nether
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| adj.下部的，下面的；n.阴间；下层社会 | |
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229
retrieved
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| v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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230
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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231
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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232
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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233
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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234
avalanches
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| n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 ) | |
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235
bodyguard
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| n.护卫，保镖 | |
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236
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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237
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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238
intestinal
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| adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌 | |
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239
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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240
shimmered
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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241
renaissance
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| n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴 | |
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242
smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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243
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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244
liberating
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| 解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 ) | |
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245
ethics
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| n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准 | |
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246
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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247
shambles
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| n.混乱之处；废墟 | |
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248
gaseous
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| adj.气体的，气态的 | |
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249
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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250
burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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251
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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252
scenario
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| n.剧本，脚本；概要 | |
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253
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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254
excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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255
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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256
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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257
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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258
cramming
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| n.塞满，填鸭式的用功v.塞入( cram的现在分词 )；填塞；塞满；（为考试而）死记硬背功课 | |
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259
relinquish
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| v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手 | |
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260
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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261
ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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262
maelstrom
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| n.大乱动；大漩涡 | |
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263
momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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264
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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265
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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266
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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267
timing
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| n.时间安排，时间选择 | |
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268
breached
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| 攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反 | |
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269
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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270
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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271
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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272
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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273
crumbling
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| adj.摇摇欲坠的 | |
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274
protocol
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| n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节 | |
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275
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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276
finned
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| adj.有鳍的，有鳍状物的 | |
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277
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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