‘Did you see that human movie with the centaurs?’ she asked the centaur on the other end of her helmet communicator. ‘They were noble and sporty. My sword for thee, Majesty, then off for a spot of hunting. Fit centaurs, now that did make me laugh.’
Thousands of miles away, somewhere in the Earth’s mantle below Ireland, Foaly, the Lower Elements Police technical adviser, rubbed his paunch.
‘Holly, that hurts. Caballine likes my belly.’
Foaly had got married, or hitched as centaurs called the ceremony, while Holly had been away with Artemis Fowl rescuing demons in Limbo. A lot had changed in the three years she had been away, and sometimes Holly found it difficult to keep up. Foaly had a new bride to occupy his time. Her old friend Trouble Kelp had been promoted to LEP Commander, and she was back working at Recon with the Kraken Watch task force.
‘Apologies, friend. That was mean,’ said Holly. ‘I like your belly too. I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to see a hitching sash round it.’
‘Me too. Next time.’
Holly smiled. ‘Sure. That’s going to happen.’
Traditionally, male centaurs were expected to take more than one bride, but Caballine was a modern fairy and Holly doubted if she would stand for a new filly in the household.
‘Don’t worry, I’m joking.’
‘You’d better be, because I’m meeting Caballine at the spa this weekend.’
‘How’s the new gear?’ said Foaly, hurriedly changing the subject.
Holly spread her arms wide, feeling the wind ripple her fingers, seeing the Baltic Sea flash past below in shards of blue and white.
‘It’s wonderful,’ she said. ‘Absolutely wonderful.’
Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon flew in wide, lazy circles above Helsinki, enjoying the brisk Scandinavian air filtering through her helmet. It was just after 5 a.m. local time and the rising sun had set the Uspenski Cathedral’s golden onion dome shimmering. Already the city’s famed marketplace was strobed with headlights as vendors arrived to open up for the morning trade, or eager politicians’ aides made their way towards the blue-grey façade of City Hall.