Holly climbed into the Fowl Bentley, sighing with relief at the air-conditioned temperature.  She had been stuck in a shuttle for the last hour and a half and she was not in a good mood.

“I don’t see why you’re so content.” Butler sighed. His shavencrown was shiny with perspiration and his face resembled the late Commander Root.

“Take this temperature and times it by 3,” retorted Holly as she strapped on her seatbelt, “you’d be relieved to be in South Africa.”

Butler nodded, defeated.

“Enough of the heat banter,” snapped Artemis, rolling his eyes, “right now, we have to find out whats causing this furnace-like heat.”

“We checked Koboi, its not her. And Foaly can’t detect any major heat sources because the whole of the earth is now a major heat source. He’s baffled.”

Artemis steepled his fingers and frowned. He did not like unexplainable problems, all he needed now was for the heat to get more intense and he’d be on the verge of madness.

“Maybe someone is over-indulging with money and needs contant heat for an experiment.” Butler suggested.

“Old friend I’m afraid that is impossible without Foaly finding out.” Artemis said.

Holly switched on the built-in television to CNN. Her face paled more and more as she watched.

“…….the heat is compulsory for the new experiment we are having,” a middle-aged american with a noticeable bulge was saying as he stood outside of Central Park. “Here in Central Park, its a natural enviroment for the new, anti-global warming computer.”

THe reporter’s eyes widened,

“A natural enviroment for this computer, is a park?!”

The american frowned irritably,

“It takes energy from its surroundings and there’s more energy outdoors.”

” But what about bad weather, is it weatherproof, what about the snow?”

The american frowned again.

“IT needs lots of heat to start up. Once its on, the heat will go normal again but it will draw heat from the core so it reduces global warming, this interview is over, get out of my way.”

He pushed through the camera crew and got into an old Beetle.

“Energy from the core,” whispered Holly, ” we already do that. With two races drawing out the power, they could discover us. Its the Zito Probe thing all over again.”

“Great,” sighed Artemis, “just great.” 

Some other stories by Opal Koboi:

• The Teleporter
• Intruders!
• Artemis's First Friend
• Artemis Fowl: The Boys Are Back