Artemis Fowl

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2001

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-4

Chapters 5-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapter 9-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapter 9-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 9 Summary: “Ace in the Hole”

Artemis watches the entire exchange between Butler and the troll on the camera, as Holly has sealed him into his study. He feels grateful that his bodyguard is there, especially since he never called for help from the fairies themselves, which would have given them an invitation.

He picks up a radio broadcaster, calling for Commander Root. He ends up talking to Foaly, reminding him that he’ll escape the time stop. Root takes over, and Artemis tells him that the elf has 30 minutes to send in the gold or he will leave Holly to be killed when he vacates the time stop. Cutting off contact, Artemis sits back, thinking that they’re all the more likely to give him the gold since he had told them they could enter after he died. However, he believes that he’ll be able to escape.

Butler releases Artemis, who congratulates Butler on his victory over the troll. Butler points out that he couldn’t have done it without Holly. Artemis knows it is difficult for his bodyguard that he, Artemis, is still insisting on holding the elf hostage. He promises that neither Holly nor Juliet will be harmed. Butler says that he trusts him.

Cudgeon tries to avoid taking responsibility for what happened with the troll by blaming Holly. Foaly lets him know that he’s been relieved of command and that the Council wants to see him. When Cudgeon lunges at Foaly for security disks documenting the troll assault, Root shoots him with the tranquilizer dart in his finger gun, calling it an accident. Root, back in charge, orders the ransom sent in so that Holly can be released.

Holly sees that the time stop is coming to an end. Over her communication device, Foaly tells her that the bio bomb will be activated as soon as she’s out. Holly feels terrible that Juliet will be killed since she is innocent. She storms down to see Artemis and asks him if he’s told Butler and Juliet about the bomb. Butler replies that he trusts Artemis.

The gold arrives. Holly tries to convince Artemis again that he can’t escape in the time stop. Artemis then asks Holly “What would I have to do to buy a wish?” (256). Holly replies by asking what he’s got to trade.

The narrative cuts to Foaly and Root, and they watch as Holly exits the house with half of the gold. She suggests that she could re-enter the house and wipe the minds of everyone inside so that they don’t have to use the bio bomb. Root refuses. Holly is shocked. Then, Foaly adds that according to the Book, if a human can attain gold, it is his until he dies.

Inside, Butler is surprised that Artemis gave up some of the gold. Artemis explains that he decided that Holly was owed something. He brings in glasses of champagne, saying that his mother wouldn’t mind. Butler sees right through this, asking him, “You want us to drink this, don’t you, Artemis?” (261). Artemis agrees, knowing that it contains a sedative. He drinks his own.

Foaly fires the missile into Fowl Manor. Holly believes for a second that Artemis might be right, but she quickly dispels the feeling. After it detonates, Root sends in a squad for the gold. Holly joins them. Only five minutes remain before the time stop ends, bringing the estate back into the present.

As soon as the whole squad enters the house, they begin throwing up, a result of entering the house without an invitation and proof that Artemis is alive. Holly, since she had an invitation, continues through the house. She finds the gold but does not see Artemis. Root, over her intercom, tells her to leave it. Holly is furious that Artemis won.

Outside, Mulch emerges from the ground and spots the gold that came out of Fowl Manor. He quickly steals it.

Artemis wakes, at first thinking that his father is present. Then, he sees it is Butler, who is furious that Juliet was drugged and sedated without consent. Artemis explains that going back through the history of fairies and humans, he realized that the legend of Santa Claus is based on the story of a real fairy named San D’Klass. D’Klass had used a time stop to deliver gifts, and Artemis concluded that “[w]hatever your state of consciousness going in, that’s how you stay” during a time stop (273). Taking sleeping pills and going to sleep tricked the time stop. Artemis had tested this with his mother since she fell asleep and then disappeared from the time stop.

Butler forgives him but makes him promise to never take from fairies again. He also suggests checking on his mother.

Angeline emerges from the shower. Artemis’s wish had been for Holly to heal his mother, and Holly did so. Angeline apologizes to Artemis for not being well and reminds him that it is Christmas.

Artemis realizes that, with his mother well again, he will have to be sneakier with his plans, but he believes it is worth it.

Epilogue Summary

The epilogue reveals that the novel is Artemis’s case file as put together by Dr. J. Argon for the LEP. Argon concludes that Artemis only saved his mother so that he wouldn’t be put into foster care. It mentions that Artemis will continue to exploit the People—the fairies—and that Holly is an expert in contending with him.

Chapter 9-Epilogue Analysis

The final chapter of the novel brings it to its climax with the blue rinse. It is a culminating test of Artemis’s intelligence, and the “barest hint of hesitation” is all he feels taking the sedative, feeling confident that he is correct about being able to escape from the time stop (261). At this point, the tension of the moment builds as the narrative shifts to focus on the fairies.

The device of maintaining suspense by changing scenes and viewpoints can encourage readers to root for Artemis, even though he kidnapped Holly and extorted the fairies. Even Holly finds herself mourning his passing, which is unexpected. Part of her feelings for the human boy likely stem from the fact that she witnessed brief vulnerability in him. The moment in which he requests his “wish” is hidden even from the readers. However, Holly came to see the boy as child wishing for his mother to be well again, not just as her captor.

Additionally, that moment strengthens the theme of The Blending of Science and Magic. Artemis the scientist must ask Holly the user of magic for help; he concedes in doing so that magic can be more powerful and effective than science in some circumstances.

This important moment also signifies the recognition of his own limits, as Artemis does not try to heal Angeline on his own. These shifts in Artemis’s character arc demonstrate that he has the capacity for change, maturation, and a more moral belief system.

The theme of Destruction Resulting from Human Greed comes to its conclusion as Artemis proves that he is willing to give up some of the gold for his family. However, even as Artemis escaped the blue rinse, he doesn’t account for the fact that “Behind those medieval walls lay the bodies of a million insects, and under its floors the cooling corpses of spiders and mice” (265). There is still a significant cost to the blue rinse, though it is one held by both fairy and human alike. The natural world suffers in the conflict over material wealth.

In emerging victorious, Artemis proves that he is not to be underestimated. the novel ends with his mother’s health and his fortune restored; Artemis’ intelligence will clearly continue to be a “problem” (1) for those in conflict with him. Additionally, he knows that “[h]is plans would have to be much more devious than usual if they were to escape his mother’s attention” (277). As a result, the story included in this case file is a beginning, not a conclusion. However, Artemis thinks having to be more surreptitious will be “worth it,” showing how his care for his family triumphs over all other feelings.

Finally, the Epilogue leaves the reader to ponder their feelings over Artemis. Pointing out several of his positive traits, even as Argon explains that “[t]here is a tendency to romanticize Artemis. To attribute to him qualities that he does not possess” (279), the reader is left both wanting the next adventure and wondering how Artemis will apply the lessons he learned.