Artemis Fowl

The narrator re-introduces Mulch Diggums, the dwarf with whom Holly interacted when she first arrived at the LEP. Because Mulch has consistently stolen from humans and broken the Book’s rules, he gave up his magic. He has been arrested a number of times and spent three hundred years moving in and out of prison.

Mulch is an expert tunneler. Dwarves tunnel by unhinging their jaw, eating dirt, processing it, and “eject[ing]” it. He gets into a fight with a group of goblins after being arrested, but it is broken up by LEP officers who tell him that Commander Root needs him above ground.

In Tara, Mulch surreptitiously steals Root’s field-access card before he follows him to a view of Fowl Manner. When Root reveals that he wants Mulch to break into the building since he has already lost his magic, Mulch bargains for a lighter sentence: 70 years in a solitary cell (because he knows that he can escape from it).

Starting to dig, Mulch aims for the wine cellar. Following the wine’s residue through the earth, he tunnels into Fowl Manor. He creeps through the house, looking for Holly and for clues about Artemis’s knowledge of fairies. He has a sneaking suspicion that they are being tricked. However, he finds the small safe and is thrilled when he unlocks it. He also feels gas building up inside him, so powerful that when he lets it out, much of the dirt inside of him flies out. This topples Butler, who was attempting to ambush Mulch, and knocks him unconscious. Mulch takes the Book and leaves the safe room.

Sitting at his computer, Artemis surveys his monitors and realizes that his cameras are being looped. He fixes this, bringing his camera back to real-time, and then sees Butler approach Mulch and realizes that Holly intends to bury her acorn just as Juliet is about to walk into her cell. Juliet, however, has left her walkie-talkie behind, so Artemis cannot warn her.

Holly slams her bed into the concrete underneath it until she sees dirt breaking through. She manages to tuck the acorn into it, completing the Ritual. In moments, she is full of magic. When Juliet enters, she starts to remove her mirrored glasses, and Holly uses the opportunity to use the mesmer on her, asking her questions about who is in the house. Holly tells her to stay inside the room.

Holly runs into Mulch, who reveals that he found a copy of the Book. Holly shields herself.

Artemis considers the situation but recognizes that it has little effect on his plan since Holly still has to obey his command to remain in the house. He is prepared for when the time-stop ends.

Meanwhile, Mulch escapes from the house, gives his biological monitor to a rabbit, kills it, and creates a false cave-in so that he can escape.