If you missed any of my read along for The Time Paradox, check out the rest:
Chapter 13: The Hairy One is Dead
Butler very much wants young Artemis to learn his lesson here. Already, he's berated him for his misdeeds and guilted him into helping the 'hairy one' rescue his fairy friend.
But Butler is also careful and selective about exactly which hard truths he lays on his young charge because, while he doesn't sugarcoat the fact that the 'hairy one' died attempting to rescue the fairy, who's captive state young Artemis is directly responsible for, he does not tell the young master the much more bitter fact that everything was under control until his ill-timed and petty video.
We can infer two things from this:
- Butler wanted Artemis to learn the hard lesson that his actions have drastic consequences, but didn't want to be cruel.
- Butler also didn't want to dissuade Artemis from future 'good deeds' by explaining this first attempt at one only wound up getting someone killed.
Hearing Artemis say "Yee-haw" in true cowboy fashion is not something I realized I needed in my life. Now if I only I had a matching picture...
Oh, look! Here's one over at Artemis Fowl FanGathering. Thanks, Internet.
I would like to point out that not only does Artemis wonder, even for a second, if the lemur Jayjay is steering the fairy shuttle, but that Holly knows exactly what he's thinking and corrects him before he even asks.
Chapter 14: The Hole in the Ace
A clever reversal of the finale chapter in Artemis Fowl. While Artemis held a true ace in the hole in deducing how to escape the time field, this refers to Opal's supposed ace backfiring when Artemis finds the hole that will tear it asunder.
On the note of my being so harsh on Arty for manipulating Holly instead of trusting her, it's refreshing to see that -while Holly plans on punching him in the face for it- she is plagued by questions and doubts about whether she truly would have helped him or not.
I forgot how fast this jumped from 'there's gotta be a plot twist' to 'whoa, hella weird!'
Schalke, under the mesmer, is entertaining, doing what he's bound to but with all his arrogance, smart-assery, and personality in tact. At least he's not reduced to one-word sentences, eh, Opal? Careful what you wish for, pixie. This does, however, bring up the interesting question of whether Schalke was truly weak-willed to succumb to the mesmer with his personality in tact, whether Opal's 'improved' magic is flawed, or whether Schalke simply doesn't have qualms about shooting people.
I gotta hand it to Eoin; when storytellers dip into time travel, they generally try to avoid, negate, or explain away paradoxes. But not Eoin. Oh no! He makes a completely inexplicable time paradox the CENTERPIECE of his novel.
While both Artemises (Artemisi?) are in the time stream, Artemis the elder wonders at how obnoxious his younger version is and this is probably the single best thing I love about this book.
"Little wonder people in general did not like him."
Artemis Fowl has a secret route through the Manor that not even Butler's surveillance can detect which includes, and I quote 'walking on furniture' and 'traveling in dumbwaiters'. I especially love the touch of opening the fridge door and using it to block the view of the camera.
Both Artemises contemplating the barrel of animal fat provides an lovely juxtaposition between the elder -who finds it deplorable- and the younger -who calls it ingenious. It's like a 'before' and 'after' picture.
Just as I'm about to point out that Artemis' sneaking over furniture and through dumbwaiters is rather a lot of physical exercise for him, I read that it's catching up with him. All right. So Artemis still ins't into physical exertion.
But there's something else. How many times has Artemis bemoaned his lack of physical prowess or promised to start working out and how many times have I teased him about his never actually doing it? We know Artemis won't start exercising. I know it, you know, he knows it. He knows it, because he conducted 'a little mind over matter experiment' while in the time stream, trying to will his muscles to tone.
Chapter 15 Murder Most Fowl
There are so many 'Fowl' puns in this book and I love it.Just as I'm about to point out that Artemis' sneaking over furniture and through dumbwaiters is rather a lot of physical exercise for him, I read that it's catching up with him. All right. So Artemis still ins't into physical exertion.
But there's something else. How many times has Artemis bemoaned his lack of physical prowess or promised to start working out and how many times have I teased him about his never actually doing it? We know Artemis won't start exercising. I know it, you know, he knows it. He knows it, because he conducted 'a little mind over matter experiment' while in the time stream, trying to will his muscles to tone.
ARTEMIS LITERALLY TRIED TO WISH HIMSELF INTO SHAPE.
This is one of the most relatable things this kid has ever done.
As Artemis is taking off in the Cessna, I love his little moment of introspection. "Have I changed utterly?" he thinks, banishing the thought of fleeing instead of following The Plan. But no, he decides; just because his range of palatable crimes is growing smaller just means he'll have to work harder to find the ones he can justify.
Artemis shooting a flare gun in Opal's face and slamming the visor down on her is very James Bond and the best Artemis vs. Opal moment to date.
Crashed Cessna, broken collarbone, running toward a dead end, Artemis keeps telling himself the cavalry's coming. After everything they've been through, and everything he's done for them, the LEP wouldn't abandon him to such a fate, would they?
Which is a complete reversal of Arty's thoughts than what this book started with. He feared Holly wouldn't cooperate with time travel -that she would abandon him- so he lied and manipulated her.
Now, Artemis is putting his own fate into the hands of the LEP. No lies, no leverage, no manipulation; just faith and trust (though considering who's chasing him, I'm sure he'll pass on the pixie dust).
And in the end, Artemis deals with Opal, though he's still certain the LEP is coming. And while Holly does come to his aid, just after the nick of time, that leave us with an interesting final thought on Artemis' original manipulation because, when Artemis did decide to trust the LEP without manipulating them to ensure his own benefit, the LEP do not make him the priority; they don't come to his aid; even Holly, who may or may not have disobeyed orders to come after him, arrives too late to help.
So maybe Artemis wasn't so mistaken to manipulate the LEP into creating a time stream after all?
And, considering that Artemis going back in time to save his mother was what enable Opal to come into the future to bait and set the trap in the first place, this also leaves us with the unsettling conclusion that Opal understands Artemis and correctly deduced that he would do whatever it took to get the LEP to open a time stream. Now isn't that an uncomfortable thought?
Opal is defeated and Artemis gazes up at the stars and this bit of introspection makes me sad. He feels insignificant in that expanse of nature, which will eventually swallow even the memory of him. He is alone and realizing that his usually feeling of triumph won't arrive.
Why?
I keep asking myself this question, because this is a really depressing moment for Artemis, and I'm just trying to understand what he's thinking right now.
Possibly, for the first time, Artemis is truly understanding that -despite all his schemes and brilliance and plans and inventions- he is a mere speck in the everything that is all of time and space. A dose of this might not be a bad thing for our incredibly ambitious protagonist, but it's not just opening his eyes to the idea, it's robbing him of his hard won triumph and, worse, making him alone in that huge expanse. And that's not good.
Perhaps Artemis is realizing he has lost too much or risked too much. Perhaps he is caught between thinking he has become too invested and grown too much of a conscience or thinking that he has crossed too many lines and hurt too many people.
It could be that Artemis recognizes he is on the edge of something. Or perhaps he just hit a breaking point.
I don't have an answer for this and, honestly, I feel the text is suspiciously vague on Artemis' emotional state right here. The thoughts of any of my fellow Fowl Fans is most welcome. Otherwise, I shall look to The Atlantis Complex to hopefully shed some more light on it.
Ch 16: A Team of Hairdressers
Two thought son Artemis' thoughts on the scenery:
- He compares the evergreens swaying in the breeze to 'Tolkien's creatures' which I of course love for the sake of a Tolkien reference, but also because Artemis has enough familiarity with Tolkien's works to make such a reference and the thought of Artemis reading The Lord of the Rings is a surprising one -I never figured Arty for the fantasy type, ironically- and this is suddenly a piece of Artemis -and Eoin Colfer- of which I'm very much enamored.
- Artemis watches Holly and thinks "If only." which is just wistful and mournful enough that I can maybe, kinda see why ArtemisxHolly sprung up.
Hero.
Let us turn our thoughts back to The Eternity Code, when Artemis Sr posed the oh-so-important question to his son of what Arty would do when the time came: choose petty criminal gain or to be a hero?
Artemis has been splitting hair while walking this line, trying to do both. Just look at the aforementioned thought of how rare palatable crimes are becoming for him! But this time, as Holly pointed out, Arty did a good thing, for no profit.
To be called a hero, by his mother no less, must mean a lot to our favorite boy genius.
ANGELINE KNOWS.
I think I forgot the extent of her knowing, actually, because this kind of shocked me. I also wonder at her retained memories.
Is it a flaw in Opal's ill-gotten mesmer, like we already debated because of Schalke's maintaining full personality under its sway?
Or perhaps an unforeseen resilience or built up immunity in a human brain exposed to so much magic? This would be especially interesting, especially considering Artemis' discovery in The Lost Colony, that evidently humans once had magic, but have lost and forgotten how to use it. There could be an idea here that, with such frequent and invasive exposure as Angeline Fowl has been subjugated to over the last five years, perhaps those dormant parts of her human brain have begun to reactivate and recognize magic again. Which would be awesome.
Or perhaps it's merely an 'oversight' on the part of one or more of Artemis' fairy friends who think maybe he's been through enough on his own already.
Either way, it puts Artemis into a rather familiar position: a newly healed Angeline is suddenly aware of her son's exploits and about to make his criminal exploits much harder.
Also, I feel that Angeline's knowing portends something of an intervention for Artemis. He shudders at the thought of complete honesty, even when his outright manipulation of the truth recently caused a serious rend with his friends. 'Complete honesty' with Angeline for Artemis sounds rather akin to an addict going cold turkey and then having their sponsor as a roommate.
It will be interesting to watch this unfold.
Myles Fowl, you clever little boy. You're not buying Artemis' cover story at all, are you? How did I not notice that before. No wonder the twins get their own spin off.
Epilogue
The entire book is built on one big time paradox -and in just the epilogue, Eoin manages to heap on TWO MORE:
- The escape of Opal Koboi. After all, if the past Opal is loose is the present, how exactly will her part in Artemis and Holly's live be played without her? Like, the goblin uprising and the beginning of Artemis' journey to a hero? Or Julius' death? Time paradoxes, man.
- Artemis' original fairy-ransom scheme that brings about all his adventures and misadventures with the People is brought about by the collision with his older self already neck-deep in People related adventures and misadventures.
And that, dear readers, is all I have for you today! But no fear -The Atlantis Complex is almost here. This next book should be veeerrrrryyyy interesting for two reasons: I've only read it twice, very far apart from one another and no time recently; I also don't think I've ever fully appreciated book 7 and I know I've never examined it in the full context of the series, specifically Artemis' current emotional and moral state. In other words, BRING ON ORION!
April's reading schedule for The Atlantis Complex:
April 4: Chapters 1-3
April 11: Chapters 4-7
April 18: Chapters 8-Epilogue
April 25: A Special Surprise!
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