Over the next few minutes, while Holly ran a systems check and
plotted a course for the crash site, Artemis brought Butler and Juliet up
to speed, saving the diagnosis of his own illness for last.
“I have a disorder which the fairies call an Atlantis Complex. It is
similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder but also manifests as
delusional dementia and even multiple personality.” Butler nodded
slowly. “I see. So when you sent me away, you were in the grips of this
Atlantis Complex.”
“Exactly. I was in stage one, which involves a large dose of paranoia
as one of its symptoms. You missed stage two.”
“Lucky for you,” Holly called back from the cockpit. “That Orion
guy was a little too friendly.”
“My subconscious built the Orion personality as my alter ego.
Artemis, I’m sure you remember, was the goddess of the hunt, and
legend has it that Orion was Artemis’s mortal enemy, so she sent a
scorpion to kill him. In my mind Orion was free from the guilt I
harbored from my various schemes, especially the guilt of
mesmerizing my parents, kidnapping Holly, and, crucially, seeing my
mother possessed by Opal. Perhaps had I not dabbled in magic I might
have developed a slight personality disorder, maybe even Child Genius
Syndrome, but with my neural pathways coated with stolen magic I
know now that it was inevitable I would succumb to Atlantis.” Artemis
dropped his eyes. “What I did was shameful. I was weak and I will
carry regret for the rest of my life.”
Butler’s face softened. “Are you well now? Did the electrocution do
the trick?”
Foaly was getting a little tired of Artemis doing all the lecturing, so
he cleared his throat and volunteered some information. “According to
my phone’s mi-p almanac, shock treatment is an archaic treatment and
rarely permanent. Atlantis Complex can be cured, but only through
extended therapy and the careful use of psychoactive drugs. Soon,
Artemis’s compulsions will return and he will feel an irresistible urge
to complete his mission, to number things, and to avoid the number
four, which I believe sounds like the Chinese word for death.”
“So, Artemis is not cured?”
Artemis was suddenly glad that there were five other people in the
shuttle. A good omen for success.
“No. I am not cured yet.”

- The Atlantis Complex, Chapter 8