16 The Cunning But Desperate Plan

16. THE CUNNING BUT DESPERATE PLAN Camicazi returned the day before Saturn's day Saturday. She was not as cheerful as usual. She drooped around the cell, sighing. Even Fishlegs was worried. Camicazi came and sat next to Hiccup beside the barred window. 'Maybe,' she said sadly, 'maybe you can keep a Bog-Burglar under lock and key. I don't understand it. I'm the MASTER ESCAPER– no prison can hold me…' 'The Romans make good prisons,' replied Hiccup. 'The only good Roman is a dead Roman,' said Camicazi. Hiccup sighed. 'That isn't true. I'm sure there are loads of good Romans. But all the good Romans are probably quietly minding their own business back in Rome. Anyway, Alvin isn't a Roman, he's a Viking just like us.' 'Your father really ISN'T going to send a War

Party, you know Hiccup,' said Camicazi gently. Hiccup looked out the window. Camicazi was right. HIS FATHER WASN'T COMING. Maybe he thought that Hiccup wasn't worth it… 'OK,' said Hiccup, trying to keep them from despairing. 'I think it's time we made another plan.' 'I know what we do!' cried Camicazi, drawing her sword with her old swagger back again. 'We practise our sword-fighting! We die, yes– but we die in STYLE!' 'No,' said Hiccup. 'But you're a great sword-fighter– for a boy, of course…' said Camicazi, disappointed. 'I only sword-fight when there's a point to it,' said Hiccup. 'No, this is the plan. I have this dragon called Ziggerastica who owes me a favour…' 'OOOooh, Ziggerastica– he sounds scary,' said Camicazi. 'Do you think he can help us?' 'I don't know,' Hiccup admitted. Hiccup felt a bit silly shouting to someone who wasn't in the room, but he did so nonetheless, calling 'ZIGGERASTICA!' three times at the top of his voice. 'How is this dragon going to get IN here, when

we can't get OUT?' asked Camicazi. 'You'll see,' said Hiccup. Nothing happened for about three hours. Hiccup wasn't really expecting this plan to work, in his heart of hearts– he was just trying to cheer Camicazi up. But then there was a faint rustling noise, and the tiny black and red dragon squeezed through the double bars and fluttered around the room. 'Don't tell me,' said Camicazi, 'please don't tell me that THIS is the dragon who owes you the favour…'

'Yup,' said Hiccup in astonishment. 'That's definitely him. How amazing that he came when I called!' 'This dragon,' said Fishlegs, 'is even smaller than Toothless– that's really going to help us, isn't it? The entire Roman Army is going to be shivering in its shoes when it sets eyes on a dragon the size of a bumblebee. How can a dragon not much larger than a beetle help us fight a whole Roman Legion?' 'What were you expecting?' asked Hiccup. 'A Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus? Hang on, Toothless… what are you doing?' Toothless was stalking Ziggerastica like a cat following a mouse. 'Toothless, STOP!' yelled Hiccup. 'You mustn't eat him, he's our only chance of getting out of here alive!' But Toothless hadn't had the pleasure of hunting for a couple of weeks now. He chased a shrieking Ziggerastica all around the room until he finally trapped him in a corner of the ceiling and closed his jaws around him.

Toothless hovered just out of reach, one cheek bulging, and Ziggerastica's furiously swinging tail trailing out of his mouth. 'SPIT HIM OUT!' howled Hiccup, frantically jumping up and trying to grab Toothless by the tail. 'I mean it, Toothless, this is not a game– our lives depend on that nanodragon!' Toothless shot him a naughty look and dodged to the other corner of the room. The others joined in the chase, leaping after Toothless as he swooped from one side of the ceiling to the other, squealing with delight. Camicazi climbed on to Fishlegs's shoulders, while Hiccup got on a chair and tried to sweep Toothless in her direction with a broom. Unfortunately, Hiccup missed, and the brush

cannoned into Camicazi and Fishlegs, who then knocked over the chair Hiccup was standing on and they all landed in a heap on the floor. Toothless somersaulted across the ceiling in his glee. He laughed so hard he nearly dropped Ziggerastica. He hadn't had so much fun in ages. 'OK,' said Hiccup under his breath to the other two, 'I've got a new tactic here…