9 HOW DO YOU TAKE ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN A VOW OF SILENCE

9. HOW DO YOU TAKE ADVICE FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN A VOW OF SILENCE? Old Wrinkly's hole was a dried-up old well about six feet wide and really quite deep. Hiccup had been visiting him every day anyway, bringing him food. Hiccup carefully climbed down the ladder. It was quite a relief to get away from the clammy heat, and the further you went down, the cooler it became. His grandfather was already awake and smoking his pipe on a small stool. "I must say," said Hiccup, as he sat down beside his grandfather, "you have been very lucky in the weather. Most summers this hole would be ankle deep in water and mud at this time of year." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I just found out about

Humungous... and the Fire-Stone... and the Volcano... and everything that happened fifteen years ago." His grandfather turned his face away from Hiccup's. "Now, why would Alvin the Treacherous want to have me killed?" wondered Hiccup aloud. "He could just sit tight on Lava-Lout Island, waiting for the Volcano to explode. He must think I'm going to do something to spoil his plans... but what CAN I do? I can't stop a volcano from exploding!"

Old Wrinkly stopped smoking for a second, picked up one of his books, and rifled through the pages. He stopped on one page and pointed with a bony finger. THE RIDDLE OF LAVA-LOUT ISLAND, read Hiccup.

Through the open window came the clear sound of a bugle, calling all Vikings to a meeting of The Thing. A meeting at which no one was allowed to speak unless they were holding the Fire-Stone... the very same Fire-Stone that Stoick the Vast had stolen from the Volcano in order to win the hand of Valhallarama the Mightily Beautiful, fifteen long years before. "THE FIRE-STONE!" shouted Hiccup. "Maybe if we RETURN the Fire-Stone to the Volcano we can stop it from erupting! Don't worry, Grandpa," said Hiccup, "I'll make it all right." And Hiccup climbed the ladder back up to the real world.

The Riddle of Lava-Lout Island