How to speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell Page A
Authors: Cressida Cowell
Tags: Fiction, General, Humorous stories, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Fantasy & Magic, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Children: Grades 4-6, Dragons, Vikings
Ads: Link
Fishlegs at last. "No wonder the Romans have conquered most of the world. It's just amazing they haven't conquered US."
"Yet," said Hiccup grimly. "And what I'm worrying about is how on earth we're going to GET OUT of here."
The Kidnappers sailed right up to the wooden entrance gates. These were in themselves impossibly huge doors, larger than some of the sea cliffs on Berk. As they neared, there were cries from the sentries in the watchtowers and the great doors opened to let them in. They sailed through the open gates, right into the heart of the Fortress, and the doors shutting behind them were like the closing of a shark's mouth.
The Second Kidnapper gave the boys a glittering mile as they moored the boat.
"We is welcoming you to Fort Sinister," he said.
118
[Image: Fort sinister]
119
120
10. THE SECRET IDENTITY OF THE THIN PREFECT
The Kidnappers threw the boys over their shoulders again and strode through several large courtyards, busy with soldiers and cooks and horses and people selling things to each other. They walked up some steps and through a door into a brightly lit, gorgeously painted room. This was the Consul's Palace. Tapestries hung from the walls, couches were draped in silken covers, the mosaic floor was warm and toasty underfoot.
The Romans certainly knew how to make themselves comfy.
In one corner of the room, the Fat Consul was having his tonsils tickled with a feather so he could vomit and fit in some more Monstrous Nightmare Crème Brûlée for pudding. In another, the Thin Prefect was having his temples massaged. He looked up when they came in and gave an "Aha!" of evil satisfaction.
At the Prefect's feet lay a particularly large Gronckle, a dragon about two meters high with a spiny ruff around its neck. When they came into the room it heaved its enormous bulk onto its thick muscly legs
121
and an ominous growling began deep in its thick bull neck.
It leaped at the First Kidnapper, who dropped Fishlegs with a scream.
"Stop!" shouted the Thin Prefect in Dragonese. Very poor Dragonese, but Dragonese nonetheless. The Gronckle had grabbed the First Kidnapper by the leg in his immense jaws, and the First Kidnapper uselessly drummed his fists on the gigantic creature's great, warty back. The Gronckle had been enjoying itself, gnawing away at the Kidnapper's knee, its great tail lashing from side to side; but at the Thin Prefect's command it reluctantly stopped.
"Think you." The Thin Prefect had a terrible accent and he kept on getting the words wrong. "You can hold on to the kidnapper now ."
The Gronckle didn't move.
"I said 'Hold on to him!'" shouted the Thin Prefect crossly.
The Gronckle blinked at him and still didn't move.
"Oh for Thor's sake, you stupid alligator ..." swore the Thin Prefect in Norse. From his pocket he got out his half of How to Speak Dragonese and started
122
flicking through it, muttering to himself, "Release, release -- what's the word for release?"
"I think you'll find the word is 'release,' sir?" advised Hiccup politely.
"Thank you," sneered the Thin Prefect. "Release," he said to the Gronckle, who opened its jaws and the Kidnapper dropped, sprawling onto the floor.
"As you can see," drawled the Thin Prefect, "I need the other half of your book, Hiccup."
Hiccup tried not to look as terrified as he felt.
"How do you know my name?" he asked. "And why are we speaking in Norse, not in Latin?"
The Thin Prefect smiled. "We have met before, you see, Hiccup, many, many times. Why don't you look a little closer?"
Hiccup looked up into the Thin Prefect's eyes, and he gasped as he finally realized who it was.
The man was bald; completely hairless all over. Even his eyelashes had disappeared. But bald as he was and dressed in a toga, this was definitely Hiccup's archenemy -- Alvin the Treacherous, Chief of the Outcast Tribe and the wickedest man in the Inner Isles
"So, " hissed Alvin, "we meet AGAIN, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third ..."
123
Hiccup and
"Yet," said Hiccup grimly. "And what I'm worrying about is how on earth we're going to GET OUT of here."
The Kidnappers sailed right up to the wooden entrance gates. These were in themselves impossibly huge doors, larger than some of the sea cliffs on Berk. As they neared, there were cries from the sentries in the watchtowers and the great doors opened to let them in. They sailed through the open gates, right into the heart of the Fortress, and the doors shutting behind them were like the closing of a shark's mouth.
The Second Kidnapper gave the boys a glittering mile as they moored the boat.
"We is welcoming you to Fort Sinister," he said.
118
[Image: Fort sinister]
119
120
10. THE SECRET IDENTITY OF THE THIN PREFECT
The Kidnappers threw the boys over their shoulders again and strode through several large courtyards, busy with soldiers and cooks and horses and people selling things to each other. They walked up some steps and through a door into a brightly lit, gorgeously painted room. This was the Consul's Palace. Tapestries hung from the walls, couches were draped in silken covers, the mosaic floor was warm and toasty underfoot.
The Romans certainly knew how to make themselves comfy.
In one corner of the room, the Fat Consul was having his tonsils tickled with a feather so he could vomit and fit in some more Monstrous Nightmare Crème Brûlée for pudding. In another, the Thin Prefect was having his temples massaged. He looked up when they came in and gave an "Aha!" of evil satisfaction.
At the Prefect's feet lay a particularly large Gronckle, a dragon about two meters high with a spiny ruff around its neck. When they came into the room it heaved its enormous bulk onto its thick muscly legs
121
and an ominous growling began deep in its thick bull neck.
It leaped at the First Kidnapper, who dropped Fishlegs with a scream.
"Stop!" shouted the Thin Prefect in Dragonese. Very poor Dragonese, but Dragonese nonetheless. The Gronckle had grabbed the First Kidnapper by the leg in his immense jaws, and the First Kidnapper uselessly drummed his fists on the gigantic creature's great, warty back. The Gronckle had been enjoying itself, gnawing away at the Kidnapper's knee, its great tail lashing from side to side; but at the Thin Prefect's command it reluctantly stopped.
"Think you." The Thin Prefect had a terrible accent and he kept on getting the words wrong. "You can hold on to the kidnapper now ."
The Gronckle didn't move.
"I said 'Hold on to him!'" shouted the Thin Prefect crossly.
The Gronckle blinked at him and still didn't move.
"Oh for Thor's sake, you stupid alligator ..." swore the Thin Prefect in Norse. From his pocket he got out his half of How to Speak Dragonese and started
122
flicking through it, muttering to himself, "Release, release -- what's the word for release?"
"I think you'll find the word is 'release,' sir?" advised Hiccup politely.
"Thank you," sneered the Thin Prefect. "Release," he said to the Gronckle, who opened its jaws and the Kidnapper dropped, sprawling onto the floor.
"As you can see," drawled the Thin Prefect, "I need the other half of your book, Hiccup."
Hiccup tried not to look as terrified as he felt.
"How do you know my name?" he asked. "And why are we speaking in Norse, not in Latin?"
The Thin Prefect smiled. "We have met before, you see, Hiccup, many, many times. Why don't you look a little closer?"
Hiccup looked up into the Thin Prefect's eyes, and he gasped as he finally realized who it was.
The man was bald; completely hairless all over. Even his eyelashes had disappeared. But bald as he was and dressed in a toga, this was definitely Hiccup's archenemy -- Alvin the Treacherous, Chief of the Outcast Tribe and the wickedest man in the Inner Isles
"So, " hissed Alvin, "we meet AGAIN, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third ..."
123
Hiccup and
Similar Books
