Winter of the Ice Wizard - Mary Pope Osborne [10]
Jack tied a knot in the string, and the sleigh began to slow down. He tied a second, then a third. The wind died down completely, and the sleigh coasted to a stop at the foot of the Hollow Hill. Jack and Annie climbed out.
Jack looked up at the steep white slope. “How do we get inside?” he said.
“I don’t know,” said Annie. “How do you think the Frost Giant gets inside?”
“Oh … the Frost Giant,” said Jack. He really wished Teddy and Kathleen were with them. He felt as if part of their team was missing.
Annie seemed to read his thoughts. “We can do it,” she said. “We have to—for Morgan and Merlin.”
Jack nodded. “You’re right,” he said. They studied the hill in the moonlight.
“Up there—is that an opening?” said Annie.
“Maybe,” said Jack. “Let’s climb up and check it out.” When they climbed a little way up the hill, Jack could clearly see a break in the snow-covered slope.
“Let’s see if it leads inside!” said Annie.
“Wait, what about the Frost Giant?” said Jack.
“I have a feeling he’s not here right now,” said Annie. “We’d better go in and find the wizard’s eye before he comes back.”
“Okay,” said Jack. “But be careful!”
They scurried farther up the slope. When they came to the opening, they stepped through the huge crack into the hill.
Jack and Annie found themselves on a ledge above a deep, rounded hollow. Moonlight flooded down through the open hilltop. At the bottom of the hollow was a flat spot where it looked as if the snow had been blown in circles.
“That must be where the giant sleeps!” said Annie.
“Yeah, and it’s probably where he hides the eye,” said Jack. “We just have to find a hole. Remember?” He repeated what the Norns had said:
In the Hollow Hill is a hole.
In the hole is a hailstone.
In the heart of the hailstone
Hides the wizard’s eye.
“Right,” said Annie.
Jack looked down at the snowy swirl. He looked back at Annie. “Onward?”
“Onward,” she whispered.
Jack and Annie scrambled down into the hollow. Stepping carefully through the silver moonlight, they studied the ground, looking for the hole.
Annie stumbled and fell. “Whoa!” she said. “I think I just found the hole! I stepped in it!”
“Really?” said Jack. He knelt down beside her.
Annie reached down into a small hole in the floor of the hollow. “There’s something in here!” she said. She pulled out a chunk of ice the size of an egg. “The hailstone!”
In the dim light, it was impossible to see if anything was inside the ice chunk. “We don’t know if this is the right hailstone,” said Jack. “We’ll have to wait till daylight to see if the eye’s in there.”
“It has to be the right one,” said Annie. “How many hailstones are hidden in a hole in a hollow hill?”
“Good point,” said Jack.
Annie turned the hailstone over in her hand. “Maybe the eye is looking at us now,” she said.
“That’s scientifically impossible,” said Jack. “An eye can’t see unless it’s connected to a brain.”
“Yeah, and a string can’t make the wind blow, either,” said Annie. “Forget science in this place. Wait—” She caught her breath. “Did you feel that?”
“Feel what?” said Jack.
“The ground’s shaking,” said Annie.
Jack did feel the ground trembling. He heard a strange sound, too—a loud huffing sound coming from outside the hill—HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFF.… It sounded like breathing!
“The giant’s back!” said Annie.
“Oh, no!” cried Jack.
The ground kept rumbling. The breathing sounds got louder.
“Hide the hailstone!” said Jack.
Annie shoved the ice chunk into her pocket.
HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFF.… It sounded like the giant was entering the hollow!
“He’s coming!” said Annie.
“Hide!” whispered Jack.
Jack pulled Annie into the shadows. He remembered the gray Norn’s warning: Anyone who looks directly at the Frost Giant will freeze to death at once.
“Whatever you do, don’t look at him!” he whispered to Annie.
Crouching in the dark, they buried their faces in their hands and waited.…
HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFFF.… With each breath from the Frost Giant, a blast of cold wind swept through the hollow.
Jack trembled. He felt chilled to the bone. HUFFFF, HUFFFF, HUFFFFF.…
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