12-第九章：威力蓄须王的预言(14)

‘If he is here, he should now step forward and announce himself!’ Swollen with pride, Alvin the Treacherous stuck out his chest, and stepped forward, nearly falling over, for his horrible Mother pushed him forward more violently than was strictly necessary. Alvin had lived his whole life for this moment. He had tricked and stolen and murdered and betrayed. And he had paid a terrible price for this moment, losing along the way his eye, his arm, his leg, his hair, his nose and…

oh dear – his soul. All for the sake of this one precious moment. And it was worth it. ‘I am the Hero who found these Things, and collected them together!’ shouted Alvin the Treacherous. The Alvinsmen cheered, a ragged proud cheer. Valhallarama and Stoick the Vast shook their heads at these lies, but they said nothing. What could they do, what could they say? Valhallarama had spent her whole life searching for the Lost Things, but they never came to her, search though she may, and great Hero though she was. She had failed. Both parents had not been able to protect