Chapter 13, Unfortunate Conclusions Summary

Milo brings the small sound, "but" out to the citizens of the Valley of Sound and gently drops it from the tip of his tongue into the cannon. The cannon is fired at the Soundkeeper's fortress and destroys it. Every sound in the vault comes hurtling out all at once in deafening confusion. As the sounds disperse, everyone is able to go back to their normal, noisy way of life, except the Soundkeeper, who is sadly sitting in the midst of the rubble of her castle. She admits that she was foolish to try to improve sound with silence. Dynne comes from over the hill with all the escaped sounds, which the Soundkeeper is delighted to be able to catalogue and store again. The Soundkeeper gives a gift of sounds to Milo to take on his journey to rescue...