A Yank at Valhalla

He, Thor and I followed the thralls as they bore the heavy mechanism through Valhalla castle and out into the windy, gusty night. Torch-bearing thralls went ahead to illuminate the way. Lights shone from all the castles of Asgard. The Moon was hidden by driving clouds as we moved in a little torchlit group across the giddy span of Bifrost to the flat field on the opposite promontory,

My plane was still where I had landed it. Aesir warriors and mounted scouts were on guard, watching toward the south for the first approach Of Loki and the Jotun horde. As Odin directed the placing of the copper mechanism, I went to my plane. Something had occurred to me which might enable me to devise an additional weapon for the coming battle.

In the plane were the half-dozen big signal rockets which were to be used in case I made a forced landing and had to summon help. I began taking the rockets apart, pouring out the gun powder in them, and carefully unfixing the detonators. At the end of a half-hour, I had made three crude hand-grenades or small bombs. I hoped they might be of some use against the Jotuns, who knew nothing of explosives. I left the bombs in the plane and emerged to find Thor waiting for me.

'My father has already returned to Asgard,' the Hammerer told me. 'And it is time we followed him, for our nightly Valhalla feast begins soon.'

'Thor, what of tomorrow's battle?' I asked. 'If it comes to sword and spear, with the Jotuns outnumbering us many times, what can we do?'

'We can triumph or we can die!' boomed the giant. 'And if it is death — well, the Aesir have lived long and are not afraid to die, so long as we take our enemies with us.' He tossed his great hammer in the air and caught it in outstretched hand, as though it were a willow wand. 'Be not impatient, Miolnir. You'll not thirst long. And now to Valhalla, Jarl Keith.'

Valhalla was blazing with torchlight when we entered it. Logs in the great hearth burned high. In the flickering torchlight, all the captains and great warriors of the Aesir were gathered at the many tables. The Aesir nobles were appearing, striding toward the high table on the dais. I took my place beside Freya. Beyond her were the two empty seats of Frey and Gerda, then Bragi and Idun, old Aegir and his wife, and brooding, silent Tyr.

Odin and Frigga entered, and we all stood up. The Aesir king's eye surveyed us with stern pride.

'Be seated, jarls and captains,' he boomed. 'Let us eat and drink as of old. Though war and death surge upon us tomorrow, yet is there no fear in our hearts.'

'Skoal to Odin!' rang Forseti's deep voice.

We seized our drinking-horns and raised them high to a crashing shout of confidence and pride.

'Skoal to the king!'

We drained the mead and sat down. The tall serving-maidens hastened to bring us more drink and meat. The din of voices and laughter rang forth, loud as ever. The deepening shadow of dire disaster which lay over Asgard that night intensified, rather than lessened, the merriment of the feast. Horn after horn of the sweet, potent mead we drank.

Beside me, Freya's blue eyes clung to my face. The shadowed tenderness and love in them was more heart- stirring to me than all else.

'Come good or ill, Freya,' I whispered, 'it is worth having lived to sit here tonight with you and your people.'

'Aye, Jarl Keith,' she replied. But there was wistfulness in her voice as she added: 'I would that I could foretell our sitting here again tomorrow.'

Suddenly all the cheery voices died. Into the hall strode tall Heimdall, warder of Asgard's gates.

'Why are you here, Heimdall?' Odin asked. 'Is it not your task tonight to watch over Bifrost Bridge, and sound the great blast on Giallar horn when the enemy approaches?'

'Lord Odin, Loki has sent a herald to us,' Heimdall answered. 'That herald, the Jotun king Utgar, I have admitted under truce. He waits to enter.'

Fierce passion leaped into every face as the men reached for their weapons. Thor raised his great hammer menacingly, but Odin spoke with stern calm.

'Let the herald of Loki enter.'

Utgar came alone into Valhalla's blazing torchlight. Yet the big, black-bearded Jotun king came swaggering, bearing himself like a conqueror as he strode up to our table where the nobles of the Aesir sat.

Chapter XVII Magic Science

Utgar's brutal face showed no sign of fear as he met the fiery gaze of his deadly enemies. He spoke to Odin, his coarse, rasping voice loud with utter confidence.

'I bring a message from the lord Loki, ruler of Midgard and soon to be ruler of Asgard.'

A fierce exclamation went up from every throat. But Odin's stern face did not change as he replied.

'Speak Loki's message.'

'These are the words of Loki,' Utgar said loudly. ''Odin and the other Aesir, the time of your downfall has come. I, whom you cast out long ago, whom you prisoned for centuries, am now free and thirsty for vengeance. Tomorrow I come against you with the Jotuns. We shall have three warriors for each warrior of yours, three ships for each of your ships. You cannot stand against us.

''But because I was once of your blood, I shall offer you your lives. If you swear to submit to me as your ruler, if you become my subjects as the Jotuns are and crown me your king in Valhalla hall, then shall you retain your lives. Think well before you refuse this offer. If you refuse it, I shall utterly destroy you all.' These are the words of Loki. What answer, lord Odin?'

'I'll answer now with Miolnir!' Thor roared, rising with crimson rage on his face.

A fierce chorus of yells from every throat there, including my own, seconded his cry. But Odin waved us to silence. He spoke slowly, solemnly, gazing gravely down at Utgar.

'Take this answer to Loki, Jotun. Tell him that he knows well the Aesir will never yield to his demands. We will fight until our swords break in our hands, until our hands be shorn away, until our breath is no more in us. But we will not take back among us the murderer Loki who long ago proved traitor to our race.

'And tell Loki this also. Tell him that he shall never — even though he and his Jotun hosts utterly overcome us — reap profit from his work. For I say that before that shall happen, all this land will quail beneath destruction. Flame and death shall eat up Midgard and Asgard alike, and all the Jotuns and the Aesir. Tell the arch-traitor that!'

Involuntarily Utgar recoiled from the dark, dreadful menace in Odin's voice. Then the Jotun king drew his huge figure scornfully erect.

'Think not that our lord will be frightened by such words,' he retorted. 'You have asked for doom, and doom you shall have.'

He turned to go, but Tyr, the brooding berserk, stepped in front of him.

'You know me, Utgar,' said Tyr in a slow, bitter voice. 'Look for me in tomorrow's battle. I will look for you.'

'Come and find me, then, Aesir,' laughed Utgar savagely. 'Too long have I heard of your valor. Tomorrow I'll test it with my sword.'

Utgar strode proudly out of the hall, Heimdall following. In the silence, we heard the Jotun king gallop across Asgard to Bifrost Bridge.

'Let the feast go on,' bade Odin at last. Drinking commenced again, the fierce babble of voices arising. My head spun from the mead that I had drunk as the hours went by. Freya sat silent, close inside the circle of my arm, looking up ever and again at my face. I saw Odin brooding as he watched his people make merry on the brink of dreadful war. Pride in these Aesir, gratitude that they allowed me to be one of them, filled me.

The first light of dawn began slanting through the windows. Bragi stepped forward with his harp, and all voices died as the gentle-faced skald touched the quivering strings. His clear voice rang martial-loud through Valhalla.