candles. As I walked along, I began thinking how I might speak to these priests. We were, after all, brothers in Christ, and having come all this way it seemed important that I should declare myself in some way to the leaders of the church. And then it struck me that perhaps, by some priestly means, they had word of my brothers. At this prospect, my heart beat a little faster.
We followed the procession down the long hill, past more houses, their upper windholes glowing from within with warm yellow light; we passed another market square, empty now save for a few homeless dogs fighting over scraps. At one place we passed alongside a truly large aqueduct, around the walls of which were clustered a number of crude shelters that appeared to be made of discarded wood and refuse, thrown together anyhow. Before some of these people sat hunched over small fires, cooking bits of food on twigs. They watched us silently as we passed.
The stars were bright in the sky by the time the priests arrived at their destination: another church, somewhat larger than the last, with a rounded roof and rows of glass windholes high up in the walls. Candlelight flickered on the glass, beckoning me inside. A pang of longing arrowed through me, and I yearned to go inside and observe the eventide Mass. Just to be among others of my kind would have been bliss. But the Sea Wolves had got the scent of the harbour in their nostrils now, and would not stop long enough to allow me to go inside the church.
'Perhaps I should ask someone the way to the ships,' I suggested to Hnefi, though I could smell the dank fishy scent of the water. 'I could go into the church and speak to one of the priests. Maybe one of them could lead us, and then we would not get lost.'
'Nay,' replied Hnefi, starting off down another dark street. 'I can find the harbour now. This way.'
'But it is growing dark. We may yet lose our way.'
He gave a grunt by way of reply. 'Move along, slave,' Orm said, stepping behind me and shoving me forward.
'Let him be,' Gunnar said on my behalf. To me he added, 'Come, Aeddan, do not anger them. As it is, I think Jarl Harald will not be pleased when he learns how we have fared this day.'
Hnefi's unerring nose led us to the harbour. The city gate was closed, but a four-man guard stood watch at the small door and upon presentation of our copper disci, they allowed us through. The bay was dark and calm; the water glimmered with the lights of cooking fires and lanterns from the ships laying at anchor. The small boats had vanished, however. We walked up and down the quay looking for a boat to take us out to the ship, but there were none to be seen anywhere.
'We will have to swim,' declared Hnefi.
'But we do not know which ship is ours,' Orm pointed out. 'We cannot swim to every ship in the bay.'
They fell to discussing how best to proceed, when Gunnar said, 'Listen! Someone is calling.'
There came a voice from the water. Stepping to the edge of the quay, we looked down to see a single small boat with a man sitting at the stern holding a small lantern on a pole. I recognized the upturned face.
Upon seeing us, he called out again, and I answered, 'Greetings, Didimus. Do you remember us?'
'I remember everyone, my friend. Especially those who do not pay.'
'That was unfortunate,' I replied. 'I am truly sorry. But perhaps we are in a better disposition now. Will you take us back to our ship?'
Hnefi pushed in beside me. 'What is he saying?'
'He says he will be most happy to take us back if we pay him.'
'How much?' asked Hnefi suspiciously.
'Twenty nomismi,' Didimus answered when I asked him.
'Two coins,' I reported to Hnefi. 'But we must pay before he will take us.'
'It is better than swimming,' Orm pointed out hopefully.
'Heya,' agreed Hnefi. 'Tell him we will pay. One coin now and one when we have come to the ship.'
'Come to the steps then,' said Didimus when I relayed the Dane's offer to him.
We walked to the steps where Didimus met us with the boat. Hnefi pulled five or six of the bronze coins from his pouch. Selecting two, he gave these to me and directed me to pay the boatman.
'Hnefi says I am to give you one now,' I told Didimus, placing the coin in his outstretched hand. 'I am to give you the other when we have arrived.'
Holding the coin to the light, he saw the K mark and said, 'But it is too much.'
'I am certain he wants you to have it,' I lied. 'He thanks you for waiting.'
'May God be good to you, my friend,' said the boatman, tucking the coin away.
We climbed into the boat and settled ourselves as before. The Sea Wolves remained silent, but Didimus, pleased with his reward, felt like talking. 'I knew I would see you again,' he said. 'Your first day in the City of Gold-did you fare well?'
'It is a very great city,' I answered.
'Perhaps more brass than gold, though.'
'Perhaps,' I agreed. 'Have you been waiting all day for us to return?'
'Not all day,' the boatman replied, smiling at his own ingenuity. 'But I knew you would return to your ship sooner or later, never fear. So, I watched the gate until it closed.'
Working the long oar with swift, efficient strokes, the boatman quickly brought us to the longship. Hnefi hailed those aboard; some of the men leaned over the side to haul us up. As the others climbed into the longship, I gave Didimus the second part of his payment. 'May God reward your patience and perseverance,' I told him.
Holding the coin to the light of the lantern, his face arranged itself into a wide grin of pleasure. 'My friend,' replied Didimus happily, 'he has done so already, never fear.'
Raising my hands, I was pulled up the side of the ship and dragged over the rail. 'Until tomorrow, my barbarian friends,' called Didimus as I turned to face an extremely angry king.
29
Jarl Harald Bull-Roar, King of the Danes of Skania, could not understand why he had been made to stand waiting aboard his ship all day while we roamed the city spending his coins. How difficult could it be, he thundered, to locate the treasure? To the hiss and flicker of torches, he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, frowning mightily, demanding an answer to this mystery. Gunnar and I remained silent before his simmering wrath, while Hnefi and Orm strove to explain.
'It is very difficult, Jarl Harald,' Hnefi said. 'This Miklagard is far larger than we knew. It is not easy to find a treasure house.'
'But finding a drinking hall is not so difficult, heya?'
'We found no drinking hall, jarl,' replied Orm. 'We could find only wine.'
'So! You have been drinking wine,' growled the king dangerously.
'Nay, jarl,' put in Hnefi quickly. 'We were looking for the chief treasure house, as you commanded us to do. We saw very many things, including many fine dwellings. I am certain they contain much plunder.'
Harald liked the sound of this, so Orm embellished it. 'It is true, Jarl Harald. There are hundreds of these houses-thousands, perhaps. The treasure they hold is more than we could carry away though we had ten ships.'
'You saw this treasure?' inquired the king. 'You saw so much gold and silver?'
'Nay, Jarl Harald,' replied Orm, 'we did not see the gold or silver. But these dwellings are surely the halls of kings.'
'The halls of kings!' scoffed Harald. 'In their hundreds and thousands, you say. But I ask you: how is it that Miklagard contains so many kings?'
'Perhaps they are not all kings,' allowed Hnefi judiciously, 'but they are wealthy men. For who else can build such palaces?'
The king scowled at his scouts, and tugged at the ends of his moustache as he tried to determine what to do. Finally, turning to Gunnar and me, he said, 'Well? What have you to say to this?'
'It is as Hnefi and Orm have told you, Jarl Harald,' replied Gunnar. 'There were too many palaces to count,
