All this Snorri explained in a mixture of mangled English and mutilated French.
‘Where did you learn your French?’ Vallon asked.
Snorri rubbed thumb and forefinger together. ‘In Norwich market. Normans be me best customers.’
Vallon and Raul’s eyes met.
Richard and Wayland drifted away as the light began to fail. Vallon made another inspection and stood back, chin in hand. The ship was sounder than he’d first thought.
Snorri fawned in front of him. ‘What d’ye think, cap’n?’
‘Where will you find the timber and other materials?’
‘Norwich, cap’n. Ain’t nowhere nearer for what we need.’
‘How long to make it seaworthy?’
‘Three weeks iffen ye want her nice and shipshape.’
‘You’ve got five days.’
Vallon didn’t wait for Snorri’s response. He paced off the distance between the ship and the river. Ninety yards. He looked back along the mud-filled channel.
‘It will take us a month to dig it out.’
‘I been ponderin’ that meself. I knows a few sturdy fellas who’d be happy to work for a good day rate.’
‘Will they keep their mouths shut?’
‘Oh yes, cap’n. Marsh folk be tight as clams.’
‘We need a couple of boats to get about. And I want the horses brought here.’
‘You leave it to Snorri, cap’n.’ He bared his atrocious teeth. ‘We ain’t discussed fees and other particulars.’
Vallon studied the ship again. ‘Let’s cost the repairs.’
When he joined the rest of the company, a bloated spring moon was floating free of the marsh. Geese passed in relays across its face, crying like hounds. Snorri hovered at the fringe of the firelight, rubbing his hands.
‘Well, gentlemens, mebbes it’s time ye told Snorri what haven ye’re bound for.’
‘Sit down,’ said Vallon.
Snorri lowered himself to the ground, grinning cautiously.
‘The Normans are hunting us,’ Vallon said.
‘I knew ye were wrong’uns the moment I set eyes on that Wayland. I ain’t got no more affection for Normans than what you have, but it ain’t what ye’re running from that pesters me. It’s where ye’re going.’
‘Iceland. A trading expedition. We’re after falcons.’
Snorri’s grin remained intact. The others stopped eating and looked at each other. Snorri jumped up. ‘I ain’t going to Iceland.’
Vallon patted the bullion chest. ‘We’ll pay you well.’ He scooped up a handful of coins and poured them back. ‘A fee or a share of the profits. Your choice.’
Snorri’s tongue flickered. ‘What goods are ye trading?’
‘Whatever finds a ready market. You’d know more about that than me.’
‘Ye can’t go wrong with timber. There ain’t no forests in Iceland.’
‘Apart from falcons, what goods do they have in exchange?’
‘Woollens and down, whalemeat and cod. And they ship walrus ivory and white bearskins from the Greenland settlements.’
‘Snorri, it sounds to me like this voyage could set you up for life.’
Snorri’s lips rolled back. ‘What’s my share?’
‘One-fifth.’
‘One-fifth,’ Snorri repeated. ‘One-fifth.’ He dropped to his haunches. ‘Where ye taking ’em?’
Vallon accepted a shank of smoke-blackened mutton from Raul. ‘We’ll be trading as we go. Timber to Iceland, ivory to Rus.’
‘Rus!’
Vallon wrenched at the tough meat. ‘Further than that. The falcons are bound for Anatolia.’
‘Where’s that?’
‘East of Constantinople.’
Snorri bobbed back up. ‘East of Miklagard! That ain’t a possibility.’
Vallon shrugged. ‘That’s our problem. Carry us as far as Norway and your job’s done.’
Snorri looked cornered. ‘I got to sleep on it.’
Vallon stood and put an arm around his shoulders. ‘I need your answer tonight. Tomorrow, I want you to go to Norwich and buy the materials. Why don’t you take a stroll and mull things over?’
Snorri backed into the dark. They could hear him conducting a debate with himself.
‘I thought we were sailing for Norway,’ Richard said.
‘Change of plan. It’s April now. The trading fleet from Iceland won’t reach Norway until late summer. There’s no certainty that it will be carrying gyrfalcons, let alone white ones. Even if it did, we’d have to pay a fortune for them. We have the whole summer ahead of us. We can sail to Iceland at our leisure. Wayland can harvest the falcons at their nests or trap the choicest specimens. They won’t cost us a penny.’
Wayland nodded.
‘Another consideration. Drogo knows what purpose is driving us. Our crimes are serious enough to have been brought to the King’s notice. England must have diplomatic relations with Norway. I don’t want to spend the next four months worrying about being arrested. In Iceland we’ll be beyond the Normans’ reach.’
‘Makes sense,’ Raul said.
‘I don’t want to sail anywhere with Snorri,’ Richard said. ‘He has habits so foul it makes me sick just to think of them.’
‘Hush,’ said Wayland. ‘Here he comes.’
Snorri planted himself in front of Vallon. ‘Cap’n, I been thinkin’ about it all ways round and I ain’t voyaging to Iceland. Six years I been cast away, every day dreaming of home. I’ll tell ye what I’ll do. I’ll take ye to the Orkney Isles for twenty pounds. Those are Norwegian islands, cap’n, lying a titty bit off Scotland’s north coast. Ye can charter an Iceland-bound ship there.’
‘How many days’ sailing?’
‘Depends on the wind. A week at least, and the same again afore ye reach the Iceland shore.’
‘Twenty pounds for a week’s passage? You’re already getting twelve to repair the ship. I’ll pay you another five.’
‘No, no. She’s my ship and I set the fare.’
‘You’ll not find any other passengers for that broken-down old scow.’
‘Aye, and ye’ll not find another ship. Ye’re in no position to bargain.’
‘I’m not bargaining. Your ship is our only way out and I won’t let your money-grubbing stand in our way.’
‘Knock him on the head and drop him in the bog,’ said Raul.
‘Hold ye hard. I didn’t say I ain’t open to negotiation. What do ye say to fifteen pound?’
Vallon didn’t answer.
‘Twelve?’
‘Seven, and I’ll throw in the crew’s wages. That’s my last word.’
Snorri’s face writhed. ‘’Tis a hard bargain ye drive. How many of ye be sailors?’
Only Raul raised a hand.
‘Is that all? There ain’t no deep-water sailors hereabouts.’
‘You’re the ship’s master. Finding a crew’s your job.’
‘Mebbe I could take on a few men up Humberside. It’s the getting yonder that vexes me.’
‘We’ll manage. Wayland’s strong and clever with his hands. I’m not too proud to dirty mine. We’ll find tasks for Richard and Hero.’
Snorri shuffled his feet. He rubbed his palms. ‘Well, gentlemens, seeing as it’s an early start, I think I’ll lay me head down.’ He went off to his shelter.
‘There’s a bounty on us,’ Richard said. ‘Do you trust him?’
‘No, but I think his treachery will take longer in the hatching. Raul, go with him as far as the coast and stand
