Sixteen Vikings in the camp, four upriver, and probably as many again on guard around the camp. Vallon tallied with his fingers and came up with a total of twenty-four — five more than his own motley force.
The cook called out and the pirates laid down their work and wandered over to the fire.
‘They’re not in any hurry,’ said Drogo.
‘They’ll repair their sail before coming after us,’ said Vallon.
‘They don’t need it if they attack before evening. Thorfinn must know that we can’t float
‘We’d see an assault from the river before they could press it home. I think they’ll come by land and fall on us from several directions.’
‘A night attack?’
Vallon tried to put himself in Thorfinn’s place. ‘My guess is that they’ll hit us at first light tomorrow.’
‘That gives us time to fortify the camp.’
A vague plan was beginning to take shape in Vallon’s mind. ‘We won’t be waiting for them at the camp.’
On their way back the sky dissolved into smudgy grey clouds. A wandering drizzle fell. Raul greeted Vallon with a long face.
‘Come and see for yourself.’
‘I expected worse,’ Vallon said.
‘Look at the rib and crossbeam behind the hole.’
Vallon saw that the collision had jarred the heavy oak members out of position, ripping out the trenails that attached them to the strakes.
‘We can’t put to sea in that condition,’ Raul said. ‘We’d fold up in the first big wave.’
‘How long to repair it?’
‘Two, three days.’
Vallon surveyed the camp. It looked vulnerable by daylight, overlooked on both sides by tree-covered bluffs. The riverbanks were grey mud spiked with dead branches. The rain showed no sign of letting up and the Icelanders sat staring bleakly out from under rickety awnings piled with their chattels. Vallon remembered Hero’s warning about the shortage of food. He pushed the worry aside. Deal with the Vikings first. That provoked a fresh concern. Under clear skies and a moon, the pirates probably wouldn’t risk attacking from the river. But if this murk lasted into the night, they could creep right up to the bank without being spotted. They might attack by land and by ship. The camp would be empty, but
‘I want the ship moved to another mooring after dark. Can you patch her in time?’
‘We’ll try our hardest. We’ll have to beach her to let in new planks. If the Vikings come while she’s out of the water …’
‘Garrick’s watching them. He’ll give us plenty of warning.’
‘Captain, I don’t know what you’re planning, but I don’t see how we can defeat them. There are too many. Even if we killed half of them, they’d still have their ship. All they have to do is wait downriver until we try to break out.’
‘I know,’ said Vallon. ‘If only we could destroy the longship … ’ He broke off. ‘Why not?’
Raul’s head whipped round. ‘You don’t mean it.’
‘They won’t be expecting it.’
‘Because they know it would be suicide.’
‘Not if you attack while most of them are marching on our camp.’
‘Me?’
‘I’d do it myself if I wasn’t needed elsewhere.’ Vallon glanced at the cloud-heavy horizons. ‘Everything depends on the weather. We’ll hold a council after sunset.’
He ordered the Icelanders to throw up defensive positions that he had no intention of using. While they were chopping down trees and sharpening stakes, the tide reached full. With so much weight removed, Raul and his team floated
Next he sought out Hero. He found him talking to Father Hilbert. Vallon asked for a word and led Hero away a little distance.
‘Do you know the secret of Greek Fire?’
Hero smiled as if he’d been expecting the question. ‘Only the Byzantine rulers and a few senior engineers are trusted with the formula. I can guess some of the ingredients. Naphtha for one. Pitch. Sulphur. But as for the constituent that makes it light spontaneously and burn on water … Does this have something to do with the Viking ship?’
‘Yes, it does. A ship isn’t as simple to fire as you might think. I need a substance that burns greedily and isn’t easily quenched.’
Hero looked towards the stores. ‘We have plenty of whale oil and sulphur, plus some turpentine. I could experiment with them.’
Vallon glanced at the surrounding heights. ‘Be careful not to give away your intentions. The enemy is watching.’
Returning to check on progress at the ship, Vallon met Caitlin and her maids leading two horses laden with firewood. He nodded to her. She flinched and hurried on, throwing a quick look over her shoulder. Seeing him still watching her, she stamped one foot and went on at an even faster pace.
‘Madam. One moment if you please.’
She stopped.
He strolled forward. ‘You’d be captive or dead if I hadn’t rescued you. A word of acknowledgement wouldn’t go amiss.’
Slowly she turned. ‘I cannot understand your language.’
‘You understood me well enough to save me from your brother’s cowardly treachery. I suppose I owe you thanks for that.’
Caitlin’s eyes blazed. ‘Helgi is not a coward and if I tell him you said so, he’ll make you swallow your words in blood.’
‘Tell him what you like, but be warned. If he plays false with me, I’ll cut him down like a rabid cur.’ He advanced another step. ‘I command here. His life, your life, the lives of all you Icelanders — they’re at my disposal and subject to my mercy.’ Another step. ‘Do you understand?’
Caitlin looked for rescue in all directions.
‘I want an answer.’
‘It’s not easy to put a bridle on Helgi’s temper.’
‘Then take care not to inflame it.’
Caitlin stared at him, blood mounting in her cheeks. ‘You are a wicked man.’
‘Oh?’
‘You killed your wife.’
‘I did.’
Her eyes remained focused on his, fear and revulsion vying with some other emotion. She drew in breath and opened her mouth to speak, then changed her mind. She looked quickly around, perhaps worried that Helgi was watching, before glancing fiercely back at Vallon.
‘Don’t speak to me again.’
Watching her flit between the trees, Vallon felt oddly bucked up by the encounter.
The rain lasted all day.
