But I'm not,' he shouted, 'going to do it again!'
'Well, why on earth would you do such an extraordinary thing in the first place?'
'It was a burden placed on me by my father. A punishment. A penance.' He glowered.
'Your father?' said Kate. 'Do you mean Odin?'
'The All-Father,' said Thor. 'Father of the Gods of Asgard.'
'And you're saying he's alive?'
Thor turned to look at her as if she was stupid.
'We are immortals,' he said, simply.
Downstairs, Neil chose that moment to conclude his thunderous performance on the bass, and the house seemed to sing in its aftermath with an eerie silence.
'Immortals are what you wanted,' said Thor in a low, quiet voice. 'Immortals are what you got. It is a little hard on us. You wanted us to be for ever, so we are for ever. Then you forget about us. But still we are for ever. Now at last, many are dead, many dying,' he then added in a quiet voice, 'but it takes a special effort.'
'I can't even begin to understand what you're talking about,' said Kate, 'you say that I, we - '
'You can begin to understand,' said Thor, angrily, 'which is why I have come to you. Do you know that most people hardly see me? Hardly notice me at all? It is not that we are hidden. We are here. We move among you. My people. Your gods. You gave birth to us. You made us be what'you would not dare to be yourselves. Yet you will not acknowledge us. If I walk along one of your streets in this... world you have made for yourselves without us, then barely an eye will once flicker in my direction.'
'Is this when you're wearing the helmet?'
'Especially when I'm wearing the helmet!'
'Well- '
'You make fun of me!' roared Thor.
'You make it very easy for a girl,' said Kate. 'I don't know what - '
Suddenly the room seemed to quake and then to catch its breath. All of Kate's insides wobbled violently and then held very still. In the sudden horrible silence, a blue china table lamp slowly toppled off the table, hit the floor, and crawled off to a dark corner of the room where it sat in a worried little defensive huddle.
Kate stared at it and tried to be calm about it. She felt as if cold, soft jelly was trickling down her skin.
'Did you do that?' she said shakily.
Thor was looking livid and confused. He muttered, 'Do not make me angry with you. You were very lucky.' He looked away.
'What are you saying?'
'I'm saying that I wish you to come with me.'
'What? What about that?' She pointed at the small befuddled kitten under the table which had so recently and so confusingly been a blue china table lamp.
'There's nothing I can do for it.'
Kate was suddenly so tired and confused and frightened that she found she was nearly in tears. She stood biting her lip and trying to be as angry as she could.
'Oh yeah?' she said. 'I thought you were meant to be a god. I hope you haven't got into my home under false pretences, I...' She stumbled to a halt, and then resumed in a different tone of voice.
'Do you mean,' she said, in a small voice, 'that you have been here, in the world, all this time?'
'Here, and in Asgard,' said Thor.
'Asgard,' said Kate. 'The home of the gods?'
Thor was silent. It was a grim silence that seemed to be full of something that bothered him deeply.
'Where is Asgard?' demanded Kate.
Again Thor did not speak. He was a man of very few words and enormously long pauses. When at last he did answer, it wasn't at all clear whether he had been thinking all that time or just standing there.
'Asgard is also here,' he said. 'All worlds are here.'
He drew out from under his furs his great hammer and studied its head deeply and with an odd curiosity, as if something about it was very puzzling. Kate wondered where she found such a gesture familiar from. She found that it instinctively made her want to duck. She stepped back very slightly and was watchful.
When he looked up again, there was an altogether new focus and energy in his eyes, as if he was gathering himself up to hurl himself at something. '
'Tonight I must be in Asgard,' he said. 'I must confront my father Odin in the great hall of Valhalla and bring him to account for what he has done.'
'You mean, for making you count Welsh pebbles?'
'No!' said Thor. 'For making the Welsh pebbles not worth counting!'
Kate shook her head in exasperation. 'I simply don't know what to make of you at all,' she said. 'I think I'm just too tired. Come back tomorrow. Explain it all in the morning.'
