Stalking to the edge of the sea, Melcorka threw Legbiter as far as she could. “Rust,” she said. “Rust until nothing is left.” Giving an exclamation of disgust, she washed her hands in the surf.
“The sea is a great cleanser,” Bradan said, with his eyes narrowed against the blowing sand. “But the battle…”
“Oh, Lord, the battle.” Melcorka had forgotten that Mael Coluim's army was still engaged with the Norse and their allies. As she looked up, the wind dropped, and she heard Norse horns blowing. Jarl Thorfinn's army, some 500 strong, was surging towards the opposing forces.
“Look!” Bradan pointed. “The grey men!”
The Albans were destroying the attack of the cat-warriors and the grey men. Since Bradan's Bible had neutralised the Book of Black Earth, the forces of evil had lost much of their power. Cannibals, moss-men, grey men and cat-warriors were either dead or fleeing as caterans and border horsemen pursued them. However, on the other flank, the Norse had merged their armies and were hard-pressing Mael Coluim's army.
“Here comes the Jarl,” Bradan said. “Now everything depends on whose side he chooses.”
Jarl Thorfinn led his men forward at a smart run, formed a wedge and slammed into the nearest of the Norse formations.
“Oh, thank God. Thorfinn is allying himself with Mael Coluim,” Melcorka said.
“Aye,” Bradan nodded. “I warned him that Erik was going after his jarldom next.”
“Was he?”
“He may have been,” Bradan shrugged. “I don't know.”
“What happened to Astrid?” Melcorka lifted the bag that held both the Bible and the Book of Black Earth. It was much heavier than she imagined.
“Astrid, or Revna – call her what you wish,” Bradan said. “She merged with the grey woman. They were the same being. Astrid got her power from the Book of Black Earth. As long as it's quiet, she is powerless.”
“There was a time I thought she would take you from me,” Melcorka said.
“Aye, there was a time Astrid thought that as well.” Bradan leaned on his staff.
“Where did that Bible come from?” Melcorka asked.
“Dun Dreggan, originally. Astrid showed it to me in the Norse settlement,” Bradan said.
“Would you have left me for her?” Melcorka asked.
“No.” Bradan said.
Melcorka did not press the matter. “How did you know what to do?”
“True Thomas gave me a hint, before the battle at Carham. He said that evil's smiling arrogance would reveal the light, and that is what happened. I had guessed Astrid was not what she seemed, and she was so arrogant in her evilness when she showed me the very Bible that controlled the Book of Black Earth. Evil defeated itself.”
Side by side, with Bradan leaning on his staff and Melcorka cleaning Defender, they watched as the combined forces of Alba and the Jarldom defeated the leaderless invaders.
“What shall we do to the Book of Black Earth?” Bradan asked.
“We have a choice.” Melcorka casually flicked a stray arrow from the air with Defender. “We can find a secure place and lock it in again, with the Holy Bible to keep it secure, or we can try to destroy it.”
“You have no choice.” True Thomas was standing next to them, although Melcorka had not noticed him arrive. “If you lock up the Book of Black Earth, generations of evil people will seek it and eventually somebody will find it. That monstrosity will again become a focus for the wicked.”
“We must destroy it then,” Bradan accepted Thomas's word. “We can burn it.”
“It won't burn,” True Thomas said. “That book is the embodiment of evil. You cannot destroy evil, any more than you can destroy good. It will exist in some form until the day of final judgement.”
“If that's the case,” Bradan said. “What must we do?”
True Thomas smiled. “Tear it to little shreds and let the wind carry it where it will. The evil will still exist, but in smaller amounts, so that the good in the world can contain it.”
“Is there so much good in the world?” Melcorka asked.
“There is more good than evil,” True Thomas said. “But evil tends to congregate together.”
Opening the bag, Melcorka withdrew the Book of Black Earth. Even by touching it, she felt her spirits begin to droop.
“Tear it, Melcorka,” True Thomas said. “Use Defender.”
“This is not vellum or parchment,” Melcorka said.
“It is human skin,” Thomas said, “and the words are written with human blood.”
Recoiling in horror, Melcorka slashed the book with Defender, again and again, until the pages, cut and sliced to unrecognisable fragments, scattered across the sand.
“Good,” True Thomas said. “Now we shall have some wind.” Raising his hands, he began to blow gently, and the wind rose, scattering the fragments, some inland, some along with the sand and most on to the waves and out to sea.
“One day,” True Thomas said, “hundreds of years from now, a wicked man will reform the Book of Black Earth, but until that time, the world is free from this particular evil, thanks to you, Melcorka.”
“I believe that Bradan had something to do with it as well,” Melcorka said. “If it were not for him fetching the Holy Book, Erik would have been successful.”
“I needed a good man and a good woman,” Thomas said quietly. “You have altered history. You see, in my time, we lived under the shadow of great evil. Good failed and the Cu-saeng, under whatever name you wish to call it, controlled the destiny of everything. Now you have made progress possible, that will not happen. Oh, the world will not move easily or smoothly, but it will move forward.”
“What will happen?” Bradan asked.
“Progress beyond your ken, Bradan. Inventions you cannot imagine, ships that fly, medicines to defeat fever, people of all the world coming together.” True Thomas smiled. “Evil will continue, but always there will be good to fight it.”
Behind them, the armies of Thorfinn and Mael Coluim met in triumph, with the invaders either dead or fleeing back towards their ships.
King Mael Coluim embraced Jarl Thorfinn in a spirit of friendship, just
