Their track back across thebattlefield was strewn with the fallen.The first two were Vikings,one dead, the other locked in his body’s last suffering, and Caistood by dispassionately—serene on his floating Druid rock—whileFen drew his knife and finished him off.And the third wasWilfrid.
Cai drifted all the way out.He madehis physician’s checks, each in the right order.He felt for apulse, pressed his ear to Wilf’s chest and listened to the silencethat had taken up eternal residence there, held his palm over thesmiling lips and waited for the slightest warmth of breath.Fenpaced angrily up and down the sand, swore hoarsely for the warriorgoatherd, then stooped to draw his hood across his face.
“I wanted to train them,”Cai said, his voice flat and grey.“I wanted them to be able tofight and defend themselves.I never wanted this, though.There’snothing in the whole bloody world I could ever want this much.”Hestopped.There was something wrong with his cassock.It was heavieron the left side than the right, its weight dragging at him.Thefabric seemed odd—stiff and damp.It didn’t matter.Fen grasped hisarm and they ran on.
Halfway up the cliff path, Cai beganto flag.He was drowsy, his legs going numb.Fen spun round tocatch him as he stumbled, and he caught his hand gratefully, butthen waved him back.“You go on.I need to catch my breath aminute.”
“What’s wrong?You looklike death.”
“Nothing.A bit sick anddizzy—damn arm’s still bleeding.”
“Let me bindit.”
“Go on and help them.I’llbe right behind you.”
Not far behind, anyway.Cai was sureof that.Once the tide of weariness receded and he was in motionagain, he was certain he hadn’t let Fen get too far ahead of him.It was just that the cliff path had doubled in length, and evenwhen he had toiled to the top of it, the monastery buildings wereso far away that he could hardly see them at all.Sulphur-colouredclouds were blossoming over them, lit crimson from below.BeforeCai could work out what this meant, howls from the darkness to hisleft drew his attention.He left the track and followed them.He’dretrieved his sword but wasn’t sure he could lift it, so heunsheathed the knife from his girdle belt instead.
A raider was rolling with Eyulf in theremains of a barn, struggling to pin the lad down.Eyulf’s cassockwas already up over his thighs and he was shrieking like a pig atslaughter.His assailant, intent upon his business, didn’t look upat Cai’s approach.He made no sound as Cai’s blade sank between hisshoulders—dropped deadweight on top of his victim.
Cai dragged Eyulf out from under.Hewasn’t hurt, his linen cloth still in place, but he was hysterical,clinging to Cai when he tried to turn and leave.Cai paused for amoment, soothing him, then dealt him a judicious thump to thejaw.
Cai tried to pick him up and couldn’t.That kind of strength had departed from him.He had no time topanic about it, though a kind of numb fear was spreading from hisdeepest entrails out, so he adapted—dragged the unconscious body bythe shoulders instead, and buried him as deeply in the straw as hecould, praying he would have sense to stay hidden there when hewoke up.Then he continued on his way.
Yes, all his well-known tracks werelonger.There was time for dynasties to rise and fall, all thelittle animals Leof had painted in Theo’s manuscript margins todance into the ark—not two by two, because Leof had never paintedtwo of anything—but as best they might, and procreate andrepopulate the world with exquisite hybrids and monsters, and Caisaw all these things as he slowly closed the gap between himselfand the burning ruins.He had been away for a long time and wasreturning to a transformed world.Something had happened thereduring his absence.Addy had warned him that the Roman church wouldrise.Perhaps the time had come, because there was Abbot Aelfric.He was striding out undefended over open ground, and he wascarrying a burning cross.
His faith was repelling the demons,just as he had claimed.Two of them were backing off before him,cringing and bowing.He was blasting Latin anathemas at them, hisvoice a buzzard’s shriek that reached Cai in tatters on the hotwind.
No.Not demons—Vikings, and they werenot in retreat.As Cai watched, one of them darted behind Aelfricand aimed a kick at his backside.Aelfric stumbled but marched on.The raiders began a mocking dance around him, now keeping pace withhim, now trotting on ahead and resuming their mimicked gestures offear.One of them crossed himself, starting at the groin, and bothhowled with laughter.
Cai couldn’t save him.In this worldwhere short roads extended forever, he couldn’t get near him intime.He remembered Danan and the pyre, and for a moment wastempted to join the bestial dance.Then pity awoke in him, and hebegan to run.
He could pick out Aelfric’swords now, rich with an inspired madness that might have made asaint of him in a different world.Back, you heathen devils!Back to yourburning pit, in the name of Christ!He was flailing about him with the cross,oblivious to the burning shards of it showering down onto his head.The Vikings tired of the game.One of them shrugged at the otherand casually plunged his sword through Aelfric’s breast.
They would have taken Cai next, butstrange guardian spirits were emerging from the smoke.One of themlooked like a chimera of some kind, a four-footed beast withslender forequarters and a huge rump.The creature split into twoand became Oslaf and Hengist, converging like furies upon the firstraider.Next came Fen, transfigured by firelight, nothing but longstrides and flashing blade as he bore down on the other Viking,grabbed him by the hair—kin or no kin—and impaled him.
Aelfric was still alive when Cai gotto him.The lines of his life had been cut, but he was drifting.Cai had seen it before in the mortally injured, this short time ofclear-minded waiting.He was lying on his back, starlight and smokereflecting in his eyes.When Cai dropped to his knees beside himand eased him off the ground, he smiled.“You, abomination?Stillalive?”
“Yes.Why did you dothat?”
“My faith is strong.I setout to fight the demons with my holy fire.”
Cai shifted him to ease his breathing.He took a thin strand of hair out of Aelfric’s eyes.“You did it.They’re gone.”
“Don’t humour me,abomination.But it was worth a try.”
Cai looked down at him in surprise.Aelfric’s spirit was in motion again now, beginning itsdeparture.
“Yes,” he said honestly.“Isuppose it was.”
“My faith is strong, but…Caius, is that God?”
“If you are seeing him—yes.Don’t be scared.”
“Seeinghim?”Aelfric’s eyes widened, and he brokeinto a wide and dazzled smile.“I have been wrong.Wrong about somany things.Ask the old witch to forgive me.”
He was gone.Cai let the empty shellof him go.He stood up, wondering vaguely once more at the wet,heavy tug of his robes.Fen was there in front of him, propping upHengist, who had trained well enough in the drill yard but turnedprimrose green in the wake of his first kill.“Fen, mind yourback.”
“It’s all over.Those twowere the last of them.”
