‘We can ask his men, they’ll know.’

Benedetta was coming down the wharf, her hood still pushed back so that the sun glinted on her long dark hair that had come loose. To my eyes she looked like a Valkyrie, one of the messengers of the gods who take slain warriors to the feast hall in Valhalla. She was unsmiling, blood had splashed onto her grey robe, while Wasp-Sting was coated to the hilt with gore. I looked quickly up to the bridge parapet, wondering what the guards would make of a blood-covered blade, but they had all turned their backs. ‘I will wash it for you, lord,’ Benedetta said, showing me the sword.

‘Give it to one of the boys to wash,’ I said. ‘Tell Aldwyn to scrub it.’

‘And thank you, lord.’

I looked into her grey-green eyes. ‘Father Oda says I encouraged you to commit a sin.’

‘That is what I am thanking you for, lord.’

‘Did you make the bastard suffer?’ Finan asked.

‘They will have heard his screams in hell,’ she said.

‘Then you did well, so you did!’ the Irishman said happily.

‘I did what I have dreamed of doing for over twenty years. I am happy.’ She turned to look into the wreckage. ‘Is this the boat?’

‘No,’ I said.

‘That is good,’ she said gravely, making both Finan and me laugh.

‘It’s not funny,’ Finan said.

‘It’s not,’ I agreed, still laughing.

Then someone began hammering on the outer gate, and a moment later Aldwyn came running. ‘Lord, lord! There are soldiers outside! Soldiers!’

‘God help us,’ Finan said.

Someone had to.

The hammering started again. I had run through the warehouse and into the yard where I opened the small hatch in the gate. Two soldiers only, both wearing mail and both looking bored, and with them were two men, evidently servants who were standing by a handcart that was loaded with two barrels. ‘I’m opening the gate!’ I called.

‘Take your time!’ one of the mailed men answered sourly.

Finan and Vidarr were with me. There were also two dead men and two slaughtered dogs sprawled on the stones. I pointed at them, then at the stable, and Finan took one corpse, Vidarr the other, and began dragging them out of sight.

‘Hurry!’ a voice called from beyond the gate.

‘I’m hurrying!’ I called, and lifted the first locking bar. I dropped it noisily and saw Vidarr was dragging the dogs into the stable. I lifted the other bar, taking my time, waiting till Finan had closed the stable, then I pulled open the gates.

One of the two men I had supposed were servants took a backward step, evidently surprised by my appearance. ‘Who are you?’ he asked.

‘Who are you?’ I responded harshly.

‘I am the under-steward from the palace,’ he answered nervously, ‘delivering the supplies, of course. But where’s Ælfrin?’

‘Sick,’ I said, suddenly realising that I was wearing my hammer amulet openly. The man who was questioning me saw it too and looked back to my eyes warily.