‘What, Hel?’ sneered the Oracle. ‘Go on, by all means, send me there. I’ve been waiting since the Elder Age. Or do you imagine I liked it here, being at Odin’s beck and call, knowing that he’d used me – twice – and unable to do a thing about it?’

I grinned. ‘I’m not going to send you to Hel. Hel’s too close to Chaos. Chaos is too close to Heidi, whom I’d trust as far as I would trust a hungry seal with a barrel of fish. No, Old Man, I’m going to make sure you stay around for a long time.’

‘What do you mean?’ Its voice was sharp.

‘You’ll see,’ I told it.

I’ve always been quick at casting runes. This time I worked faster than ever; there was a dark cloud in the eastern sky, darker even than the night, and if it was what I thought it was, I didn’t have much time left. I cast a dozen runes in rapid succession, twisting them together like the strands of a fishing net. By the time I’d finished, I had something like a cat’s cradle of runelight in my hands, which I pulled tightly around the calcified Head. Then I stood on the battlements and aimed it straight down, at a spot roughly five hundred feet below us, where Jormungand had made his last dive.

‘Wait,’ said Mimir. ‘We should talk.’

‘What about?’ I said.

‘Gullveig-Heid. I can tell you everything. I know—’

And that – that very moment – was when Heimdall chose to strike at me from behind, using a form of the ice-rune Hagall, knocking me sideways from my perch and onto the crumbling parapet. Mimir’s Head went one way, bouncing off the battlements and down into the burning plain, and I found myself lying flat on my face in front of Goldie, armed to the chops, and clad in his showiest armour.

I said: ‘Didn’t you know it was a party? You should have made an effort.’

Heimdall flashed his golden teeth. ‘Get on your feet, scum,’ he said. ‘I’ve been looking forward to this.’

I grinned. ‘I always knew you cared.’

The cloud on the eastern horizon was getting closer very fast. I’d thought I might have a little more time – time to make a stand, perhaps; to jump onto the battlements and to scream my defiance at everything. Still, this was better than nothing. If I was to die in flames, I couldn’t have chosen better company.

I assumed my Wildfire Aspect and leapt at Heimdall, all colours blazing. For a moment he clung to me, trying to find a hold on my fiery person. We struggled, he casting runes to immobilize me, I searing him with fire and flame.