Nevertheless the mood of the men watching the knorrs out in the bay was unalarmed, even cheerful. Almost every man in the coast-watch was a fisherman, skilled in the ways of the North Sea. The worst water in the world, with its fogs and gales, its monstrous tides and unexpected currents. As the day strengthened and the Viking ships were blown remorselessly closer in, Merla’s realization had come to everyone : The Vikings were doomed. It was just a matter of what they could try next. And whether they would try it, lose, and get the wreck over with before the mounted levy Godwin had summoned hours before could arrive, resplendent in its armor, colored cloaks and gold-mounted swords. After which, opinion among the fishermen felt, the chances of any worthwhile plunder for them were low. Unless they marked the spot and tried later, in secret, with grappling irons … Quiet conversations ran among the men at the rear, with an occasional low laugh.

“See,” the town reeve was explaining to Godwin at the front, “the wind’s east a point north. If they put up a scrap of sail they can run west, north or south.” He drew briefly in the wet sand at their feet. “If he goes west he hits us. If he goes north he hits the Head. Mind you, if he could get past the Head he’d have a clear run northwest away up to Cleveland. That’s why he was trying his sweeps an hour ago. A few hundred yards out to sea and he’d have been free. But what we knows, and what they doesn’t, is there’s a current. Hell of a current, rips down past the Head. They might as well stir the water with their …” He paused, not sure how far informality could go.

“Why doesn’t he go south?” cut in Godwin.

“He will. He’s tried the sweeps, tried the sea-anchor to check his drift. It’s my guess the one in charge, the jarl what they call them, he knows his men are exhausted. A rare old night they must have had of it. And a shock in the morning when they saw where they were.” The reeve shook his head with a kind of professional sympathy.

“They are not such great sailors,” pronounced Godwin with satisfaction. “And God is against them, foul, heathen Church-defilers.”

A stir of excitement behind them cut off the reply the reeve might have been incautious enough to make. The two men turned.