Eric Flint - Pyramid Power

"I know," said Liz. "I feel sick, but it does seem to work."

She looked at Thor. "We'll boil some. Boil the alcohol off. We'll need all the inspired leadership we can get, and the warriors all look up to you."

"Skirnir rides fast and far to the caves of the black dwarves on Aurvangar to beg them for a new horn for Heimdall," said Munin, as Liz held the rakfisk jelly bean for him.

"Other than that," said Hugin, "Ull and his archers line the walls of Asgard. The Einherjar train and marshall. Freyja has donned her falcon mantle and flies across the Vrigid plain. Her warriors and Frey's band march behind his chariot drawn by the great boar Gullinborsti, out of the gates of Asgard. They lead Freyja's cat-drawn chariot too. They will give you challenge there."

Loki smiled and said nothing. Down in the workshop Lamont was building a new chariot for Thor. For some reason the artificer to new As (as Loki had named them) was calling it the SUV. Loki was impressed by it. It might even survive Thor's driving. Thor's huge goats Tanngnjost and Tanngrisnir had been summoned.

He handed over the jelly bean and stood up.

A few moments later he and a party of mountain-giants were heading down the trail to Aurvangar.

Skirnir was surprised to see a black dwarf outside the caves. Normally he had to go from cave to cave, hunting them. They drove a hard bargain too.

He dismounted and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Sindri."

The dwarf smiled at him. "And what do you want here, Skirnir?"

"I have been sent by the great Odin of the?sir to crave a boon from the smith-artificer sons of Ivaldi. I offer the same generous payment as last time, Sindri."

Loki was interested to discover that Skirnir had had dealings with Sindri before, even if Skirnir wasn't actually having dealings with him this time. Loki hadn't known that Helblindi had had business with the dwarf-smith in the past. Like most things that Odin had a hand in, this smelled. Had Odin set him up when he'd come here to get Sif's golden hair? He began to suspect so. "And what would you need me to do this time?" Loki-in-Sindri-guise asked. "The same again?"

Skirnir shook his head. "Loki will not come here again. No, we have need of a replacement for Heimdall's horn."

Loki the shape-changer tugged his chin. "I could do it. But it is near the Time. It would cost you dearly. More dearly than just leading Loki into a stupid wager."

"Odin has said that he will be very generous. I have a full score of the apples of Idun, and a treasure in jewels."

"It is nearly the Time. What use are the apples of youth to us this close to the Time?"

"What would you have, then?" asked Skirnir.

Loki pointed. "That sword."

Skirnir clutched the handle protectively. "It is a magic sword, given me by Lord Frey."

"I know," said Loki. "I can make lesser swords. But that one is special. Give it to me and I will have a gjallarhorn at the gates of Asgard for you." Outside the gates, but still there, thought Loki. "A horn that will be heard across the nine worlds, as good as the one Heimdall lost. And to seal the bargain I will throw in a weapon that Odin could use. I have made a beast that will burrow under whole armies. Surely Odin will reward, generously, a loyal servant who brings him such a gift."

Reluctantly, Skirnir unbuckled the sword, and handed it to him. "Where is this mole?"

"It is in my cave," said Loki pointing. "You may try it out. How did you think we made these caves? By digging?"

So Skirnir followed Loki into the cave, and Loki took down a cage with a mole in it, from a shelf.

"It looks rather small," said Skirnir doubtfully.

"But you do know the power of such a thing? Here. You can try it. You see, it is blind and will not dig when it is in the light. I'll go out and close up the cave. You let it loose and point it where you wish it to go. Simple, really."

"But…"

Before he got any further, Loki and Frey's sword were outside, pushing, with a mountain giant's help, a large rock over the entrance.

"Time to ride," said Loki grinning wickedly. "And the joy of it all is that everything I told him was true."

Eric Flint Dave Freer

Pyramid Power

"Do you think you can give me a lift to the beach?" asked Cruz of Throttler. "I don't think that either of these dragons is receiving me."

Smitar shook his head, but didn't take his eyes off the huge dragon in the water below. "Sorry, Cruz. Uh… any advice on chatting up foreign women?"

The only intelligible words Bitar and Smitar had managed to exchange thus far with the female water dragon were their own names and one explanatory name: Liz. She must have met Nessie's big sister somewhere and told her about Bitar and Smitar.

"What about a serenade?" said Bitar. "Old Henri once said that music is a language that transcends all barriers. Except German, he said."

"Okay. You lead."

Smitar cleared his throat. "Like a mounting in spring-time!" he bellowed.

Bitar continued, "Like a knight and a florist…"

Wildlife exploded and fled from the woodland on the coastal headland. So did an armored horseman, clinging to his runaway steed. He didn't cling well enough though. A few seconds later he landed with a ringing clatter on the beach.

"Let's go and ask him some questions," said Cruz, knowing full well that he would have a language problem, but thinking it had to be better than the singing.

"Sure," said Bitar. "He's pre-gift-wrapped so we could give him to this lovely lady."

Smitar nodded. "We have a knight. Now all we need is a florist."

They swam toward the beach, followed by the lady-dragon. The stunned knight had already had a visit from Bes and Throttler.

Bes was sitting on his chest.

Throttler leaned over and said, "Why does the chicken cross the road?"

Cruz was close enough to hear him say, "I don't know."

"Throttler! Don't eat him!" yelled Cruz. "He speaks English!"

"No, he speaks Thracian," said Throttler.

"Puntish," said Bes.

Cruz took a deep breath. You had to get used to magic eventually. "We just got ourselves a translator. Ask him his name."

"Sigurd Dragon-slayer," said the knight.

Three large dragonish faces stared down at him from a distance of a few yards.

"Might be time for a name-change, dude," said Cruz.

Bes got off his chest and Sigurd stood up. He was a tall, muscular man. He looked down his nose at Cruz. "Do not think I fear your monsters, magician. They are illusions. I have already slain the last dragon."

Bes grappled Sigurd and threw him back down to the ground, and then jumped onto his chest. "You're irritating," he growled.

"They're imports," explained Cruz. "But the lady is local and she looks mighty pissed with you. Now I need to know. Where is Liz? And how come you understand and speak our language?"

"I have no knowledge of this Liz," protested Sigurd. "I went to rescue the Valkyrie Brynhild from the wall of flame. But she spurned me. Now I go in search of Odin or glorious war. And as for your accursed tongue, I speak and understand it by virtue of having eaten the heart of Fafnir the dragon. I can understand and speak to all the birds of the air and beasts of the field. Even these."

This guy had the ultimate in short life expectancies. Still, he was the only translator they had, for now. Cruz stopped him from becoming a three-way snack. Instead he fished out some parachute cord that had become rope in the way of the Mythworlds. While Bes kept Sigurd pinned, Cruz tied him up.

"Ask the big dragon how we find Liz," said Cruz. "And no trouble or I'll let Bes educate you properly."

Sigurd the once-dragonslayer and the now trussed-up dragon take-out did as he was told.

The female dragon replied melodiously, but in a foreign language. Sigurd translated. "She says, at the castle of Ran. She will show us the way."