Conqueror

Here, though, on this British island, it was different. Here, the villagers didn't scatter, even when the shallow-draught Viking ships came sliding up the beach. They didn't try to gather their children and livestock and petty valuables when the Vikings came striding out of their boats, weapons in hand. They even clustered around, curious, as Bjarni confronted the scowling, arrogant man in the black habit – the monk. They felt safe here, on their holy island. They hadn't played this game before, this lethal game of iron and blood, and didn't know the rules.

It was only when the monk's brains oozed grey through his split-open face that the villagers ran, and mothers tried to find their children, and fathers and sons hunted for weapons in their huts.

The Vikings stood watching, amused, unhurried. Gudrid heard Askold, her husband, speculating with the others about the women: which were the best looking, which would put up a fight. Mothers were easier to catch because they were always slowed down by their children, but they were looser than virgins.

Bjarni watched his daughter's reaction to this talk. 'I told you not to come.'

One man came striding out of the village. He was tall, lean, with a streak of grey in his blond hair. Gudrid judged he was a few years younger than her father. He carried a crude woodcutter's axe. Other men of the village hung back, watching, weapons in hand. This was the challenge, then. The Vikings gri

The man faced Bjarni. His tongue was unfamiliar, but it was sufficiently alike Gudrid's own that she thought she could make out the words. 'My name is Guthfrith. This is my home. All we have is a few cattle and sheep, and the fruits of the sea. You are welcome to eat with us, sleep in our homes. But if you intend to rob us-please, take what you want and leave us. We can do you no harm.'

Bjarni eyed him, sighed, and turned to Askold. 'We're here for the monks, not this starveling lot. But we don't want trouble at our backs. If we make an example of this one it might be enough to scare off the rest.'

Askold nodded.

Guthfrith understood what was happening. Gudrid could see the hardness in his eyes, the realisation that his life was already over. With a roar he raised his weapon.

The Vikings rushed him. He didn't land a single blow. The Vikings took his arms, easily removing his weapon. They threw him to the ground, face down, and four of them pi

Then Askold bent over and plunged his knife into Guthfrith's tunic at the back of his neck and cut down to his backside. He worked briskly, like a butcher. Guthfrith howled, and blood spurted, for the knife had cut a groove into his flesh, but Askold's purpose was to cut through his clothes. He spread aside the woollen cloth, exposing a heaving back already slick with blood.

Then Askold took his axe and hefted it, standing astride over Guthfrith's torso. One of his fellows called, 'One blow, Askold. Show this dirt-digger some skill.'

Askold gri

Askold and the others kneeled over Guthfrith. Hands dug into the bloody darkness of his body, and tore back Guthfrith's ribs with a crunch of splintering bone. Gudrid could actually see the heart pumping, surprisingly big, and lungs billowing. Here was a man, a living man, his i

In that instant Gudrid knew she would never again lie with Askold, not as long as she lived.

Bjarni said dismissively, 'Not bad, Askold. When he's dead, nail him to a wall. Now let's get on with it. If we move fast we'll hit the monastery before the monks have time to hide anything. We'll leave a couple of men to watch the boats, though. We don't want anybody getting clever and making a bonfire of them. And torch these hovels.' He glanced around the island. On the causeway that linked it to the mainland, two figures were struggling through rising water. 'We don't want anybody getting away either. You, Leif, Bjorn, go to the head of the causeway. Stop anybody leaving.'

Leif, a big, slow-moving man, grumbled. 'And leave the treasure to you?'

'You'll get your share,' Bjarni said patiently. He glanced at Gudrid. 'Daughter, go with them.'

Gudrid tried to speak. 'Father-'

Bjarni stood close to her, so his creased face filled her vision. 'Why did you come here? What did you expect to see? I tried to warn you.'

'Does it have to be so – wanton?'

Bjarni thought that over. 'Yes,' he said. 'Yes, I think it does. It is easier to cut a man down if you think he is less than a man, not human at all. The wanto

She didn't have the will to disobey.

XVIII

As they reached the island Belisarius saw that the raiders were already at work in the village. The people fled, ru

Belisarius felt outraged that people who had treated him with such hospitality should be treated this way. Were human lives worth no more than this? But anger was useless. He tried to stay calm, to think.

He beckoned to Macson. 'Come. If we hurry we can still reach the monastery before the raiders get there.'

'Good plan,' Macson growled, sarcastic. But he followed Belisarius's lead.

They reached the monastery. There was nobody to be seen. No doubt the monks were all in the church, engaged in one of their interminable services. They probably didn't even know that the raiders had come.

For the first time Belisarius looked at the monastery as a warrior might. The low earthen bank which surrounded it would keep out stray cattle, but would not impede the raiders. The buildings, even the wooden church, would be no use as shelters. Only the monks' squat beehive cells, built of stone, might withstand a raiders' torching. And so unusual was their shape that perhaps there was a chance the raiders might dismiss them as food stores and ignore them altogether.

He hurried to the cells, offering up a silent prayer that similar thoughts had occurred to the sensible Aelfric.

At Boniface's cell he pushed at the wooden door. It felt as if it had been blocked from behind. He rapped on the wood. 'Aelfric, Boniface? Are you in there? It's me, Belisarius.'

There was a scraping. Then the door opened, to reveal Aelfric's oval face. A lamp flickered in the darkness behind her, and she blinked in the bright daylight. 'Belisarius, thank God.'

'Is Boniface with you?'

'Yes. We went first to the library – we have the Menologium, the oldest copy.'

A thin voice called querulously from the darkness. 'Is that you, Roman? Let me go to the church.'

'There are men here,' Belisarius said heavily, 'intent on killing you, old man.'