theterriblecirclethatonmanyabattlefieldhasbeenhiddenatlastbeneaththeheapoffallenfoes。
Theregimentsmovedup；therewerethreeofthemoffullstrength。
Irenestaredabouther，seekingsomeloopholeofescape，andfindingnone。HeliodoreandItalkedtogetherinlowtones，makingourtrystbeyondthegrave。Theregimentshaltedwithinfiftypacesofus。TheylikednotthelookofOdin’sRing，andthegroundoverwhichtheyhadmarchedandthefugitiveswithwhomtheyhadspokentoldthemthatmanyofthemlookedtheirlastuponthemoon。
SomemountedgeneralsrodetowardsusandaskedwhowasincommandoftheNorthmen。WhentheylearnedthatitwasJodd，theyinvitedhimtoaparley。TheendofitwasthatJoddandtwootherssteppedtwentypacesfromourranks，andmetacouncillor——itwasStauracius——andtwoofthegeneralsintheopen，wherenotreacherycouldwellbepractised，especiallyasStauraciuswasnotamanofwar。Heretheytalkedtogetherforalongwhile。ThenJoddandhiscompanionsreturned，andJoddsaid，sothatallmighthearhim:
“Hearken。Thesearethetermsoffered:Thatwereturntoourbarracksinpeace，bearingourweapons。Thatnothingbelaidtoourchargeunderanylaw，militaryorcivil，bytheStateorprivatepersons，forthisnight’sslayingandtumult，andthatinguaranteethereoftwelvehostagesofhighrank，uponwhosenameswehaveagreed，begivenintoourkeeping。ThatweretainourseparatestationsintheserviceoftheEmpire，orhaveleavetoquitthatservicewithinthreemonths，withthegratuityofaquarter’spay，andgowherewewillunmolested。
Butthat，inreturnfortheseboons，wesurrenderthepersonoftheEmpressunharmed，andwithherthatoftheGeneralOlaf，towhomafairtrialispromisedbeforeamilitarycourt。ThatwithherownvoicetheAugustashallconfirmalltheseundertakingsbeforesheleavesourranks。Suchistheoffer，comrades。“
“Andifwerefuseit，what？“askedavoice。
“This:Thatweshallberingedround，andeitherstarvedoutorshotdownbyarchers。Or，ifwetrytoescape，thatweshallbeoverwhelmedbynumbers，andanyofuswhochancetobetakenlivingshallbehanged，soundandwoundedtogether。“
NowtheleadersoftheNorthmenconsulted。Irenewatchedthemforawhile，thenturnedtomeandasked，“Whatwilltheydo，Olaf？“
“Icannotsay，Augusta，“Ianswered，“butIthinkthattheywilloffertosurrenderyouandnotmyself，sincetheymaydoubtthemofthatfairtrialwhichispromisedtome。“
“Whichmeans，“shesaid，“that，whetherIliveordie，allthesebravemenwillbesacrificedtoyou，Olaf，who，afterall，mustperishwiththem，aswillthisEgyptian。Areyoupreparedtoacceptthatblood-
offering，Olaf？Ifso，youmusthavechangedfromthemanIloved。“
“No，Augusta，“Ianswered，“Iamnotprepared。RatherwouldItrustmyselfintoyourpower，Augusta。“
Theconferenceoftheofficershadcometoanend。Theirleaderadvancedandsaid，“Weaccepttheterms，exceptastothematterofOlafRed-Sword。TheEmpressmaygofree，butOlafRed-Sword，ourgeneralwhomwelove，wewillnotsurrender。Firstwillwedie。“
“Good！“saidJodd。“Ilookedforsuchwordsfromyou。“
Thenhemarchedout，withhiscompanions，andagainmetStauraciusandthetwogeneralsoftheGreeks。Aftertheyhadtalkedalittlewhilehereturnedandsaid，“Thosetwoofficers，beingmen，wouldhaveagreed，butStauracius，theeunuch，whoseemsincommand，willnotagree。HesaysthatOlafRed-
SwordmustbesurrenderedwiththeEmpress。WeansweredthatinthiscasesoontherewouldbenoEmpresstosurrenderexceptonereadyforburial。HerepliedthatwasasGodmightdecree；eitherbothmustbesurrenderedorbothbeheld。“
“Doyouknowwhythedogsaidthat？“whisperedIrenetome。“ItwasbecausethoseNorthmenhaveletsliptheofferImadetoyoubutnow，andheisjealousofyou，andfearsyoumaytakehispower。Well，ifI
live，onedayheshallpayforthiswhocaressolittleformylife。“
Soshespoke，butImadenoanswer。Instead，IturnedtoHeliodore，saying，“Youseehowmattersstand，beloved。EitherImustsurrendermyself，orallthesebravemenmustperish，andwewiththem。Formyself，Iamreadytodie，butIamnotwillingthatyouandtheyshoulddie。Also，ifIyield，Icandonoworsethandie，whereasperchanceafterallthingswilltakeanotherturn。Nowwhatsayyou？“
“Isay，followyourheart，Olaf，“sherepliedsteadily。“Honourcomesfirstofall。TherestiswithGod。WhereveryougothereIsoonshallbe。“
“Ithankyou，“Ianswered；“yourmindismine。“
ThenIsteppedforwardandsaid，“Comrades，itismyturntothrowinthisgreatgame。Ihaveheardandconsideredall，andIthinkitbestthatIshouldbesurrendered，withtheAugusta，totheGreeks。“
“Wewillnotsurrenderyou，“theyshouted。
“Comrades，Iamstillyourgeneral，andmyorderisthatyousurrenderme。Also，Ihaveotherorderstogivetoyou。ThatyouguardthisladyHeliodoretothelast，andthat，whileoneofyouremainsalive，sheshallbetoyouasthoughshewerethatman’sdaughter，ormother，orsister，tohelpandprotectasbesthemayineverycircumstance，seenorunforeseen。Further，thatwithheryouguardherfather，thenobleEgyptianMagas。Willyoupromisethistome？“
“Aye！“theyroaredinanswer。
“Youhearthem，Heliodore，“Isaid。“Knowthathenceforthyouareoneofalargefamily，and，howevergreatyourenemies，thatyouwillneverlackafriend。Comrades，“Iwenton，“thisismysecondorder，andperchancethelastthatIshallevergivetoyou。UnlessyouhearthatIamevillytreatedinthepalaceyonder，stayquiet。Butifthattidingsshouldreachyou，thenalloathsarebroken。Dowhatyoucanandwill。“
“Aye！“theyroaredagain。
Afterwardswhathappened？Itcomesbacktomebutdimly。IthinktheysworetheEmpressontheBloodofChristthatIshouldgounharmed。I
thinkIembracedHeliodorebeforethemall，andgaveherintotheirkeeping。IthinkIwhisperedintotheearofJoddtoseekouttheBishopBarnabas，andprayhimtogetherandherfatherawaytoEgyptwithoutdelay——yes，evenbyforce，ifitwereneedful。ThenIthinkI
lefttheirlines，andthat，asIwent，leadingtheAugustabythehand，theygavetomethegeneral’ssalute。ThatIturnedandsalutedtheminanswerereIyieldedmyselfintothepowerofmygod-father，Stauracius，whogreetedmewithafalseandsicklysmile。
IknownotwhattimewentbybeforeIwasputuponmytrial，butthattrialIcanstillseeasclearlyasthoughitwerehappeningbeforemyeyes。Ittookplaceinalong，lowroomofthevastpalacebuildingsthatwaslightedonlybywindow-placessethighupinthewall。Thesewallswerefrescoed，andattheendoftheroomabovetheseatofthejudgeswasarudepictureinbrightcoloursofthecondemnationofChristbyPilate。Pilate，Iremember，wasrepresentedwithablackface，tosignifyhiswickednessIsuppose，andintheairabovehimhungared-eyedimpshapedlikeabatwhogrippedhisrobewithoneclawandwhisperedintohisear。
Thereweresevenjudges，hewhopresidedbeingalaw-officer，andtheothersixcaptainsofdifferentgrades，chosenmostlyfromamongthesurvivorsofthosetroopswhomtheNorthmenhaddefeatedonthenightofthebattleinthepalacegardens。Asthiswasamilitarytrial，I
wasallowednoadvocatetodefendme，norindeeddidIaskforany。
TheCourt，however，wasopenandcrowdedwithspectators，amongwhomI
sawmostofthegreatofficersofthepalace，Stauraciuswiththem；
alsosomeladies，oneofwhomwasMartina，mygod-mother。Thebackofthelongroomwaspackedwithsoldiersandothers，notallofwhomweremyenemies。
IntothisplaceIwasbrought，guardedbyfournegroes，greatfellowsarmedwithswordswhomIknewtobechosenoutofthenumberoftheexecutionersofthepalaceandthecity。Indeed，oneofthemhadservedundermewhenIwasgovernoroftheStateprison，andbeendismissedbymebecauseofsomecrueltywhichhehadpractised。
NotingallthesethingsandthepityinMartina’seyes，IknewthatI
wasalreadydoomed，butasIhadexpectednothingelsethisdidnottroublemeovermuch。
Istoodbeforethejudges，andtheystaredatme。
“Whydoyounotsaluteus，fellow？“askedoneofthem，amincingGreekcaptainwhomIhadseenrunninglikeahareuponthenightofthefray。
“Because，Captain，IamofseniorranktoanywhomIseebeforeme，andasyetuncondemned。Therefore，ifsalutesareinthequestion，itisyouwhoshouldsaluteme。“
Atthisspeechtheystaredatmestillharderthanbefore，butamongthesoldiersattheendofthehalltherearosesomethinglikeamurmurofapplause。
“Wastenotimeinlisteningtohisinsolence，“saidthepresidentoftheCourt。“Clerk，setoutthecase。“
Thenablack-robedmanwhosatbeneaththejudgesroseandreadthechargetomefromaparchment。ItwasbriefandtotheeffectthatI，Michael，formerlyknownasOlaforOlafRed-Sword，aNorthmanintheserviceoftheEmpressIrene，ageneralinherarmies，achamberlainandMasterofthePalace，hadconspiredagainsttheEmpress，hadkilledherservants，haddetainedherperson，threateningtomurderher；hadmadewaruponhertroopsandslainsomehundredsofthembythehelpofotherNorthmen，andwoundedmanymore。
IwasaskedwhatIpleadedtothischarge，andreplied，“Iamnotguilty。“
Thenwitnesseswerecalled。ThefirstofthesewasthefourthmanwhomIrenehadsetuponme，whoaloneescapedwithawoundbehind。Thisfellow，havingbeencarriedintocourt，forhecouldnotwalk，leanedoverabar，forhecouldnotsitdown，andtoldhisstory。WhenhehadfinishedIwasallowedtoexaminehim。
“WhydidtheEmpressorderyouandyourcompanionstoattackme？“I
asked。