“IthinkbecauseshesawyoukisstheEgyptianlady，General，“atwhichanswermanylaughed。
“Youtriedtokillme，didyounot？“
“Yes，General，fortheEmpressorderedussotodo。“
“Thenwhathappened？“
“Youkilledorcutdownthreeofusoneaftertheother，General，beingtooskilfulandstrongforus。AsIturnedtofly，meyouwoundedhere，“and，dragginghimselfroundwithdifficulty，heshowedhowmyswordhadfallenonapartwherenosoldiershouldreceiveawound。AtthissightthoseintheCourtlaughedagain。
“DidIprovokeyouinanywaybeforeyouattackedme？“
“No，indeed，General。ItwastheEmpressyouprovokedbykissingthebeautifulEgyptianlady。Atleast，Ithinkso，sinceeverytimeyoukissedeachothersheseemedtobecomemoremad，andatlastorderedustokillbothofyou。“
Nowthelaughtergrewveryloud，foreventheCourtofficerscouldnolongerrestrainthemselves，andtheladieshidtheirfacesintheirhandsandtittered。
“Awaywiththatfool！“shoutedthepresidentoftheCourt，andthepoorfellowwashustledout。WhatbecameofhimafterwardsIdonotknow，thoughIcanguess。
NowappearedwitnessafterwitnesswhotoldofthefraywhichIhavedescribedalready，thoughforthemostparttheytriedtoputanothercolouronthematter。OfmanyofthesemenIaskednoquestions。
Indeed，growingwearyoftheirtales，Isaidatlengthtothejudges，“Sirs，whatneedisthereforallthisevidence，seeingthatamongyouIperceivethreegallantofficerswhomIsawrunningbeforetheNorthmenthatnight，whenwithsomefourhundredswordsweroutedabouttwothousandofyou？Youyourselves，therefore，arethebestwitnessesofwhatbefell。Moreover，Iacknowledgethat，beingmovedbythesightofwar，intheendIledthechargeagainstyou，beforewhichchargesomediedandmanyfled，youamongthem。“
Nowthesecaptainsgloweredatmeandthepresidentsaid，“Theprisonerisright。Whatneedisthereofmoreevidence？“
“Ithinkmuch，sir，“Ianswered，“sincebutonesideofthestoryhasbeenheard。NowIwillcallwitnesses，ofwhomthefirstshouldbetheAugusta，ifsheiswillingtoappearandtellyouwhathappenedwithinthecircleoftheNorthmenonthatnight。“
“CalltheAugusta！“gaspedthepresident。“Perchance，prisonerMichael，youwillwishnexttocallGodHimselfonyourbehalf？“
“That，sir，“Ianswered，“Ihavealreadydoneanddo。Moreover，“I
addedslowly，“ofthisIamsure，thatinatimetocome，althoughitbenotto-morroworthenextday，youandeveryonewhohastodowiththiscasewillfindthatIhavenotcalledHiminvain。“
AtthesewordsforafewmomentsasolemnsilencefellupontheCourt。
Itwasasthoughtheyhadgonehometotheheartofeveryonewhowaspresentthere。AlsoIsawthecurtainsthatdrapedagalleryhighupinthewallshakealittle。ItcameintomymindthatIreneherselfwashiddenbehindthosecurtains，asafterwardsIlearnedwasthecase，andthatshehadmadesomemovementwhichcausedthemtotremble。
“Well，“saidthepresident，afterthispause，“asGoddoesnotappeartobeyourwitness，andasyouhavenoother，seeingthatyoucannotgiveevidenceyourselfunderthelaw，wewillnowproceedtojudgment。“
“WhosaysthattheGeneralOlaf，OlafRed-Sword，hasnowitness？“
exclaimedadeepvoiceattheendofthehall。“Iamheretobehiswitness。“
“Whospeaks？“askedthepresident。“Lethimcomeforward。“
Therewasadisturbanceattheendofthehall，andthroughthecrowdthatheseemedtothrowbeforehimtorightandleftappearedthemightyformofJodd。Hewascladinfullarmourandborehisfamousbattle-axeinhishand。
“Onewhomsomeofyouknowwellenough，asothersofyourcompanywhowillneverknowanythingagainhavedoneinthepast。OnenamedJodd，theNorthman，secondincommandoftheguardtotheGeneralOlaf，“heanswered，andmarchedtothespotwherewitnesseswereaccustomedtostand。
“Takeawaythatbarbarian’saxe，“exclaimedanofficerwhosatamongthejudges。
“Aye，“saidJodd，“comehither，mannikin，andtakeitawayifyoucan。
Ipromiseyouthatalongwithitsomethingelseshallbetakenaway，towityourfool’shead。WhoareyouthatwoulddaretodisarmanofficeroftheImperialGuard？“
AfterthistherewasnomoretalkofremovingJodd’saxe，andheproceededtogivehisevidence，which，asitonlydetailedwhathasbeenwrittenalready，neednotberepeated。Whateffectitproduceduponthejudges，Icannotsay，butthatitmovedthosepresentintheCourtwasclearenough。
“Haveyoudone？“askedthepresidentatlengthwhenthestorywasfinished。
“Notaltogether，“saidJodd。“OlafRed-Swordwaspromisedanopentrial，andthathehas，sinceotherwiseIandsomefriendsofminecouldnotbeinthisCourttotellthetruth，whereperhapsthetruthhasseldombeenheardbefore。Alsohewaspromisedafairtrial，andthathehasnot，seeingthatthemostofhisjudgesaremenwithwhomhefoughttheotherdayandwhoonlyescapedhisswordbyflight。
To-morrowIproposetoaskthepeopleofByzantiumwhetheritisrightthatamanshouldbetriedbyhisconqueredenemies。NowIperceivethatyouwillfindaverdictof’guilty’againstOlafRed-Sword，andperhapscondemnhimtodeath。Well，findwhatverdictyouwillandpasswhatsentenceyouwill，butdonotdaretoattempttoexecutethatsentence。“
“Dare！Dare！“shoutedthepresident。“Whoareyou，man，whowoulddictatetoaCourtappointedbytheEmpresswhatitshallorshallnotdo？Becarefullestwepasssentenceonyouaswellasonyourfellow-
traitor。Rememberwhereyoustand，andthatifIliftmyfingeryouwillbetakenandbound。“
“Aye，lawyer，Irememberthisandotherthings。Forinstance，thatI
havethesafe-conductoftheEmpressunderanoathswornontheCrossoftheChristsheworships。Forinstance，also，thatIhavethreehundredcomradeswaitingmysafereturn。“
“Threehundred！“snarledthepresident。“TheEmpresshasthreethousandwithinthesewallswhowillsoonmakeanendofyourthreehundred。“
“Ihavebeentold，lawyer，“answeredJodd，“thatoncetherelivedanothermonarch，onecalledXerxes，whothoughtthathewouldmakeanendofacertainthreehundredGreeks，whenGreeksweredifferentfromwhatyouareto-day，ataplacecalledThermopyl？Hemadeanendofthem，buttheycosthimmorethanhecaredtopay，andnowitisthoseGreekswholiveforeverandXerxeswhoisdead。Butthat’snotall；
sincethatfraytheothernightweNorthmenhavefoundfriends。HaveyouheardoftheArmenianlegions，President，thosewhofavourConstantine？Well，killOlafRed-Sword，orkillme，Jodd，andyouhavetodealfirstwiththeNorthmenandnextwiththeArmenianlegions。
NowhereIamwaitingtobetakenbyanywhocanpassthisaxe。“
AtthesewordsagreatsilencefellupontheCourt。Joddglaredabouthim，and，seeingthatnoneventuredtodrawnear，steppedfromthewitness-place，advancedtowhereIwas，gavemethefullsaluteofceremony，thenmarchedawaytothebackoftheCourt，thecrowdopeningapathforhim。
Whenhehadgonethejudgesbegantoconsulttogether，and，asI
expected，verysoonagreedupontheirverdict。Thepresidentsaid，orrathergabbled，“Prisoner，wefindyouguilty。Haveyouanyreasontoofferwhysentenceofdeathshouldnotbepasseduponyou？“
“Sir，“Ianswered，“Iamnotheretopleadformylife，whichalreadyIhaveriskedascoreoftimesintheserviceofyourpeople。YetI
wouldsaythis。OnthenightoftheoutbreakIwasseton，fourtoone，fornocrime，asyouhaveheard，anddidbutprotectmyself。
Afterwards，whenIwasabouttobeslain，theNorthmen，mycomrades，protectedmeunasked；thenIdidmybesttosavethelifeoftheEmpress，and，infact，succeeded。Myonlyoffenceisthatwhenthegreatchargetookplaceandyourregimentsweredefeated，rememberingonlythatIwasasoldier，Iledthatcharge。Ifthisisacrimeworthyofdeath，Iamreadytodie。YetIholdthatbothGodandmanwillgivemorehonourtomethecriminalthantoyouthejudges，andtothosewhobeforeeveryousatinthisCourtinstructedyou，whomI
knowtobebuttools，astotheverdictthatyoushouldgive。“
TheapplausewhichmywordscalledforthfromthosegatheredattheendoftheCourtdiedaway。Inthemidstofagreatsilencethepresident，who，likehiscompanions，Icouldseewell，wasgrowingsomewhatfearful，readthesentenceinalowvoicefromaparchment。
AftersettingouttheorderbywhichtheCourtwasconstitutedandothermatters，itran:
“Wecondemnyou，Michael，otherwisecalledOlaforOlafRed-Sword，todeath。ThissentencewillbeexecutedwithorwithouttortureatsuchtimeandinsuchmannerasitmaypleasetheAugustatodecree。“
NowthevoiceofJoddwasheardcryingthroughthegatheringgloom，fornightwasnear: