by Eric Flint
It was his turn to bestow a sharp, considering gaze—on Steinmetz. "It would help . . ."
"If the Future Enterprise Institute weighed in publicly in support of that. I'll point out to you that it would give us still more weight if one of us—that'd be me—were formally added to the Pyramid Scientific Research Group's board of directors."
"Agreed," said Miggy, without hesitating. Leaving aside the fact that it would be a shrewd political move, having Melvin Steinmetz on the board probably would be helpful. The man's way of looking at everything, from that incredibly dark perspective that came with being a nuclear war strategist, rubbed Miggy the wrong way. But there was no denying that Steinmetz was as shrewd as they come—and the truth was, Miggy himself was scared by all the possible implications of the pyramid. Having Steinmetz with them was probably a good idea, now that he'd broken from the PSA crowd.
"In that case, your newest board member will give you his first piece of advice. Change the damn name. I'd recommend the Pyramid Control Agency."
Miggy scowled. "Don't you think there are enough 'agencies' floating around already?"
"It's the way it is, Miggy," said Melvin, shrugging. " 'Research Group' is a title that has elbow patches on it. You might as well hang a sign around your neck that says 'kick me, I'm a professor.' There's no way most people—and nobody at all in the so-called 'intelligence community'—is going to believe that an outfit that calls itself a 'research group' is capable of doing serious operational work."
"Well . . . yes. You're probably right."
Melvin's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "I presume you intend to use the dragons as part of your . . . can I call it a 'commando unit'?"
"I suppose it's as good a term as any. Yes, Bitar and Smitar—and Bes has agreed. So have Sergeant Cruz and Corporal McKenna. And their wives, for that matter."
"You realize the 'pros' are going to have a fit, I hope."
Tremelo snorted. "You mean the 'real experts' on commando operations like the SEALs and Delta Force and whatever cowboys the spook outfits round up? I will point out two things. First, the scorecard still stands."
Steinmetz's wry smile became a grimace. "Yes, I know. The remaining two members of the PSA, Bott and Stephens, finally came out dead. What little was left of Stephens, anyway—but there was enough to identify his DNA. And none of your people have. The talk shows are having a field day with it. Sometime I'll explain to you my theory—well, not mine, but I subscribe to it—of America's Humphrey Bogart syndrome. What's the second point?"
"Any 'real pro' who gets too obstreperous will simply be required to prove their superior skills at unarmed combat against Bes here."
Bes grinned.
Steinmetz looked a bit disconcerted. Tremelo chuckled. "I'm throwing the security establishment a big bone, though. I've talked it over with the military and they've agreed—seeing as how Cruz and McKenna are already in the unit anyway—that the 101st will be officially designated as the force assigned to provide whatever military personnel are needed for pyramid operations. There's a Lieutenant Rich Evans who seems quite promising. Cruz and McKenna tell me that Evans won't have any trouble understanding that everything has to be done differently in the Mythworlds. And he's got a Private Henderson that Cruz and McKenna think highly of, as well."
"Tough soldier, I take it."
"No, it's not that. He got arrested for pizza."
Melvin frowned. "I don't get it."
Tremelo shrugged. "Neither do I. But Cruz and Mac figure anybody who can get arrested for pizza will probably manage just fine in the weirdness of the pyramid. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's to trust the instincts of the only people in the world who can really claim to be 'pyramid pros.' "
"Fair enough," said Steinmetz. "I'll back you up on that point, for sure, after watching Garnett's fiasco." He took a long, slow breath. "I just wish we knew what was happening now with your people in the Norse Mythworld."
"We'll find out soon enough. But there's one thing we already know for sure. This isn't over yet. In fact, I think the . . ."
Steinmetz chuckled. "Call it a 'war,' why don't you, Miggy? That's what it is, you know."
"Yes," sighed Tremelo. "The first skirmishes are over. The Krim pyramid war is just starting."
Chapter 42
Standing on the hillside, Jerry had his arm linked with Liz as they watched Loki and Thor entering Asgard's gates. Lamont and Marie stood with them.
With the wall breached, and the forces of Vanir arrayed with those of Loki, and the dragons and the Valkyries having harried the now leaderless Einherjar into retreat, Thrúd had had no trouble in getting Idun to offer terms to the remaining Æsir. Only Heimdall had wanted to fight on. Tyr sat on him, and reminded him exactly why he'd had to get gold teeth.
The only other possible serious objector, Thjalfi-Harkness, had disappeared. Not died. Just vanished while in custody.
Liz squeezed Jerry's hand. "It's just occurred to me why the Norns were so sour and uncooperative when I asked them to tell our futures. Loki said they only ever tell you things that make matters worse. They also apparently don't lie. So, the fact that they wouldn't tell us anything meant that the future was looking far too rosy for their liking."
Jerry kissed her.
She grinned. "See what I mean?"
"Something else occurred to me, Lamont," said Jerry, looking at his now much younger friend and wife, standing next to them, unable to stop hugging each other. "You were lamenting about your luck no longer following you, because Marie was dying. But actually you've never stopped being lucky. In fact, I think we've been seeing your luck at work. From what the doctors said, Marie's condition must have preexisted your blessing by Tyche. The only way that she could be cured—or at least treated—was by magic. So luck brought you to where you could get a reprieve for her. I don't know if it's a cure, but you've either reversed it or at least put it off."
Lamont pursed his lips thoughtfully. "So now we go home and pick it up before it starts . . ."
Jerry shook his head. "Some magics seem to continue to work in our world. But Athena's didn't. I don't know what would happen."
"Then somehow I'm going to get all my kids over here," said Lamont. "The fishing looks good," he added with a huge smile.
"And we have the Krim device's controller. This pyramid pendant off Odin. I imagine Miggy is going to be more than a little excited once we can get back in touch with him. It looks like Odin actually took control of it, not the other way around. That's an interesting concept. It implies that the pyramid is something that possibly we could control, not just the Krim. If other Mythworlds exist . . ."
Liz chuckled. "It might just make a degree in comparative mythology rather desirable in the employment market, outside of esoteric academia."
"No!" exclaimed Jerry, horrified by the idea.
"A mythtake," agreed Lamont.
Appendix
Myth is by its very nature a fragile thing, viewed through a murky glass of time and poor record-keeping, subject to much distortion and various regional interpretations. Neither of the authors claim to be experts in the field and the definitions and explanations in this appendix undoubtably contain much that reflects their own biases. This is a novel, not a research tome, and we often had to choose one of several versions of events (as well as spellings of names). However, for the purposes of following this story it may be useful. Or funny. Or even accidentally informative.
Ás: the singular of Æsir, although it may occasionally be tempting to think of it as another way of writing "donkey."
Asgard: The great walled home of the Æsir. The original gated community where the upper-crust have their homes. Complete with backyard mountain and all other modern tenth-century conveniences for the discerning Ás.
Ægir: A sea giant. Sometimes indicated as the husband of Ran, at whose home the flyting of Loki (the Lokasenna) is supposed to have taken place.
Æsir: Norse Gods—strictly speaking, the ones that l
ive in Asgard, and not the Vanir . . . Except that some of the Vanir came to be hostages, and live in Asgard and intermarry with Ás, or with giants. (Njörd married the giantess Skadi and Frey married the giantess Gerd.) It's a little difficult for a mere biologist to tell the difference between an Ás and a giant as they appear to have sprung from the same origins, and cheerfully interbreed with each other and with Vanir. However, as the Æsir are associated with war, death, and power—unlike the Vanir, associated with growth and fertility—if they say they're different, you'd better believe them, at least in public.
Andvari: The shape-changing dwarf whose hoard of gold Odin, Hœnir, and Loki take as a ransom for his freedom. The gods need this to pay a blood price for Loki's accidental killing of another shape-changing dwarf, Otr. Andvari attempts to hold back one ring, and when it is spotted, tries to persuade them to let him keep it. When they refuse, he curses the ring, thereby giving rise to the long and horrible and doom-filled Völsung saga, which Wagner used as the basis for the Ring of the Nibelung operas.
Angbroda: "Harm-bidder." A giantess upon whom Loki is supposed to have fathered Fenrir the wolf. Later, in his thirteenth-century version, Snorri Sturluson also gave her credit for being the mother of Hel and Jörmungand. Personally, we suspect Jörmy was adopted.
Aurvangar: "Wet gravel plains" where the dwarves live. The guys who actually made all the weapons and treasures of the gods get to live on the wet gravel plains. Some things are eternally true.
Baldr: The beautiful god with white brow and fair hair. A child of Odin and Frigg, he was troubled with dreams of his own death. So Mummy extracted solemn promises from fire, water, metal, stones, plants, beasts, birds etc. etc. not to harm Baldr. She just happened to miss out mistletoe. Loki is supposed to have found this out (in disguise, naturally) and then talked blind Hod (Baldr's brother) into flinging a dart of mistletoe, as the gods were having a little game of throwing things at Baldr, to see how they wouldn't hurt him. Baldr drops dead and is duly consigned to Nifelheim. At Hermód's entreaty Hel agrees to relent and let Baldr go if all the things in world (fire, water, stones etc.) wept for Baldr. A giantess called Thökk (supposedly Loki in disguise) refused, so Baldr stayed in Hel's hall. It is foretold that after Ragnarok, Baldr will return to rule after the death of Odin.
Bilskríner: "Lightning crack." The home of the God Thor, with 540 doors. Very drafty, probably.
Disir: Supernatural female figures. Not ghosts, although sometimes referred to as "dead women."
Dragon: Dragons are one of the most common motifs in Norse myth, and are of course widely portrayed, not least as the sculpted prows on Viking longships. It's a pity they couldn't have had a big dragon artists and sculptors conference and agreed what they were supposed to look like. Flying dragons are mentioned in some sagas, whereas others appear to be nothing more than mighty serpents. The two are so often conflated that we decided on this being a case of sexual dimorphism.
Einherjar: "Lone fighter." The dead who are chosen by the Valkyries on the field of battle to come and occupy the halls of Odin. Despite the fact that they are not actually "lone," the theory that it was a misspelling and that these were "loan" fighters has been almost entirely discredited. Half of the dead warriors go to Odin's halls where they spend their day in fighting and their night in feasting on the ever-renewed boar-flesh and abundant mead, and sport with the Valkyries. Their livers are praying for Ragnarok.
Élivágar: The river that separates Jötunheim from Midgard.
Fenrir: The translation "fen dweller" is a rather obscure name for the wolf that will devour Odin and possibly the sun and the moon. Fathered by Loki on the giantess Angbroda, and therefore the brother of Hel and the Midgard-serpent, the growing Fenrir frightened the Æsir so badly that they tricked him into being bound by successive chains—which he snapped in turn, until he was bound by the chain Gleipnir. The giant wolf is supposed to wait, bound, with an upright sword holding his jaws open until Ragnarok. This is a popular and foolish choice of name for miniature daschunds, as it makes them even more aggressive than they would be anyway.
Fimbulwinter: "Terrible winter." A three-year winter, which precedes Ragnarok.
Flyting: A contest of abuse, usually focused on charming pointed comments about the sexual habits and courage of the protagonists. Usually in verse. The Lokasenna in which Loki abuses each of the Æsir in turn is the prime example.
Freki: One of Odin's two wolves. Not in the same league as Fenrir.
Frey: "Lord" Chief of the Vanir, a fertility god, portrayed with a big beard and an even bigger phallus. Sitting on Odin's lookout point, he spotted the beautiful giantess Gerd, and fell in love with her. He sent his servant Skírnir to press his suit, but had to bribe him to do so, with his magical sword. Frey drives about in a chariot drawn by the golden boar Gullinborsti.
Freyja: The Vanir goddess of love and sex. Famed for having acquired her most precious possession, the Brísingamen, in payment for her services to four dwarves. It was Loki who led to the betrayal of this escapade, with his usual shape-changing tricks. She has a chariot drawn by cats and a falcon cloak which enables her to assume that shape and fly, which she has on occasion lent to Loki.
Gambanteinn: A wand, whose touch causes certain conditions—wandering madness for example.
Garm: The mighty dog which guards the Nágrind (corpse gate), the entry to Hel's kingdom.
Ginnungagap: "Beguiling void."
Gjallarhorn: "Yelling horn." The great horn with which the god Heimdall will call all of the Æsir's allies to war at Ragnarok. Also indicated in the eddic poem "Grímnismál" as Heimdall's drinking horn.
Góin: One of the snakes who creep around Yggdrasil.
Gram: "Wrath." The sword of the hero Sigurd, supposedly so strong it could split an anvil, yet so sharp it could split a hank of wool drifting against the blade in the river current. Supposedly forged with all the skill and magic that the dwarf Reginn could impart, from the remains of Sigurd's father's legendary sword.
Grid: "Greed." A friendly giantess, who got really friendly with Odin, and also lent Thor a belt of strength, iron gauntlets and "Grid's rod," a staff of iron that had various magical properties.
Grotti: The magical handmill (powered by two giantesses) which ground out whatever you ordered it to.
Gungnir: "Swaying one." Odin's magical spear, supposed never to miss its target, which was made for him by the dwarves—the sons of Ivaldi—and given as a gift to the Æsir when Loki went to see them for new hair for Thor's wife Sif.
Heimdall: The gate-guard of Asgard, Heimdall has gold teeth and a historical feud with Loki. He is supposed to have immensely keen vision, and a horn that can be heard across the nine worlds. In the Norse myth way of balancing things, he is Loki's counterpart, and the two are supposed to kill each other at Ragnarok. Heimdall is given the credit for setting up the order of men, determining (by birth) if they should be noblemen, farmers, or slaves. It seemed a good reason to make him a villain.
Hel: The name applies to both the kingdom and the queen-goddess of the dead. Hel is supposed to be a daughter of Loki and Angbroda. She is half black and half white, and gets all the dead who do not die in combat.
Helblindi: "Helblind." One of the many names for Odin. Also listed in one source as a brother of Loki.
Hœnir: The one-time companion of Odin, who is supposed to have actually been the one to give life to the first humans, Ask and Embla, who were tree-trunks before that. One of the two hostages sent by the Æsir to dwell among the Vanir. His fellow hostage Mirmir got his head chopped off because Hœnir couldn't say a word without asking Mirmir first.
Hrímner: "Frosty." A giant.
Hugin: "Thought." One of Odin's two ravens, who fly around spying for the boss.
Idun: A goddess. The wife of the god of poetry, Bragi. The
custodian of the apple of youth and supposedly as fair as spring. Her apples are purported to restore youth and health. In return for his freedom, Loki once lured her outside o
f Asgard and into the clutches of the giant Thjazi (the father of Skadi). Eventually Loki is prevailed upon to rescue her, which he does in falcon form, transforming Idun into a nut and carrying her in his claws. The pursuing Thjazi is killed. In the Lokasenna, Loki accuses Idun of having sex with her brother's killer.