When he was once more outside, across from the palace of the
four kings, he suddenly remembered something that the head of
Troubleshooters, Inc. had told him. He looked and saw that the small
metal flower was still in his lapel. He put his mouth close to it and
shouted.
"Brian Shanachie!"
"Well," said a voice which seemed to come out of the air directly over
his head, "I was wondering if I were ever going to hear from you."
"What do you mean?" Kevan demanded indignantly. "I haven't been here
more than an hour."
"Time, my dear boy, is relative," the voice said airily. "How did you
make out with Alviss?"
Kevan quickly related all that had happened. "What shall I do?" he
asked when he'd finished. "Obviously I can't go to--wherever it is--and
just steal the girl."
There was a heavy sigh out of the air above his head. "It is a rather
difficult task," admitted the voice, "for one of your inexperience.
Unfortunately, there are no other agents unengaged at the moment, so I
guess there's nothing to do but go get the girl."
"I won't," Kevan MacGreene said grimly. "I've had enough of this. I
quit."
"My dear boy," the voice said, "you can't quit. If you're not employed
by me, there is no way back here, and without the badge of my office
you might find it rather difficult to get along where you are."
Kevan was silent in the grip of frustration.
"Besides," the voice continued sternly, "don't forget that you're a
MacGreene. Once removed from the County Ulster 'tis true, but still a
MacGreene. Quitting is not for the likes of you."
It was, moreover, the only argument to sway Kevan MacGreene. "Okay," he
said wearily, "where do I find this Yggdrasil?"
"Just go due Southeast by Northwest and you can't miss it." The voice
sounded pleased with itself.
"And what is Yggdrasil?" Kevan asked.
"The world tree--and that's why you can't miss it. You'll see it miles
before you reach it. How much time did Alviss give you?"
"Until tomorrow morning."
There was a thin whistle in the air. "That isn't much time. I guess
you'll be needing some assistance. Don't move for the next minute, my
lad."
There seemed to be a crackling in the air around Kevan's head and
then beside him stood a new jeep. It was painted a pleasant emerald
green--which reminded Kevan of Kathleen Culanna's eyes--and lettered on
the side were the words _TROUBLESHOOTERS, INC.--OUR SPELLS, CURSES AND
KNELLS ARE GUARANTEED_.
"What's the slogan for?" Kevan asked.
"Oh," said the voice of Brian Shanachie, "that jeep was built to be
used only in the land of the Little People and it doesn't hurt to
advertise, you know. After all, we do work for both sides in making
our adjustments. It helps to build confidence if they know that we
guarantee to handle any matter up here which threatens them. But
it's getting late. Perhaps you'd better run along. Oh, yes, there is
one more thing. That is a new jeep and I didn't have time to install
a spell-bumper. Some of the more provincial gnomes are not yet
accustomed to our jeeps and may try to throw a spell at you. So if you
notice one apparently weaving something in the air, I'd suggest that
you dodge as quickly as possible. Good-by--and don't hesitate to call
on me if you need anything."
There was dismissal in the voice, so Kevan MacGreene stepped gingerly
into the jeep. It turned out, however, to be quite solid, so he sat
down with growing confidence. The first thing that caught his eye was
the compass just over the steering wheel. If anyone had told Kevan that
a compass could manage to point Southeast by Northwest, he wouldn't
have believed him--but this one did.
* * * * *
He stepped on the starter and the motor of the jeep caught with a
full-throated roar which was the most comforting thing that had
happened to Kevan since he'd left Brian Shanachie's office. He put it
in gear and let out the clutch. The jeep leaped forward eagerly.
He was just driving past the palace, from which could still be heard a
subdued roar, when he discovered a small gnome standing in the shadow
of the building. The gnome was glaring at the green jeep and his
hands were making strange passes in front of him. Kevan gazed at him
curiously and then suddenly remembered what Brian Shanachie had said.
He twisted the wheel and sent the jeep bouncing over a small hill.
Glancing back, he was glad he had remembered, for he was just in time
to see a tree turn into some sort of giant pink worm and go wriggling
off at a mad pace. The tree was just beyond where the jeep would have
been if he'd continued straight. Kevan had no doubt that if he'd failed
to turn, he would have been riding just such a pink monstrosity.
He soon got the jeep straightened out again in the direction of the
compass needle and pressed the accelerator to the floor. The little car
went bouncing over rocks and hills, undaunted by all that was in its
path, and Kevan MacGreene grinned happily. This was the sort of magic
which gave him a sense of reality.
After what seemed like a couple hours of riding, Kevan found he was
approaching the giant tree which he assumed must be Yggdrasil. He'd
sighted it more than an hour back and for the past half hour had been
driving in the shade of the tree. Now, just beyond it, he could see the
huge flat rainbow arching up into the sky.
He arrived near the trunk of the tree and stopped the jeep, while
he looked around for the bridge. There was nothing that resembled
one--except the rainbow. He noticed that its incline was gradual enough
to be ascended and finally decided that it must be the bridge for which
he was looking. He was about to put the jeep into gear, when a new
voice spoke to him.
"Really, old chap," it said, in the broadest of English accents, "I
wouldn't, y'know. Bifrost is composed of fire, air and water. I should
imagine the fire element might harm your tyres, to say nothing of
exploding your petrol."
Kevan looked around but saw only a huge serpent coiled around the
tree, apparently gnawing on its roots, and a sneaky looking squirrel
which was just then scurrying up the trunk of the tree. He had about
concluded that he was again dealing with a gnome who was too thin to be
seen when he noticed that the serpent's eyes were fixed on him and that
there seemed to be a friendly gleam in them.
"Were you addressing me?" he asked.
"Yes," said the serpent. "I'm aware that it was forward of me,
y'know--we haven't been introduced and all that--but, dash it all, one
just can't let a chap rush into danger."
Kevan found himself grinning at the accent. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Nidhoggr, the serpent of Yggdrasil," the snake said.
"I'm Kevan MacGreene. How do you do."
"Charmed, I'm sure," said the serpent, with what was obviously meant
for a friendly smile. The effect was modified unpleasantly by the
appearance of his fangs.
"If you're a part of this set-up," Kevan said, with a wave which
included the tree and the rainbow bridge, "I should guess that you must
be Teutonic in origin, yet you seem to have a rather marked English
accent."
"Do you like it?" the serpent said eagerly. "I think it sounds
rather cultured myself. I picked it up from an English sparrow who
occasionally visits me. He's taught me some rather jolly songs
too--especially one, I believe it's called 'The Base-born King of
England.' Would you care to hear it?"
"Some other time, perhaps," Kevan said, smothering a desire to laugh.
"Although I believe you have the title slightly wrong. Now, what were
you saying about not crossing the bridge in my jeep?"
"I don't believe it's safe," the serpent said. "I understand that fire
and petrol do not mix well. You can walk across, y'know--it makes a
splendid little outing. I believe the water and air keep the fire
cool enough not to burn and I understand, in fact, that it's rather
invigorating."
"Well, I suppose there's nothing to do but walk," Kevan said. He shut
off the motor and climbed out of the jeep.
"You're quite sure it's safe?"
"Positive, old chap. It's safe for everyone except Thor. He's been
forbidden to step on it because of his heavy tread--he's a peasant,
y'know. It's not as if he were a gentleman." The serpent glanced up
toward the trunk of the tree, where a squirrel could be seen now
scurrying downward. "There comes Ratatosk again," he said, lowering his
voice. "He spends all his time between Vedfolnir, on the upper branch,
and myself trying to stir up trouble. An officious little blighter.
You'd best hurry along or he's bound to think there's something
subversive in our little chat."
"Okay," Kevan said with a grin. "Thanks for the advice." He waved to
the serpent and started up the rainbow bridge. To his surprise, the
mere touch of the bridge was invigorating. Through the soles of his
shoes he could feel a combination of heat and coolness and it seemed
that strength flowed up into him. He strode briskly along.
* * * * *
When he was well up over the curve of the bridge, he stopped a moment
and looked back. By stretching his neck, he could make out the top
of the tree and he caught a glimpse of a golden rooster perched on
the very tip. It looked like a tiny spot of gold in the midst of the
evergreen leaves.
In only a few more minutes, he was nearing the other end of the rainbow
bridge. In the far distance, he could see the turrets of a number of
huge castles.
The rest of the way was mostly down hill and he completed it at a fast
pace. He stepped off the bridge and stopped to look around, wondering
about his next move, when he was startled by a loud roar of pain. It
seemed to come not far from his right, so he turned in that direction.
After a moment's walk, he came around a small hill and found himself in
front of a large cave.
A young man stood in the entrance of the cave. He was clad in golden
chain mail, but wore no helmet so that his bright yellow hair fell to
his shoulders. He was handsome beyond the highest standards set by
mortal movies, yet his beauty was all masculine. There, Kevan found
himself thinking, stands one who looks every inch a god.
He'd been staring at the blond man for several minutes before he
realized what was represented in the full picture. The young man was
standing in the mouth of the cave because he was chained here. Huge
golden chains ran from his arms and legs, and from a collar around his
neck, to the walls of the cave. The chains were tight so that he had
little room to move about. Directly above the cave a large serpent was
lying. Its open mouth was just above the entrance to the cave and its
venom was steadily dripping from the gleaming fangs toward the man
below. But standing alongside of the cave was a beautiful blonde--and,
Kevan noted with some embarrassment, scantily-clad--young woman. She
held a silver cup in her hand in which she caught the dripping venom
just before it reached the young man.
"By Gimli," the young man was saying as Kevan arrived, "you took long
to empty that last draught, Signe. I thought a sea of venom had struck
me. Now--" He broke off as he caught sight of Kevan. His bright blue
eyes moved swiftly as he looked Kevan over.
"What manner of a one have we here?" he said. "Although it's been
immortal long since I've seen a mortal, I could swear this is one. And
in Asgard." He raised his voice. "Are you a mortal, strange one?"
"Yes," Kevan said, trying to be polite enough not to show that he found
anything strange in the scene before him. "My name is Kevan MacGreene."
"Welcome to Asgard, Kevan MacGreene," the blond young man said. He
grinned merrily and rattled the chains that held him. "It may seem
strange to you to be welcomed by one so carefully chained, but after
all I am a son of Odin and I presume I can still shout a welcome. I am
Loki and this is my wife, Signe. As you can see, she's busy."
[Illustration: "Welcome to Asgard, Kevan MacGreene," the blond young
man said, grinning merrily and rattling the chains.]
The young woman glanced quickly around to acknowledge the introduction
with a smile, then turned her attention back to the cup she held.