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“What did you see?” Tuttugu, white-faced

“Nothing” I gasped it out and drew a breath

“What?” Three blank looks

“Nothing,” I said “Just the Hardanger men’s lanterns”

Another moment of incomprehension

“There’s no fire on the wall” I pointed in the rough direction of Snorri’s great pyre

“It can’t have gone out,” Ein said “It’ll still be hot this time tomorrow”

“Yes” I nodded When I came down to report the visitors froe eusted

“I’ll go check” Ein took up a lantern from the mantelpiece and went to the heavy door that connected back to the corridor and halls beyond A pounding from down below stopped hi ram than the crash of shield on wood that we’d heard before

“Tuttugu! Oil!” And Snorri hauled the cover fro “There’s nothing th—”

BOOM!

The sound of the impact drowned him out

“Hel! It’s co from the inside!” Snorri whipped round towards Ein, who stood at the doorith his back towards it

“I’ll find out—” Ein bit his sentence short and staggered forwards, accoore-coated now jutted from beneath his sternues and the horror beyond shook the door and Ein’s corpse froe it had impaled them both with