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“Pregnant?” All this ti journey a hopeless race against that baby’s fate A tear rolled down id air

“I just killed my son” Snorri closed his eyes

I rolled my head and saw once more the foetus curled amidst the ruin of the body the unborn had built—the core of it, the potential, misused and ill-spent by some horror that had never lived

“Your son” I didn’t ask how he could know Perhaps that bond between them had let the unborn know his mind, had led it to wait for us in this roo—I hadn’t the words Instead I spoke the smallest one—the one I should have used more in my short and foolish life

“Sorry”

We lay a longLife leaked away from me, drop by drop I felt I should miss it more

A squealing noise broke the silence

“What in hell?” I lifted my head a fraction It sounded like—

“Hinges!” Snorri rose, slowly, supporting himself on his elbows

“But you locked that door” The squeal of iron on iron set e “Bolted it too”

“Yes”

Another squealing sound Louder this time, closer

“How is that possible?” Soe too, I’ll ad to break them down?”

“They have the key” Snorri reached for his axe, groaning

“But you bolted all the doors! I saw you”

Another shriek, the noise of old iron scraping across stone as the third door surrendered Only one reaze fixed upon

“The key Rikeson’s key Loki’s key The key that opens all doors” Snorri ed to sit, deathly pale, a tremor in his limbs “It’s the Unborn Captain They must have found the key under the ice”