The Age of Odin - James Lovegrove [28]
Cy lurched at Thor one final time. He gave it all he had, a last-ditch effort. Some nice combos battered Thor's head - an uppercut followed by a pair of roundhouses, some jabs with the left finished off with a thumping right hook. Thor simply spat out a trickle of blood and chortled.
Then he seized Cy by the head, with both hands, shook him around for a bit, then just kind of tossed him to the ground, as though he was an inflatable doll. Cy tried to rise. Mentally I begged him not to. He made it to his knees, and the crowd were roaring encouragement, but kneeling was as far as he managed to get. With a croaky sigh he slumped down face first into the snow, and lay there in a writhe of soft groans.
It was over. Everyone howled their joy and dismay. Thor raised his fists above his head and let out a gloating bray.
"See?" he said. "See? Challenge me by all means. Feel free. But never expect to best me in a fair fight. I am a god! Thor, whose name means thunder! I've waged battle since time immemorial! Do not think that any mere mortal can overcome me."
He bent down to the semiconscious Cy.
"A noble effort, my good fellow," he said. "But next time perhaps you'll think twice before questioning my authority. If I say you are going to rehearse a manoeuvre again, then you are going to rehearse that manoeuvre again, and again, and as many times as I tell you to, no ifs, ands or buts. Got that?"
Cy was in no fit state to "get" anything. At Thor's command, a couple of his fellow soldiers picked him up and carted him off.
"Frigga will have him back on his feet in no time," he said. "My stepmother is a miracle worker."
Now Odin stepped forward. "My son."
"Father." Thor bowed low.
"Leading by example, as ever." Just the tiniest hint of mockery in Odin's voice.
"They are keen to see combat, these men," Thor replied, bluffly, "but discipline is in short supply. Some of them have not known active service in a long while. Every now and then they need reminding who is in charge and how the command structure works."
"As long as showing them who's boss doesn't mean killing them."
"It would never come to that, father. And who is this?" Thor said, frowning at me.
"This is Gid," said Odin. "He turned up a week ago."
"Ah yes. The wolf attack man."
I detected a sneer on Thor's face as he said this, but I let it pass.
"Waylaid by a few stray dogs, were you?" Thor went on.
I held his gaze. Thor's eyes were small and dark and if they had been set any closer together, he'd have been a Cyclops.
"Wolves," I said carefully, "are not the same as dogs."
"A few measly pups. Me, I'd have just patted them on the head and told them to be off."
"Thor..." warned Odin.
But son paid father no heed. "What happened, did one of them lick you a little too hard? Is that why you require a walking stick?"
Keep a lid on it, Gid. Calm and cool. Don't let your goat be got. "I was in a car crash as well."
"Ooh, a car crash!"
"And for your information, sunshine, it wasn't a few wolves, it was a whole pack."
"Still, if it had been me, I'd have sent them away with their tails between their legs."
"Well, aren't you the big beefy macho man?" I retorted. "Look, Thor, or whatever you real name is, I don't care what you think of me and I've no idea why you're trying to get a rise out of me. I'm just not in the mood, so give it a rest, eh?"
I turned and started walking off.
"And your friend didn't make it," Thor said to my back. "He must truly have been some kind of weakling. Was it even worth the wolves' while eating him, I wonder? I can't imagine someone so lacking in substance would have made much of a meal for them."
That wasn't the final straw.
"Oh, scared to face me, are you?" he bellowed. "Coward!"
That was the final straw.
I halted in my tracks and spun round.
"What did you just call me?" I snapped.
"You heard."
"Say it again. Say it to my face."
The crowd, which had been dispersing, rapidly un-dispersed. They