Chapter 23: Thunderstorm

I went down the narrow stair case to find out if there was a God living in the Old Man’s basement. Now I had reached the bottom of the narrow stair case and it expanded into a large natural grotto. The old man had a very large, and from the looks of it a natural Sub Pen under his rock. It was cold and moist and without my light it would have been pitch dark. There was no god and no mystery down here. At least there wasn’t any more garbage either. I did for a moment see a movement in the water but it was most likely just a play of shadow caused by my own light beam. Since I was here I thought to myself I might as well take a swim and bring the boat in here. No need to leave the Sub tied up outside when the old man was gone for who knew how long.

The water was very cold but as I suspected there was an underwater tunnel connecting this grotto with the ocean. The tunnel was certainly big enough for the boat and I wondered why he didn’t use the grotto for his boat, but then there was no handy elevator basket and he would have to climb all these narrow stairs. Convenience was the simple answer.

It took me an hour to reach the boat swimming. The grotto was way deeper under the surface than I expected and while the Nilfeheim pillar looked narrow and tall above the surface it grew wider and more cones shaped below.

He was right; there was an actual little mountain of presents. Golden figurines, At least twenty slayer harpoons of the finest quality, swords, axes, shields, crates with dried fish, barrels with pickled fish, several big boxes of smoked Snapper ham, and at least twenty barrels of Ale, Seaweed Berry Wine and Mead, In between boxes and packages decorated with the seals of a hundred clans.

“Looks like I need to get myself a freight skimmer again.” Said to myself and actually enjoyed the solitude and the cold wind. Well coming out of the water I actually didn’t enjoy the cold wind all that much and untied the submarine and went inside. He had given me the access codes when I cleaned it. I activated the main power feed and steered the Old man’s war sub into the Cave.

I was about to power the boat down and set anchors when I noticed something on the Boat commanders chair. Since I had spent two weeks to scrub the boat, I thought I missed some trash, but it turned out to be a Virtu Holo Print.

My fingers were trembling as I rolled it open. Was this another one of mother?

It turned out to be a very recent one of the Old man and the Holo looked at me just like he did when he was here.” I figured you would try to secure the boat before you left. One of your few redeeming features is your sense of duty and you are reliable and trustworthy. “He made a disgusted face. “Listen to me, praising you!” The Holo pointed at me.” I still don’t like you much! Remember that!”

More or less out of reflex, even though the recording could not hear me I said. “Yes Old man I will remember that. I don’t like you either. Especially after that dirty rotten mind trick.!”

He grinned and nodded, as if had known what I was saying and the recording continued: “Since we have this out of the way. Let me come to the reason for this recording. The Burg and this boat are now yours!”

Egill made this statement the same way as if he wanted me to get some more Vodka, but I stopped the recording reversed it and played it again. “The Burg and the boat are now yours. The Circle of Elders knows about it and has approved it. You are now the appointed Guardian of the Pillar of Nilfeheim. That is a new title we came up with, but I sure sounds very old and very important and your father can not take it from you. Officially the Boat stays in my name till you are old enough to own one, but it is yours to use. Don’t let the plunder and the Burg tie you down. If you are ready to leave, leave! Burg and boat will be there when and if you return.”

The recording of the old man suddenly looked tired and much older than usual. “I do need to go to the Saresii as my condition is deteriorating faster than thought, I had planned to stay till you are sixteen, but my time is running out faster than I had planned. I hope I was able to fulfill my promise to your mother and teach you to think it through and evaluate the consequences before you do something.”

I nodded slowly. “Yes old Man I think you have, but I can’t let Father get away with all he did and I don’t want these horrible conditions as they exist in the Tannery keep going on if I can do something about I and I can only do that after I completed the challenge and kill him!”I didn’t realize I was asking a recorded Holo for advice and suddenly I missed that horrible always in a grumpy mood old man. I rolled the recording back up put it to the one with my mother and secured the boat.

I decided to complete the Old Man’s last command and load up all the stuff he called plunder and fly it to the XChange. I was sure he could use the extra Credits since he was traveling and setting himself up as Representative on Pluribus no less.

If my PDD was correct I still had about ten days of Summer break and the realization that I would compete in the ancient challenge by this time next year, the event I was so eager to reach, made me quite nervous and I suddenly wished I had more time to think what I was supposed to do if I was indeed declared a man. The declaration to be an Adult was only valid for Nilfeheim. I still would have to wait till I was at least 17, the earliest age I would be allowed to go to the Academy.

The large Cargo floaters box was loaded to the end as I placed the last barrel inside, turned off the Cargo handler and went on my way.

It was only the second time I went to the XChange but it almost felt like routine this time.

The XChange was busier this time and I saw a big crowd gathered outside at the wharf. There was one of my family’s subs tied up next to a Lindberg Boat, both easily recognizable by their colors. As I came lower to the ground I noticed five stretchers with bodies on it being the focus of the crowd and I was sure the big shape right next to them was father, I contemplated to turn the flier around and do my business later. The XChange was open 24/7 after all, but I decided against it.

I would not hide or run away from my father or anyone anymore, besides it seemed they were busy with whatever they were doing. There were several white dressed Elders and dozens of clan chiefs as well. I guided the big Cargo flier through the open front of the large building and landed it at a freight dock.

It was not Borg Amundsen who came out of the nearby cubicle, but a bearded man wearing a work coverall with the XChange logo and his hands buried deep in his pockets. I judged him to be about twenty years old and he pointed with his chin at my flier. “Mighty big flier you got there. Looks like the Isen transporter, didn’t know you pick something up today.”

“No I rented the thing from the Isen Market. I am here to sell stuff. I did that before, Mr. Amundsen helped me then,”

“Big Boss helping eh?” He finally got his hands out of his pockets and held a PDD to his ear, talked a few words and said. “Dock master will be right with you. I just started working here.”

“No problem.”

“The Dock master is with all the others looking at the dead men of the Lindberg boat.”

“What happened?

He snapped his fingers. “Oh right you came from Isen, maybe you haven’t heard it yet, but there was a strange Sub accident and five men suffocated or something.”

It was Amundsen himself coming and this time he was walking and he smiled as he saw me.”Ah Mr. Olafson most of my staff is still rubbernecking, but we got robots”

After he had inspected my load and his robots began to unload he said.” Lots of variety this time, looks like a selection of Nilfeheim’s finest products, that should bring a nice profit, but it will take a little longer as there are so many different wares.”

“I am not in a particular hurry!”

I turned as someone said my name out loud. “If that isn’t Eric Olafson, the Tyranno slayer who saved my son. Doing business like the man you are at the XChange!”

It was the clan Leader of the Peerson clan; he too was standing next to a freight skimmer and robots unloaded barrels out of his cargo box.

He walked over glanced at the crates and barrels the robots unloaded out of my floater, crossed his arms and said. “What do you think happened? I mean why did they die?”

It struck me odd that he talked to me like a peer and an equal. He was a clan leader after all.”

I shrugged. “I haven’t been in touch with the latest events. I spend my summer break down south.”

“Oh I know. Everyone knows. The Ancient making you his successor and confirming you have completed all challenges and declared a man, it was even on Nilfeheim Radio.

His casual way of saying that, floored me and shocked me at the same time.

He didn’t pay attention to me but looked back to the crowd and going back to his original thread. “It is a tragedy for Adolph to lose his son like this, not even knowing why he and his mates suffocated in a perfectly working boat. It makes you wonder if there is such a thing as curses.”

I still digested his statement and my mind raced with all the consequences with what I would have to do. Father was not even 200 meters away, not aware of my presence.

Yet I wondered what he would say and do when he saw me. Would I have to challenge him and if that happened I knew I would kill him or he killed me.

The closer I got to that time when I could leave Nilfeheim and go the academy, the more I knew it was the right decision, it wasn’t just the fantasy of a teenager I would grow out of. But would the Academy accept me after I killed my father?

Thinking all this I knew I had to give the Peerson Chief some kind of answer and said. “I really don’t know enough details about what happened, but if it was my boat. I call the manufacturer and have them send a technician and check the boat and all my boats to make sure there aren’t any leaks, gases generated by some faulty equipment and all that.”

He took a step back and then nodded. “The Holy One picked you well! That is the first sensible thing I heard anyone say in this matter. I will have my boats checked that way for sure!”

He stomped away and I was glad he did. I needed time to think and hoped the robots would hurry up, not that the machines were working slowly but I felt the urgent need to disappear and go somewhere to think!

It was not going to happen. I would not get the time I needed to think it over as the crowd at the front of the building split down the middle creating an opening right down to where father and Adolph Lindgren stood, next to the stretchers with the dead men.

Faces turned and eyes focusing on me. The Peerson chief standing by three Elders and several clan chiefs waving at me. So I tightened the sword belt, sighed and tried to put as much force and purpose in my steps as I could. The hulking shape of my father by the wharf wall was like a promise of doom. In all my life I was never more afraid than now and I was not afraid of him,. I would have preferred if I walked there to get another beating; I was afraid of myself and what I might do. I hoped the Old Man was able to give me enough sense to do the right things now.

Peerson said.” This man gave good advice and his word has weight.”

Someone in the crowd loud enough for everyone to hear: “This will be an epic fight! Eric will challenge his father! They hate each other! Eric is a killer and a master with the sword and Isegrim strong as two men with his wicked whip”

Before Father could say anything Adolph Lindberg gestured with his open hand to the five stretchers I could now see clearly. “I lost my firstborn today, Isegrim. Do not darken this day further by fighting your Firstborn!”

Isegrim grunted something but then glared at the dead men and nodded. “The Lindberg’s have been old friends. You have not wavered standing by my side, so I will honor thy request.”

To me Father said. “You will not be able to challenge me until you have been officially declared adult before all Elders and clan chiefs the Day after Yuletide during the great meeting. I however honor the judgment of the Eldest as all do and accept you as an adult.”

I wished I could simply scream to vent the pressure and anxiety that had built up in me at this moment. I felt so sick to the stomach and was so glad I was spared to make the decision now. I was not afraid to fight him; the old man had opened my eyes. I was terrified of the possible consequences. Given the grave situation not only because of the dead men right next to us, but about the threshold I just had stepped over in the development of my life, I was a man now in the eyes of my world. I turned halfway to speak into the direction of the speaker who predicted the fight and just like Grandfather laid my hand on Mjordaren. “Whatever disagreements might exist between my father and me is clan business alone and not subject to public spectacles. Until these clan decisions are made I am Eric of the Olafson clan and I stand against anyone besmirching this name and our clans honor. Do not take my youth for a lack of resolve and do not think that the chasm that exists between my father and me is a way to divide the Olafson clan. My side and allegiance is with the Wolfshead by blood and no words or schemes can render this bond. Stand if you dare, speak as man if you have grievances against my clan and name, Challenge my father, our allies or me and I shall answer it”

There was silence and I saw open mouths and dropped chins, but that glitter I my father’s eyes was from the now starting rain and nothing else of course. Learning the old Poems was more than reciting rhymes. It helped to phrase and talk the way men and Norse were expected to talk at official business.

Father who stood across me had obviously seen whoever had spoken and he said staring at someone in the crowd. “It is as it was said. Stand before thy peer and speak thy mind openly and face the answer we Olafsons will give! Odin alone knows who will be clan chief of the Olafsons in years to come but it will be an Olafson of that there is no doubt! Now let us hear my son’s council as the clan chief of the Peerson requested and then let us honor the dead.”

I blinked not only because of the rain dripping of my lashes but did he just call me son?

I repeated what I had said to the Peerson Chief and there was nodding and agreement and Adolph put his hand on my shoulder.” I will send for a technician and have the boats examined. The Eldest has taken you as apprentice and infused you with wisdom indeed!”

“I am far from claiming wisdom as a trait of my own and the Eldest had me clean his burg for the most part.”