Read Online Eye of the Beholder by Dana Marie Bell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dana Marie Bell
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her.
“Yes, and no.”
“Explain it.” Jeff’s voice was hard.
Travis tilted his head, frowning.
Jamie pulled back slightly, surprised when Travis’s hand tightened in her hair. She eased back into his hold and his fingers relaxed. “What did you mean when you said yes and no?”
“The Ragnarrok you’ve heard of is part fiction, part fact. This is the prophecy most people know:
“High blows Heimdallr, the horn is aloft.
Odin communes with Mimir’s head.
Trembles Yggdrasill’s towering Ash.
The old tree wails when the Ettin is loosed.
“What of the Aesir? What of the Elf-folk?
All Jötunheim echoes, the Aesir are at council.
The dwarves are groaning before their stone doors,
Wise in rock-walls; wit ye yet, or what?
“Hrymr sails from the east, the sea floods onward.
The monstrous Beast twists in mighty wrath.
The Snake beats the waves, the Eagle is screaming.
The gold-neb tears corpses, Naglfar is loosed.
“From the east sails the keel; come now Múspell’s folk
Over the sea-waves, and Loki steereth.
There are the warlocks all with the Wolf,
With them is the brother of Býleistr faring.
“Surtr fares from southward with switch-eating flame.
On his sword shimmers the sun of the war-gods.
The rocks are falling, and fiends are reeling,
Heroes tread Hel-way, heaven is cloven.
“Then to the Goddess a second grief cometh,
When Odin fares to fight with the Wolf,
And Beli’s slayer, the bright god, with Surtr.
There must fall Frigg’s beloved.
“Odin’s son goeth to strife with the Wolf,
Vídarr, speeding to meet the slaughter-beast.
The sword in his hand to the heart he thrusteth
Of the fiend’s offspring; avenged is his Father.
“Now goeth Hlödyn’s glorious son
Not in flight from the Serpent, of fear unheeding.
All the earth's offspring must empty the homesteads,
When furiously smiteth Midgard’s defender.
“The sun shall be darkened, earth sinks in the sea,—
Glide from the heaven the glittering stars.
Smoke-reek rages and reddening fire:
The high heat licks against heaven itself.”
“Or so says the Poetic Edda. I’m not certain how much is fact, and how much fiction. What I do know is, Odin was terrified enough to have Fenris and Loki chained, Hel banished, Jörmungandr tossed into the sea, and Baldur killed. None of the living Vanir or Aesir know the truth of the prophecy, as it was Odin who delivered it to us.”
“Wait a minute.” Jeff stepped up next to Travis, his gaze locked on the man’s face. “Wouldn’t killing Baldur be like one of those self-fulfilling prophecies? If one of the signs of Ragnarrok is Baldur’s death, what does killing him accomplish other than to start the whole thing?”
“Baldur and Hodr are meant to rule, with Baldur ascendant, over the remaining Aesir. If Baldur is to rule, that means that Odin is dead. All of the gods loved Baldur, much more so than Odin. So he came up with a plan whereby Baldur would die. How he planned on keeping him from returning, I do not know. It is possible part of the true prophecy was Baldur’s death, but with a different ending.”
“So you think he was motivated by fear and jealousy?”
“I believe so. He might have thought he could stop Ragnarrok and maintain his place.”
“Wait.” Jeff shook his head quickly, like he was shaking something off. “Weren’t you there when Loki supposedly killed Baldur? I mean, you’re the God of Justice, right? If everything you’re telling us is true, then isn’t that the ultimate injustice?”
Travis winced, regret lining his face. “He’d sent me away on what turned out to be a fool’s errand. I’d been sent to speak with Njord, to see if he’d join us in some silly celebration I don’t even remember now. Of course he chose not to attend, and everything was over and done with by the time I got back. I…” Travis bit his lip. “I wanted to speak to Loki, to find out why he’d done what he’d done, but Odin convinced me
“Yes, and no.”
“Explain it.” Jeff’s voice was hard.
Travis tilted his head, frowning.
Jamie pulled back slightly, surprised when Travis’s hand tightened in her hair. She eased back into his hold and his fingers relaxed. “What did you mean when you said yes and no?”
“The Ragnarrok you’ve heard of is part fiction, part fact. This is the prophecy most people know:
“High blows Heimdallr, the horn is aloft.
Odin communes with Mimir’s head.
Trembles Yggdrasill’s towering Ash.
The old tree wails when the Ettin is loosed.
“What of the Aesir? What of the Elf-folk?
All Jötunheim echoes, the Aesir are at council.
The dwarves are groaning before their stone doors,
Wise in rock-walls; wit ye yet, or what?
“Hrymr sails from the east, the sea floods onward.
The monstrous Beast twists in mighty wrath.
The Snake beats the waves, the Eagle is screaming.
The gold-neb tears corpses, Naglfar is loosed.
“From the east sails the keel; come now Múspell’s folk
Over the sea-waves, and Loki steereth.
There are the warlocks all with the Wolf,
With them is the brother of Býleistr faring.
“Surtr fares from southward with switch-eating flame.
On his sword shimmers the sun of the war-gods.
The rocks are falling, and fiends are reeling,
Heroes tread Hel-way, heaven is cloven.
“Then to the Goddess a second grief cometh,
When Odin fares to fight with the Wolf,
And Beli’s slayer, the bright god, with Surtr.
There must fall Frigg’s beloved.
“Odin’s son goeth to strife with the Wolf,
Vídarr, speeding to meet the slaughter-beast.
The sword in his hand to the heart he thrusteth
Of the fiend’s offspring; avenged is his Father.
“Now goeth Hlödyn’s glorious son
Not in flight from the Serpent, of fear unheeding.
All the earth's offspring must empty the homesteads,
When furiously smiteth Midgard’s defender.
“The sun shall be darkened, earth sinks in the sea,—
Glide from the heaven the glittering stars.
Smoke-reek rages and reddening fire:
The high heat licks against heaven itself.”
“Or so says the Poetic Edda. I’m not certain how much is fact, and how much fiction. What I do know is, Odin was terrified enough to have Fenris and Loki chained, Hel banished, Jörmungandr tossed into the sea, and Baldur killed. None of the living Vanir or Aesir know the truth of the prophecy, as it was Odin who delivered it to us.”
“Wait a minute.” Jeff stepped up next to Travis, his gaze locked on the man’s face. “Wouldn’t killing Baldur be like one of those self-fulfilling prophecies? If one of the signs of Ragnarrok is Baldur’s death, what does killing him accomplish other than to start the whole thing?”
“Baldur and Hodr are meant to rule, with Baldur ascendant, over the remaining Aesir. If Baldur is to rule, that means that Odin is dead. All of the gods loved Baldur, much more so than Odin. So he came up with a plan whereby Baldur would die. How he planned on keeping him from returning, I do not know. It is possible part of the true prophecy was Baldur’s death, but with a different ending.”
“So you think he was motivated by fear and jealousy?”
“I believe so. He might have thought he could stop Ragnarrok and maintain his place.”
“Wait.” Jeff shook his head quickly, like he was shaking something off. “Weren’t you there when Loki supposedly killed Baldur? I mean, you’re the God of Justice, right? If everything you’re telling us is true, then isn’t that the ultimate injustice?”
Travis winced, regret lining his face. “He’d sent me away on what turned out to be a fool’s errand. I’d been sent to speak with Njord, to see if he’d join us in some silly celebration I don’t even remember now. Of course he chose not to attend, and everything was over and done with by the time I got back. I…” Travis bit his lip. “I wanted to speak to Loki, to find out why he’d done what he’d done, but Odin convinced me
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