The Longboats
Chapter 17

There was a brilliant flash of light which gave us flash blindness momentarily but when I could see again, Odin was still there but he looked different. He was wider and more muscular and still held Gungner. He was also wearing traditional clothing with a wolf’s cape over his shoulders, fur around his calves wrapped in one inch leather straps. As he approached me I noticed he was at least six inches taller than I was and I’m five foot eleven.

“I’ll never let him do that again.” Odin said as he looked at us.

“Who was that?” I asked, still looking at him with a wrinkled forehead.

“That was Andros, a former friend of mine.” He said, then turned to sit in one of the chairs as he leaned Gungner against the wall.

“Friend? I would hate to see your enemies!” The Skipper said.

Odin smiled at him then continued.

“I heard your speech on human sacrifice and knew Andros would be here in protest so I decided to come down to stop him.”

As I moved towards the Skipper and Hagan I saw Frigg appear behind Odin.

“What exactly was the purpose of human sacrifice anyway?” I asked.

Odin turned to look at Frigg then back to me.

“It was our only way of extending our lives by the use of male, Norse blood. It was given to Idun; she then made it into a serum in her laboratory for all of us.” He paused with a look of discontent. “It’s not something we like to remember.”

“We stopped using that method two hundred and fifty-seven years ago!” Frigg said as she stepped to Odin’s side and took his arm in hers.

“Every man that took the pledge to end his life for us was rewarded for his actions in the next life. I can assure you of this.” Odin looked at all three of us as if guilty.

“But you don’t do it anymore?” I asked.

“No. Not since Idun created a synthetic substitute.” He said, and then looked at Frigg with a slight smile.

“So why is this other guy, what’s his name? Andros? Why is he after blood then?” The Skipper asked.

“We never gave the synthetic serum to him or his crew.” Odin said, then moved to sit down.

“Well....why not!” I asked.

“Because he is not part of our expedition or Terra forming crew!” Frigg said as she moved to Odin’s side.

“Terra forming?” I asked. “This, to me is starting to sound like a science fiction movie!”

“The only reason I am telling you this is because you can comprehend some of what I am telling you. The others here,” he pointed to Hagan. “Can’t even fathom what I am insinuating!”

“Well, we have read and heard of all this from my time but there, it is only theory, not reality.” The Skipper said as he pulled a chair to him to sit down.

“Terra forming!” I said as I crossed my arms across my chest. “So you came here to create this planet.....saw it was uninhabited and began to create living creatures.”

“Not only creatures but ALL living things! Even down to a blade of grass.” Odin said.

I waved at Odin with one hand.

“Then why the outfit?” I asked. “I mean, now. Why wear it when you are in front of us when we know who and what you are?”

He took a deep breath and started to speak but Frigg cut him off.

“Actually, he likes it!” She smiled and looked at him with a smile. “When we started all this, it was the only way to connect to the population.”

Odin waved his head back at her with a deep breath.

“For the locals.” He said.

“And...for yourself!” Frigg said with a smile.

“Wait! Wait a second.” I stepped in.

“You said the volunteers that died for you guys were honored in the next life! How so? I mean...how do YOU know they were?”

“It’s more complicated than you could comprehend but, yes. Anyone that dies with honor will be rewarded in the next life I can attest to that.”

“It’s true, Gunny. The next life is rewarding for those that live and die with honor.” Frigg said with a stern face.

“I will have to take your word for it but my next question is why didn’t you give the serum to Andros?” I said. “Even though he is not part of your unit.”

“He tried to steal it from us several times before we could even offer it. He was asked to come here to help us with microbes in the water to make it palatable and never left because he liked what we had done with the planet.” Odin said as he looked at me. “He is not even from our world!”

“He is deceitful and dishonest and we will never give him anything. And now that you have decided to stop the human sacrifice he depends on, he has no other way to get a serum for his own people to survive. They will live their life out as ordinary humans.” Odin stood.

“Why doesn’t he just TAKE the lives?” Hagan asked from the corner.

“Glad you asked that, Hagan.” Odin said with a smile.

“It’s simple. We cannot, under any circumstances, touch a human. Not only is it in our orders from higher up but it is so unethical that if we did, we would be struck down where we stand.”

“But can he, you, MAKE us do it by, say, changing the weather or something like that. Forcing us to do it?” I asked.

“We have very little control on the weather and mother earth does what she wants.” Frigg smiled at me. "Earth is a living, breathing entity!"

“Mother earth?” I was confused now. “She does this if Andros touches us?”

“No, but close. Mother earth is the one that brought you here. She has several sides that confound us to this day. Some good sides and some bad sides. But she never hurts humans on purpose.” Odin grabbed Gungner.

“If Andros tried to kill humans for his sacrifice he would be punished by OUR people.” Frigg held Odin’s arm as she got close to him.

“And if mother earth saw it, she too would turn against him. And that leaves us exactly where we came in.” Odin smiled.

“Wait!” I said and took a step closer to him sticking out my hand. “I would like to see your headquarters. Is that possible?”

Odin looked at Frigg with a blank stare then to me.

“I think that could be arranged but not now. I will get back with you on that later although I really think you will replace it yourself later. Right now you have to get those other states banded together and form an alliance of Northern Countries! This is what we have been waiting for, for some time, Gunny. Skipper! It’s up to you. Once that is done we will talk again.”

They both turned as if going to leave but Odin stopped.

“And one more thing. We DO try to help out when wives and children are sick but sometimes it just doesn’t work out. I’m sure you know how that goes.” He said.

“Yes, sorry for that.” I said. “I was just....just trying to....”

“Never mind!” Odin said with a smile. “I knew what you meant. And, by the way. Keep an eye on that sword! Andros will try to steal it for his own use. It DOES have what you would call, magical powers.”

“Keep doing what you have started.” Frigg said then looked at all three of us.

“OH! You’re not telling me Andros is....” I stopped short with a smile as Frigg nodded yes as they both faded away.

"Andros is LOKI?" I said aloud to no one.

We were left standing in the room by ourselves looking at each other when the Skipper started to laugh.

“Damn! That was like a science fiction movie!” He laughed but Hagan had no idea what he meant by it.

“OH! Before I forget to tell you.” The Skipper composed himself. “Did you notice the handles of all those swords our allies were carrying?”

“No, why?” I asked.

“They were Aluminum!” He said with wide eyes.

“Are you sure?” I asked, stunned.

“Absolutely. I got close to several of them and they were all aluminum!” He said with a smile and wide eyes.

“Well. That solves a lot of problems then. Not only for aircraft but everyday life as well.” I said.

“What’s this aluminum?” Hagan asked puzzled.

“It’s a form or ore that is extremely light weight and strong.” The Skipper said, still smiling.

“I’ll get with them and arrange a trade for several tons to begin with.” The Skipper went to his desk and began to write out a trade agreement. “They wanted more trade with us anyway and we need more food stuffs if this war continues.”

“Offer them the knowledge on how to build factories, engines, etc. See what they say about it. If they want trade goods we can do that too.” I said.

"You KNOW what I'm thinking about right now, Skipper?"

He looked at me puzzled.

"AIRCRAFT!" I said with my mind racing. "Aluminum aircraft!"

A runner knocked on the door frame then stood at attention waiting to be heard. I turned and saw a soldier wearing the Valley of Death ribbon as well as several other ribbons on his chest.

“Sir! I was sent to report we have eight tanks waiting at the train station to be loaded. They want to know if you want to send them now or not.” He stood at attention waiting for an answer.

“Good!” I told him. “Tell them to send them as soon as possible and send word to Colonel Hendricks to be waiting for them.”

As soon as I said that he turned and ran out of the Great Hall.

“We can start our attack soon with these tanks as well as air cover for the infantry.” I moved to the map on the table. “I want to take out all their artillery as fast as we can by air before we attack and then we move on all fronts. We have to end this war.”

I stood there in thought while I looked at the map and all its red and blue lines showing all positions. More bloodshed, more people killed and families without fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters. Hundreds if not thousands would die when we attack and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that we would over run their position because they were out of food which made them weak and the moral would be low. We would slaughter them easily and push them all the way back to Greece. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel and I would not do it!

“On second thought, send the tanks forward to Colonel Hendricks and have him place them here.” I pointed at the lines south of Amsterdam. We will mass our reserves a mile behind the lines there, along with the tanks and tell him to await further word.

“What’s going on Gunny?” Hagan asked. “What about my boats? Do you want us to go around and replace that other dreadnought?”

“No!” I said. “Pull all the boats you have and place them here, just west of Amsterdam in this inlet and stay out of sight.”

“Gunny!” The Skipper said as he leaned over the map.

“What do you have on your mind? It seems you suddenly don’t want to attack and you’re going into a defensive posture?”

I stood up straight as Yngvildr walked into the room wearing her flight suit.

“Skipper. Send out Sigrun and Ralf both with a white flag and tell them I want to talk to the Commanding officer in charge of the army facing us.” I said. Then looked at all three of them and their blank faces staring at me.

“If we can stop this war without another shot fired, I will.” I paused. “And I want to talk to their commander as soon as possible.”

I turned and walked out of the room and into the street where I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out loudly through my mouth. The smell of small food shops was overwhelming along with the sounds of a busy street with people walking in different directions, some carrying baskets full of items or food while others were just starting their shopping. We were a prosperous and growing society with everything to lose if the Greeks continued this war. More lives, more money spent on war, more food going forward. More of everything that would boost our economy to make us the greatest power this world has ever seen. I had to offer the Greeks a peace treaty to try to end this war and if they took it, they would go home but if not; we would have to crush them and thousands of lives that just want to go home.

Four days later, Colonel Hendricks received the tanks necessary for an all out attack against the Greek line that he knew would open a hole in their lines that would go all the way to Greece. Yet he was ordered not to attack until further word and that was when he saw Sigrun and Ralf go through the lines with a large white flag along with a squad of infantrymen escorting them. He knew they were going to talk to the Greek commander but he did not know why. May be it was asking for their surrender? If that was the case the war would be over and we would make a line much like that separating the Koreas in his former home. If it was surrender, what would they do, take over Greece? Then what?

He watched as the group marched through the no man’s land pock marked by thousands of shell craters as far as the eye could see.

Sigrun was in the lead with Ralf behind him as they cross the muddy ground between the two opposing armies. Shell craters stretched for miles in both directions with un-buried bodies lying about as if thrown out trash. The smell was nearly overpowering of the rotted corpses of both armies that lay where they fell, unable to be buried due to enemy fire from both sides and there were hundreds just in this area alone.

“Ralf! Did you replace anyone you know?” Sigrun asked as they carefully stepped over rotting bodies.

“No, why?”

“I just found my neighbors kid back there. He was hit yesterday in a raid on the Greek lines.” Sigrun only looked down as he walked forward.

“How old was he?” Ralf asked.

“Sixteen.” Sigrun continued to walk forward.

As they approached the Greek main trench line they heard someone yell out to halt.

“We want to speak to your commanding officer!” Ralf yelled out to the trench several yards to their front. “We have made arrangements.”

There was silence for a few seconds then he heard another voice yelling at the troops, then feet seemed to be scurrying around inside the trench.

“We have received your message and the Commanding Officer is waiting for you. Come in.” The voice spoke in their Norse language but Sigrun brought several that speak Greek with him just in case.

The first thing he noticed was how the Greek trench stinks as if it were a latrine. He saw that the soldiers did not have an area to use for human waste but just crapped where they felt like it. That and the smell of rotting corpses gave him an uneasy stomach that he could see in all his troops around him as well. Their trench was poorly built and nothing on the floor keep from walking in the mud, unlike their own trenches that had wood slates on the bottom.

After several turns through narrow trenches, they came to the entrance of a small bunker and entered. The light was poor and lit with small candles in cups. The Greek officer stood as Sigrun and Ralf entered.

“Please. Be seated.” The Greek officer said in Norse, waved his hand to two small stools that were sinking in the mud floor.

“We have come to offer a cease fire to end this war!” Sigrun blurted out, wanting to leave this place as soon as possible. The smell was overpowering.

The Greek Officer raised his eyebrows then leaned back on his stool.

“End the war?” He seemed surprised. “I thought you Norsemen want to kill everything you come across.”

Sigrun saw Ralfs face start to turn red with anger so he reached out and grabbed his arm.

“We can offer you a cease fire...OR a surrender either one.” Sigrun paused, looking into the officers eyes to try to replace a flaw in his expression.

The officer leaned forward rubbing his face with both hands.

“Two days ago, when I received word of this I sent it back to our command in the rear. To Greece.” He paused in thought.

“I immediately received word to NOT accept anything you offer.” He sighed deeply as he looked at us with very tired eyes. “They don’t have a clue what we are going through here...not a clue!”

He removed his cap running his hands over his balding head.

“My men have not had anything to eat in three days. You can see what our trenches look, and smell like! Your artillery pounds us so often and so accurately that we just quit trying to repair our trenches and bunkers.”

Sigrun looked at Ralf who was smiling.

“Your new aircraft staff us during the day and your artillery pounds us at night. My men have had no sleep in days! We take casualties by the dozens every hour from you.”

He looked at both Sigrun and Ralf with tired eyes and what seemed a sagging face, then took a deep breath and sighed.

“This is what I want to do and it will get me court-martialed for doing it. But at least I can get my men to live and back to their families.”

He stood up, reached for his revolver in his holster; Sigrun put his hand on his own pistol but stopped when the officer raised his other hand. He then pulled the revolver out and held it forward, by the barrel and gave it to Sigrun.

“We surrender!” He then stood at attention and saluted. “I have just commented suicide, by the way, for my men.”

“No, sir you have not!” Sigrun said as he took the pistol. “You are welcomed to live in our society for as long as you wish. We will help you get your families out and into our country if you want also.”

“And have your men come out one hour after we leave here, lay their weapons on the edge of your trench so we can see them, then march towards us. They will be fed and housed properly.”

Sigrun turned to Ralf with a wide smile.

“Ralf! The war is over!”

“Well. Until his boss hears of it back in Greece then we’ll see what happens.” Ralf said as they left the bunker and returned to their lines.