Chapter 7
a??I shana??t listen to you, Zarabeth! You lie to me, and I wona??t hear you!a??
Zarabeth fought for patience against Tokia??s blatant distrust. a??I do not lie. I want Lotti. Give her to me and I will leave York. You will never see me again. Olav will have to treat Keith more kindly. Ia??m not lying, Toki. For Goda??s sake, why would I?a??
Toki was filled with dislike and uncertainty and bone-deep envy, in equal parts. Zarabeth, daughter of that foreign slut who had taken over Olava??s affections, stolen them from his only son, aye, she hated the sluta??s daughter, wished she would leave, wished she would die. Toki shook her head.
a??You want this Viking, then? a??Twas all a lie, your meeting with him this morning at the well?a??
a??Aye, to convince Olav that I was serious. I had to convince Magnus that I didna??t want him so that Olav would believe Ia??d done what he wanted. I succeeded very well, but I must make haste to search out Magnus to tell him the truth. Please, Toki, I must hurry! Give me Lotti!a??
Still the woman hesitated. If she gave over the idiot child, she would lose all her leverage.
She would have nothing at all with which to bargain.
Still, if Zarabeth was telling the truth .
. . Toki fretted and drank down the rest of Keitha??s mug of ale.
She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, feeling the froth from her upper lip.
She looked down at her snoring husband with contempt.
a??Toki, please, think! I have no reason to lie to you, no reason at alla??a??
a??I dona??t have a child, you know,a?? Toki said suddenly, and she looked toward her husband, who belched deeply, his face against the tabletop.
a??Oh, Keith comes inside me and humps about and spills his seed, yet nothing grows in my belly.
Soon hea??ll not care anymore. Soon I will have nothing to show for my hours and days with him.
But I do have something now. I have Lotti and Ia??ve found that she isna??t an idiot or a freak, not really.a??
Zarabeth wanted to wrap her fingers around Tokia??s neck and squeeze the life out of her.
She was breathing hard now, her heart pounding.
She tried to keep her voice pitched low and calm.
She didna??t want to risk waking Keith. She couldna??t begin to imagine what he would say to this.
a??She isna??t yours, Toki. Lottia??s mine and will always be mine.
You must return her to me. I have no coin or jewelry to pay you with, or I would give it to you willingly.a??
a??Why should I give her up? I doubt Olav will let you escape to your Viking now.
Hea??s proud and hea??s insufferably vain, but he isna??t stupid.
If only his son had but a bit of his trading ability, but he doesna??t, and he wona??t listen to me even when he knows I am in the right.
And the two of us must look to Olav, else wea??d starve. I grow to hate him, Zarabeth.a??
Zarabeth wondered if that meant the father or the son, but she said again, a??Give me Lotti, Toki.
You dona??t want the daughter of a slut, do you?
What makes you think Olav wona??t come to prefer Lotti over Keith?
He might, you know. Shea??s a beautiful child, just like her mother.
But now, if you give her to me, when we both leave, perhaps Olav will want both of you to live with him.
Hea??ll provide you with slaves, Toki, and youa??ll smile and enjoy yourself.
Just think, youa??ll have fine materials from which to sew beautiful gowns and cloaks and perhaps new jewels.a??
The avid gleam faded from Tokia??s eyes as she said, a??I dona??t believe that.
You have no slaves. He doesna??t adorn you or give you fine materials for new gowns.
He fancies only himself and how he appears to the world.
Look, even your brooch is merely of pounded bronze.
You wear no rings, no armlets. Olav wears only the richest silver and gold.
Why would he accord more to me than he accords to you, his beloved Zarabeth? a??
a??I dona??t know. Hea??s always told me that there isna??t enough money for slaves.
Hea??s always told me that he must look successful so foreign traders will notice him and believe he must be good so they will trade with him above all others.
I dona??t care, Toki. But youa??ll ask him and hea??ll be grateful that youa??re there to look after him and his house. Give me Lotti.a??
a??Perhaps I shall,a?? Toki said. She turned away and pulled aside a bearskin that separated the sleeping space from the rest of the house. She came back carrying Lotti in her arms. The child was deeply asleep.
a??Dona??t worry, I just drugged her. She was making too much noise, even with her strange grunts and growls. She kept saying your name as well. I wanted to hit her but I didna??t. I drugged her to keep her quiet.a??
Zarabeth wanted to kill the woman. Fury pounded through her, but she held herself calm. Shea??d nearly won. She couldna??t fail now. She took Lotti, and gently laid her over her shoulder. a??Ia??m leaving now. Forget not what I said, Toki.a??
a??Aye, Ia??ll not forget.a??
Not ten minutes later, Zarabeth gained York harbor.
Dark clouds were strewn over the sky, obscuring the moon.
Everyone was sleeping, even the outlaws that lurked in the darkness, even the stray dogs that burrowed about in piles of garbage.
There was the gentle sound of lapping water against the wooden piles, nothing more.
And there was vessel after vessel moored to the dock.
She ran now, wanting only to find Magnus, to explain, to escape with him, and never see York again.
Lotti stirred on her shoulder, and she whispered softly to the child. She quieted again.
Zarabeth wanted to yell out Magnusa?? name, but something held her back. Something wasna??t right, something . . .
She came to a stunned halt and stared at the trading vessel in front of her. Shea??d never seen it before. There was no carved raven on its bow. She looked frantically to the next vessel and the next, but it was no use. The brutal, magnificent Sea Wind was gone.
Magnus had left.
She couldna??t take it in. Lotti whimpered, and she gently stroked the childa??s back. Hea??d left . . . he was gone, and he believed she had betrayed him. He believed her faithless, a liar. There was no one to tell him otherwise.
Suddenly everything seemed very clear. It was over, all of it. There was nothing more for her. Zarabeth dropped to her knees on the wooden-planked dock. She gathered Lotti into her arms and rocked her, crooning sounds meant to comfort, not the child, but herself.
When Olav found her, it was nearly dawn.
a??Ia??ve come to a decision,a?? Olav said.
Nearly a month had passed since the Viking had sailed away from York, and Olav felt good.
Zarabeth was herself againa??ah, quieter perhaps, more passive, but he didna??t care a whit, for he didna??t like a womana??s sharp tongue.
She was here and she served him and she obeyed him without question.
Her submissiveness pleased him completely.
She looked at him now without interest. He didna??t like that, and frowned. Perhaps too much passiveness wasna??t quite what he wanted from her.
a??Aye, Ia??ve decided what I will do.a??
Lotti said her name in that slurred way of hers and Olav looked at the child impatiently. a??Cana??t you teach her to at least say your name clearly?a??
Zarabeth gave him a clear, emotionless look. a??It is very clear to me.a?? Then she shrugged, saying something that made him rock back in surprise. a??Of course, I am young and of clear hearing.a??
Olav held to his temper.
Zarabeth leaned over and handed Lotti a soft piece of bread shea??d just baked an hour before. It was still warm and shea??d smeared sweet honey on it.
a??What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this? Dona??t you care to hear about my decision?a??
a??You will tell me soon enough, I imagine.a??
a??Very well. Ia??ve decided to marry you.a?? She didna??t move, she didna??t change expressions, but her mind squirreled madly about.
Why didna??t he simply tell her that he would bed her?
Why marriage? Bedding him was obscene; marrying him was even worse.
She said nothing now, fearing what would come from her mouth if she did speak.
When he had spoken to her a few moments ago, she had given her thoughts words and spoken what was in her mind.
It had surprised and angered him, but she hadna??t cared.
But this decision of his to wed her, it was a travesty, it was mad and pathetic. She kept her head down.
a??Ia??ve spoken to King Guthruma??s counselors, and then to the king himself.
You see, I managed to find for him exquisite bird feathers that came from the Lapps.
I even traded them with only a narrow profit for myself.
He was thus most favorably disposed toward me when I sought his advice.
a??Tis true that one of his concubines shares his blood; he bows before the Christian God, but never think any set of gods, no matter their supposed origin, would distract him from what he wants.
Thus, when I told him I wanted to wed with you and you carried none of my blood, he said even the Christian bishops couldna??t object.a??
a??Why do you want to wed with me? You know I despise you. Why?a??
a??Tread carefully, Zarabeth, for the child hears what you say. The child could also hear me tell you what I would do to her were you to resist me and what I wish.a??