The Island at the Top of the World Page #4

We may need all the help we can get.

A Viking council.

Straight out of a history book.

There's the girl's father.

He seems a sensible old fellow.

They probably still call the one

with the staff "The Lawspeaker".

They all look reasonable enough.

They might be my board of directors

if it weren't for

their outlandish costumes.

He said, "Bring out the other prisoner."

- Donald!

- Father!

That's my son!

I've been looking for you.

I thought you might.

It's my son.

- John Ivarsson.

- Donald.

- How do you do?

- He's keen on the past. Archaeology.

Sorry about all this.

It's a bit sticky here, I'm afraid.

He says that when I came to this land,

I gave my oath

that I came alone and in peace.

But now come others,

and with them, an evil omen in the sky

- that cannot be ignored.

- That's my confounded airship.

Let them speak before they are judged.

That is precisely what I wanted to do.

- Father.

- I'll handle this.

You just translate for me.

- What do they call this island?

- Astragard. But, Father...

Honoured council of Astragard,

I come to your beautiful country

as a friend,

in peace,

seeking only my son,

who was lost to me.

The Godi.

He's telling them

not to listen to our lies.

It's obvious that we're barbarians

who covet their sacred lands.

And we must be condemned at once.

And without a hearing.

Now look here, I thought

I explained to you...

It is no longer a matter for the council,

for the gods have spoken.

If these men are spared,

more will come in armed hordes

to pillage

and profane our sacred land.

There can be but one penalty

for the invaders: Death.

Quite a sendoff.

Full Viking honour.

All very authentic.

Very final.

- I'm sorry, Father.

- Nonsense, my boy.

Donald.

Freyja.

We're in your debt, young lady.

Here they come.

And pull.

The shore. It's our only chance.

You stay here. I will draw them away.

- No, you won't. It's too dangerous.

- He's right, my dear.

It's you they're after, not me.

There is a hunter's cave. Up there.

With food and clothing.

I'll be back when it's safe.

Freyja.

Here they come.

- I think she's done it. Good girl.

- I should never have let her go.

- If they catch her...

- Don't worry, my boy.

- She knows what she's doing.

- Let's find that cave.

Hello.

Oomiak! My dear old friend!

I'm so glad to see you!

- We all are.

- We thought we'd lost you.

You can't kill Oomiak. I hide in water.

Swim like white bear.

Good, good, but let's go.

- What now?

- There's still nothing.

Oh, Ivarssons up above,

scouting around.

Right.

- Morning, Father.

- Hmm? Morning.

- Did you sleep well?

- Wretchedly.

You must be

done in yourself.

I'm worried about Freyja.

So am I, my boy. So am I.

Well, I've made a mess of it,

haven't I?

Of what?

The whole miserable thing,

all this nightmare we're living in.

It's all my fault. Every bit of it.

Your fault? Why?

I'm the one who ran off

chasing rainbows.

- You're not responsible for that.

- I am.

Right from the beginning.

I was always trying to shape you

into my mould.

Bullying, badgering, never letting up.

If I hadn't driven you away,

none of this would've happened.

Father, you didn't drive me.

Donald, I rode an airship across

the top of the world to tell you this.

If we get out of this, you can

do anything you want to do.

You'll be free of me, I promise you.

I don't want to be free of you.

I never did.

I came here looking for adventure.

And I certainly found that.

But I don't belong here.

Now, when we get out of this,

and we will, I'm coming home with you.

I want to share in your work

and your responsibilities.

If you'll let me.

If I'll let you?

You won't regret it.

I'll see to that.

- Donald?

- Freyja!

He was quite worried about you.

I went back to the farm.

It'll be just as we arranged.

Father will give us dogs and a sled.

What had you arranged?

For some time, Freyja and I

had been planning to leave the island.

We hope to reach Fort Conger.

The two of you, together?

You think I'd leave her behind?

Not if you're your father's son, no.

Boats, they come.

What do we do now?

There's not much cover, but we can

get to the top without being seen.

That settles it.

We can't stay here. Those hounds

would find us in no time.

Look, The Godi's joined us.

Bloodthirsty pounder.

Come on, everybody. Up we go.

They go. They go!

- We've done it. They've given up!

- Thank heavens for that.

Clumsy of me.

Now the wolves are after us again.

Afraid so, Father.

It's incredible.

It's absolutely incredible.

- Nasty sort of place.

- Oomiak, go watch below.

- We need somewhere to hide.

- But where? They know this island.

- The Bay of Whales.

- Donald!

It's over there, to the south.

It's sacred, taboo.

The Vikings won't go near it.

That's it, then. Let's go!

No, Donald, please.

- The spirits.

- Freyja, believe me.

- What is it?

- The spirits are good spirits.

Didn't they protect your people

when they first came here?

- Surely they'll protect us.

- They come. They come. We go.

Freyja, trust me.

Come on up.

Oddly enough, they say

this sulphur's good for the lungs.

Sir Anthony,

this is hardly the time to rest.

I only hope we soon find

that blasted Bay of Whales.

Come on.

My father.

Father!

Burning one minute, freezing the next.

A man could catch his death.

Well, that's what's so interesting

about the Arctic. It's a contradiction.

- In my first expedition to Bathenland...

- Ivarsson, please. Stop!

What we need is a conference.

Conference? About what, Father?

If we find the Bay of Whales

and if it's true The Godi won't

follow us there, what do we do then?

We lie low.

Make our way across

the mountains to Freyja's farm.

- We can't go back through that.

- No, no. We find iceboat. Float.

- Very good.

- Boat?

What's he talking about?

He wants to find a piece of pack ice

and float around the mountain.

Preposterous.

Where the whales go to die.

All those great creatures

from every sea, lying there,

from the beginning of time.

Just look at all that whalebone.

Worth millions of pounds.

And heaven knows what price

the ambergris would fetch.

All that doesn't matter now,

does it, Father?

Freyja, don't be afraid.

Think of the saga.

Doesn't it tell how, long ago, it was

the whales that led your people here?

Where they found peace and

happiness, so there's nothing to fear.

Believe me.

We need iceboat.

How we get down there?

Yes, how?

Not down these cliffs, obviously.

There must be a way.

The Vikings found one.

Is it in the saga?

Does it tell how they came up?

With the help of the gods.

It is told that he came

through the mouth of hell.

- That's not very explicit, I'm afraid.

- Wait a minute.

That volcano in Iceland, Mount Hekla.

The early Christians believed

that was the entrance to hell.

- What?

- Entrance.

It's a wild thought. Come on.

- The crater of a dead volcano.

- Quiet.

You hear that? Down there,

there's an underground river.

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