第7章
“Say，Olaf，doesthemanwearanecklace？Iseeanecklacehangingintheairabovethemount，butnaughtelse。“
“Yes，Iduna，hewearsanecklaceabovehismail。Howdoesitappeartoyou？“
“Oh，beautiful，beautiful！“sheanswered。“Achainofpalegold，andhangingfromitgoldenshellsinlaidwithblue，andbetweenthemgreenjewelsthatholdthemoon。“
“ThatiswhatIseealso，“Isaid，asindeedIdid。“There！Allisgone。“
Freydisareturnedandtherewasastrangesmileonherdarkface，forshehadheardallourtalk。
“Whosleepsinthatmound，Freydisa？“askedIduna。
“HowcanItell，Lady，seeingthathewaslaidthereathousandyearsago，ormayhapmore？Yetastory，trueorfalse，remainsofhimthatI
haveheard。Itisthathewasakingoftheseparts，whofollowedadreamtothesouth。Thedreamwasofanecklace，andofonewhoworeit。Formanyyearshewandered，andatlengthreturnedagaintothisplace，whichhadbeenhishome，wearingthenecklace。Butwhenhesawitsshorefromtheseahefelldownandhisspiritlefthim。Whathappenedtohiminhiswanderingsnoneknow，forthetaleislost。
Onlyitissaidthathispeopleburiedhiminyondermoundstillwearinghisarmourandthenecklacehehadwon。There，asOlafhasseen，orthinksthathehasseenbutnow，hestandsatmoonriseeretroublecomestoanyofhisrace，andstarestowardsthesouth——alwaystowardsthesouth。“
“Isthenecklaceyetinthemound？“askedIdunaeagerly。
“Withoutdoubt，Lady。WhowoulddaretotouchtheholythingandbringonhimthecurseoftheWandererandhisgods，andwithithisowndeath？Nomanthateversailedtheseas，Ithink。“
“Notso，Freydisa，forIamsureIknowonewhowoulddareitformysake。Olaf，ifyouloveme，bringmethatnecklaceasamarriagegift。
Itellyouthat，havingonceseenit，Iwantitmorethananythinginalltheworld。“
“DidyouhearwhatFreydisasaid？“Iasked。“Thathewhowroughtthissacrilegewouldbringuponhimselfevilanddeath？“
“Yes，Iheard；butitisfolly，forwhoneedfeardeadbones？Asfortheshapeyousaw，why，itisstrengthlessforgoodorill，ashadowdrawnfromwhathasbeenbythemagicmoon，orperchancebyFreydisa’switchery。Olaf，Olaf，getmethatnecklaceorIwillneverkissyoumore。“
“Thatmeansyouwillnotmarryme，Iduna？“
“ThatmeansIwillonlymarrythemanwhogivesmethatnecklace。Ifyoufearthedeed，perhapstherearesomeothersbywhomitmightbetried。“
NowwhenIheardthesewordsasuddenrageseizedme。WasItobetauntedthusbythefairwomanwhomIloved？
“Fearisanillwordtousetome，“Isaidsternly。“Know，Iduna，thatifitisputtomethusIfearnothinginlifeordeath。Youshallhavethenecklaceifitcanbefoundinyonderearth，chancewhatmaytothesearcher。Nay，nomorewords。Steinarwillleadyouhome；I
musttalkofthismatterwithFreydisa。“
Itwasmidnight，Iknownotonwhatday，sinceallthesethingscomebacktomeinvividscenes，asflashesoflightningshowalandscape，butareseparatedfromeachotherbydensedarkness。FreydisaandI
stoodbytheWanderer’sgrave，andatourfeetlaydiggingtools，twolamps，andtindertolightthem。Weweresettingaboutourgrimtaskatdeadofnight，forfearlestthepriestsshouldstayus。Also，I
didnotwishthepeopletoknowthatIhaddonethisthing。
“Hereisworkforamonth，“Isaiddoubtfully，lookingupatthegreatmassofthemound。
“Nay，“repliedFreydisa，“sinceIcanshowyouthedoorofthegrave，andperchancethepassagestillstands。Yet，willyoureallyenterthere？“
“Whynot，Freydisa？MustIbeartobetauntedbythewomanIamtowed？Surelyitwouldbebettertodieandhavedone。Lettheghostslaymeifhewill。ItcomesuponmethatifsoIshallbesparedtrouble。“
“Nobridegroom’stalk，“saidFreydisa，“howevertrueitmaybe。Yet，youngOlaf，doyoutakeheart，sinceIthinkthatthisghosthasnodesireforyourblood。Iamwiseinmyownfashion，Olaf，andmuchofthepastcomestome，iflittleofthefuture，andIbelievethatthisWandererandyouhavemoretodowitheachotherthanwecanguess。Itmaybeeventhatthistaskisappointedtoyouandthatallthesehappenings，whicharebutbegun，worktoanendunseen。Attheleast，tryyourfortune，andifyoudie——why，Iwhowasyournursefromyourmother’sknee，loveyouwellenoughtodiewithyou。Togetherwe’lldescendtoHela’shalls，theretoseekouttheWandererandlearnhisstory。“
Then，throwingherarmsaboutmyneck，shedrewmetoherandkissedmeonthebrow。
“Iwasnotyourmother，Olaf，“shewenton，“but，tobehonest，I
wouldhavebeencouldIhavehadmyfancythough，strangelyenough，I
neverfeltthustowardsRagnar，yourbrother。Now，whydoyoumakemetalkfoolishness？Comehither，andIwillshowyoutheentrancetothegrave；itiswherethesunfirststrikesuponit。“
Thensheledmetotheeastofthemound，where，notmorethaneightortenfeetfromitsbase，grewapatchofbushes。Amongthesebusheswasalittlehollow，asthoughatthisspottheearthhadsunkin。
Here，atherbidding，Ibegantodig，andwithherhelpworkedforthehalfofanhourormoreinsilence，tillatlengthmyspadestruckagainstastone。
“Itisthedoor-stone，“saidFreydisa。“Digroundit。“
SoIdugtillImadeaholeattheedgeofthestonelargeenoughforamantocreepthrough。Afterthiswepausedtorestawhileandtoallowtheairwithinthemoundtopurify。
“Now，“shesaid，“ifyouarenotafraid，wewillenter。“
“Iamafraid，“Ianswered。Indeed，theterrorwhichstruckmethenreturns，sothatevenasIwriteIfeelfearofthedeadmanwholay，andforaughtIknowstilllies，withinthatgrave。“Yet，“Iadded，“neverwillIfaceIdunamorewithoutthenecklace，ifitcanbefound。“
Sowestrucksparksontothetinder，andfromthemlitthetwolampsofsealoil。ThenIcreptintothehole，Freydisafollowingme，tofindmyselfinanarrowpassagebuiltofroughstonesandroofedwithflatslabsofwater-wornrock。Thistunnel，saveforalittledrysoilthathadsiftedintoitthroughthecracksbetweenthestones，wasquiteclear。Wecrawledalongitwithoutdifficultytillwecametothetombchamber，whichwasinthecentreofthemound，butatahigherlevelthantheentrance。Forthepassageslopedupwards，doubtlesstoallowfordrainage。Thehugestoneswithwhichitwaslinedandroofedover，werenotlessthantenfeethighandsetonendsidebyside。Oneoftheseuprightstoneswasthatdesignedforthedoor。Haditbeeninplace，wecouldnothaveenteredthechamberwithoutgreatlabourandthehelpofmanymen；but，asitchanced，eitherithadneverbeensetupaftertheburial，orthiswasdonesohastilythatithadfallen。
“Weareinluck’sway，“saidFreydisa，whenshenoticedthis。“No，I
willgofirst，whoknowmoreofghoststhanyoudo，Olaf。IftheWandererstrikes，lethimstrikeme，“andsheclamberedoverthefallenslab。
Presentlyshecalledback，saying:
“Come；allisquiethere，asitshouldbeinsuchaplace。“
Ifollowedher，andslidingdowntheendofthestone——whichI
rememberscratchedmyelbowandmadeitbleed——foundmyselfinalittleroomabouttwelvefeetsquare。Inthisplacetherewasbutonethingtobeseen:whatappearedtobethetrunkofagreatoaktree，someninefeetinlength，and，standingonit，sidebyside，twofiguresofbronzeunderafootinheight。
“ThecoffininwhichtheWandererliesandthegodsheworshipped，“
saidFreydisa。
Thenshetookupfirstoneandnexttheotherofthebronzefiguresandweexaminedtheminthelightofthelamps，althoughIfearedtotouchthem。Theywerestatuesofamanandawoman。
Theman，whoworealongandformalbeard，waswrappedinwhatseemedtobeashroud，throughanopeninginwhichappearedhishands。Intherighthandwasascourgewithahandle，andintheleftacrooksuchasashepherdmightuse，onlyshorter。OnhisheadwaswhatItooktobeahelmet，atallpeakedcapendinginaknob，havingoneithersideofitastifffeatherofbronze，andinfront，abovetheforehead，asnake，alsoofbronze。
Thewomanwascladinastraightandnarrowrobe，cutlowbeneathherbreast。Herfacewasmildandbeautiful，andinherrighthandsheheldaloopedsceptre。Herhairdescendedinmanylongplaitsontohershoulders。Forhead-dresssheworetwohorns，supportingbetweenthemaburnisheddiscofgoldliketothatofthemoonwhenitisfull。
“Strangegods！“Imuttered。
“Aye，“answeredFreydisa，“yetmaybetrueonestothosewhoworshipthem。Butwewilltalkoftheselater；nowfortheirservant。“
Thenshedroppedthefiguresintoapouchatherside，andbegantoexaminethetrunkoftheoaktree，ofwhichtheoutersapwoodhadbeenturnedtotinderbyage，leavingtheheartstillhardasiron。