SEVENTY-ONE
We Burn a Swan Boat, Which I’m Pretty Sure Is Illegal
The funeral was held on the pond in the Public Garden. Somehow, the einherjar had got possession of a swan boat – the kind that normally don’t ply the waters during the winter. They’d modified the boat, turning it into a floating funeral pyre for the three Valkyries. The bodies were wrapped in white and laid on a bed of wood, with weapons and armour and gold heaped around them.
The pond was frozen over. There shouldn’t have been any way to launch the boat, but the einherjar had brought along a friend – a fifteen-foot-tall giantess named Hyrokkin.
Despite the weather, Hyrokkin was dressed in cut-off shorts and an XXXXL T-shirt from the Boston Rowing Club. Before the ceremony, she stomped barefoot all over the pond, breaking the ice and scaring the ducks. Then she came back and waited respectfully at the shore, her shins glazed with freezing water, while einherjar came forward to say their goodbyes to the fallen. Many left weapons, coins or other keepsakes on the funeral pyres. Some spoke about how Gunilla, Margaret or Irene had been responsible for bringing them to Valhalla.
Finally Helgi lit the fire. Hyrokkin pushed the boat into the pond.
There were no pedestrians in the Public Garden. Maybe magic kept them away. If any had been around, maybe some glamour would’ve kept them from seeing the crowd of undead warriors watching a ship burn.
My eyes drifted to the spot under the bridge where two weeks ago I’d been alive, homeless and miserable. Only now could I admit how terrified I’d felt all the time.
The boat roared into a column of fire, obscuring the bodies of the Valkyries. Then the flames vanished as if somebody had turned off the gas, leaving no trace of the boat – just a steaming circle in the pond.
Mourners turned and drifted through the park, heading towards the Hotel Valhalla on Beacon Street.
T.J. gripped my shoulder. ‘You coming, Magnus?’
‘In a bit.’
As my hallmates headed back home, I was happy to see Halfborn Gunderson slip his arm around Mallory Keen’s waist. She didn’t even cut his hand off for doing so.
Blitzen, Hearth, Sam and I stayed behind, watching steam curl off the pond.
Finally Hearth signed, I am going to Asgard. Thank you, Magnus.
I’d seen the envious looks some of the einherjar had given him. For decades, maybe centuries, no mortal had been allowed to visit the city of the gods. Now Odin had agreed to teach an elf.
‘That’s awesome, man,’ I said. ‘But listen – don’t forget to come back and visit, huh? You’ve got a family now.’
Hearthstone smiled. He signed, I hear you.
‘Oh, he’ll visit, all right,’ Blitzen said. ‘He’s promised to help me move into my new store. I’m not lugging all those boxes without some magic assistance!’
I felt happy for Blitz, though it was hard to think about yet another one of my friends going away. ‘I’m sure you’ll have the best shop in Nidavellir.’
Blitzen snorted. ‘Nidavellir? Bah. Dwarves don’t deserve my fashion brilliance. That red gold from Odin will buy me a nice storefront on Newbury Street. Blitzen’s Best will be open in the spring, so you have absolutely no excuse not to come by and get fitted for one of these.’ He brushed aside his overcoat, revealing a glittering, stylish bulletproof waistcoat.
I couldn’t help it. I gave Blitzen a hug.
‘All right, kid, all right.’ He patted me on the back. ‘Let’s not wrinkle the fabric.’
Sam grinned. ‘Maybe you can make a new hijab for me. The old one got kind of ripped to shreds.’
‘I’ll make it for you at cost, with more magical properties!’ Blitzen promised. ‘And I have some ideas for colours.’
‘You’re the expert,’ Sam said. ‘As for me, I’ve got to get home. I’m grounded. I have a pile of make-up work from school.’
‘And you have a boyfriend to deal with,’ I said.
She blushed, which was kind of cute. ‘He’s not … All right, fine. Yes, I should probably deal with that, whatever that means.’ She poked me in the chest. ‘Thanks to you, I can fly again. That’s the main thing. Try not to die too often until I see you again.’
‘When will that be?’
‘Soon,’ Sam promised. ‘Odin wasn’t kidding about the high-risk assignments. The good news is –’ she put a finger to her lips – ‘I can pick my own strike force. So all of you … consider yourselves warned.’
I wanted to hug her, to tell her how much I appreciated everything she’d done, but I knew Sam wouldn’t be comfortable with that. I settled for a smile. ‘Any time, al-Abbas. Now that Odin has given us permission to travel the worlds, maybe I can come visit you in Dorchester.’
‘That,’ she said, ‘is a truly mortifying idea. My grandparents would kill me. Amir would –’
‘Okay, jeez,’ I said. ‘Just remember: you’re not in this alone.’
‘Noted.’ She bumped me with her elbow. ‘And what about you, Magnus – back to Valhalla for the feast? Your hallmates have been singing your praises. I even heard a few Valkyries speculating that you might be made a thane one of these centuries.’
I smiled, but I wasn’t ready to think about one of these centuries. I gazed across the Public Garden. A taxi was just pulling up in front of the Cheers bar on the corner of Beacon and Brimmer. The ceramic jar weighed heavily inside my winter coat.
‘First I have an appointment,’ I said. ‘I have to keep a promise.’
I said goodbye to my friends. Then I went to meet my cousin.