And Odin lowered his hand and let his sword fall to the table beneath him.
Grim Hagen continued: “The ship is yours. This world is yours. Let me have your secret, Wolden. I would not care to be with such as you. I would laugh at space with the comets. I would make the stars cringe. I would watch the generations go by like falling snow. I would—”
“No, you would be like Lucifer, wreaking his vengeance upon the planets,” the voice of what had been Wolden interrupted in a whisper. “No, Grim Hagen, even if I gave you what you asked, all space would seem as hell to you.”
Grim Hagen smiled an evil smile. “So. But it is I who make the bargain. Even yet. Maya goes with me. Remember!”
But at that instant Maya got one hand free and thrust the sword aside.
It was all the time that Jack Odin needed. Reaching forward he grasped Grim Hagen’s sword with his bare hand. It cut to the bone. And then he had Hagen’s wrist with his free hand. He twisted. A bone cracked and he shook the blade from Hagen’s grasp. Maya leaped to one side. Then Hagen’s fingers were pushing Odin’s face back and Odin was clutching at Hagen’s throat.
They stood there swaying. Then they tumbled down the rude stairway of tables that Ato had fashioned for his last stand.
They rolled to the blood-stained floor beneath. And Odin never knew how either of them survived the fall.
The lights hovered above them, waiting for an opening. Maya took up a fallen sword and came following after.