Page 75 of The Very Virile Viking

"Probably," Angela said, unable to keep the desperation out of her voice. The fire and loss of Darrell's money would definitely bury them for good.

Magnus was silent the rest of the way.

They were all silent when they arrived at the field, where workers were still dampening the vines and making sure that the smoldering debris did not ignite a new fire.

"It is like the death of a child," Magnus murmured.

And that was the truth.

A Viking to the rescue…

Magnus spent the morning reassuring the children that everything was fine and would be back to normal soon.

More than one of them had confessed fears that they would be forced to leave the Blue Dragon soon, especially Kolbein, who was shivering just like he had in the old days. Did they not know that their visit here was only temporary? They were only guests, after all.

"I think we should get out our swords and go looking for these scoundrels who would do such a cowardly act," Torolf said. "Sword dew aplenty we could spill betwixt the two of us."

"Mayhap," Magnus agreed.

"Don't you dare," Angela said. "Violence begets violence, and then nothing is accomplished."

"Sometimes 'tis necessary to bring the guilty to justice," Magnus argued, "and if it takes a sharp blade or a battle-ax to do it, then so be it."

"If I had a sword, I would use it," Grandma Rose said, much to Angela's chagrin, and his and Torolf's delight. "I think I'll go buy myself a gun. An uzi, or something. Do they sell uzis in Wal-Mart?"

"I would stand guard all night long, if someone would just buy me a bow and arrow," Hamrsaid, walking into the kitchen where they were all sitting. The noon meal had ended some time ago. No one seemed motivated to go about everyday work.

"You will shoot your eye out," everyone said at once.

"Angela," Magnus said more seriously, taking one of her hands in his. Grandma Rose noticed immediately and her eyebrows rose with interest. She and Juanita, over by the stove, exchanged quick looks of approval. "I will investigate and find out who perpetrated this outrage against you. I will organize guards and enact safety measures to make sure it does not recur. Have you ever heard that famous Anglo-Saxon saying, 'God spare me from the fury of the Northman'? Well, this Northman is furious. But there is another problem that must be addressed first."

"And that would be?" Angela asked, and tried to pull her hand from his grasp. He could not understand why she would blush at mere hand-holding when they had done so much more.

"Money," he said. "And I have the solution."

"You do?" she said.

"I do." He rose from the table and went upstairs to his bedchamber. When he returned, he noticed that, though the baby still napped, all his other children had gathered in the kitchen to see what he was up to.

He carried a small leather sack, which he proceeded to empty onto the table. "I will pay you not to have Dare-All and his crew come here… and to have him stop pestering me about becoming an act-whore. Is this enough?"

There were roughly two dozen coins on the table. "Since one of the previous ones brought me fifty thousand dollars, and I was probably cheated at that amount, I figure this should be more than enough…

especially if you find me an honest coin tradesman."

Everyone's mouth was hanging open, except his children's. They were grinning at his cleverness.

"Magnus, you can't do this," Angela finally said.

"Try to stop me," he declared. "I am a Viking, and we are stubborn to the core."

"What you are," Grandma Rose said with tear-filled eyes, "is the answer to this old woman's prayers.

Thank you."

Angela was too choked up to say anything. He took that for a good sign.

Mayhap she would agree to that totally outrageous Cosmo fantasy game to show her thanks. He had a few Viking twists he could add to it.