Voyage with the Vikings
Page 4
“But I can’t leave you like this,” Patrick said.
“Why would you stay?” Erik said. “Unless you intend to run me through with the sword. It is what I would do if I were you.”
Patrick had forgotten about the sword. He slowly drew it from his belt. He held it up. The sword was long and sharp.
Erik said, “Well? Don’t be slow if you’re going to kill me.”
Patrick moved closer to Erik. The Viking stiffened as if waiting for death.
Then Patrick stopped. He carefully turned the weapon handle toward Erik.
Erik’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?”
“This belongs to you,” Patrick said. “It is your family treasure. It was wrong of me to take it.”
“What trickery is this?” Erik asked.
“Take the sword,” Patrick said. He stepped forward. “I don’t want to use one anymore.”
Erik pushed himself up on one knee. He reached forward and grabbed the sword. He then jabbed it in the air.
Patrick stepped back.
“You’re still my prisoner,” Erik said as he crawled toward Patrick. He thrust the point at Patrick. “If I hadn’t hurt my foot. . .”
Patrick stayed out of Erik’s reach. The old Viking dragged himself forward. He slashed at the air.
Patrick quickly looked at the ship. He was going to miss his chance to go home. Still, something inside him told him to stop. There was one more thing to do. He unclasped the silver cape and took it off.
“Take this as a gift,” Patrick said.
He dropped the cape on the ground for the Viking to pick up.
“Why?” Erik said. “Why would you treat me with kindness? I would kill you if I could.”
“Because the God of the cross wants me to do it,” Patrick said. “I’m supposed to be kind to my enemies.”
Erik glared at him. “It is fool’s talk! Kindness will lead to death—for you and all Christians!”
Patrick ignored the Viking’s words. He ran with all his might to the rock jetty.
The oars were in the water again. Leif was ordering the men to fight the wind and get the boat closer to shore.
“Jump!” Beth yelled.
Patrick pushed off from the jetty with a burst of speed. He sailed through the air.
I might make it, he thought. I might.
But he missed.
Splash!
He fell into the icy water.
The Blue Stone
Patrick sat on the top of a wood chest. He was soaking wet. His arms ached from being pulled into the ship by an oar. His legs hurt from being scraped against the side of the ship.
Beth sat down next to him.
He looked at her. “Well?”
She shook her head. “I’ve looked over every inch of the ship. There’s no sign of the Imagination Station or a red button.”
Patrick frowned, then his hands. “This is awful. We don’t have a sword. And we’re not going home. We’re going to Norway!”
“Look at the bright side,” she said. “Erik isn’t on board. You are. Leif is. And Norway has a Christian king.”
The ship was out on the open sea now. The day was overcast and misty. The sun was barely visible.
Patrick shivered. He really missed the silver bearskin cape now. He crossed his arms over his chest. He rubbed his arms with his fingers.
Leif saw him trying to keep warm.
“What happened to your cape?” Leif asked. “It was a fine pelt.”
“I left it behind,” Patrick said. He didn’t want to tell Leif he had given it to Erik.
Leif tossed him a white bundle.
“Use this blanket,” he said. “It’s not grand like your cape. But it’s warm.”
“Thanks,” Patrick said. He huddled under the blanket.
“What kind of animal was that cape made from?” Leif said. “I have never seen silver fur before.”
“It’s from North America,” Beth said. “Grizzly bears live in Canada.”
“North America?” Leif asked. “Canada? Where is this place?”
Beth asked to borrow a knife. Leif handed her a small one. Its handle was made out of a reindeer antler.
Beth carved a large shape into the top of a barrel.
“This is Greenland,” she said.
She marked north with an arrow pointing up. Then she drew a small circle.
“And this is Iceland,” she said.
She filled in part of Europe on the right. Then she drew a huge blob to the left of Greenland.
“This is North America,” she said.
She marked west by carving a sunset. She swept her hand across the top of the blob.
“This is where the silver bears come from,” she said.
Next she pointed to a spot in the blob’s center.
“And this,” she said, “is where Patrick and I live.”
“So far from the sea,” Leif said. He shook his head in wonder.
He studied the map for a long while. He took back the knife and pointed to a spot on the coast of Canada.
“I had a friend who sailed along here,” Leif said. “But he didn’t land. I hope to visit it one day.”
“You will,” Beth said.
Leif closed his eyes. He stroked his beard. Then he called to his men.
“We head west,” he said. “Turn the sail. We are not going to Norway. Today we sail to new lands.”
Then Leif put his hand in his pants pocket. He took out a blue stone. It was very thin.
He held it up to his right eye. He looked through the stone at the horizon.
“What is that?” Beth asked.
“This stone helps me see through the clouds,” he said. “It is easier to see the sun on dark days. The sun helps me find the right direction.”
Patrick and Beth looked at each other.
“Is that another kind of Sunstone?” Patrick asked.
Leif put the blue stone in Patrick’s hand. “Yes,” he said. “We use them on our ships.”
Patrick looked at the stone in his hand.
“May we have this one?” Beth asked. “I’ll trade you my chess set for it.”
Leif thought about it. And then he nodded. “Since I have another stone, I will accept your trade,” he said. “And your chess set is a fine one. Thank you.”
Beth took the small sack from her belt and handed it to him.
Suddenly the red button to the Imagination Station appeared. It was in the center of the barrel top with Beth’s map.
“Look!” Patrick said.
Beth saw it and laughed. “It was right in front of us.”
“What was?” Leif asked. He couldn’t see the button.
Patrick reached for the button.
“Wait!” Beth said, stopping him. “We have to say good-bye.”
“Good-bye?” Leif asked.
She gave Leif a quick hug. “Yes. It’s time for us to leave.”
Leif looked around.
“In the middle of the ocean?” he asked.
Patrick stepped forward and held out his right hand.
Leif stared at Patrick’s hand. The Viking had a puzzled look on his face.
“Oh, that’s right,” Patrick said. “Vikings don’t know about handshakes. . . . Well, good-bye then.”
Patrick reached over and pushed the red button.
Suddenly, Leif, the sailors, the ship, and even the ocean disappeared.
The Second Note
The cousins were back in the Imagination Station at Whit’s End.
The door slid open, and Mr. Whittaker looked at them. “How was it?” he asked.
Patrick held up the blue stone.
“You found it!” Mr. Whittaker said. He leaned in and took the stone. “You found a real Viking Sunstone!”
“And we met Leif Eriksson—” Beth said.
“And his father, Erik the Red—” Patrick said.
“And his mother, Hilda—” Beth said.
Mr. Whittaker raised his hands.
“Whoa, slow down,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Start from the beginning.”
The cousins took turns telling him what had happened.
After they finished, Whit smiled. “Well done,” he said.
They looked at him.
“What did we do well?” Beth asked.
“Erik the Red thought being warlike was the best way to live,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Beth, you beat Erik at a game—a peaceful game. That showed Erik that Christians can win by being smart.”
Beth smiled. She was pleased.
Mr. Whittaker turned to Patrick. “And Patrick,” he said, “Erik was mean to you. But you showed him kindness. That’s just like God. He shows us kindness even when we don’t deserve it.”
Patrick’s cheeks turned red.
Mr. Whittaker reached in and patted them both on the shoulders. “Well done,” he said again.
Beth noticed the fancy ring on Mr. Whittaker’s finger again.
Am I seeing things? she asked herself. Why does it appear on his hand when it’s in the machine? But when his hand is outside, the ring disappears. Why?
Mr. Whittaker studied the Sunstone.
“Very interesting,” Mr. Whittaker said. “What did the Vikings do with it?”
Beth told him that Leif used it to see the sun better.
“It does something to the light on cloudy days,” she said. “It makes it easier to find the sun.”
“What do we do with the stone now?” Patrick asked. “How will the person who wrote the note get it?”
“Leave that to me,” Mr. Whittaker said. “I think I know what to do to help Albert in time.”
He set the stone on the dashboard next to the note. But wait! Suddenly a second note was next to the first one.
“Hey!” Patrick said. He pointed at the dash. “When did that show up?”
“Just now,” Mr. Whittaker said. He seemed surprised.
Beth picked up the new note. She read aloud the curly letters written in black ink:
More trouble for Albert. Lord Darkthorn is angry. The Roman monk’s silver cup is missing. We need it before the new moon. May God be with you.
“What does that mean, Mr. Whittaker?” Patrick asked.
Mr. Whittaker thought for a long while. He pushed at his glasses. He rubbed his nose. “I think that means another trip to Rome,” Mr. Whittaker said. “Tomorrow.” He gazed at them.
“Who?” Patrick asked.
“Us?” Beth said and gasped.
“Only if you want to go,” Mr. Whittaker said.
“Yes!” the cousins said.
Patrick added, “Vikings one day and Rome the next! How good does it get?”
Secret Word Puzzle
Do you want to solve a puzzle as Patrick and Beth did? All you have to do is finish the following sentences. Then you’ll know the secret word—and the name of Leif Eriksson’s God.
In chapter 4, Patrick and Beth jumped on to a rock .
The Red Viking’s first name was .
In a chess game, Beth won a .
Beth and Patrick needed to find a Viking .
In chapter 11, Beth saw the Northern .
Each answer has a letter in a box. Write
those letters, in order, in the boxes below.
The answer is the secret word:
Go to TheImaginationStation.com
Click on “Secret Word.”
Type in the answer,
and you’ll receive a prize.