"You speak above yourself," he growled. "I do not listen to the gibber of slaves."
Seizing the moment, I made my challenge. "Then let us make a wager and see who is right."
"It was your fault that the jarl became angry," Hnefi replied carelessly. "I am not listening to you."
"You only say that because you do not wish to part with your silver," I observed, half-fearing he would strike me. "You know I am right, but it pains you to admit it in front of your friends." I indicated the Danes who stood looking on with mounting interest.
As expected, Hnefi took the bait. "I do not make wagers with slaves." He drew himself up haughtily. "Besides, you do not have any silver."
"That is true," I conceded. "However, Gunnar's purse is full."
"Not so full that it cannot hold more," replied Gunnar grandly. "Come, Hnefi, let us make a wager if you are not afraid. Three pieces of sil-"
"Ten pieces of silver," I put in quickly. "Ten denarii to the first one to reach the ship with half the allowance of bread."
Gunnar hesitated, peering doubtfully at me.
"Ha! You are not so certain now, Gunnar Big-Boast?" the haughty Hnefi gloated. "Ten silver pieces is too much for you, heya?"
"I was merely thinking how best to spend my winnings," replied Gunnar smoothly. "It is difficult to know what to do with so much silver all at once. A man should plan these things. I am thinking that I may have to buy a bigger purse."
Tolar chuckled.
"Go your way," Hnefi sneered. "We will see who returns to the ship first." Hnefi turned to the onlooking barbarians. "You men are free to choose. Who will go with Gunnar, and who will go with me?"
This invitation occasioned a brief discussion of the merits of both sides. A few were intrigued and might have sided with Gunnar, but the safer bet was deemed to lay with Hnefi. The barbarians, it seems, trusted their battlechief more than they trusted a slave and an unknown guide.
"Perhaps you should give me your silver now," mocked Hnefi, "it appears you are alone with your slave-friend."
"Tolar stands with me," Gunnar replied.
"But the rest go with me."
"How will you carry so much bread-just the three of you?" called one of the barbarians.
"That is no worry," Hnefi laughed. "They will never find any!" He gestured to the shore party to follow him, and they all moved off in good spirits, discussing how to help Hnefi spend his winnings.
"He is right," observed Gunnar gloomily. "Even if we find the baking place first, we will never be able to carry so much bread by ourselves. I have made a very foolish wager."
"Be of good cheer, Gunnar," I said lightly. "Worry not, neither be afraid. God stands ready to aid those who call upon him in time of need."
"Then do so now, Aeddan," Gunnar urged. "We are but three against ten."
Standing in the street I offered up a prayer that God would lead us speedily to the nearest bakery and allow us to prevail. The prayer pleased Gunnar enormously. He told me that a god who helped men win wagers was a god worth knowing.
"Now then," I said, "it only remains for us to find a guide."
I ran back to the quay, where a search of the harbour quickly produced the desired result. "There! There he is," I cried. "Hurry, help me call him."
Gunnar, Tolar, and I stood on the quayside waving our arms and shouting like madmen, and in a short while, the little boatman stood before us. "Greetings, Didimus," I said, "we have need of a guide. Can you find someone for us?"
"My friend," he replied happily, "you say to Didimus 'find a guide', and I say to you: look no further. Before you stands the finest guide in all Byzantium. The city holds no secrets for Didimus. You may place your entire trust in me, my barbarian friends. I will soon take you anywhere you want to go."
He scurried down the steps to his boat, secured it to an iron ring in the quay wall and returned at once, eager to lead us on. "Now then, where do you wish to go? Perhaps you wish to see Hagia Sophia, eh? The Church of Holy Wisdom, yes? I will take you there. The Hippodrome? I can take you there. Follow me, my friends, I will soon show you everything of interest in this city."
If I had not stopped him, he would have been away at once. "A moment please, Didimus," I said. "We have urgent business to conduct, and for this we require your aid."
"I am your servant. Consider your affairs successfully completed." He smiled, looking from me to Gunnar and back again. "Where do you wish me to take you?"
"To the nearest imperial bakery."
"A bakery!" The little boatman made a sour face. "The whole city is before you! I will take you to Hagia Sophia! You will enjoy this greatly."
"By all means, let us go to the Church of Saint Sophia," I replied, "but first it is of utmost importance to visit the bakery to fetch the bread allowance for the ships."
Didimus shrugged. "If that is what you wish, it is soon accomplished. Follow me."
