CHAPTER VIII
THE TRIAL OF OLAF
I know not what time went by before I was put upon my trial, but thattrial I can still see as clearly as though it were happening before myeyes. It took place in a long, low room of the vast palace buildingsthat was lighted only by window-places set high up in the wall. Thesewalls were frescoed, and at the end of the room above the seat of thejudges was a rude picture in bright colours of the condemnation ofChrist by Pilate. Pilate, I remember, was represented with a black face,to signify his wickedness I suppose, and in the air above him hung ared-eyed imp shaped like a bat who gripped his robe with one claw andwhispered into his ear.
There were seven judges, he who presided being a law-officer, and theother six captains of different grades, chosen mostly from among thesurvivors of those troops whom the Northmen had defeated on the nightof the battle in the palace gardens. As this was a military trial, Iwas allowed no advocate to defend me, nor indeed did I ask for any. TheCourt, however, was open and crowded with spectators, among whom I sawmost of the great officers of the palace, Stauracius with them; alsosome ladies, one of whom was Martina, my god-mother. The back of thelong room was packed with soldiers and others, not all of whom were myenemies.
Into this place I was brought, guarded by four negroes, great fellowsarmed with swords whom I knew to be chosen out of the number of theexecutioners of the palace and the city. Indeed, one of them had servedunder me when I was governor of the State prison, and been dismissed byme because of some cruelty which he had practised.
Noting all these things and the pity in Martina's eyes, I knew thatI was already doomed, but as I had expected nothing else this did nottrouble me over much.
I stood before the judges, and they stared at me.
"Why do you not salute us, fellow?" asked one of them, a mincing Greekcaptain whom I had seen running like a hare upon the night of the fray.
"Because, Captain, I am of senior rank to any whom I see before me, andas yet uncondemned. Therefore, if salutes are in the question, it is youwho should salute me."
At this speech they stared at me still harder than before, but among thesoldiers at the end of the hall there arose something like a murmur ofapplause.
"Waste no time in listening to his insolence," said the president of theCourt. "Clerk, set out the case."
Then a black-robed man who sat beneath the judges rose and read thecharge to me from a parchment. It was brief and to the effect that I,Michael, formerly known as Olaf or Olaf Red-Sword, a Northman in theservice of the Empress Irene, a general in her armies, a chamberlain andMaster of the Palace, had conspired against the Empress, had killed herservants, had detained her person, threatening to murder her; had madewar upon her troops and slain some hundreds of them by the help of otherNorthmen, and wounded many more.
I was asked what I pleaded to this charge, and replied,
"I am not guilty."
Then witnesses were called. The first of these was the fourth man whomIrene had set upon me, who alone escaped with a wound behind. Thisfellow, having been carried into court, for he could not walk, leanedover a bar, for he could not sit down, and told his story. When he hadfinished I was allowed to examine him.
"Why did the Empress order you and your companions to attack me?" Iasked.
"I think because she saw you kiss the Egyptian lady, General," at whichanswer many laughed.
"You tried to kill me, did you not?"
"Yes, General, for the Empress ordered us so to do."
"Then what happened?"
"You killed or cut down three of us one after the other, General, beingtoo skilful and strong for us. As I turned to fly, me you wounded here,"and, dragging himself round with difficulty, he showed how my sword hadfallen on a part where no soldier should receive a wound. At this sightthose in the Court laughed again.
"Did I provoke you in any way before you attacked me?"
"No, indeed, General. It was the Empress you provoked by kissing thebeautiful Egyptian lady. At least, I think so, since every time youkissed each other she seemed to become more mad, and at last ordered usto kill both of you."
Now the laughter grew very loud, for even the Court officers could nolonger restrain themselves, and the ladies hid their faces in theirhands and tittered.
"Away with that fool!" shouted the president of the Court, and the poorfellow was hustled out. What became of him afterwards I do not know,though I can guess.
Now appeared witness after witness who told of the fray which I havedescribed already, though for the most part they tried to put anothercolour on the matter. Of many of these men I asked no questions. Indeed,growing weary of their tales, I said at length to the judges,
"Sirs, what need is there for all this evidence, seeing that among youI perceive three gallant officers whom I saw running before the Northmenthat night, when with some four hundred swords we routed about twothousand of you? You yourselves, therefore, are the best witnesses ofwhat befell. Moreover, I acknowledge that, being moved by the sight ofwar, in the end I led the charge against you, before which charge somedied and many fled, you among them."
Now these captains glowered at me and the president said,
"The prisoner is right. What need is there of more evidence?"
"I think much, sir," I answered, "since but one side of the story hasbeen heard. Now I will call witnesses, of whom the first should be theAugusta, if she is willing to appear and tell you what happened withinthe circle of the Northmen on that night."
"Call the Augusta!" gasped the president. "Perchance, prisoner Michael,you will wish next to call God Himself on your behalf?"
"That, sir," I answered, "I have already done and do. Moreover," I addedslowly, "of this I am sure, that in a time to come, although it be notto-morrow or the next day, you and everyone who has to do with this casewill find that I have not called Him in vain."
At these words for a few moments a solemn silence fell upon the Court.It was as though they had gone home to the heart of everyone who waspresent there. Also I saw the curtains that draped a gallery high upin the wall shake a little. It came into my mind that Irene herself washidden behind those curtains, as afterwards I learned was the case, andthat she had made some movement which caused them to tremble.
"Well," said the president, after this pause, "as God does not appear tobe your witness, and as you have no other, seeing that you cannot giveevidence yourself under the law, we will now proceed to judgment."
"Who says that the General Olaf, Olaf Red-Sword, has no witness?"exclaimed a deep voice at the end of the hall. "I am here to be hiswitness."
"Who speaks?" asked the president. "Let him come forward."
There was a disturbance at the end of the hall, and through the crowdthat he seemed to throw before him to right and left appeared the mightyform of Jodd. He was clad in full armour and bore his famous battle-axein his hand.
"One whom some of you know well enough, as others of your company whowill never know anything again have done in the past. One named Jodd,the Northman, second in command of the guard to the General Olaf," heanswered, and marched to the spot where witnesses were accustomed tostand.
"Take away that barbarian's axe," exclaimed an officer who sat among thejudges.
"Aye," said Jodd, "come hither, mannikin, and take it away if you can.I promise you that along with it something else shall be taken away, towit your fool's head. Who are you that would dare to disarm an officerof the Imperial Guard?"
After this there was no more talk of removing Jodd's axe, and heproceeded to give his evidence, which, as it only detailed what has beenwritten already, need not be repeated. What effect it produced upon thejudges, I cannot say, but that it moved those present in the Court wasclear enough.
"Have you done?" asked the president at length when the story wasfinished.
"Not altogether," said Jodd. "Olaf Red-Sword was promised an open trial,and that he has, since otherwise I and some friends of mine could not bein this Court to tell the truth
, where perhaps the truth has seldom beenheard before. Also he was promised a fair trial, and that he has not,seeing that the most of his judges are men with whom he fought the otherday and who only escaped his sword by flight. To-morrow I propose to askthe people of Byzantium whether it is right that a man should be triedby his conquered enemies. Now I perceive that you will find a verdict of'guilty' against Olaf Red-Sword, and perhaps condemn him to death. Well,find what verdict you will and pass what sentence you will, but do notdare to attempt to execute that sentence."
"Dare! Dare!" shouted the president. "Who are you, man, who woulddictate to a Court appointed by the Empress what it shall or shallnot do? Be careful lest we pass sentence on you as well as on yourfellow-traitor. Remember where you stand, and that if I lift my fingeryou will be taken and bound."
"Aye, lawyer, I remember this and other things. For instance, that Ihave the safe-conduct of the Empress under an oath sworn on the Cross ofthe Christ she worships. For instance, also, that I have three hundredcomrades waiting my safe return."
"Three hundred!" snarled the president. "The Empress has three thousandwithin these walls who will soon make an end of your three hundred."
"I have been told, lawyer," answered Jodd, "that once there livedanother monarch, one called Xerxes, who thought that he would make anend of a certain three hundred Greeks, when Greeks were different fromwhat you are to-day, at a place called Thermopylae. He made an end ofthem, but they cost him more than he cared to pay, and now it is thoseGreeks who live for ever and Xerxes who is dead. But that's not all;since that fray the other night we Northmen have found friends. Have youheard of the Armenian legions, President, those who favour Constantine?Well, kill Olaf Red-Sword, or kill me, Jodd, and you have to deal firstwith the Northmen and next with the Armenian legions. Now here I amwaiting to be taken by any who can pass this axe."
At these words a great silence fell upon the Court. Jodd glared abouthim, and, seeing that none ventured to draw near, stepped from thewitness-place, advanced to where I was, gave me the full salute ofceremony, then marched away to the back of the Court, the crowd openinga path for him.
When he had gone the judges began to consult together, and, as Iexpected, very soon agreed upon their verdict. The president said, orrather gabbled,
"Prisoner, we find you guilty. Have you any reason to offer why sentenceof death should not be passed upon you?"
"Sir," I answered, "I am not here to plead for my life, which already Ihave risked a score of times in the service of your people. Yet I wouldsay this. On the night of the outbreak I was set on, four to one, for nocrime, as you have heard, and did but protect myself. Afterwards, when Iwas about to be slain, the Northmen, my comrades, protected me unasked;then I did my best to save the life of the Empress, and, in fact,succeeded. My only offence is that when the great charge took place andyour regiments were defeated, remembering only that I was a soldier, Iled that charge. If this is a crime worthy of death, I am ready todie. Yet I hold that both God and man will give more honour to me thecriminal than to you the judges, and to those who before ever you satin this Court instructed you, whom I know to be but tools, as to theverdict that you should give."
The applause which my words called forth from those gathered at the endof the Court died away. In the midst of a great silence the president,who, like his companions, I could see well, was growing somewhatfearful, read the sentence in a low voice from a parchment. Aftersetting out the order by which the Court was constituted and othermatters, it ran:
"We condemn you, Michael, otherwise called Olaf or Olaf Red-Sword, todeath. This sentence will be executed with or without torture at suchtime and in such manner as it may please the Augusta to decree."
Now the voice of Jodd was heard crying through the gathering gloom, fornight was near:
"What sort of judgment is this that the judges bring already writtendown into the Court? Hearken you, lawyer, and you street-curs, hiscompanions, who call yourselves soldiers. If Olaf Red-Sword dies, thosehostages whom we hold die also. If he is tortured, those hostages willbe tortured also. Moreover, ere long we will sack this fine place, andwhat has befallen Olaf shall befall you also, you false judges, neitherless nor more. Remember it, all you who shall have charge of Olaf in hisbonds, and, if she be within hearing, let the Augusta Irene remember italso, lest another time there should be no Olaf to save her life."
Now I could see that the judges were terrified. Hastily, with whitefaces, they consulted together as to whether they should order Jodd tobe seized. Presently I heard the president say to his companions:
"Nay, best let him go. If he is touched, our hostages will die.Moreover, doubtless Constantine and the Armenians are at the back ofhim, or he would not dare to speak thus. Would that we were clear ofthis business which has been thrust upon us."
Then he called aloud, "Let the prisoner be removed."
Down the long Court I was marched, only now guards, who had been calledin, went in front of and behind me, and with them the four executionersby whom I was surrounded.
"Farewell, god-mother," I whispered to Martina as I passed.
"Nay, not farewell," she whispered back, looking up at me with eyes thatwere full of tears, though what she meant I did not know.
At the end of the Court, where those who dared to sympathise with meopenly were gathered, rough voices called blessings on me and roughhands patted me on the shoulder. To one of these men whose voice Irecognised in the gloom I turned to speak a word. Thereon the blackexecutioner who was between us, he whom I had dismissed from the jailfor cruelty, struck me on the mouth with the back of his hand. Nextinstant I heard a sound that reminded me of the growl the white beargave when it gripped Steinar. Two arms shot out and caught that blacksavage by the head. There was a noise as of something breaking, and downwent the man--a corpse.
Then they hurried me away, for now it was not only the judges who wereafraid.