“Whenthosedaggerpointswerethrustintoyoureyes，Olaf，theycutthethreadthatboundus，andnowIreneandIaremorefarapartthanhellandheaven。ItellyouthatforyoursakeIhateherandworkherdownfall。AmInotyourgod-mother，Olaf？“
　　Thenagainshekissedmyhandandpresentlywasgone。
　　Onthefollowingmorning，asIsupposedittobe，myjailerscameandsaidtomethatImustappearbeforethejudgestohearsomerevisionofmysentence。Theydressedmeinmysoldier’sgear，andevenallowedmetogirdmyswordaboutme，knowing，doubtless，that，savetohimself，ablindmancoulddonomischiefwithasword。ThentheyledmeIknownotwhitherbypassageswhichturnednowhere，nowthere。Atlengthweenteredsomeplace，fordoorswereclosedbehindus。
　　“ThisistheHallofJudgment，“saidoneofthem，“butthejudgeshavenotyetcome。Itisagreatroomandbare。Thereisnothinginitagainstwhichyoucanhurtyourself。Therefore，ifitpleasesyouafterbeingcrampedsolonginthatnarrowcell，youmaywalktoandfro，keepingyourhandsinfrontofyousothatyouwillknowwhenyoutouchthefurtherwallandmustturn。“
　　Ithankedthemand，gladenoughtoavailmyselfofthisgraceformylimbswerestiffwithwantofexercise，begantowalkjoyfully。I
　　thoughtthattheroommustbeoneofthosenumberlessapartmentswhichopenedontotheterrace，sincedistinctlyIcouldhearthewashoftheseacomingfromfarbeneath，doubtlessthroughtheopenwindow-
　　places。
　　ForwardIsteppedboldly，butatacertainpointinmymarchthiscuriousthinghappened。Ahandseemedtoseizemyownanddrawmetotheleft。Wondering，Ifollowedtheguidanceofthehand，whichpresentlyleftholdofmine。ThereonIcontinuedmymarch，andasI
　　didso，thoughtthatIheardanothersound，liketothatofasuppressedmurmurofhumanvoices。TwentystepsmoreandIreachedtheendofthechamber，formyoutstretchedfingerstoucheditsmarblewall。Iturnedandmarchedback，andlo！atthetwentiethstepthathandtookmineagainandledmetotheright，whereononcemorethemurmurofvoicesreachedme。
　　Thricethishappened，andeverytimethemurmurgrewmoreloud。
　　Indeed，IthoughtIheardonesay，“Theman’snotblindatall，“andanother，“Somespiritguideshim。“
　　AsImademyfourthjourneyIcaughtthesoundofadistanttumult，theshoutsofwar，thescreamsofagony，andabovethemallthewell-
　　rememberedcryof“/Valhalla！Valhalla！VictoryorValhalla！/“
　　IhaltedwhereIwasandfeltthebloodrushintomywastedcheeks。
　　TheNorthmen，myNorthmen，wereinthepalace！ItwasatthisthatMartinahadhinted。Yetinsovastaplacewhatchancewastherethattheywouldeverfindme，andhow，beingblind，couldIfindthem？
　　Well，atleastmyvoicewaslefttome，andIwouldliftit。
　　SowithallmystrengthIcriedaloud，“OlafRed-Swordishere！ToOlaf，menoftheNorth！“
　　ThriceIcried。Iheardfolkrunning，nottome，butfromme，doubtlessthosewhosewhispershadreachedmyears。
　　Ithoughtoftryingtofollowthem，butthesoftandgentlehand，whichwasliketothatofawoman，oncemoreclaspedmineandheldmewhereIwas，sufferingmetomovenosingleinch。SothereIstood，evenafterthehandhadloosedmeagain，foritseemedtomethattherewassomethingmoststrangeinthisbusiness。
　　Presentlyanothersoundarose，thesoundoftheNorthmenpouringtowardsthehall，forfeetclangedlouderandlouderdownthemarblecorridors。More，theyhadmetthosewhowererunningfromthehall，fornowthesefledbackbeforethem。Theywereinthehall，foracryofhorror，mingledwithrage，brokefromtheirlips。
　　“’TisOlaf，“saidone，“Olafblinded，and，byThor，seewherehestands！“
　　ThenJodd’svoiceroaredout，“Movenot，Olaf；movenot，oryoudie。“
　　Anothervoice，thatofMartina，brokein，“Silence，youfool，oryou’llfrightenhimandmakehimfall。Silenceall，andleavehimtome！“
　　Thenquietfellupontheplace；itseemedthateventhepursuedgrewquiet，andIheardtherustleofawoman’sdressdrawingtowardsme。
　　Nextinstantasofthandtookmyown，justsuchahandasnotlongagohadseemedtoguideandholdme，andMartina’svoicesaid，“FollowwhereIlead，Olaf。“
　　SoIfollowedeightortenpaces。ThenMartinathrewherarmsaboutmeandburstintowildlaughter。Someonecaughtheraway；nextmomenttwohair-cladlipskissedmeonthebrowandthemightyvoiceofJoddshouted，“Thanksbetoallthegods，dwelltheyinthenorthorinthesouth！
　　Wehavesavedyou！Knowyouwhereyoustood，Olaf？Onthebrinkofapit，theverybrink，andbeneathisafallofahundredfeettowherethewatersoftheBosphoruswashamongtherocks。Oh！understandthisprettyGreciangame。They，goodChristianfolk，wouldnothaveyourbloodupontheirsouls，andthereforetheycausedyoutowalktoyourowndeath。Well，theyshallbedosedwiththedraughttheybrewed。
　　“Bringthemhither，comrades，bringthemonebyone，thesedevilswhocouldsittowatchablindmanwalktohisdoomtomaketheirsport。
　　Ah！whomhavewehere？Why，byThor！’tisthelawyerknave，hewhowaspresidentofthecourtthattriedyou，andwasangrybecauseyoudidnotsalutehim。Well，lawyer，thewheelhasgoneround。WeNorthmenareinpossessionofthepalaceandtheArmenianlegionsaregatheredatitsgatesanddobutwaitforConstantinetheEmperortoenterandtaketheempireanditscrown。They’llbehereanon，lawyer，butyouunderstand，havingacertainlifetosave，forwordhadbeenbroughttousofyourprettydoings，thatwewereforcedtostrikebeforethesignal，andstrucknotinvain。Nowwe’llfillinthetedioustimewithatrialofourown。Seehere，Iampresidentofthecourt，seatedinthisfinechair，andthesesixtorightandleftaremycompanionjudges，whileyousevenwhowerejudgesarenowprisoners。Youknowthecrimewithwhichyouarecharged，sothere’snoneedtosetitout。Yourdefence，lawyer，andbeswiftwithit。“
　　“Oh！sir，“saidthemaninatremblingvoice，“whatwedidtotheGeneralOlafwewereorderedtodobyonewhomaynotbenamed。“
　　“You’dbestfindthename，lawyer，forwereitthatofagodweNorthmenwouldhearit。“
　　“Well，then，bytheAugustaherself。ShewishedthedeathofthenobleMichael，orOlaf，buthavingbecomesuperstitiousaboutthematter，wouldnothavehisblooddirectlyonherhands。Thereforeshebethoughtherofthisplan。Hewasorderedtobebroughtintotheplaceyousee，whichisknownastheHallofthePit，thatinolddayswasusedbycertainbloody-mindedemperorstoridthemoftheirenemies。Thecentralpavementswingsuponahinge。Atatouchitopens，andhewhohasthoughtitsoundandwalkedthereon，whendarknesscomesislost，sincehefallsupontherocksfarbelow，andathightidethewatertakeshim。“
　　“Yes，yes，weunderstandthegame，lawyer，forthereyawnstheopenpit。Buthaveyouaughtmoretosay？“
　　“Nothing，sir，nothing，savethatweonlydidwhatweweredriventodo。Moreover，noharmhascomeofit，sincewheneverthenoblegeneralcametotheedgeoftheopenedpit，althoughhewasblind，hehaltedandwentofftorightorleftasthoughsomeonedrewhimoutofdanger。“
　　“Well，then，cruelandunjustjudges，whocouldgathertomockatthemurderofablindedmanthatyouhadtrappedtohisdoom——“
　　“Sir，“brokeinoneofthem，“itwasnotwewhotriedtotraphim；itwasthosejailerswhostandthere。Theytoldthegeneralthathemightexercisehimselfbywalkingupanddownthehall。“
　　“Isthattrue，Olaf？“askedJodd。
　　“Yes，“Ianswered，“itistruethatthetwojailerswhobroughtmeheredidtellmethis，thoughwhetherthosemenarepresentIcannotsay。“
　　“Verygood，“saidJodd。“Addthemtotheotherprisoners，whobytheirownshowingheardthemsetthesnareanddidnotwarnthevictim。Now，murderersall，thisisthesentenceofthecourtuponyou:ThatyousalutetheGeneralOlafandconfessyourwickednesstohim。“
　　Sotheysalutedme，kneeling，andkissingmyfeet，andoneandallmadeconfessionoftheircrime。
　　“Enough，“Isaid，“Ipardonthemwhoarebuttools。PraytoGodthatHemaydoasmuch。“
　　“Youmaypardonhere，Olaf，“saidJodd，“andyourGodmaypardonhereafter，butwe，theNorthmen，donotpardon。Blindfoldthosemenandbindtheirarms。Now，“wentonJoddafterapause，“theirturnhascometoshowussport。Run，friends，run，forswordsarebehindyou。
　　Canyounotfeelthem？“
　　Therestmaybeguessed。Withinafewminutesthesevenjudgesandthetwojailershadvanishedfromtheworld。Nohandcametosave/them/
　　fromthecruelrocksandthewatersthatseethedahundredfeetbelowthatdreadfulchamber。
　　Thisfantastic，savagevengeancewasathingdreadfultohear；whatitmusthavebeentoseeIcanonlyguess。IknowthatIwishedImighthavefledfromitandthatIpleadedwithJoddformercyonthesemen。
　　Butneitherhenorhiscompanionswouldlistentome。
　　“Whatmercyhadtheyonyou？“hecried。“Letthemdrinkfromtheirowncup。“
　　“Letthemdrinkfromtheirowncup！“roaredhiscompanions，andthenbrokeintoaroaroflaughterasoneofthefalsejudges，feelingspacebeforehim，leapt，leaptshort，andwithashriekdepartedforever。
　　Itwasover。IheardsomeoneenterthehallandwhisperinJodd’sear；