Page 44 of Odin

The man definitely looked furtive then, like he was looking for a quick escape.

"I'm Olaf, the caretaker here. Can I help you?" Odin asked, hearing Thor's footsteps behind him. "This is Thor." For Odin might be able to maintain a pretend identity, but Thor was too forthright for such things.

The man bared his teeth in a smile that definitely didn't reach his eyes. "I'm Thrym, here to pick up the waste. It's usually in this building." He pointed at the shed Sibyl had mentioned.

"Of course, of course! We'll help you carry the barrels across the snow. You should have come later, when the snow melts, and it would be easier. But it doesn't matter. We will help you," Odin said, heading for the shed. He lifted the nearest barrel, and carried it out. "Where would you like me to put it?"

Thrym's eyes widened. "Oh, I don't need all of them. Just the marked ones. Someone else will come for the others."

"What sort of mark?" Odin asked, examining the barrel. There were many marks around it.

Thor emerged from the shed. "Like this one?" His barrel bore his family rune.

Thrym looked relieved. "Yes. The ones with the old runes on them. Nik's little joke."

Thor's face turned thunderous. "You are only taking those marked with ancient runes? Not the rest?"

"Yes." Thrym opened the rear door of his cart. "You can put that one in here."

Odin set his barrel down at Thor's feet. "I'll do it. You put this one back inside, with the rest. I'll meet you back in the shed, and show you which ones we want."

Thor looked like he wanted to argue, but he'd always been as loyal and obedient as he was forthright. He might not like it, but he obeyed.

Odin set the barrel inside the cart and hurried after Thor.

"You can't let him take these! He's a thief!" Thor hissed the moment Odin entered the shed.

"I know. You and Sibyl told me they hid your hammer in one of these," Odin said, lifting another barrel.

"You don't understand! Sibyl told me to put it back in a barrel – that barrel, the one you loaded into his cart!" Thor said. "We can't allow him to take it!"

No, they could not.

Freyja had said the police, people whose job it was to mete out justice in this world, were here. She'd feared they would accuse her of theft. But if there really was a thief here...

"I have a plan. Pick up one of the marked barrels, and follow me," Odin said.

"But..."

"I said follow me!" Odin shouted.

Thor muttered under his breath, but he did as he was told.

Odin climbed up into the cart. "Now, pass that up here to me."

"We can't..."

"I said lift up that barrel!" Odin roared.

"I heard you! I just don't think we should!" Thor shouted back.

"Give it to me!"

"You're a fool!"

"And you're an idiot! Give me that barrel!" Odin bellowed, loud enough to wake the dead.

Thor lifted it, but was reluctant to let go. "This is wrong!" He slammed the barrel down on the ground, so the lid flew off. But Thor didn't notice – he was too busy climbing into the cart. He grabbed the barrels already inside and proceeded to toss them out onto the ground, too.

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