英语剧本《埃里克》

Blackness.

Flames begin to lick upwards from the bottom of the screen.

Suddenly all hell breaks loose. Screaming, yelling. Black figures flash

across the foreground, with the flames still burning behind.

There follows a confusion of burning,  raping, killing and looting - we

don't clearly see what's going on.

Suddenly we cut to the interior of a hut. The door is in the process of

being broken down.  The  camera  pans  onto  the  close-up  face  of an

attractive girl who is staring  in  horrified  fascination at the door.

Her arms are white with fresh dough and flour.

Suddenly the door bursts open and  a wild-looking Viking leaps into the

hut. He holds a sword. He looks around wildly and then his eyes come to

rest on the girl.

This Viking, I'm afraid, is Erik. We are  about to see him in the worst

possible light so be prepared.

The girl,  whose  name  is  Helga,  cowers,  and  looks  terrified  but

resolute.

Erik glances round.

Then slowly he advances on the girl, forcing her back onto a chest.

Erik holds his sword to Helga's  throat  with his right hand, while his

left hand searches to find the thongs holding up his trousers.

He is clearly having difficulties  trying  to  hold  his heavy sword to

Helga's throat at he same time as  undoing his trousers. He fumbles and

lowers his sword for a moment.



HELGA		Have you done this sort of thing before?

ERIK		Me? Of course! I've been looting  and pillaging up and down the

coast.

HELGA (looking sceptical) Looting and pillaging, eh?

ERIK (on the defensive) Yes.

HELGA		What about the raping?

ERIK		Shut up.

HELGA		It's obvious you haven't raped anyone in your life.

ERIK		Sh!



He covers her mouth with his free hand, and looks round to make sure no

one's heard. Then he carries on trying  to undo his trousers, but he is

now somewhat more than half-hearted about it.

Helga watches suspiciously.



HELGA		Do you LIKE women?



Erik is clearly shocked and stung by the insinuation. He stops.



ERIK		Of course I like women... I LOVE 'em.

HELGA (pointing out the obvious) You don't love ME.

ERIK		No... right... this  is  RAPE...  Mark  you,  I'm  not saying I

couldn't get to  like  you...  in  fact...  well,  to  be quite

honest, I prefer it when  there's  some  sort of mutual feeling

between two people...

HELGA		What - rape?

ERIK		No. It isn't rape then, is it?

HELGA		Oh, get it over with.

ERIK (hesitates again) I don't suppose... no...

HELGA		What?

ERIK		I don't suppose you... you DO like me at all?

HELGA		What d'you expect? You come  in  here, burn my village, kill my

family and try to rape me...



This is too much for Erik. We withers under the irony.



ERIK		I'll kill you if you say anything about this to anyone.

HELGA (puzzled)	About raping me?

ERIK		About NOT raping you...

HELGA		You DON'T like it, do you?

ERIK		Well it just seems a little bit crude, that's all.

HELGA		What about the killing and looting? That's just as crude, isn't

it?

ERIK		Oh well - you've GOT to do them.

HELGA		Why? Why have you got to go round killing and looting?

ERIK		To pay for the next expedition, of course.

HELGA		But that's a circular argument! If the only reason for going on

an expedition is the killing  and  looting  and the only reason

for the killing and looting is  to pay for the next expedition,

they cancel each other out.

ERIK		Oh! Stop talking as if we were married!

HELGA		Well you started it.

ERIK		I just said I didn't feel like raping you.

HELGA		And I was just saying that  rape  is no MORE pointless or crude

than all the killing and looting that goes on.



Erik vents of his frustration on the already shattered door.



ERIK		Scream.

HELGA		Ah.

ERIK		Louder.

HELGA		Aaagh! Rape!

ERIK (he'd forgotten about that) Oh, thanks



Two more Vikings  burst  in  with  eyes  blazing.  They  have  the very

unfortunate names of Ernest and Jennifer, but it doesn't really matter,

for reasons which  will  become  obvious  very  quickly.  They are also

slightly drunk.



ERNEST		Rape?

JENNIFER	Where?



Jennifer the Viking sways and leans against a door post. The marauder's

eyes come to rest on Erik  and  Helga  who are standing, fully clothed,

about six feet apart. They look slightly puzzled.



HELGA		He raped me standing up.



There is a pause. Erik looks up at Helga. Why has she saved his face by

telling this lie? Jennifer the Viking turns to Erik.



JENNIFER	You finished, then?

ERIK		Oh... yes... I suppose so...

ERNEST		Right! Me first!

JENNIFER	No! I asked!



Ernest leaps on top of Helga and pins her to the ground. Jennifer joins

in. Erik looks stunned for a moment.  Then he suddenly leaps to Helga's

defence.



ERIK		Leave her alone!



He pulls Jennifer off, but  Jennifer  fights back. Erik forces Jennifer

back until he falls into the  kneading  trough. They fight in the dough

for some moments,  until  Erik  runs  Jennifer  through.  The  dough is

stained red, and the  film  is  rid  of  such  an inappropriately named

Viking once and for all.

Erik then turns his attention on Ernest  who  is still on top of Helga.

Without a moment's hesitation, Erik  runs  him through the back. Ernest

screams. So does Helga. Erik turns white, and pulls out his sword.

Ernest falls over into a  heap  with  his  co-misnomer, and Erik kneels

beside Helga to  find  a  bloodstain  under  her  breast  where  he has

inadvertently run her through. She is clearly not long for this world.



HELGA		Thanks for saving me from a fate worse than death.

ERIK		I didn't mean to!

HELGA (gasping for breath) Oh,  that's  all  right  then... it's the thought...

that counts...



Erik cradles her head and tries helplessly to staunch the blood.



ERIK		You told them I raped you - why?

HELGA (dying)	I dunno... you looked so... so vulnerable...

ERIK		Why should you care?

HELGA (dying)	Why... should YOU care?

ERIK		Tell me your name?



Helga looks up at him, but  dies  in  his arms, without ever saying her

name.



ERIK		Tell me... what IS it...?



Erik realizes she has gone. He  gazes  at  her  for some time. He looks

around at the two dead  bodies  beside  them.  Then  he listens to  the

sound of raping and slaughter  continuing  on  the outside. Screams and

bloodthirsty shuts echo alongside the roar  of  flames and the cries of

animals. The camera tracks into a big close-up on Erik. Superimpose the

title: ERIK THE VIKING:

Second title: TIM ROBBINS.

Mix through to wide shot of  the  burning village. Figures running here

and there.

Superimpose the rest of the opening titles.

By the last of the  opening  titles  the  last  of the flames are dying

down.

Cut to a close-up  of  a  very  loud-looking  Viking screaming into the

camera, as he  hurls  an  axe.  This  Viking's  name is Thorfinn Skull-

Splitter.

The axe thuds into the  wall  a  few  inches  away  from  the face of a

frightened girl, Unn, who is pinned to  the wall with her braids spread

out. The Vikings are hurling  axes  at  her  a  la  Kirk Douglas in THE

VIKINGS.

Several Vikings sitting at ale-bench, laugh in a rather unpleasant way.

Erik, however, frowns. He is sitting at a  table on a dais, next to his

grandfather, the chief of  the  village.  His grandfather almost chokes

with merriment. Erik's mother glances at him with some hostility.

Meanwhile the drunken Thorfinn has just lifted the totally legless Ivar

the Boneless up off the  floor  and  presses  an  axe  into his hand. A

tremor of nervousness ripples round the  females in the Mead Hall. Ivar

is clearly in no  condition  to  throw  anything,  except, perhaps, the

contents of his stomach.

Unn winces.

Finally, amidst much giggling, Ivar throws  wildly, and the axe smashes

into a jug being carried by one of the serving girls.

The menfolk erupt into  drunken  hysterics  at  this. The women clearly

feel that the occasion is getting out  of  hand. But before any of them

can work up enough  courage  to  intervene, Thorfinn Skull-Splitter has

thrust an axe into  the  hands  of  the  even  more  plastered Sven the

Berserk. Now Sven is not the  Viking  to  let  a little matter like not

being able to see straight stop him  heaving the axe at a young maiden.

He takes the axe and whirls  it  wildly  over  his head. Even the other

drunken Vikings realize this could be  dangerous, and they cower behind

the table. Sven lets go of the axe. Unn shuts her eyes prepared for the

worst. There is a dull thud and a  grunt and then a whoop of mirth. Unn

opens her eyes to find that the axe  has  come to rest in the back of a

totally stupefied Viking who merely slumps forward onto the table he is

sitting at. On the opposite side sits Harald Missionary, a rather seedy

cleric who has long since  given  up  trying  to convert the pagans and

found solace in their mead.  He  thinks  about intervening, but decides

that it's a bit late really and  that  he  might as well finish off his

ale-cup instead. Grimhild Housewife (his  only  admirer) refills it for

him.

At this moment, however, the axe-throwers have  run out of axes, so, as

they go to retrieve the  ones  they've thrown, Harald Missionary salves

his conscience by lurching across to the unfortunate Unn.

He pokes his dog-eared bible under her nose.



HARALD		If you were thinking of  converting,  my dear, this would be an

IDEAL opportunity...

UNN		Not now!

HARALD (who is used to rebuffs) No,  of  course not... (he hesitates) You might

not get another chance, you know...

UNN		Go away.



At this moment another axe  thuds  into  the wall, speeding up Harald's

desire to get back to the ale-bench.



HARALD		Yes, of course... I'll pray for you anyway, my dear...



Suddenly an axe shatters a large earthware vessel.



HARALD		Yes.. That's what I'll do...



Harald scuttles back to the ale-bench as fast as he can.

Erik meanwhile, stares in astonishment  as,  for  a fleeting moment, he

sees Helga, the girl he  accidentally  killed,  standing there with her

braids spread out in place of  Unn.  He  shakes his head and the vision

passes.

In the meantime, however, Ivar's mum  (perhaps the toughest lady in the

village) has decided that enough is enough.



IVAR'S MUM	Let her go!

THORFINN	Why?

VIKINGS		Yes, why?

SVEN THE BERSERK Why should we let er go?

THORFINN	We haven't hit a single braid yet!



The Vikings all guffaw.

Ivar's mum has had enough. She throws the contents of a jug of ale over

Thorfinn. He is shocked, but  after  the  first  shock he grins evilly,

because now he's been given  carte  blanche  to  do the thing he enjoys

doing most. Without another thought he  throws  a vicious right hook at

Ivar's mum and lays her out cold.

Erik reacts with disgust.

His grandad, however, gives a whoop of glee.



GRANDAD		Whoah! Heee! That showed her!



Meanwhile a little shrivelled old man is jumping up and down.



INGEMUND THE OLD Hey! He hit my wife!



Ingemund starts to go for Thorfinn,  but  Thorhild beats him to it. She

grabs one of  the  long-handled  cooking  griddles  from  the fires and

swings it at Thorfinn.

Thorfinn, however,  ducks,  and  the  red-hot  griddle  hits  Sven  the

Berserk, who is standing with his back to Thorfinn.

Sven screams and goes berserk,  turning  round and hitting Thorfinn who

is now standing upright again.



INGEMUND THE OLD Leave him alone.



Ingemund hits Sven. Thangbrand hits Ingemund and a general fight breaks

out.

Erik's grandad clearly considers  this  the  highlights of the evening,

but Erik looks  at  it  in  disgust  and  at  his  grandad  in despair.

Eventually he gets up and walk out of the Mead Hall.

His grandad notices and  frowns.  He  knows  something's wrong with his

grandson but hasn't a clue what  it  could be. Erik's mother frowns and

nods to his grandad.

Grandad gets up and fights his way through the melee to follow Erik out

of the Hall.

The snow lies thick over  the  village  as Erik's grandfather joins his

grandson beside the little  quay.  Erik  is  staring  broodily into the

night.



GRANDFATHER	What's the matter, son?



Erik doesn't reply. His  grandfather  glances  back  at  the Mead Hall,

whence the sound of the fight drift across the snow.



GRANDFATHER	We're missing all the fun...

ERIK		What's it all about?

GRANDFATHER	What?

ERIK		We toil and labour, we  loot  and pillage, rape and kill... and

yet...

GRANDFATHER	You talking piffle, son?

ERIK		Where does it all get us, Grandpa?

GRANDFATHER	Who have you been talking to?

ERIK		I met this girl...

GRANDFATHER	It's always the women that start the trouble.

ERIK		She got me thinking...

GRANDFATHER	So? What'd you do to her?



Erik stops in his tracks - as if brought up short by the horror of what

he has done.



ERIK		I... I... KILLED her...

GRANDFATHER	That's my boy!



Erik's grandfather gives him  a  paternal  hug.  Erik  looks at him and

thinks about the generation gap.

Cut to feet running in the snow. It is day.



ERIK		Freya!



Erik looks around him and calls out again.



ERIK		Freya!



Erik runs into the  distance  -  a  small  figure  against the dramatic

wintry landscape.

      Cut to a remote, barren mountainside.

Erik climbs up into shot,  and  continues  climbing  until he reaches a

cave. He enters it. As his eyes get used  to the dark he can make out a

few signs of life: a cooking  pot  on  a  fire,  a straw bed, a pile of

rune-sticks.



ERIK		Freya? Freya?



There is a bundle of rags behind  Erik.  A  head rises from it. This is

Freya.



FREYA		Ah... Erik... Erik the "Viking"...



It is not clear whether her words are not a little mocking.



FREYA		Now what CAN you want with me, Erik the "Viking"?

ERIK		I shouldn't have come.

FREYA		They will make  fun  of  you  for  listening  to an old woman's

stories?



Erik doesn't reply. Freya watches him craftily.



FREYA		Young men are only interested in fighting and killing.



Erik looks up at her sharply. It is as if she has read his mind.



ERIK		But has it always been like  that, Freya? From the beginning of

time?



Freya doesn't reply. Instead she walks  to  the mouth of the cave. Erik

follows her. They look out at the grey, desolate landscape. Nothing but

arctic wastes, snow and desolation.  Above  them  the black clouds boil

ceaselessly.



FREYA		What do you see, Erik?

ERIK		I see the world.

FREYA		I it night or day, Erik?

ERIK		It is day, of course, Freya.

FREYA		Is it summer or winter, Erik?



Erik looks round at the snowy wastes and ten back at Freya, puzzled.



ERIK		The winter is past, thank goodness, Freya. It is summer.



Freya puts her face close to Erik's and peers into his eyes.



FREYA		Have you ever seen the sun, Erik?

ERIK		The sun is up beyond the clouds - where it always is.

FREYA		But have you ever seen it? Think back...

ERIK		Of course not... but...  when  I  was  a child.... I remember a

dream.... it was as if the whole sky was blue...

FREYA		The sky WAS blue, Erik... once.



Erik looks at her.



FREYA		The Old Stories tell of an  age  that would come such as this -

when Fenrir the Wolf would swallow  the sun, and a Great Winter

would settle upon the world. It was  to  be an axe age, a sword

age, a storm age, when brother  would turn against brother, and

men would fight each  other  until  the  world would finally be

destroyed.



Erik looks out across the  bleak  and  gloomy  landscape and the black,

boiling clouds in the sky.



ERIK (almost to himself) Then... this is the Age of Ragnarok?



Freya turns to go back into the cave.



ERIK		Wait, Freya!



Erik re-enters the cave.



ERIK		Is there nothing men can do?

FREYA		The Gods are asleep, Erik.

ERIK		I will go and wake them up!



Freya  turns  and  looks  at  him.   She  clearly  enjoys  his  earnest

enthusiasm, but is afraid he doesn't know what he is talking about.



ERIK		Tell me what I must do, Freya!



Freya thinks for some moments. The she speaks.



FREYA		Erik... Far out in the  midst  of  the Western Ocean there is a

land... men call it Hy-Brasil. There  you will find a horn that

is called Resounding. You  must  take  the Horn Resounding, and

three times you must blow it.  The  first note will take you to

Asgaard. The second will awaken  the  Gods,  and the third note

will bring you home. But remember...  once you are in the spell

of the Horn, hatred will destroy you.



Erik turns to go and then hesitates.



ERIK		And will the dead ever return, Freya?

FREYA		That I cannot tell you.



Cut to a big close-up  of  a  head  being  banged  on the ground. It is

Thorfinn Skull-Splitter's. The person doing  the  banging is an enraged

Sven the Berserk.

Suddenly Erik pushes his way through the crowd and separates them.

There is general disgruntlement all round, and murmurs of: "Who does he

think he is?"



ERIK'S GRANDAD	What are you doing, Erik? Thorfinn just said Sven's grandfather

died of old age.

INGEMUND THE OLD They must fight to the death.

THORFINN SKULL-SPLITTER That's right! Sven must kill me.

OTHERS		Yes. Stay out of this. What's it to do with you? (etc)



Sven grids his teeth and struggles  to  get at Thorfinn, but Erik still

keeps them apart.



ERIK		Aren't you afraid of death, Thorfinn Skull-Splitter?



Thorfinn shrugs.



THORFINN	Not death by the sword! It means I shall drink in Valhalla with

the great warriors.



Cut away To Harald Missionary engaged in his usual business of chatting

up any available female.



HARALD MISSIONARY You don't still believe in all that Valhalla stuff, do you?

THORHILD THE FEMALE Go away.

HARALD		Fine... right... just checking.



He moves off.



ERIK		And you, Sven, aren't you afraid of crossing the Rainbow Bridge

to Asgaard?

SVEN		I will join my grandfather there.

THORFINN	He's not in Valhalla! He died of old age!

SVEN		You liar!



They start trying to kill each  other  again, and crash through a fence

into the pig-sty. Pigs squeal and run in all directions.



ERIK		Stop it!

OTHERS		Leave them alone! Keep out of it, Erik!



The others pull Erik away.



GRANDAD		There's only one way to settle it.

EVERYONE	Yes!

THORFINN	He MUST kill me!

EVERYONE	Yes! That's right! (etc)



Sven struggles again to  oblige,  and  they  both  topple into the duck

pond. Erik dives back to keep them apart.



ERIK		There is another way.

GRANDAD		Who gets killed?

ERIK		Nobody gets killed.

THORFINN	Oh, well...



He starts attacking Sven again. Erik  decides  there is only one way to

make his  point.  He  lets  fly  with  his  fists  and  lays  both  the

antagonists out for a moment.



ERIK		But it will be dangerous. Maybe none of us will return.

SNORRI THE MISERABLE Ah  well,  that's  much  more  sensible than just Thorfinn

getting killed. Shall we all go and pack now?

SVEN		What are you talking about, Erik?

ERIK		What if we could find Bi-Frost the Rainbow Bridge?



This causes a sensation amongst everyone watching, on the lines of "You

can't do that" and so on. They scoff at Erik.



THORFINN (in disbelief) FIND the Rainbow Bridge?

ERIK		Find it... AND cross it!



Super-sensation amongst everyone  -  except  for  Harald Missionary who

shakes his head sadly.



HARALD		Look! You can't find somewhere that doesn't exist.

GRANDAD (to Harald) Shut up!



Harald shrugs.



SVEN		Only the dead reach Asgaard, Erik.

ERIK		What's the matter? Are you afraid to try?



Thorfinn and Sven are put on the defensive.



THORFINN	Of course we're not afraid to try, but...



Erik rounds on Thorfinn, sensing he had the advantage.



ERIK		"But" what?

THORFINN	But...	

ERIK		What?



Thorfinn's mental powers find it hard  to articulate any proposition on

such a vast metaphysical concept. Sven comes to his rescue.



SVEN		Nobody's ever crossed the Rainbow Bridge to Asgaard.

ERIK		We'd be the first!

SNORRI		You mean we'd be dead?

ERIK		No! We'd be the first living  men  to  set foot in the Halls of

the Gods.



Pause. Uncomfortable shifting.



SVEN		But HOW?

ERIK		I don't know - but I'm not afraid to try.

THORFINN	Well I'M certainly not, either.

SVEN		Neither am I.

ERIK		Then you'll come.

HARALD		But there isn't such a place as... Look...

THORFINN & SVEN	Shut up!

ERIK		What d'you say?

SVEN		Well... I'm game.

THORFINN	Me too.



Erik grins. He has persuaded them against their will.



GRANDAD		Aren't you going to go on fighting?

SVEN & THORFINN	No.

OTHERS		Oh...



There is general disappointment all around.



IVAR THE BONELESS Oh, go on...

GRANDAD		Just have a bit of a fight.

INGEMUND THE OLD I'LL fight someone.

GRANDAD		You're too old.

INGEMUND THE OLD No, I ain't.



Cut to an adze striking  timber.  The  Viking's ship, GOLDEN DRAGON, is

being repaired and fitted out for  a  JOURNEY. Erik is there, directing

operations.

The camera tracks through all the activity and finally comes to rest on

Keitel Blacksmith. He is a magnificent  mountain  of a man in an Arnold

Schwarzeneggarish sort of way. He hammers  a sword, and sparks fly, but

his eyes keep returning  to  the  preparations  for the voyage. Clearly

something is worrying him.

His assistant, Loki, sidles up to him.



LOKI		Wish you were going too?



Keitel grunts angrily and plunges the  sword into cold water. Steam and

bubbles.



LOKI		But you CAN'T because you're too busy.



Keitel pulls the sword out of the water and tests it. It slices like as

razor, Loki watches.



LOKI		Ooh, that's a good  one!  You  could charge Halfdan fifteen for

that one.

KEITEL		Yes, it is good. But I told him ten.

LOKI		You could charge him what you like.



Loki takes the sword from  Keitel  and  stacks  it alongside a lot more

freshly made swords.



LOKI		You just can't make  enough  swords  and  spears and knives and

daggers to satisfy the demand.  You could charge Halfdan twenty

and he'd pay it.

KEITEL (shocked) Oh, I couldn't do that! The Blacksmith's Code says...

LOKI		Yes yes... of course.... the "Blacksmith's Code"...



Keitel goes back to his forge and pulls out a fresh dollop of white-hot

ore. Loki comes up behind him.



LOKI		If this IS the Age  of  Ragnarok, Keitel Blacksmith, it is GOOD

to us.

KEITEL (banging with his hammer) Can't make enough swords!



Bang! Bang! Bang!



KEITEL		Can't make enough axe-heads!



Bang! Bang! Bang!



LOKI		But, Keitel, if Erik  ever  finds  the Horn Resounding... if he

ever crosses Bi-Frost, the Rainbow  Bridge... if he ever wakens

the gods..



Keitel stops smiting the metal on his forge. He stares into space.



KEITEL		They chase Fenrir the Wolf from the sky...

LOKI		The Age of Ragnarok ends...

KEITEL		The bottom falls out of the sword business!

LOKI		It's not just YOUR livelihood  that's  at stake but your son's,

and the livelihood of ALL blacksmiths.

KEITEL (this touches a nerve in his muscular mind) My brother blacksmiths!

LOKI		That's right.

KEITEL		The Blacksmith's Code says I must...

LOKI		Honour and protect all blacksmiths.

KEITEL (as if reciting his oath) Together we stand!

LOKI		You can't let Erik do THAT.



Loki smiles. He has  Keitel  playing  into  his  hands, although Keitel

doesn't realize it.

Fade.

Cut to some  days  later.  The  expedition  is  set  to leave. Thorfinn

Skull-Splitter taking leave of his mum and dad.



THORFINN'S MUM	And you've got BOTH axes?

THORFINN	Yes, Mother.

THORFINN'S MUM	And something to sharpen them with?

THORFINN	Yes, Mum.

THORFINN'S MUM	And don't forget: never let your enemy get behind you.

THORFINN	No, Mother.

THORFINN'S MUM	And keep your sword greased.

THORFINN	Yes, Mother. Goodbye, Dad.

THORFINN'S DAD	And don't forget to was - you know - ALL over.

THORFINN	No, Dad.

THORFINN'S MUM	And if you  have  to  kill  somebody,  KILL them! Don't stop to

think about it.

THORFINN (mildly) I never do...



Cut to Sven the Berserk  who  is  also  being  lectured. The lecture is

coming from his father - Ulf the Maddeningly Calm.



SVEN'S FATHER (sotto voce) It's a tradition.

SVEN		I know, Dad.

SVEN'S FATHER	I was a Berserk for King Harald Fairhair...

SVEN		You went berserk...

SVEN'S FATHER	I went berserk in every battle I ever fought for King Harald...

SVEN		So did your father...

SVEN'S FATHER	So did my father and his father before him.

SVEN		But it's a responsibility...

SVEN'S FATHER	But it's a responsibility being a Berserk.

SVEN		I must only let the red rage...

SVEN'S FATHER	You must only let the red rage take hold of you in the thick of

battle.

SVEN (losing his temper) I KNOW! I'VE HEARD IT ALL I THOUSAND TIMES!



A sudden silence falls, as all the  village turns to stare nervously at

Sven. He goes berserk and demolishes  a  nearby  hut with his head. Ulf

the Maddeningly Calm shakes his head.



SVEN'S FATHER	No no... you'll never  make  a  Berserk.  If you let it out now

you'll have nothing left for battle...

IVAR'S MUM	Besides... it's dangerous.

SVEN'S FATHER (gloomily) It's the end of a family tradition.



In another corner of the village  Leif  the  Lucky is standing with his

pregnant girlfriend.



GIRL		Bye, Leif.

LEIF		Bye... sorry...

GIRL		Yeah... well...

LEIF		You will wait?

GIRL		What d'you expect me to do?



She takes a bracelet off her arm and gives it to Leif.



GIRL		Wear this for luck.



Leif looks at it.



LEIF		That's why they call me... Leif the Lucky.

GIRL		Please.



Cut to Harald Missionary  dumping  a  bag  on  board the ship. Grimhild

Housewife is helping him. Snorri looks at him in surprise.



SNORRI		YOU coming? You don't even believe in Asgaard.

HARALD		I thought I might do a bit of business on the way.

SNORRI		You're wasting your time.

HARALD		Listen. I've been in this dump  for sixteen years and I haven't

made a single convert...

SNORRI		There was Thorbjorn Vifilsson's wife. You converted HER.

HARALD		Thorbjorn Vifilsson's wife became a Buddhist, not a Christian.

SNORRI		Same thing, isn't it?

HARALD		No, it is NOT.



Meanwhile in another part of  the  village,  Loki  is strapping a large

consignment of swords onto a  pony.  He  glances  round and then sneaks

surreptiously out of the  village,  over  the  barren  hills of Norway,

under the boiling black skies of Ragnarok.

Back at the quayside,  GOLDEN  DRAGON  is  ready  for the journey. Erik

addresses the villagers.



ERIK		Well... we'll be off now...



Erik's grandad waits for some time  before  he realizes that Erik isn't

intending to say anything else.



GRANDAD		You need to say a bit more than that!

ERIK		Oh... er... yes...



The faces of the village-folk  turn  towards  him. There are many moist

eyes. Erik's mother starts to cry.



ERIK		Oh, there, Mum... (he  turns  and  addresses everyone) Don't be

sad.... You all know why  we're  going,  so don't grieve. Maybe

untold dangers do lie ahead of us,  and some of you may well be

looking at the one you love for the last time...



Someone bursts out  sobbing.  Erik  desperately  tries  to  rally their

spirits.



ERIK		But don't grieve! Even tough the  Hordes of Muspel tear us limb

from limb... or the Fire Giants  burn  each and every one of us

to a cinder...



More crying.



ERIK		...though we may be swallowed by the Dragon of the North Sea or

fall off the Edge of the World... don't cry.



More crying.



ERIK		No! Don't cry....



By this time most of the village is blubbering profusely.

Cut to Harald Missionary. He has his arm round his weeping girlfriend.



HARALD MISSIONARY Sh... There... it's  all  fantasy,  there's  no Dragon of the

North Sea, no Edge of the World...

GRIMHILD HOUSEWIFE That's what YOU say.

ERIK (aside to his Grandad) What's the matter with them?

GRANDAD		Just say something cheerful.

ERIK		Oh... right!  (He  can't  think  of  anything)  Well.... CHEERS

everybody!



Erik smiles broadly and waves.  The  entire  village stares back at him

with tears in their eyes,  and  biting  their lips. Suddenly one mother

can't hold it back any more.



THORFINN'S MUM	Don't go!



Another mother rushes out and grabs Ivar the Boneless.



IVAR'S MUM	My son! I don't want you to go!

IVAR		I don't want to go, either...

ERIK		Oh gods! Please, everybody! Keep  calm! It's not certain ALL of

us are going to die... and in  any  case we may not die HIDEOUS

deaths...



More renewed sobbing. Grandad's eyes go heavenwards.



GRANDAD (to Erik) I think we should go...

ERIK		Right. (he turns for  a  last  salute) Farewell... for the last

time... may the gods prevent...

GRANDAD		No, don't say anything else!



Suddenly Keitel  Blacksmith  steps  forward.  His  muscles  ripple. His

handsome face radiates heroism and manliness.



KEITEL		Wait, Erik!

ERIK		Keitel Blacksmith?



They stop and turn.



KEITEL		You can't go without me.  Who  will repair your swords and mend

your shields?



Renewed sobs from the women.



WOMEN		Oh, no! Ah, lackaday! Not HIM too!

ERIK		What's the matter now?

UNN		If Keitel Blacksmith goes with you...

THORHILD	We'll have no one to do the things he did for us.

THORKATLA THE INDISCRETE OR sharpen our knives and make our pans.



An awkward silence. The others all  turn  on  her  and frown - a bit of

shin-kicking goes on. It's  clear  that  Keitel  is popular amongst the

womenfolk. Erik doesn't notice.



ERIK		You will have Keitel's assistant, Loki, to do all that.

WOMEN		Loki? Eurrgh!

ERIK		What's wrong with Loki? He's become very good at blacksmithing.

WOMEN		Yes... but...

THORKATLA	He's so small and...



The others all shush her up. More shin-kicking.



THORHILD (innocently) Oh, yes... we've got Loki... That's true...



Cut to Loki leading his  pony  across  a bleak landscape. He eventually

stops and looks ahead. There stands  a gibbet with two corpses dangling

from it. He is nearing his destination.

Cut back to Erik and his men getting into GOLDEN DRAGON.

Erik notices Thorfinn and Sven quarrelling over Leif the Lucky.



ERIK		Hey, you two! What's going on?

SVEN		I was sitting there.

LEIF		No, you weren't.

THORFINN	Leif's sitting here. I need a bit of luck.

LEIF		See.

SVEN		Look, I bagged it last week.

ERIK		It doesn't matter WHERE you sit!

SVEN		Yes it does! We could be at sea for months.

ERIK		Well, what difference does it make where you're SITTING?

SVEN		I don't want to have to sit next to Snorri all that time.



Sven nods towards Snorri the Miserable -  an Eeyore of a Viking if ever

there were one.



SNORRI		Thank you VERY much indeed.

ERIK		Now stop it!

SNORRI		It's SO nice to feel wanted.

ERIK		Leif, you sit there. Even,  you sit there. Harald, you'd better

sit over there...

SNORRI		Trust me to get the missionary.



Suddenly Erik notices Sven's father climbing aboard.



ERIK		What are YOU doing here?

SVEN'S DAD	You may need a real Berserk.

SVEN		I AM one, Dad!

ERIK		We haven't got a spare place.

IVAR		He can have my place. I don't want to go anyway.

ERIK		Well, you ARE!

KEITEL		Bjorn's not. He could have Bjorn's place.

ERIK		What's the matter with Bjorn?

THORFINN	Nothing... Halfdan the Black chopped his hand off last night.

ERIK		HE was lucky... (to Sven's dad) Sit there.

SNORRI		You can't have  Sven's  father  sitting  next  to Sven. They'll

argue the whole time.

ERIK		That's true. (to Sven) YOU'D  better sit there. (to Sven's dad)

You there, and Ornulf there.

SNORRI		Now you've got all the big ones on one side.



Erik looks around. It is true that  all  the tall burly ones are on one

side.



ERIK		All right, you go there. You here...



Sven's dad and Ornulf swap places.



SVEN'S DAD	Ohh! I wanted to sit next to Leif.

ERIK		Shut up. You there. You there and you there.



Ivar and Ornulf swap places. Erik surveys this re-arrangement.



ERIK		That's better.

SNORRI		Now you've got all the ones with beards on one side and all the

moustaches on the other.



This is true. Erik thinks some moments and then:



ERIK		It doesn't matter.



They start to haul the  sail  up.  Ropes  are released. The boat rocks.

Suddenly a voice cuts through the crowd. It is Erik's mother.



ERIK'S MUM	Wait! Wait! Wait!

ERIK		What is it? (he is clearly a little embarrassed)

ERIK'S MUM	Here, son.



She tries to hand Erik what  looks  unmistakably like a pillow. Erik is

dumbfounded.



ERIK'S MUM	Your father always made sure he could rest his head at night.



Erik is mortified. The others snigger, though not without some sympathy

for Erik. They've ALL been  embarrassed  by  their  mums at one time or

another.



ERIK		I can't take THAT on a voyage!

ERIK'S MUM	It was your father's!



Erik will find it hard to refuse now. But he hesitates.



ERIK'S MUM	It was the pillow HE took  with  him. He said it once saved his

life.



Erik reluctantly takes the precious object. His mother kisses him.

Everyone has fallen silent  now.  The  relatives  stand helpless on the

shore as GOLDEN DRAGON starts to drift  away from them. The Vikings sit

in their places, hands on the oars looking back at their loved ones.

Erik stands at the prow of  GOLDEN  DRAGON.  For  a moment he thinks he

sees the girl he  killed,  standing,  white  in  death, the spear-wound

still fresh. Erik raises his hand in a half-goodbye.

We cut back to the loved ones,  now  the  girl is no longer there. They

too half-raise their hands.

Erik suddenly turns and gives a shout:



ERIK		Huuup!



The oars go up and then into the water, and GOLDEN DRAGON commences her

voyage.

Cut back to GOLDEN DRAGON at sea.

Snorri is feeling queasy and gazing  gloomily at the receding coastline

of Norway. Thangbrand is sitting near him and feeling equally queasy.



SNORRI		Have a good look... that's the last we'll see of old Norway.



Snorri is desperately trying to control his insides.



SNORRI		Goodbye home...  goodbye  family...  goodbye  loved ones... (he

starts to throw up) Goodbye lunch...

THANGBRAND	Oh! Shut up.



Harald Missionary puts his arm around Snorri.



HARALD		You know, my son, our lord said...

SNORRI		YOUR lord.

HARALD		Quite... MY lord... said: "The  Prayer  of Faith shall have the

sick."

SNORRI		I hope the Dragon of the North Sea gets YOU AND your lord.



Harald Missionary gives him a condescending  smile and a weary shake of

the head. He knows the Dragon of the North Sea does not exist.



HARALD		Darkness and ignorance...



Meanwhile Ivar the Boneless  and  Sven  the  Berserk are both suffering

from the effects of the sea.



SVEN (keeping a wave of nausea down) It's not so bad when you're rowing.

THORFINN SKULL-SPLITTER That's right



Thorfinn gobs onto the whetstone with  which  he is sharpening his axe.

Sven can control himself no longer. He rushes for the side.



SVEN THE BERSERK I want to die.



This sets off Ivar.



IVAR THE BONELESS Uh oh!



He leaps up and pukes over  the  side.  Mass puking breaks out all over

the boat.

Keitel Blacksmith looks around  at  his  preoccupied  shipmates, and it

slowly dawns upon him that this  might  be  the  moment to try a little

sabotage.

He goes to the ship's lodestone, which is hanging from the mast. Keitel

glances around. No one is  looking,  but  this sort of covert behaviour

goes against his normally sunny and open disposition.



KEITEL (to himself) The Blacksmith's Code...



He steels himself, takes down  the  lodestone,  snaps  out the piece of

metal in the base and throws it over the side.

Keitel hangs it up again on the mast.



THORFINN	Are you all right?

IVAR		No, I'm not.

THORFINN	You don't need to feel bad about being sea-sick, you know.

IVAR		How can you help feeling bad when you're sea-sick?

THORFINN	I mean many of the greatest sailors were.



Pause.



IVAR		I know. I know.

THORFINN	Olaf Tryggvason used to throw  up on every single voyage... the

whole time... non-stop... puke... puke... puke.

IVAR		Look! I don't feel BAD about it. I just feel ILL.



Thorfinn pauses and waits for a wave of nausea to creep up on Ivar.



THORFINN	He used to puke in his sleep.

IVAR		Bastard.



He throws up.

Meanwhile Erik is in the stern, gazing out behind them.



ERIK		Thorfinn... look over there.



Thorfinn leaves Ivar and joins Erik.

On the horizon a sinister sail  is  following them. Thorfinn grins with

evil pleasure. He scents a fight.

Erik turns to the crew.



ERIK		Break out the oars!



Thorfinn's smile disappears and he spins round to confront Erik.



THORFINN	What are you talking about?

ERIK (to his reluctant crew) Come on, move it!



Most of the men are being sea-sick.



MORD FIDDLE	We've only just started cooking lunch.



The crew glance at Mord Fiddle and then throw up again.



ERIK		Move it!



Reluctantly  the  crew  take   up   their  rowing  positions.  Thorfinn

buttonholes  Erik  (except  of   course   that   he  doesn't  have  any

buttonholes).



THORFINN	It's Halfdan the Black!

ERIK		I know. Snorri! Get your oar out!



Snorri is sitting in position but without his oar. Keitel has meanwhile

joined them. He, too, stares at the  horizon. He is a little puzzled by

this turn of events. Loki has  said  nothing about Halfdan coming after

them.



KEITEL (uneasily) Do you suppose he wants to stop us waking the Gods?



Erik looks at Keitel with a  certain  amount of contempt. Keitel is not

renowned even amongst these Vikings for his brain-power.



ERIK		What do you think?

KEITEL		But how could he know... unless...



Keitel stops in mid-sentence as he realizes it must be Loki's doing.



THORFINN (scornfully) So are you going to run away from him, Erik?



Erik turns to Thorfinn.



ERIK		Row, Thorfinn Skull-Splitter.



Thorfinn hesitates.



ERIK		And you, Keitel Blacksmith.

KEITEL		But...



Keitel shrugs and turns to take up  his  rowing position. He is still a

little confused by this turn of events. Erik confronts Thorfinn.



ERIK		I gave an order. Or didn't you hear?



There is something about Erik's  manner  that carries an authority that

Thorfinn cannot argue with.



ERIK		Come on, Ivar.



Erik manhandles Ivar over to his  drum  and thrusts his drumsticks into

his hands.

Halfdan's ship is twice the size  of  Erik's  and,  as Erik is only too

well aware, consequently travels at twice  the  speed. There is no real

chance of them escaping,  unless...  Erik  suddenly  catches sight of a

thick bank of mist in the distance, and steers his ship towards it.



IVAR (still feeling ill) I  want  to  die...  (then, suddenly catching sight of

Halfdan's ship behind him) No, I don't!

ERIK		Row! Row! Row!



Ivar tries to get into the new  rhythm,  but has a bit of difficult. As

Halfdan's ship gains on them inexorably,  GOLDEN DRAGON glides into the

sea mist. There is a  tremendous  roll  of  thunder very close. All the

Vikings look scared. Erik, however, grins.



ERIK		Row! Row! Row!



He doubles the speed. The drum beats faster.



SVEN'S DAD (shouts out angrily) We can't keep this up!



Erik grins and then leans  on  the  steering  oar. GOLDEN DRAGON curves

around to its left. Then Erik lays his hand on Ivar's drum and silences

it.



ERIK		Oars up!



The Vikings ship their oars  and  sit  there  in  the mist listening to

beating of Halfdan's drum getting closer and closer.

At the final moment, however, Halfdan  swings  his ship in the opposite

direction from Erik's and the  sound  of  his  drum disappears into the

mist. Erik's men breathe a sigh of relief... even Keitel Blacksmith...

Fade.

Fade up some time later. GOLDEN DRAGON is still drifting in the mist.

Erik has his  fish-lodestone  and  is  trying  the  direction,  but the

lodestone is just swinging round  uselessly.  After trying a few times,

Erik gives up and throws the lodestone away into the boat.

The men peer into the thick mist; they are lost.

Suddenly Erik sees something ahead.



ERIK		The Gates of the World...

MORD FIDDLE	What?



GOLDEN DRAGON silently guides between two weird islands.



ERIK		We have passed through the Gates  of the World (he looks around

at the other) No we are in the Unknown...



GOLDEN DRAGON drifts on and the mist  gets thicker. There is a crash of

thunder. Then a series of flashes  lights  up the mist around them. The

Vikings are uneasy, sensing a storm brewing. Suddenly Erik points above

them. The others look up too. They all gasp.



ERIK (hardly daring to breathe) So THAT is what the sun looks like!



Above them hangs  a  luminous  yellow  globe,  its  light just breaking

through the mist.



VIKING (to each other) The sun! It's the sun! Look!

SVEN'S DAD (in wonderment) I never though I should live to see the sun again.

HARALD MISSIONARY Where?



The Vikings all gaze up above them in awe. Harald looks from one to the

other and then tries to follow their eyelines. He clearly can't see it.

Magic music fills the air. Suddenly  the  "sun"  swoops off to one side

and starts swaying from one side to another.



ERIK		Should the sun do that?

HARALD MISSIONARY What are you looking at?

ERIK		Look out!

VIKINGS		Ah!



The Vikings scream and  flatten  themselves  against  the  sides of the

boat, as the "sun"  suddenly  lurches  down  on  them  out  of the sky,

revealing for the first time  that  it  is  NOT  the  sun  at all but a

strange monster with a long neck that  disappears off into the mist and

a glowing globe for a head,  and  huge  chomping jaws. The Vikings are,

understandably, terrified.



VIKINGS		It's not the sun! It's not the sun!

HARALD MISSIONARY What is it?

SNORRI		It's the Dragon of the North Sea!

HARALD MISSIONARY (knowingly) Ah! THAT'S why I can't see it.



As the Dragon  of  the  North  Sea  rises  up  again,  however, its jaw

apparently drops off and falls to the deck, and lands on Snorri.



SNORRI		Aaah!



Keitel nervously picks it up and holds it  up for everyone to see. I is

a strand of sea-weed. The  Vikings  are  non-plussed. They look back at

their now jawless monster. Harald Missionary picks up the sea-weed.



HARALD		Some dragon! Ooh!



He tosses it back amongst  his  terrifies companions. Suddenly there is

an incredibly loud clap of thunder and flames shoot out of the mist.



SVEN		Look out!



As... unbelievably... a huge monstrous visage  looms out of the mist...

It is a creature from  the  nethermost  depths  of the ocean... and the

incandescent globe is no more than a  sprouting on the end of its nose!

More fire shoots out from its  nostrils  and sends all the Vikings (and

even Harald Missionary) diving for  the  deck.  Then the monstrous head

disappears back into the mist as  quickly  as it came, taking its light

with it...

The Vikings are paralysed with fear for one brief moment.



ERIK		Row! ROW!



They all scramble for  the  oars  in  a  determined  hysteria. Ivar the

drummer, in his panic, has set a  ridiculously fast rate and nobody can

keep up with it.



ERIK		Slower! Nobody can row at that speed!

IVAR (hoarsely)	Sorry.

HARALD		What's all the panic about?

SVEN'S DAD (in a panic, shouting back over his shoulder) The Dragon...



Harald gives a patronising smile.



HARALD		Children afraid of the dark...



Suddenly there is another roar, and  flames  shoot  out of the mist and

across the deck  of  GOLDEN  DRAGON.  One  man,  Ornolf Fishdriver, who

hasn't had much  to  say  so  far,  is  set  on  fire.  Another, Bjarni

Jerusalem-Farer, who has and will  have  even  less  to say then Ornolf

Fishdriver, leaps out of the way of the flames and falls over the side.



THORFINN	Man over board!



Thorfinn starts trying to fish him  out.  Ivar has started to panic and

is beating the drum too fast.



ERIK		Slower! In... Out...

IVAR		Sorry!

SVEN (his eyes showing their whites) We're being attacked! KILL! Kill! Kill!

SVEN'S DAD	Not now, Sven...

SVEN		I must KILL! Kill!

SVEN'S DAD	It's no good going berserk against a dragon!



Sven's dad slaps him around the  face.  There  is another roar from the

monster. Erik turns to Ivar.



ERIK		Faster!

IVAR		Make your mind up.



Suddenly the Dragon's head appears  out  of  the  mists above them once

again. There is panic amongst the  Vikings  as some start to row faster

than others. Screams.



ERIK		Keep up the strike!



The Dragon's jaws open. Flame  licks  out,  and  down the centre of the

vessel. There are screams as the Vikings leap out of the way. Sven goes

berserk again.



SVEN		KILL! KILL!

SVEN'S DAD	Stop it!



The Dragon's eyes dilate and its jaws open. The men throw themselves to

the deck as if expecting  more  fire.  But instead the creature's fangs

crash into the wood of the stern of GOLDEN DRAGON.



ERIK		ROW!

SVEN		DEATH!

SVEN'S DAD	Shut UP!

ERIK		Row!



Erik looks around at his terror-stricken  crew.  He realizes this is an

important moment. It is up to  him  to  save the situation. Suddenly an

idea occurs to him, as he catches  sight  of the pillow that his mother

gave him.



ERIK		Keep rowing!



Erik dashes to his sea-chest under the mast and pulls out the pillow.



THORFINN	Erik! Row! What are you doing?

ERIK (holding up the pillow) It saved my father!



Erik starts to shin up the mast.



SNORRI		Barmy.



Sven's dad is desperately holding Sven back.



SVEN'S DAD	HOLD it! HOLD it in!

SVEN		DEATH TO DRAGONS!

ERIK		Row!

SNORRI		Has anyone told him we've got a dragon eating our boat?



Erik has reached the top  of  the  mast  and  is  now right up with the

incandescent globe on the end  of  the  long  stalk that grows onto the

monster's nose.  He  grabs  hold  of  it  and  swings  across  onto the

monster's nose. At his moment Sven  breaks  free  of his dad and throws

himself onto one of the Dragon's teeth.



SVEN		Red mist!



He bangs his  head  against  the  monstrous  denture.  Sven's dad looks

heavenward in despair.

Cut to Harald Missionary who  is  offering  his  bible to the petrifies

Vikings in the prow.



HARALD		It's at time like this that  you'll find this book MOST useful,

you know...



Keitel takes the bible from him and hits him over the head with it.



KEITEL		Row! You idiot!



The monster's eyes dilate  wildly  as  they  try  to  focus on the tiny

figure of Erik on its  snout.  Erik  shoves  the  pillow  up one of the

Dragon's nostrils. Snorri  watches  Erik  incredulously.  He shakes his

head.



SNORRI		His father went crazy too...  Used  to  take forty winks in the

middle of a battle...



Thorfinn frowns - he has a glimmering of an idea of what Erik is doing.

Erik now plunges his sword through  the pillow in the Dragon's nostril,

and feathers immediately fly into the air.



ERIK		Now... take a deep breath.



The Dragon goes cross-eyed, trying to see what's going on on its snout.



ERIK		Go on! Breathe in, you cod-brain!



Meanwhile the Dragon's tongue suddenly licks out around its tooth. Sven

instantly slices through it with  his  sword.  The bright blood spurts,

like bursting a sausage. The Dragon gives  an agonized roar and a sharp

intake of breath. The feathers that have leaked out from the pillow are

instantly sucked inside and the  whole  pillow  disappears right up the

Dragon's nose.

For a moment  everyone  holds  their  breath.  The  Dragon's eye dilate

wildly. Then it wrinkles its snout. Then it starts what is unmistakably

a sneeze.



THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH SEA Ah... ah... ah...

ERIK		Hold TIGHT!

THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH SEA Ah... ah... ah...



Erik leaps back across the mast.



THE DRAGON OF THE NORTH SEA CHOO!!



A hurricane of wind and  feathers  blasts  out of the Dragon's nostrils

and hits all the Vikings at once. Everyone is disgusted by the Dragon's

breath.



SNORRI		Urgh! What's it been eating?



But the blast has already  catapulted  the  boat  into  the sky, and it

hurtles through the clouds. leaving  the  Dragon  of  the North Sea far

behind. They all look up at Erik and cheer.

Shot of Erik. He doesn't look too happy.

Neither does Ivar the Boneless,  because  he  too has just noticed that

they are now flying and the ocean  is several thousand feet below them.

Ivar screams. The other all rush to the side to look too.



ERIK		No! No! Get back!



Unfortunately they all rush to  the  SAME  side  and the boat tips over

with far more instability  than  when  it  is  in  the  water. Leif and

Thangbrand are catapulted down into the sea. We watch them descend into

tiny dots and tiny unheard splashes below.



THORFINN	Who was that?

SNORRI		Leif the Lucky.



Others are almost falling out. There is renewed panic.



ERIK		Get back!



Poor Erik is still  up  the  mast  but  has  been  dislodged and is now

hanging on by his hands, dangling over the  open sea. Some of the men -

Thorfinn and Sven the Berserk amongst  them - are hauling themselves up

the almost vertical slope of the  deck,  trying to redress the balance.

Meanwhile Keitel Blacksmith is dangling by one hand.



KEITEL		I can't hold on! I can't hold on!



Sven worms his way along the  edge  -  at  great peril to himself - and

grabs Keitel's wrist just as his fingers slip.



KEITEL		Aaagh!

SVEN		Got you!



Keitel looks up in Sven's  eyes.  He  is  totally at Sven's mercy. What

thoughts are going through his mind? How  is he going to betray Sven in

future if he is rescued? Guilt suddenly overwhelms him.



KEITEL		Let me go, Sven.

SVEN		What are you talking about?

KEITEL		I'm not worth risking your life for.

SVEN		I've got you, Keitel Blacksmith. If you go... I go too...

KEITEL		For your own sake... For the others... I...

SVEN		Hang on...



The boat begins to right itself just  as Erik finally can't hold on any

more, and he plummets, straight into  the  ship, and through the bottom

up to his waist. His legs dangle.

At the same moment the  prov  of  the  boat  tips and suddenly they are

plummeting down towards the ocean. They  hit the water with an almighty

splash. Erik is thrown clear of the hull  by the force of the water now

cascading up through the hole he has made.



SNORRI		First we're flying - now we're sinking!

ERIK		Well, come on!



He whisks off his helmet  and  starts  bailing.  All follow suit. Night

falls.

Some time later.

The Vikings are still bailing out, but the water is up to their thighs.



IVAR THE BONELESS Who are we fooling? It's hopeless!



Ivar flings down the helmet  with  which  he's been bailing. The others

look at each other. They are reconciled to the fact that they are going

to drown.



HARALD MISSIONARY (hopelessly) Let's sing something!

SNORRI		Anyone know any good drowning songs?



The suggestion falls flat.



ERIK		Listen! Maybe we won't  get  to  Hy-Brasil! Maybe we won't find

the Horn Resounding... but at least we've tried... and at least

we shall have died like men.

SNORRI		Like fish.

SVEN		Shut up.

THORFINN (raising his sword) Erik's right! We'll all meet in Valhalla.

IVAR		I don'T want to die!

HARALD MISSIONARY Isn't there ANYBODY who'd like  to be christened before we go

down?



Silence. A distinct lack of enthusiasm.



HARALD		It can't do you any HARM...

SVEN'S DAD	What do we have to do?

HARALD		Nothing... I just immense you in water...

THORFINN AND OTHERS Get lost...



The ship creaks and starts to  go  under.  Erik picks his up his sword.

The others follow suit.



ERIK		Don't let me drown, Thorfinn!



Water starts to pour over  the  sides  of  the  boat. Erik and Thorfinn

raise their swords to each other.



THORFINN	Till we meet in Valhalla.



They all prepare to run each other through. The boat sinks rapidly.



IVAR THE BONELESS I'm too young! Oh  Odin!  Not  me! Please not me! Perhaps I'd

rather drown...

HARALD MISSIONARY I do WISH you'd let me convert you.



Then Erik pauses in his attempt to  kill Thorfinn and looks around. The

ship has sunk, but the prow and  the  stern posts are still sticking up

out of the water,  and  the  Vikings  themselves  are  only up to their

chests.



ERIK		How deep IS the ocean?

THORFINN	Very deep... usually...



The realization gradually dawns on  the  Vikings that they're not going

to sink any more.



ERIK		Wait! Nobody kill anybody!



Fade.

Fade up on the sun  shining  down  from  a  blue  sky. The Vikings have

fallen asleep where we last  saw  them  -  up  to their necks in water.

Gradually the warmth of the  sun  coaxes  them  awake - Thorfinn is the

first to look up and see the brilliant shining orb in the sky.



THORFINN	What is it?

IVAR THE BONELESS (he panics and turns) It's the Dragon again!

ERIK		No.. no, it isn't...



Ivar has turned and is staring at something else.



ERIK		Look, the sky is blue...

SVEN'S DAD	The sun! That's it!



Ivar, meanwhile, is recovering from  the amazement that has immobilized

him. He taps Erik on the shoulder. Erik turns and he, too, gasps.



ERIK		Look!



They all turn to see  they  are  standing  in  the  shallow waters of a

natural harbour. Above nestle the white  walls  of a beautiful city set

in a green and pleasant land.



VIKINGS		Yeaaaah!



The Vikings wade ashore,  enchanted  by  the  paradise  they see before

them. All at once Thorfinn spies something. He draws his sword and they

all approach with caution to find that under a weeping willow tree lies

the most beautiful girl. She is raven-haired, scantily dressed and fast

asleep. The Vikings approach  her  with  trepidation,  their swords and

axes drawn. They glance around uneasily.



SNORRI (whispers) She's got no clothes on!

THORFINN	It's disgusting.

ERIK		Get her weapons.



Sven kneels quietly  beside  the  girl.  She  stirs.  Sven freezes. The

others look around fearfully.



SVEN (whispers)	She hasn't got any.

ERIK (incredulous) She MUST have a knife or something...



But they look. She hasn't.



THORFINN	What kind of place IS this?

IVAR THE BONELESS P... p...perhaps they've  got weapons we haven't even dreamed

of...



Suddenly the girl stirs again in her sleep. The Vikings retreat several

paces and grip their  weapons,  and  glance  around  as if expecting an

ambush.



THORFINN	Let's hack her to pieces.

ERIK		No.

KEITEL		Well, what else do we do?

ERIK		How about making friends?

SVEN (with disgust) "FRIENDS"?

VIKINGS		Eurrgh!

ERIK		What's wrong with making friends?

THORFINN	You don't go through all  the  hardships  of an ocean voyage to

make "friends".

SVEN		We can make "friends" at home...



This conversation has woken the girl, Aud.



AUD		Welcome!



The Vikings react with terror, take a  step back and raise their swords

and axes.



ERIK		WHAT did you say?

AUD		I said welcome.

ERIK (suspiciously) WELCOME?

AUD		Well, of course. We always welcome friends.



The Vikings look at each other  and  at  their swords. They don't think

they look that much like friends themselves.



ERIK		How d'you KNOW we're "friends"?

AUD		Well, EVERYONE is friends here on Hy-Brasil.

SVEN		Hy-Brasil?

ERIK		Is THIS Hy-Brasil?

AUD		Well, of course.



The Vikings erupt into an  impromptu  dance  of joy, hugging each other

and waving their swords in the air.



AUD		Please! Please! What are those?

ERIK		What are what?

AUD		Those things in your hands.

ERIK		These? What are THESE? They're swords.



Aud instantly recoils with terror.



AUD		Oh no! NO! Out them down! PUT THEM DOWN!



The Vikings gradually cease their mock battles  and turn to look at Aud

with incredulity.



ERIK		What's the matter?

AUD		PLEASE! You don't know what you're doing!

ERIK		What?

AUD		Put them down! (To Erik) PLEASE make them put them down.

THORFINN	Why?

OTHERS		Yes, why?

AUD		WHY?

ERIK		Yes.

AUD		But surely you know...?

VIKINGS		Er... n... no...

ERIK		Know what?



Cut to big close-up of King Arnulf.



KING ARNULF	The wonderful blessing under which we live here on Hy-Brasil!



The king beams. The Vikings shift uneasily.  They look out of place and

extremely scruffy in the  midst  of  the  scantily dressed courtiers of

Hy-Brasil. Aud sits beside her father the King.



ERIK		No... we don't...

KING ARNULF	The Gods decreed  that  if  ever  sword spills human blood upon

these shores, the  whole  of  Hy-Brasil  will  sink beneath the

waves.



King Arnulf beams rapturously  at  the  Vikings,  expecting  them to be

overjoyed. Instead they are horrified.



THORFINN	That's terrible!

ERIK		You mean if just ONE PERSON gets killed?

KING ARNULF	Yes! (He thinks: isn't it wonderful?)



The Vikings look at each other, feeling they haven't quite understood.



THORFINN	You mean... you can't kill ANYBODY?

KING ARNULF	Right! Isn't it wonderful?



The Vikings are non-plussed.



THORFINN	What? Not being able to kill anybody?

KING ARNULF (bemused) Well, of course.

ERIK (interested) How?

KING ARNULF (explaining the obvious)  Well...  for  a start... er... there's no

killing...

ERIK		Well, OBVIOUSLY there's no killing.

KING ARNULF	Well... [isn't it great?]

THORFINN	But how d'you take revenge?

KEITEL (guiltily) How do you punish people?

IVAR		How do you DEFEND yourselves?

KING ARNULF (getting a little irritated)  We  don't have to. We're all terribly

nice to each other. Aren't we?

COURT		Yes!



Aud catches Erik's eye and gives  him  a dangerously slow wink. A pause

of disbelief from the Vikings.



SVEN		ALL the time?

KING ARNULF	Well, of course! We HAVE to be.



He turns and conducts the courtiers, who chant in unison:



COURT		"Being nice to each other is what it's all about."

KING ARNULF (rising as if to sing) You see?

We're terribly nice to each other

We're friendly bold and free.

We never say anything nasty

'Cause we dare not...

COURT (almost SINGING) No sirreeeee!



They hold the note while King Arnulf looks anxiously at the Vikings.



KING ARNULF	Would you like us o sing to you?

ERIK		That's very  kind  of  you,  but  we're  in  rather  a hurry...

We're...



King Arnulf claps and the court stop singing.



KING ARNULF	What's the matter, don't you WANT to hear our singing?

ERIK		Oh... well, yes, of  course;  it's  just  we're looking for the

Horn Resounding and -

KING ARNULF	You don't think our singing's going to be good enough for you?

ERIK		Oh, no no no! It's just the Horn Resounding is...

KING ARNULF	A lot of people like our singing.

ERIK		I'm sure it's lovely.

KING ARNULF	But you don't want to hear it.

ERIK (changing tack) No... no... (he looks at the others) We'd love to hear it.

Wouldn't we?

VIKINGS		Oh... yes.

KING ARNULF	Well, you'll have to ask us REALLY nicely.

ERIK (realizing he has to  be  diplomatic)  Er...  well... we... we... would be

TERRIBLY grateful if you... all... would sing for us.

KING ARNULF	You're just saying that.

SVEN		Well, of course he is!

SVEN'S DAD	Sh!



They restrain Sven.



ERIK		Of course we're not; we'd genuinely like to hear you sing.

KING ARNULF	REALLY?

ERIK		Really.

KING ARNULF	And you're not just saying it because you think we want you to?



Erik swallows hard.



ERIK		No. (He bites the lie)

KING ARNULF	Right! Summon the musicians!  We'll  do the one that goes "TUM-

TUM-TUM-TUM-TI-TUM-TUM"

COURT (disappointed) Oh...

CHAMBERLAIN	REALLY?

KING ARNULF (apologetically to Vikings) It isn't the one we're BEST at.

CHAMBERLAIN	Couldn't we do the one that goes "TI-TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TUM"?



The rest of the court look hopeful.



KING ARNULF (whispering) Not when we've got guests.

VOICE FROM COURT How about the one that goes "TI-TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TI-TUM"?

KING ARNULF	Don't be silly.

CHAMBERLAIN	That was a stupid suggestion.

VOICE		Sorry! I just thought they might like to hear something that we

can do.

ANOTHER		Yes! At least we know that one.

YET ANOTHER VOICE Nobody knows the "TUM-TUM-TUM-TUM-TI-TUM-TUM" one.

REST OF COURT	No! Right! I agree!

ODD MAN OUT	I do!

REST OF COURT	Sh!

ANOTHER VOICE	It's too difficult!

CHAMBERLAIN	Sh!

KING ARNULF	All right. We'll  do  the  one that goes "TI-TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TUM-

TI-TI-TUM". Ah! The musicians!



The musicians are huge, unshaven,  have  broken  noses and tattoos, and

are covered in black oil -  like  mechanics. Their instruments are like

heavy industrial machinery, pushed in large vats of black oil that drip

all over the show.



KING ARNULF	Right... Oh dear... (he glances across at the Vikings) I'm sure

you're not going to like this...



Erik and the others smile reassuringly.

There is a lot of coughing. The  King  raises his baton and then brings

it down, humming to himself as he  does  so. There is a most awful din;

caterwauling, crashing and banging, whining, screaming...

The Vikings look at each other, trying  to pick out some tune, but it's

impossible. Ivar the  Boneless  can't  stop  himself  bursting out into

giggles and this eventually spreads  to  the other Vikings. King Arnulf

notices and bangs the throne for silence.

Gradually the din stops. King Arnulf sinks down in despair.



KING ARNULF (tragically) We're just not a very musical nation...

ERIK		No, no... It was very... er, nice.

KING ARNULF	Now I want you to be ABSOLUTELY, totally, genuinely honest with

me. Did you really, truly, honestly like it?



Erik thinks for some moments and then decides to make a clean breast of

it.



ERIK		No.

KING ARNULF (goes hysterically) They didn't like it! Oh God! I want to die!



The whole court looks as if it's  about to commit mass HARA-KIRI, while

the musicians look rather dangerous. Erik  takes the moment to get down

to business.



ERIK		Your Majesty! We come  from  a  world  where there IS no music.

where men live and die by the axe and by the sword...

KING ARNULF	Well, how d'you think I feel?

ERIK		The Gods are asleep, King Arnulf.

KING ARNULF	YOU try to  be  nice  to  people,  when they're rude about your

singing...



Erik feels he is making a mess of all this diplomacy.



ERIK		We must find the Horn Resounding!



The King glares at Erik.



ERIK		Is is HERE in Hy-Brasil?



King Arnulf thinks for a moment and then speaks.



KING ARNULF	I'll tell you what...

ERIK		Yes?



King Arnulf hesitates - he bites his lip and then takes the plunge.



KING ARNULF  	We'll  do  the  one  that  goes  "TUM-TUM-TUM-TUM-TI-TUM-TUM".

Perhaps you'll like that better.



Erik gives up. A  lot  of  throat  clearing.  Aud, the King's daughter,

gives Erik another dangerously slow  wink.  The terrible "music" starts

up, shattering the calm of the beautiful city.

Fade.

Fade up on GOLDEN DRAGON now afloat  once more, riding at anchor in the

bay. Ivar is standing on guard  in  it. Suddenly he sees something that

makes him gabe in  horror.  We  don't  find  out  what  it is, however,

because we immediately

Cut to Erik.

He is deeply  in  love.  He  is  also  in  bed  with  the King's nubile

daughter, Aud.



AUD		Have you ever felt like this about anyone else?

ERIK		What... you mean "got into bed with" them?

AUD		No, of course not, silly - I mean FELT like this about the?

ERIK		You mean... you HAVE got into bed with somebody else?

AUD		No, I mean have you ever  felt  that for the first time in your

life you'd met somebody you  could  believe  in with your whole

heart... someone whose goals suddenly  seem to be YOUR goals...

whose dreams seem to be YOUR dreams?

ERIK		HAVE you ever been to bed with anyone else?

AUD		What does that matter?  But  you've... you've... FELT like this

before...

ERIK		It was different...

AUD (just for a moment it is Helga speaking) What was she like?

ERIK		Oh... oh, I didn't know her very well...

AUD		But you LOVED her all the same...

ERIK		We never went to bed together.

AUD		Why do you go on about that? What does it matter?

ERIK		You've been to bed with somebody else, haven't you?

AUD		I've never LOVED anybody!

ERIK		I'VE never been to bed with anybody!



Suddenly there is a banging on he door.



KING ARNULF (v/o) Open up! I know you're in there!

AUD		Ah! It's my father!

KING ARNULF (v/o) Open up! I know you're in there!



Suddenly the note from Ivar's horn rings  out across from the bay. Erik

rushes to the window and looks out  to  see what Ivar saw previously: a

black ship approaching on the horizon.



ERIK		Oh, no! Halfdan!



There is more banging on the bedroom door.



KING ARNULF (v/o) Aud! You've got someone in there again, haven't you?



Erik gives her a sharp look.



AUD		Quick! Throw this over you!



She throws a shabby bit of cloth over  Erik and at that moment the door

bursts open, and King Arnulf enters.



KING ARNULF	Right! Where is he?

AUD		Who, Father?

KING ARNULF	Who? Who? Whoever you've got in here of course!

AUD		There IS no one.



The King starts prowling round  the  chamber.  Erik stands there, naked

and petrified, with the  cloak  hanging  over  his  head, just where it

landed.



KING ARNULF	I can SMELL one of  those  strangers... That's who it is, isn't

it?



Aud keeps mum.



KING ARNULF	This is the fifth one this week.



Before he can stop himself, Erik blurts out:



ERIK		Fifth...



Aud motions him to be quiet, but it's too late. The King spins round to

see who she is signalling to.  The  King appears to be looking straight

at Erik. Erik can hardly bear the suspense.



KING ARNULF	Well... where is he?

AUD		There's nobody here, Father. Look for yourself.



King Arnulf looks  around  the  chamber  carefully.  He  looks straight

through Erik as if he weren't there.  Suddenly the King strides over to

Erik and Erik instinctively  cowers  out  of  the  way.  The King walks

straight over to a very small cupboard no more than a foot high, flings

the door of it open, and starts throwing clothes around the room.



AUD		He  wouldn't be a midget, Father!



The King turns on her.



KING ARNULF	Ah! So you admit there IS someone!

AUD		You're losing your temper!

KING (becoming instantly pleasant) Of course I'm not. I never lose my temper...



Ivar's horn sounds again. A shadow passes over King Arnulf's face.



KING ARNULF	Oh dear... more visitors!



He strides to the window and sees  Halfdan's  ship. As he does so, Erik

has to leap out of the  way,  inadvertently  knocking a chest. The King

spins round and addresses the chest.



KING ARNULF	Come out... come out like a man... I know you're in there...



King Arnulf flings the chest open. revealing nothing but clothes. He is

baffled. He reluctantly starts to leave.



AUD (gently)	It's all in your own  mind, Father... It's YOU who imagine that

I'm always up here with some man or other....

KING ARNULF	I don't know how you do it, Aud... I sometimes think you've got

some of your mother's magic...



He suddenly spies a small trinket-box and looks in that. But he doesn't

find any strange man in it.



AUD		There is no magic, Father... My mother had no magic...

KING ARNULF	She did, I tell you! She  could blind me as easily as the night

the day.

AUD		It's your fantasy...

KING ARNULF	But one day I'll catch you... Like I caught her...



He leaves. Aud closes the door.  Erik  throws  the cloak off and starts

getting dressed.



AUD		The Cloak Invisible. It was my mother's parting gift.

ERIK		"The fifth one this week"!

AUD		Oh, for goodness' sake!

ERIK		And I thought you said it was something special...



Aud runs to his side and puts her arms around him.



AUD		That's just what I was trying to tell you. You ARE...

ERIK		Five this week; how many the week before?

AUD		You're as bad as my father.

ERIK		And the week before that?

ERIK		Erik...! (she is really  sincere)  I  want  to  help you get to

Asgaard.



Erik is torn. He doesn't  know  whether  to  believe her or not. Ivar's

horn sounds for a third time. Erik  races  to the window. He looks out.

Halfdan's ship is even closer.



ERIK		We mustn't let him land!

AUD		Who?

ERIK		Halfdan the Black.

AUD		But, Erik...



But Erik is off out of the door.



AUD		No. Wait! My father will be -



There is a thump and a  yell  as  Erik  is  set  upon by the King's two

musicians.



KING ARNULF	I might have known it was you!

MUSICIAN 1 (pinning Erik's arms behind him) I'm not hurting you, am I?

ERIK		What?

MUSICIAN 2	You WILL tell us if we hurt you?



They start to march Erik through the palace.



ERIK		Let me go!



Erik struggles.



KING ARNULF (to musicians) Careful! (to Erik) They're not supposed to hurt you.

ERIK		You've got to let me go!

MUSICIAN 2	Oh no! We can hold onto you - just so long we don't squeeze too

hard or bump you.



In the distance we hear the horn again.



ERIK		Halfdan the Black's here!



They have reached a cell. The musicians starts to chain Erik up.



KING ARNULF	It's all part  of  our  safety  regulations. You see if someone

were to get hurt they might get angry and then... well...

ERIK		They'll be more than "hurt" if Halfdan the Black lands! Ow!

MUSICIAN	Ooh! I'm terribly sorry.

KING ARNULF	Who is Halfdan the Black?

ERIK		He's trying to stop us waking the Gods.

KING ARNULF	Why?

ERIK		Because that's how he makes his money, by war and plunder!

KING ARNULF	Don't talk nonsense.

ERIK		He wants to kill US!

KING ARNULF	Not when we explain about the Great Blessing.

ERIK		You don't know Halfdan the Black.

KING ARNULF	I know  that  the  Great  Blessing  has  kept  the  peace for a

thousand years, and will keep it for the next thousand.



The horn sounds again. Erik is about  to argue this point when Thorfinn

suddenly bursts in.



THORFINN	Erik!

MUSICIAN 2	We're not hurting him!

MUSICIAN 1 (to Erik) Are we?

ERIK		Just let me go!

THORFINN	Halfdan the Black's here!

ERIK		I know!

THORFINN (to the King) He wants to KILL us.



They both look at King Arnulf. The King thinks.



ERIK		You don't want him to kill us ON Hy-Brasil! Do you?



The King thinks some more. The horn sounds once more.

Cut to GOLDEN DRAGON. Erik  and  the  Vikings are scrambling into their

war gear. They glance nervously over  to where Halfdan the Black's ship

is riding on the waves.



THORFINN	I feel strange.



Erik looks at Thorfinn, shocked.



IVAR THE BONELESS (his throat dry) Sort of wobbly and excited?

THORFINN	Sort of...

IVAR		That's fear.

SVEN		But Thorfinn doesn't know the meaning of fear.

THORFINN	Is it sort of... like a sinking feeling in your stomach?

IVAR		That's it!

ERIK		But. You're not even afraid of DEATH, Thorfinn!

THORFINN	I know. I know.

SVEN'S DAD	It's magic.

ERIK		What "magic"?

SVEN'S DAD	I've heard stories of a  magic that strikes fear into the heart

so you cannot fight.

SVEN (deadly serious) Yes... I can feel it.

IVAR THE BONELESS (eagerly) I always feel like this!



Suddenly Halfdan's ship rises up out  of  the water , and revealing the

secret of its hidden power.  Under  the  water-line  is another line of

oars! The Vikings are dumbfounded.  Ivar  drops trembling to his knees.

The rest go white. Thorfinn draws his  sword. Erik realizes his men are

rapidly talking themselves into a blue funk.



ERIK		It's not magic! It's just a trick!

THORFINN (turning on him angrily) Don't you FEEL it?



Erik looks around at his paralysed crew. He realizes he is the only one

who can save the situation.



ERIK		Very well! It they're using magic - we'll use magic of our own!



He leaps out of GOLDEN DRAGON  and  races  up  to the shore towards the

city of Hy-Brasil.

Erik races into the Forum and gazes up at the high walls of the Palace.

Without a thought he produces  two  daggers  and  plunges them into the

stonework. Then he hauls himself up the sheer cliff of wall up to Aud's

bedchamber fist over fist. It is, indeed, a prodigious feat. He arrives

at Aud's window exhausted. Aud, who  has  appeared at the window, looks

at him curiously.



AUD		Why didn't you come up by the stairs?



Erik looks around  and  notices  for  the  first  time  the magnificent

flights of stairs leading up to the top of Aud's tower.



ERIK (rather miffed) Just give me a hand.

AUD		I mean, you could have killed yourself.



Erik clambers into Aud's room.



ERIK		Where's the Cloak Invisible?

AUD		Why?



Erik looks around and is suddenly suspicious.



ERIK		I can't see it! (Indignation  suddenly seizes him) Have you got

another man in here?



Erik starts feeling the air as if expecting to find an invisible body.



AUD		It's in the chest.



Erik races over and grabs the cloak.



AUD		No!

ERIK		I'll bring it back.

AUD		Erik. You don't understand.

ERIK		No. It's YOU who doesn't  understand,  Aud. Halfdan has come to

kill and destroy. We brought him here. We must stop him.

AUD (pointing at the cloak) But you don't realize....

ERIK		Goodbye, Aud...



Erik leaps out of the window.  For  a  moment Aud is surprised and then

alarmed as she realizes he's jumped  out  of  the window, which is some

forty feet off the ground.



AUD		Erik!



She rushes to the window in time  to see Erik parachuting down, holding

the four corners of the  cloak.  Erik  lands  safely and waves with the

cloak.



ERIK		And thanks for the Cloak Invisible!

AUD		No! WAIT! ERIK! The Cloak!  The  CLoak Invisible! It only seems

to work on my father!



But Erik cannot hear her. He is already racing back to his ship.

Back on GOLDEN DRAGON, Thorfinn  is  taking "Being Scared" lessons from

Ivar the Boneless.



THORFINN	And a sort of slightly sick feeling?

IVAR		That's it! AND you keep wanting to go to the lavatory.

THORFINN	Oh, yes! I hadn't noticed that!

SNORRI		Oh, shut up, you two. You're making us ALL nervous.



Erik leaps into GOLDEN DRAGON brandishing the Cloak Invisible.



ERIK		So Halfdan the Black's using magic, is he? Well, I have a magic

to match his! (he holds up the Cloak Invisible)

KEITEL		What is it?

SNORRI		A magic dishcloth.

ERIK		To the oars!

THORFINN	D'you think I've got time to go behind that bush?



Ivar starts to drum and the  Vikings  begin to row. GOLDEN DRAGON heads

out of the harbour.

Cut to Halfdan the Black  flanked  by  his  advisers, Gisli Oddsson and

Eilif the Mongul. He gives a nod and Eilif bangs his staff of office on

the deck, as a signal for the  galley  slaves  to speed up. Down in the

galley, the slave master (a diminutive  Japanese) stalks down the decks

lashing  the  sweat-streaked  galley   slaves   and   cursing  them  in

incomprehensive Japanese.

Fortunately  (or  perhaps  unfortunately)   a  translation  appears  in

subtitles.



SLAVE-DRIVER (subtitled) Row!  You  incomprehensible,  horizontal-eyed, Western

trouser-wearers! Eurgh! You all  look  the  same  to  me! How I

despise your lack of subtlety  and your joined-up writing! You,

who have never committed ritual suicide in your lives!

SLAVE (whispering to his neighbour) You know, I don't think it would be so bad,

if we knew what he was saying...

SLAVE-DRIVER	SILENCE! Unceremonious  rice-pudding  eaters!  How  I abominate

your milk-drinking and your  lack  of ancestor-worship and your

failure to eat your lunch out of little boxes!



Meanwhile the Vikings  are  growing  increasingly  uneasy  as  they row

towards Halfdan.



SVEN'S DAD	What "magic" have you brought, Erik?

ERIK		You'll see!



At this point, back on the  Black  Ship,  Halfdan gives another nod and

Eilif raps out yet another command  with  his staff. This time the prow

of the Black Ship opens up like a pair of jaws.

The Vikings see it and panic.



IVAR THE BONELESS I've done it!

THORFINN	Oh, yes... (he has too!)



Halfdan nods again and another order is rapped out. This time a harpoon

is fired from  the  prow.  It  thuds  into  gOLDEN  DRAGON  and  two of

Halfdan's dog-soldiers start to winch  the  line  in. The two ships are

hauled closer and closer.

The Vikings panic even  more.  Erik  holds  up  the Cloak Invisible and

grins round at his men, knowing he is going to surprise them.



ERIK		Here! Here is the magic from the King's daughter!



Erik's men watch, half  sceptical  and  half  hopeful.  Erik enjoys the

moment of suspense. The he throws the Cloak Invisible over his head and

shoulders and grins round  at  his  men  triumphantly, imagining he has

vanished from their sight.



ERIK		There! I have become the wind!



The Vikings look  at  him,  rather  puzzled.  Only  Harald  seems to be

impressed.



HARALD		How did he do that?

SVEN'S DAD	Do what?

HARALD		Vanish into thin air?

SVEN'S DAD	He hasn't.

HARALD		Well, where is he then?



Harald looks around. He is the only one who can't see Erik.



SVEN'S DAD	He's THERE!



At this point Halfdan's ship  suddenly  bites  into  the side of GOLDEN

DRAGON. Erik leaps onto the  side  of  GOLDEN  DRAGON and swings across

onto Halfdan's ship. The Vikings react  to the horror of Halfdan's ship

biting into GOLDEN DRAGON  and  to  Erik's  blithe  leap onto the enemy

boat. Erik lands on  the  deck  of  Halfdan's  ship,  and  grins at the

ferocious skull-helmeted dog-soldiers.



ERIK		Ooh! Scary! Scary! Don't we look mean?



Two dog-soldiers look at each other, totally non-plussed. Erik grimaces

at Halfdan's men, and does  a  little  pirouette  to show them all that

he's invisible from every angle.



ERIK		You can't see me! But I can see you!



He breaks into a little dance. Halfdan glares at his advisers.



HALFDAN		What's going on?

GISLI ODDSSON	That's Erik.

HALFDAN		Well, why isn't he scared of us?



Erik, meanwhile approaches  one  of  the  dog-soldiers  and makes silly

faces at him.



ERIK		Boo!



The dog-soldier topples  overboard.  The  galley  slaves  watch another

dog-soldier fall into the hold amongst  them and lie there stunned. His

sword falls onto the deck between the  slaves. One of the slaves throws

down his oar, and picks  up  the  dog-soldier's sword. The slave-master

suddenly appears. Once again he speaks immaculate JApanese.



SLAVE-MASTER (subtitled) Hey! What's going on?  Your big-breasted women give me

no pleasure with their warmed-up fish and... Urgh!



The slave-master strides down the ship to flay the offending slave, but

another slave trips him up and  in  a  twinkling  of an eye four others

have  leapt  on  the  slave-master   (despite  their  chains)  and  are

extracting his keys.



HALFDAN		What's the matter? Haven't you seen anyone fight before?

DOG-SOLDIER 1	No.

DOG-SOLDIER 2	They're usually too scared of us.

HALFDAN		KILL him!



Erik, still  thinking  he's  invisible,  is  running  amongst  the dog-

soldiers, having fun. He runs one dog-soldier through and kicks another

overboard, then he runs past a  few  more, right up to Halfdan himself.

He whisks the Cloak Invisible off his head for an instant.



ERIK (thinking he's revealing himself) Here I am!



Then he turns and is off. Halfdan turns to his aides.



HALFDAN		What?



Back on GOLDEN DRAGON, the Vikings' disbelief has turned to admiration.



SVEN'S DAD	There! THAT'S a true Berserk.

SVEN		I'm just building up to it, Dad.



Sven starts banging his head on the side of the boat.



SNORRI		He's gone batty!

THORFINN	No! The fear's gone!



Halfdan grabs a sword off one  of  his dead dog-soldiers and thrusts it

into the unwilling hands of his military adviser, Eilif.



HALFDAN		Fight, damn you! Fight!



Cut back to GOLDEN DRAGON.  Now  Sven  leaps across onto Halfdan's ship

followed by Ivar, yelling. Snorri looks back at Keitel.



SNORRI		Well! Come on!

KEITEL		I... I...



Keitel is thinking: "Maybe I should  let  Halfdan  win" but he knows he

can't let a thing like that happen, now he is faced with the reality of

it. The companionship of the voyage has  brought them all too close for

that.



KEITEL (under his breath) Hang the Blacksmith's Code!



Keitel leaps to his feet and joins in the attack.

Erik, meanwhile, is swinging across the deck from a rope.



ERIK		I am the air! I am the wind!



Keitel and Thorfinn are now fighting side by side.



THORFINN	This is life, eh?



Keitel grins and strikes out. Ivar  turns  on Eilif who has reluctantly

joined the fray. Maybe he's singled Ivar out as the most harmless. Ivar

suddenly realizes he's only armed with drumsticks. Eilif smiles evilly.



IVAR		Ooh... er...



Eilif's sword slices through Ivar's drumsticks.  Ivar turns to run, but

is stopped by a dog-soldier.  Eilif  takes  the  opportunity to run him

through from behind.



IVAR (as he dies) Ouch.



Erik sees Ivar's demise.



ERIK		Ivar!



Erik leaps to take revenge. He jumps  into the galley-pit and out again

a la Douglas Fairbanks in  THE  THIEF  OF  BAGHDAD and dispatches Eilif

with a single thrust. Sven and his  dad are fighting surrounded by dog-

soldiers.



SVEN'S DAD	Well, go on! Go berserk!

SVEN		GIVE US A CHANCE, Dad!



Snorri appears from behind.



SNORRI (to Sven's dad) What about you? Why don't YOU go berserk?

SVEN'S DAD	I got to keep my eye on HIM...



Sven's  dad  looks  uneasy.  He  is   surrounded  and,  as  a  seasoned

campaigner, knows they haven't much  chance. Halfdan smiles to himself.

The battle is going his  way.  Thorfinn  meanwhile is fighting two dog-

soldiers but is attacked from behind by a third.



SVEN		Look out! Thorfinn!



But it's too late. Thorfinn is run  through the back. Sven goes berserk

and kills all three dog-soldiers. Sven's dad looks on, proud of his son

for the first time. Maybe  their  relationship  will  never be the same

again.

Now Snorri sees something that cheers him up. SLaves are coming up from

below to join the battle.  They  are  armed  with oars and swords. They

join the fray, knocking dog-soldiers overboard with their oars.

The dog-soldier are suddenly outnumbered. Halfdan's smile fades, and he

looks around for an escape  route.  The  tide  of battle has now turned

dramatically as dog-soldier after dog-soldier  is  tossed over the side

or laid low by the combination of Vikings and slaves.

Halfdan and Gisli slip into  a  lifeboat  and  sneak  off. The rats are

leaving the sinking ship.

Back on the deck,  all  the  dog-soldiers  are  dead  or overboard. The

slaves and Vikings are cheering and  embracing each other. At the other

end of the boat, Sven is cradling  the  dying Thorfinn in his arms. All

around are jubilant slaves celebrating their freedom.



SVEN		Thorfinn! You can't die!

THORFINN	I'm not frightened... of anything...

SVEN		You'll see my grandfather in Valhalla!

THORFINN (dying) No... he's not... not... there...

SVEN		Tell him I'm coming!



Thorfinn dies. Sven holds  him  and  a  tear  comes  down his face. The

danger has made comrades of the two rivals.

Erik, however, is still fighting a  last  lone dog-soldier; but just as

he is about to run him through  the dog-soldier is stabbed in the back.

He sinks to the floor, revealing  another dog-soldier. Erik is outraged

by this act of treachery and turns on the assassin.



DOG-SOLDIER	No! No" Wait! Please wait, Erik!



The dog-soldier pulls his mask off to reveal he is, in fact, Loki. Erik

is totally non-plussed.



ERIK		LOKI! Where did YOU come from?

LOKI		Halfdan wanted to stop you waking the Gods... so... I disguised

myself to sabotage their plans.



Erik has meanwhile been joined by the remaining comrades.



LOKI		To save YOU, Erik.



Erik is about to say "But  how  can  you  see me? I'm wearing the Cloak

Invisible."



ERIK		But -

LOKI		It was my master Keitel's idea.



All eyes turn on Keitel who looks very uncomfortable.



LOKI		Wasn't it, Keitel?

KEITEL		Well... I... I thought...



Keitel is overcome b the power of Loki's will, but he is deeply ashamed

of his complicity in Loki's deeds.  Snorri gazes at Keitel with growing

suspicion.



ERIK		But... How is it you can  see  me? (he looks round) You can all

see me?

LOKI		What d'you mean?

SNORRI AND OTHERS Why shouldn't we see you?

HARALD		I can't see him.

ERIK		I'm wearing the Cloak Invisible....



Erik takes it off to demonstrate.



HARALD		Oh! There you are!

ERIK (to the others) You mean... you could see me all the time?



The Vikings look at each other, mystified.



SNORRI		Weren't we supposed to?

ERIK		Oh... I feel a little... oh...



Erik's knees give way and he faints onto the deck.

Cut to King's  Hall  some  time  later.  A  victory  celebration  is in

progress. It is a little bit  like  a Hampstead cocktail party, and the

rough, battle-stained Vikings look  rather  out  of place holding their

little canapes. Suddenly the King claps for silence.



KING ARNULF	We are grateful to you, Erik, and to your men...

COURT		Yes, we are...

KING ARNULF	And there is only ONE way we can repay you... Musicians!



King arnulf claps his hands. Erik rushes  over to him, anxious to avoid

another Hy-Brasilian concert.



ERIK (hurriedly) Well, we'd love to hear  you  sing again, but what we'd really

appreciate would be if you could see your way to lending... not

giving of course... (continuing)... but just lending us the....

um... the, well, to be quite blunt... the Horn Resounding.



All the time Erik is talking the  doors  of the hall behind are opening

and a vast lur or horn is carried in  by six bearers. One or two of the

Vikings have turned  to  look  and  are  now  standing speechless. King

Arnulf beams at Erik.



KING ARNULF	It's yours.



Now Erik finally turns and looks  at  what everyone else is looking at.

Erik's jaw drops. Everyone in the court beams at Erik,except Aud who is

looking sad and disappointed.



ERIK (when he can find his voice) Is THAT it?



A cloud passes over King Arnulf's happy face.



KING ARNULF	Is there something the matter with it?

ERIK		Oh! No! No... of course  not...  it's just I hadn't expected it

to be quite so big.

KING ARNULF	Well, it's not called  the Horn Resounding for nothing. (aside)

You DO know how to play the horn, don't you?

ERIK		Yes... oh, yes...

KING ARNULF	Then I expect you'll be leaving first thing in the morning.



The King manhandles Erik away  from  his  daughter. Perhaps we have the

feeling that she's isn't going to  let  Erik go as easily as that...Mix

through to later that night. The Vikings  are lying asleep on the Great

Hall, beside the  Horn  Resounding.  The  camera  closes  in on Keitel.

Suddenly a voice comes from the shadows:



VOICE (whispering) Keitel! Keitel Blacksmith!



Keitel opens his eyes and finds Loki close beside him.



LOKI		What's the matter,  Keitel  Blacksmith?  Have you forgotten why

you came on this voyage?



Keitel is silent.



LOKI		Are you going to let Erik wake the Gods?

KEITEL		How can we stops him now?



Loki looks around and then opens his hand  in front of Keitel. In it is

the mouthpiece from the Horn Resounding.



LOKI		Take this and throw  it  from  the cliff heights. They'll never

make the Horn Resounding sound without it.



Keitel frowns. Then an obvious thought limps across his muscular mind.



KEITEL		But why me? Why don't you do it?



Somebody stirs.



LOKI		Sh! Hurry!

KEITEL		YOU do it!

LOKI		You'll be able to throw it further than I could.



Keitel thinks. This is true.



LOKI		It must go far out to sea.



Loki  presses  the  mouthpiece   on   Keitel.   Keitel  takes  it,  but

reluctantly. Another Viking stirs.



LOKI		Surely you haven't forgotten the Blacksmith's Oath?



Keitel is about to reply and say he's been having second thoughts about

it, but somehow he can't. Loki has such power over him.



KEITEL		I...



Suddenly another Viking stirs, and Loki hisses at him.



LOKI		Hurry!



Loki pretend to go  back  to  sleep.  Keitel  (feeling  a bit lumbered)

thinks about his task and hesitates...  Who  knows? Perhaps he is about

to stand firm, but Loki plays his trump card.



LOKI (without opening his eyes) Or  I  might  have  to tell Erik why you really

came on this voyage.



Keitel  is  caught.  He  closes  his   eyes  in  resignation  and  then

reluctantly starts to make his way out  of  the Hall. As he gets to the

doors he trips over Snorri, who wakes.  The mouthpiece falls a few feet

away.



SNORRI		Who's that?

KEITEL		It's me. I'm just  going  to  water  the  dragon... (he gives a

false laugh)

SNORRI		Oh...



Snorri notices the silver mouthpiece on  the  floor, but he pretends he

hasn't.



SNORRI		Oh... clumsy idiot.



Snorri pretends to go back to sleep,  but  he opens one eye and watches

Keitel Blacksmith recover the mouthpiece,  and then follows Keitel out.

Loki gets up too. He follows to keep an eye on Snorri.

Cut to Aud on the shore, gazing moodily  out to sea. She is brooding in

Erik's imminent departure. Suddenly a stone falls from above; she looks

up and sees a figure appear on the cliff above. Hurriedly she withdraws

into the shadows. Keitel Blacksmith  appears  on  the cliff-top. In his

hands he holds the mouthpiece  of  the  Horn Resounding. e examines it,

turning over in his mind whether  he  is  doing the right thing or not.

then he decides he must.



KEITEL (to himself) My fellow blacksmiths.



He prepares to throw it.



SNORRI		Keitel!



Keitel jumps out of his skin.



KEITEL		What?

SNORRI		What are you doing, Keitel Blacksmith?

KEITEL		Get away, Snorri.

SNORRI		What have you got there?



Snorri advances towards Keitel. Keitel  backs away, dangerously near to

the edge of the cliff. His boot  slips and he jerks himself forward. At

the same time Snorri makes a grab for the mouthpiece. A scuffle ensues,

during which the  mouthpiece  of  the  Horn  Resounding  is dropped. It

bounces off the cliff and falls down  to the shore below. Aud steps out

of the shadow and  picks  it  up.  She  frowns  and  looks up, and then

screams, as she sees the men fighting.



AUD		No!



But it's too late. Snorri goes white, gives a hideous gasp... and sinks

slowly to his knees - revealing Loki  standing behind him with a bloody

knife. As Keitel and Loki watch  Snorri  die,  a drop of blood from the

knife falls to  the  ground.  The  moment  it  lands,  there  is a deep

subterranean groan, and the earth  begins  to tremble violently. Keitel

and Loki look around in alarm.



KEITEL		Oh Gods! What have we done?



Back in the King's Hall, Sven,  Sven's  dad  and Harald are wide awake,

but for the moment paralysed, as bits of masonry crash around them. The

cheerful figure of King Arnulf  appears  at  the  top of a stairway. He

raises his hands.



KING ARNULF	Stay calm! This is NOT happening.



The King then hurries out of a door at the top of the staircase.



SVEN'S DAD	What did he say?

ERIK		Look out!



The doors of the Great  Hall  burst  open  and  a wall of water crashes

through, knocking the Vikings  off  their  feet.  There is little doubt

that the whole of Hy-Brasil is sinking  see  a street go down, a statue

sink and then we

Cut to a close-up of King Arnulf.

He is standing at the  top  of  the  Forum  steps addressing a crowd of

anxious citizens. They are keeping  surprisingly good order considering

they are already standing ankle-deep  in  water,  and the whole town is

rapidly sinking around them.



KING ARNULF	Now, I know what some  of  you  must be thinking... the day has

come.... we're all going  down,  etc.  etc.  But let's get away

from the fantasy and look at the FACTS.

FACT ONE - The threat of  total  destruction has kept the peace

for one thousand years.

FACT TWO - The chances of  it  failing now are therefore one in

three hundred and sixty-five thousand.

FACT THREE...



By this time the  water  is  up  to  people's  knees,  and several have

crowded onto the lower steps to avoid getting wet.



KING ARNULF	FACT THREE - Our  safety  regulations  are the most rigorous in

the world. We are all  nice  to  each  other, we never rub each

other up the wrong way or contradict each other, do we?

CROWD		No.



Rumble. The buildings sink and masonry falls.



CITIZEN		We... er... do seem to  be  going down quite fast, Your Majesty

- not trying to contradict you, course.

KING ARNULF	No, of  course  you're  not,  citizen.  But  let's stick to the

facts. There has  NEVER  been  a  safer,  more  certain  way of

keeping the  peace.  So  whatever's  happening,  you  can  rest

assured, Hy-Brasil is NOT sinking. Repeat, NOT sinking.



We cut to an unfortunate Hy-Brasilian who  looks out of a window to see

if it's raining, but is immersed before he can find out.

The citizens in the Forum, however,  are  reassured by the King's words

- even though they are now  up  to  their  waists in water. One of them

steps forward.



ANOTHER CITIZEN	May I just make a  point  in support of what King Arnulf's just

said?

KING ARNULF	We'd be delighted - wouldn't we?

CITIZENS	Yes, we'd certainly like  to  hear  what  one  of us has got to

say...



Erik, Sven, Sven's dad  and  Harald  struggle  out  of  the Great Hall,

carrying their belongings and the Horn Resounding, while the citizen is

still speaking most  articulately  in  support  of  the  King. They are

ALMOST in a panic.



ERIK		What are you all doing?

CITIZEN AT THE BACK (cheerfully) It's all right. It's not happening.

ERIK (urgently)	The place is sinking!

CITIZEN AT THE BACK Yes... I thought  it  was  too, but the King's just pointed

out that it can't be.

CITIZEN (still speaking in support of  the  King) ...and, of course, we mustn't

forget King Arnulf's EXCELLENT eye for flower-arranging.



There is a smattering of applause. A few people pull their robes up out

of the wet. Erik leaps onto a wall and shouts to the crowd.



ERIK		Save yourselves! Hy-Brasil... is sinking.



There are a lot of knowing smiles amongst the citizens.



CITIZEN FROM MIDDLE Look, you don't know our safety regulations.

KING ARNULF	It can't happen.

ERIK		But it IS! Look!

KING ARNULF (ignoring Erik) The important thing is not to panic.

CITIZENS	Quite... yes... we understand....

KING ARNULF 	I've already appointed  the  Chancellor  as  Chairman of a com-

mittee to find out exactly  what  IS  going  on, and meantime I

suggest we have a sing-song!

CITIZENS	Good idea!

ANOTHER		Can we do the one that goes "TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TUM-TI-TUM"?



Erik looks around in despair.

Meanwhile in another street someone is struggling in the floodwater.



LOKI		I can't swim! I can't swim!

KEITEL		Relax!

LOKI		I'm drowning! Help!



Loki grabs Keitel round the neck.



KEITEL		Let go!



But Keitel is pulled under. He re-emerges spluttering.



KEITEL		Urrgh! Argh! Let go, you idiot!

LOKI		Help!

KEITEL		You'll drown us bo...



But they go under  again.  At  this  point  Erik,  Sven, Sven's dad and

Harald swim round the corner, pushing the Horn Resounding. They see the

figures disappearing under the water.



KEITEL		Help!

LOKI		Help!



Erik, Sven and Co. swim  as  fast  as  they  can to rescue the drowning

pair. They struggle to overpower  the  panic-stricken Loki, but he puts

up a manic fight. Unexpectedly,  Harald Missionary suddenly unleashes a

vicious right hook and lays Loki out  cold. There is a moment's stunned

silence that is no unmingled with indignation.



SVEN (with hurt surprise) You hit him!

HARALD		Well, it's what you're supposed to do... isn't it?

SVEN'S DAD	Look!



They look up as GOLDEN  DRAGON  sails  around  a  corner of the street,

piloted by Aud.  As  the  Vikings  scramble  aboard,  the  sound of the

"sing-song" reaches a particularly noisy  and discordant climax attract

their attention.

Back in what was the Forum,  a crowd of unconcerned-looking citizens is

sitting on the  last  roof  and  just  coming  to  the  end  of another

appalling song.



CITIZENS	...Te...Tum!

KING		You know, I think we're getting better.

CITIZEN 1 (with genuine interest) How can you tell?

KING (a bit stumped) Er...

AUD		Father!



The King looks up.



KING ARNULF	It's all right! It isn't happening!

AUD		But, Father, it IS!

ERIK		Get on board!

CITIZEN 2	No THANKS!

CITIZEN 3	Who do you think YOU are?

CITIZEN 1	Panic-monger!



The roof  is  now  sinking  rapidly,  though  the  citizens  appear  as

unperturbed as ever.



CITIZEN		Leave us alone!

SVEN		Yeah. Leave 'em alone.

AUD		It's sinking! Hy-Brasil is sinking!

KING ARNULF	Well, my dear, I think you'll  find it's all a question of what

you want to believe in....  I  have slightly more experience of

these matters than you...



Unfortunately, at this point,  the  entire  gathering  of citizens, the

King and the Forum Temple disappear below the waves.



AUD		Father! (tears spring to her eyes)



Harald Missionary has put his arm around Aud in a fatherly way.



HARALD MISSIONARY There, my child... it's at times like this that this book can

be a great help...



Erik shoos him away.



HARALD MISSIONARY (with his usual promptness) Right!



GOLDEN DRAGON spins alone in the wide ocean. Fade.

Fade up some time later. They  are  all  gathered  in front of the Horn

Resounding.



ERIK (to himself) We must blow the first  note...  he note that will take us to

Asgaard...

SVEN (nervously and with awe in his voice) Over the Edge of the World.



The other men look up at the  Horn  Resounding, and begin to feel a bit

nervous.



ERIK		We are going where only the dead have been before...



Erik takes a deep breath and then puts his lips to the Horn Resounding.

He blows. There is a splutter,  and  one  or  two of the Vikings titter

amongst themselves. He has another go. But  again, all he produces is a

pathetic spluttering.



SVEN (not unkindly in his manner) Uh! Here! Give it to me!



Sven pushes Erik aside. Sven blow...  he becomes redder and redder. But

all he produces is a splutter. He gets a bit angry.



SVEN		Thor's blood!



Sven's dad looks heavenwards.



SVEN'S DAD	You're not using the right technique.



Sven's dad tries to take it over.



SVEN		No! I'm doing it!



They start to struggle.



SVEN (getting angry) You're always telling me... TELLING me!



Erik tries to separate them.



ERIK		Sven!

SVEN (to his dad) Let me do something for myself for a change!



Suddenly Aud comes forward.



AUD		No! Don't quarrel!



Sven and his dad stop fighting, surprised by the vehement in her voice.



AUD		We'll never get where we want to go if we fight.



Aud crosses to the Horn  and  inserts  the  mouthpiece. Loki glances at

Keitel. He hadn't bargained for this!



LOKI		Er... don't blow it! You never know WHAT might happen...

AUD		It has not spoken for a  thousand years... You must bring it to

life with a kiss...



She puts her lips to the  mouthpiece  and  just touches it with them...

almost a kiss... then... very gently... she begins to blow... a soft...

slight note can just be  heard...  Aud  takes  her  mouth away from the

mouthpiece... and the soft  note  goes  on...  reverberating... A sweet

note... a magic note... the Vikings stand stock-still, enchanted by the

sound... and the sound all  the  time  is  getting  louder and the Horn

begins to vibrate with the  note.  As  the  volume increases the GOLDEN

DRAGON itself begins to reverberate  with  the  sound. Rings of ripples

begin to radiate out from  the  boat  across  the  calm water. The note

grows louder and louder, and  the  Vikings,  who at first were laughing

and cheering at Aud's success, begin to get rather alarmed.

Louder and louder gets  the  note  and  the  Horn  shakes  and the boat

vibrates. Things start to  be  shaken  loose,  and  fall onto the deck.

Ropes uncoil and run loose. A heavy  block suddenly crashes down to the

deck, crowning Harald and laying him  out flat. Louder and louder grows

the note, and the Vikings have  to  stop  their  ears for the pain. The

water around the ship becomes more and more agitated.

And then another sound is  heard.  It  is  the  thunder of water in the

distance like a million  distant  waterfalls.  And suddenly they notice

the sea is running like a river  - all in one direction... sweeping the

ship forward with incredible momentum. In  no time they are engulfed in

a mist, still travelling at a rate of knots.

Almost at once appointed rock looms out of the mist ahead of them. Erik

flings himself at the steering oar, and everyone is thrown about as the

ship veers wildly and just misses the rock, only to see another looming

up ahead of them. The ship  veers  again,  as a third rock looms ahead.

This time Sven has grabbed a coil  of  rope, and as they pass the third

rock, he throws it like a lasso over  the rock. Loki and Keitel leap to

grab the rope just as  the  rope  goes  taut  and  the  ship comes to a

lurching stop, anchored by the rope,  but still swaying and buffeted in

the racing waters. Those on board  shout  to  each other, soaked to the

skin. It is difficult to make out what they are shouting.



LOKI		Help!

AUD		What are you doing?

LOKI		What d'you think? Help! Somebody help us!

SVEN		Shut up!

LOKI (pointing at Aud) She wants to kill us!

KEITEL		She wants to take us over the Edge of the World!

AUD		You want to get to Asgaard, don't you?

LOKI		How do we know this is the way?

ERIK (shouting)	We blew the Horn Resounding.

LOKI (screaming and pointing  an  accusing  finger  at  Aud)  SHE blew the Horn

Resounding.

KEITEL (shouting) Don't you see, Erik! She wants revenge!

ERIK		What are you talking about?

LOKI (to Keitel) Shut up!

KEITEL		She knows it was our fault!

LOKI		Keep your mouth shut, Keitel!

KEITEL		No! It's YOU, Loki! I should never have listened to you!



Loki looks around desperately.



LOKI		You've lost your mind.

KEITEL		We came to stop you  waking  the  Gods, Erik! But I didn't want

anyone to get hurt!

LOKI		You fool!



Suddenly Loki produces his stiletto and  leaps onto Keitel, stabbing at

him.



LOKI		I should have got rid of you long ago!

KEITEL		Like you got rid of Snorri!



Erik tries to separate them.



AUD		No! No! We are in  the  spell  of the Horn! Hatred will destroy

us.

ERIK		That's right!



For a split second Erik is distracted. He looks across at Aud and for a

moment he sees Freya standing there.



FREYA		Once you are in  the  spell  of  the  Horn, hatred will destroy

you...



Then it is Aud once more.  But  in  that  split second Loki has stabbed

Erik.



ERIK		Arrgh!



Erik staggers back clutching his arm. Keitel  gives a roar of rage, and

picks Loki up bodily and hurls him  out of the boat into the maelstrom.

The other Vikings look on aghast. Keitel turns on them



KEITEL		He killed Snorri! He caused the  land of Hy-Brasil to sink! SHE

knew!

AUD		I didn't know!

KEITEL		Now she wants to send us over the Edge of the World!

AUD		How else d'you think we're going to get to Asgaard?



The Vikings look at each other amidst  the roaring waters and the thick

spray. Erik holds his bleeding arm  and  looks  at Aud. Should he trust

her or not? Suddenly he turns on the others.



ERIK (shouting  above  the  din)  Do  YOU  know  the  way  to  Asgaard,  Keitel

Blacksmith?



Keitel shakes his head.



ERIK		Do YOU know the way to Asgaard, Sven?



Sven shakes his head.



ERIK		There is one road before  us,  and  that leads over the Edge of

the World.



Harald sits up as he returns to consciousness.



HARALD		There IS no Edge of the World.



Sven's dad bonks him again. Erik  takes  the  rope and begins paying it

out. With grim faces the Vikings  turn  and face towards the roaring of

the waters, as Erik edge the ship  further  into the mist. The noise is

deafening. It would be almost  impossible  to  hear any voice above it.

The faces of the  Vikings  betray  their  fear  as they find themselves

emerging from out of the mist at  the  Edge  of the World. They gape as

they find themselves confronted by a  Waterfall of Seas - stretching on

either side of them - as far  as  the  eye  can see - water falling and

plunging over the lip of the world. And in front of them - the blue sky

continues on down and down until  it  shades into blackness strewn with

stars beneath their feet...

Sven, Sven's dad and Keitel edge to the prow and gasp.



AUD		No! Don'T look over the Edge!



Erik lets out a little more rope, until the ship is protruding over the

edge. Sven, his dad and Keitel peer  over the side, and stare down into

the abyss. They gasp. From above we  see  the prow of GOLDEN DRAGON and

the backs of the Vikings'  heads  in  plain  view against a backdrop of

stars below them.



ERIK		Let me see!



Aud holds him back.



AUD		No. Don't look... The abyss will suck away your strength.

ERIK		I MUST look! Keitel! Hold this!



Erik turns to see Sven and Keitel trembling... They hold onto the sides

of the ship but their legs can barely support them.



SVEN		There is nothing we can do...

SVEN'S DAD	Helpless...



Keitel start to laugh.



KEITEL		Ha ha...  I  believed  Loki...  I  believed  I  had  a  duty to

blacksmiths! Ha ha ha!



Keitel laughs a little hysterically. Aud turns urgently to Erik.



AUD		YOU still want to go to Asgaard?

ERIK		Of course.

AUD		Do you believe I love you?

ERIK		I... but I...

AUD		You don't have to love me. Just: do you believe I love YOU?

ERIK		Yes - I believe you do.

AUD		Then let go!



Erik hesitates, then he decides to  believe  in Aud. He throws the rope

away. At once the ship  shoots  off  over  the  Edge  of the World into

space... Everything seems to slow down,  as the longship drops down and

down... the ship twists slowly  as  it  drops....  round and round. The

Vikings gaze about them in wonder,  as  they find their ship if falling

in silence amongst the stars. Harald comes to once again.



HARALD		I'm still seeing stars.



Keitel looks round at him.



KEITEL		We're ALL seeing stars.

HARALD		No! I was hit on the head.



The longship falls and  falls  through  the  star-strewn space until it

softly lands in a white wilderness.

On the deck the Vikings  are  huddles  up,  covered with rime-frost. It

seems as if they  have  been  lying  there  half-frozen  for some time.

Perhaps the entire adventure has all  been  a dream, and they have been

stuck in the Arctic pack-ice the  whole time. The hallucinations of men

near to death.

Aud tries to wake Erik.



AUD		Don't sleep... wake... Look!



Erik opens his eyes and, for an  instant,  he sees Helga. He blinks and

realizes it is Aud who is  calling  him back to consciousness. Suddenly

coloured lights begin to play to his face.



ERIK		Bi-Frost... The Rainbow Bridge.



Above them the Aurora Borealis stretches up, magnificent and awesome in

the sky. Erik makes his way through the other Vikings.



ERIK		Wake up!



The others slowly begin to rouse  themselves from their icy slumber and

sit up, awed by the sight.



KEITEL (whispering) Are we dead?

VIKINGS		The Rainbow Bridge.



They all peer up at the  ever-changing  colours of the Aurora Borealis,

hanging in the  sky  above  them  like  organ-pipes.  But  something is

happening. The lights begin  to  fade  to  reveal  a  magical city on a

mountain. The Vikings realize that this  is journey's end.... they have

reached Asgaard... the City of  the  Gods.  The Vikings all catch their

breaths and gaze in awe.



ERIK		Asgaard!

HARALD MISSIONARY Where?

SVEN'S DAD	Up there, you fathead.

HARALD MISSIONARY Up WHERE?



Harald look round quizzically at the  others.  It  is clear that he can

see nothing.



ERIK		Look! It's real.



Harald looks around at the others.



HARALD		Hallucinations are real.



It's no use; Harald can  see  nothing.  The  Vikings, transfixed by the

sight of their  fabled  home  of  the  Gods,  rise  to  their feet. Aud

whispers to Erik.



AUD		The second note.

ERIK		The second not to wake the Gods...



Erik kneels in front of the Horn.



AUD		Gently...



Erik blows... a soft gentle note... He takes his mouth away, and smiles

at Aud. Once  again  the  Horn  stars  to  vibrate  and  the  note gets

louder... the ship starts to vibrate... louder and louder...

The whole landscape starts to  vibrate...  louder  and louder grows the

not until even the stars in  the  sky  are vibrating and then a magical

thing starts to happen... The note  fades  as one by one the shimmering

stars start to fall  out  of  the  night  sky...  they fall like silver

snow... until the ship... the Vikings... Asgaard... the whole landscape

is covered in sparkling dust... then  in  the ensuing silence the first

light begins to glow in  the  Halls  of  Asgaard... then another... and

another... Erik stares as is bewitched  and  slowly begins to climb out

of GOLDEN DRAGON.... but Aud tries to pull him back.



AUD		Erik! You've done what you came to do!

ERIK		Not quite...



Aud looks at him.



AUD		Blow the third note! The note to take us home!

ERIK		There is something I must ash the Gods...

AUD		No living man has ever set  foot in the Halls of Asgaard... The

Gods will never let you return.



Erik looks at her... for a moment... But he knows he has no choice.



SVEN		I came to find my grandfather.

ERIK		I have to go...

AUD		Then I shall come too.

ERIK (stares at her) No... no..

AUD		I don'T want to live WITHOUT you.

ERIK		But, Aud... I... I came to find someone...



Aud is about to say "Her?", but she  bites the word back and looks down

at the ground.



ERIK		I'm sorry, Aud... I really am.

Aud kisses Erik, who then turns and climbs out of GOLDEN DRAGON

and sets off across the ice. Sven follows.



SVEN'S DAD	Wait for me! I'll be dead soon anyway...

KEITEL		You can't go without me!



They follow. Even Harald Missionary starts to follow.



HARALD		Where are they all going?

AUD		Aren't you afraid?

HARALD		Oh... There's nothing for ME to be afraid OF.



Harald smiles and sets off  after  the  others.  Aud follows. The stars

have fallen to form a shining,  winding  pathway  up to the City of the

Gods. This is what the Vikings head for.

Between them and the Citadel  strange  huge  forms rise up. The Vikings

approach and find the vast skeletons  of  the slain giants. The Vikings

are but tiny gnat-sized  figures  wending  their  way  between the vast

figures.

They climb  the  stairway-path  of  stars,  up  the  winding  road  and

eventually fins themselves outside the massive doors of Asgaard.



ERIK		Valhalla...



Sven turns on Harald.



SVEN		There! It's real! It's solid! Now do you believe us?



He pats the wall of Valhalla -  the Great Hall. Harald reaches out, but

his hand goes right through the wall.



HARALD		There isn't anything.



Harald Missionary walks straight through  the  wall and disappears from

sight. The Vikings  gasp,  and  run  up  to  feel  the  point  where he

disappeared. The door is perfectly solid to them, and they jump pout of

their skins as Harald suddenly reappears again.



HARALD		You're having me on, aren't you?

ERIK		It's Valhalla - where the warriors slain in battle go.

AUD		It doesn't exist for him.

SVEN'S DAD	He's just s cynic.



At this moment there is a creak  and the great doors mysteriously swing

open. As if mesmerized, the  Vikings  enter  the  Halls of Asgaard. The

door slams behind them. They spin round, but the doors have vanished...

No man has ever entered the Halls of Asgaard and left alive...

Erik slowly starts to cross  the  vast  floor  looking around him as he

does so. One by one the other Vikings follow. After a while Erik stops.



ERIK		Listen!



The Vikings listen.  They  hear  the  sound  of  children  laughing and

shouting. Erik and his men follow through the columns towards a pool of

light. The scene that greets their  eyes  is  not  at all what they had

been prepared for.

Valhalla is not full of the warriors  slain in battle, quaffing mead on

the ale-bench and  reliving  old  battles  -  it  is,  instead  full of

children romping, laughing, shouting,  quarrelling and playing games...

chess, fencing... dice... tag, etc., around a wide hearth fire.

Women are cooking and doing other housewifely things... weaving, making

bread, etc. It is a  thoroughly  domestic  scene.  Suddenly one of them

turns at Erik. It is Helga, whom Erik accidentally killed in Scene One.

She is once again kneading dough. She has a red stain under her breast.



HELGA		Oh good! It's Mr Wonderful!



Erik leaps to her side.



ERIK		I've come to take you back to the land of the living.

HELGA		What a stupid idea.

ERIK (mortally hurt) Why?

HELGA		What's the point of being dead in the land of the living?

ERIK		I'll ask the Gods to give you life again!



Helga looks at Erik very  sceptically.  She obviously thinks he doesn't

know what he's talking about. Aud reacts. Erik takes Helga's hand - and

gets covered in dough.



HELGA		Have you tried to ask the God for anything?

ERIK		Well... no...

HARALD MISSIONARY Who is he talking to?

AUD		Sh!

HELGA		Odin!



One of the children, throwing pennies against the wall, looks round.



CHILD ODIN	I'm busy.



The Vikings are recovering from their surprise.



VIKINGS		Odin?

HELGA (getting back to her kneating) He's busy.

ERIK		Is THAT Odin?

HELGA		You'll have to wait till he's finished his game.

ERIK (shouting across) Odin!



Odin leaves his game and saunters towards Erik.



ERIK		We have come from the world of Midgard...



The child whom Odin is  playing  with  points  his hammer at the ground

near Erik and a lightning bolt zaps into it. Erik jumps.



CHILD-THOR	Clear off.

ODIN		No, wait, Thor.

ERIK		You must help us.

ODIN		We don't HAVE to help anybody.

ERIK		Fenrir the Wolf covers the sun  - men fight and kill each other

the whole time.

ODIN		Why should WE care?

ERIK		Because... you're... you're the Gods....

ODIN		So?

ERIK		Bring the Age of Ragnarok to  an end and stop all this fighting

and bloodshed.



Harald looks around at the Vikings in increasing desperation.



HARALD		This is ridiculous.

VIKINGS		Sh!

HARALD		Right!



The other Child-Gods have stopped  playing  around now and are watching

Erik and Odin.



ODIN		Erik the Viking! The things you  seek  are not in our power. We

don't make men love each other or hate each other.

ERIK		But you're the Gods!

ODIN		Look... Erik...



Odin whistles. The other children  look  over their shoulders. From out

of the darkness of the perimeter of the Hall, shadows emerge... shadows

that, as they shuffle and stumble  into the light, reveal themselves to

be the heroes that the Vikings  had  expected  to find in Valhalla. But

they are not hale and  hearty  giants  quaffing mead and reliving their

great battles... they are, in fact,  a sorry lot... the slain-in-battle

still bearing the hideous deformities of  their fatal wounds. Most have

a sword or an axe buried in  some  part  of their anatomy. One has been

cleft in twain...

The Vikings react to this  grisly  gathering  as  more and more of them

emerge from  the  shadows.  They  gasp  as  they  notice  Snorri, Ivar,

Thorfinn, Loki and Leif the Lucky.



ERIK		Snorri! Ivar!

HARALD		Here we are standing  on  a  bare  mountain top talking to thin

air.



We notice that Harald's cloak is being blown about as if he were indeed

on a bare mountain top.  The  other's  cloaks  are still. Sven's dad is

gazing across at one horribly mutilated specimen.



SVEN'S DAD	Dad!

KEITEL (disbelievingly) How can you tell?

SVEN'S DAD	I'll never forget him! The BASTARD!



Sven reacts. Sven's dad starts to go berserk.



SVEN'S DAD	He drove me mad!

SVEN		Easy, Dad!

SVEN'S DAD	All his "you'll never be a Berserk if you lose your temper"...

SVEN		Dad!

SVEN'S DAD	I hate you! I hate you!



Sven's  dad   collapses   against   Sven   and   Sven   comforts   him,

understandingly. A figure  emerges  from  the  throng  of  dead.  It is

Thorfinn. Sven looks up at him.



THORFINN	You won, Sven.

LOKI		What right have YOU  to  try  and  stop  men fighting, Erik the

Viking? There is glory in battle.  There  are riches to be made

and won...

KEITEL		Made by YOU, Loki!

LOKI		By YOU - Keitel Blacksmith!  Don't  you know, Erik, that is why

he went with you? Ragnarok was good for his business...

KEITEL		It's not my business any more!



Suddenly there is a howl... a bitter  howl that echoes above and around

the Halls of Asgaard  and  that  gets  more  distant  and more distant.

Everyone (including the dead heroes and the Gods) freezes and looks up,

listening. Perhaps we cut away to the boiling sky as it resolves itself

into the shape of a wolf  that  snarls  and  slinks away. Odin turns to

Erik as the howling recedes.



ODIN		Fenrir the Wolf has  gone,  Erik.  But  will men cease fighting

each other? THAT is not in our power...



Odin starts to laugh. All the  other  children  start to laugh... so do

the dead heroes. Erik and his men look round uneasily.



ERIK		I have one more request before we return...



Erik turns towards Helga, who is still  standing at her trough of dough

with her arms up to her elbows  in flour. Aud watches Erik with sadness

in her heart.



ODIN		Return? You have set your  foot  in the Halls of Asgaard, Erik.

You cannot return.



Aud looks round to see how the  others  react. It is as she had feared.

Erik pales. The  blood  drains  from  the  other's  faces. Aud whispers

something to Harald. Harald looks at her blankly.



AUD (whispering) PLEASE!

HARALD		But you're all imagining this... whatever it is.

AUD (earnestly)	You're the only one who can. PLEASE.



Harald look around  at  the  dumbfounded  Vikings.  Then  he shrugs and

wanders off, disappearing through the closed doors of Valhalla.



ERIK		You mean... we must stay here forever?



As he says this Erik's  eyes  turn  again  towards Helga. He is clearly

thinking at least there are compensations... Odin, however, is laughing

again.



ODIN		Stay HERE? Ha ha! This is  Valhalla. This is reserved for those

slain-in-battle.

HORRIBLY SLAIN WARRIOR (grinning cheerfully) Yeah! We're the LUCKY ones!

A HORRIBLY SLAIN FRIEND OF HIS Yeah. It's much better than dying of old age.



The ghastly and dismembered dead  warriors  all  chortle  no end at the

dismay written on the face of Erik and  his men. At the same time there

is a grinding, winching sound.  All  those around the hearth-place fall

back as a vast  grating  is  winched  up  from  out  of the flames. The

Vikings look at each other.



ODIN		For YOU there is only the Pit of Hel!



As Odin says this there is a roaring sound and the flames and smoke are

suddenly reversed and as the  roaring  increases  the flames are sucked

down altogether to reveal the black Pit  of Hel itself. And now the Pit

is sucking the Vikings  into  it...  their  hair  blows...  they try to

withstand the force that is drawing  them towards the abyss... The Gods

look on in some amusement. But some of the dead are concerned.



SVEN'S GRANDFATHER Son! My son!

SVEN'S DAD	Get lost!

SVEN		Dad! Grandfather!



Sven tries to reconcile his father and grandfather, but it's no use. He

is sucked towards the Pit.



VIKINGS		Help!

ERIK (to Helga)	I tried to save you!

HELGA		Why should you care?

ERIK		I don't know! I just did!



Erik can no longer withstand the force  that is sucking him down to the

Pit of Hel. Suddenly, however, Snorri  has  leapt from the ranks of the

dead. He grabs Erik and tries  to  stop  him sliding towards the Pit of

Hel. But it's no good.



ERIK		No! Let go, Snorri!

SNORRI		I've got you!

ERIK		You'll be sucked down too!

SNORRI		No! Arrgh!



Meanwhile, Ivar and Thorfinn and Leif the Lucky have also leapt forward

t