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.Bolo barked and snapped atThor s legs, but the god paid him no heed. Freya saw us.She knows we didn t do this! John could see the goddess from the corner of his eye.She mouthed the word Odin to him andhis stomach sank.She wouldn t vouch for them unless he told her where Odin was.She still believedhe knew. I don t know! John moaned.Thor s face was grim. You shall share Loki s fate. If I could kill a god, I d kill you! John snarled. I d take that hammer and shove it up your ass! Thor s eyes flashed with fury before giving way to amusement.He bellowed with laughter as hedropped John to his feet, clapping him on the shoulder and almost sending him flying. Now you are talking sense! the great god boomed. Here! Have this back! He picked upJohn s arm and handed it to him.John took it by the hand, feeling both grateful and repulsed. Just hold it to yourself, Dante said, suddenly next to him.His accent was gone again, theshadows deep across his face.Was that a glint of red in his eye?John shuddered, the discomfort of being incomplete returning now that he was no longer indanger.Following Dante s instruction, he pressed the two severed parts together, trying not to focuson the perfect cross-section of bone and muscle visible where his limb had been torn.At least it wasn t oozing with blood.As soon as the torn areas reached each other, they snapped seamlesslytogether like two attracting magnets, and John s discomfort abated. Perhaps they are telling the truth, Freya said, a trace of apology in her voice. Not onlyregarding Loki, but more.I asked them about Odin. You were not to speak of that! Thor rumbled. But I did, and they know nothing.None who have come here since have known.Why have theymade no demands? How could any of them have taken Odin against his will? Freya nodded towardLoki s remains. No visiting demon has ever held such power.A truce may be the only way to findyour father. She has a point, Hodur said.The blind god was kneeling and examining Loki s body. We venever seen anything like this before.Loki will pull himself together again, but he ll need time.Worship from his followers will help, but this isn t a state I would want to experience. A truce, Thor said musingly. Hm? What is this? Hodur poked a finger into Loki s body, leaping away from it whensomething stirred.The flesh shifted and parted as a figure pulled itself free, rising from the remainslike the dead from the grave.Covered in blood, its perfect features were sculpted crystal.John s stomach turned as the glass man stepped toward them, glops of muscle and tissue slidingoff its slick body. There will be no truce, the Minister of Order declared, raising a hand.Dante threw himself at Loki s killer, his head aglow.This time John didn t shield his eyes as fireerupted from Dante s mouth.The flames cascaded around the Minister, the remaining gore on itsbody sizzling and popping.When Dante s assault ceased, the Minister showed no sign of damage.The glass lips smirked as its other hand rose.The air began to hum, a terrible power building inthe air that had the potential to destroy them all. There will be no truce, the glass man repeated.Thor s hammer flew through the air, striking the Minister in the chest and shattering him intohundreds of pieces.The air fell silent after the tinkling shower of glass settled to the ground.Relief only lasted a moment as the fallen shards began to spin and grow, their shape shifting,elongating, and unfolding at a terrible speed until each became a grinning glass skeleton.In the blinkof an eye, an army of skeletons blossomed into existence.Despite being outnumbered, the Norse gods didn t hesitate.They launched into battle.Thor shammer returned to his hand, swinging in every direction and shattering translucent bones.Friggmoved gracefully, striking each opponent s weak point with two fingers and causing them to shatter.Freya became a falcon of enormous proportions, crushing skeleton after skeleton with her beak andtalons while Hodur unleashed a barrage of arrows, each finding its target s joints and reducing theskeletons to piles of bone.Even Dante joined the fray, his fire more effective against the Minister sweakened form.All John could do was duck and clutch Bolo as the battle raged around them.He had never seenanything like it.The skeletons barely stood a chance.If Hell wanted an army, they wouldn t needanything more than the Norse gods.The battle was over almost as soon as it began.The remains of the skeletons were powdered,molten, and broken, but none of them moved anymore. Are there more of these glass creatures to be fought? Thor asked, brow creased in thought. Would joining with Hell mean more such battles? I m afraid so, John answered.The thunder god s grin was victorious. Excellent! Chapter 7The driver s seat of the steam coach creaked as Dante settled into place.With the Norse godsagreeing to join forces with Hell, all that remained was to report back to Hell, but how? As usual,Dante had chimed in with information he couldn t possibly have known. You re sure this will work? John asked. Stop worrying, Dante said. My soul will be ripped back to Hell, just like before, except nowI ll be hauling you and the whole coach along with me.You can thank me by getting in the carriageand pulling the knob so we can return to civilization. John didn t move. You ve taken it all in stride, he said. The whole fire-breathing thing, Imean. Dante shrugged. I didn t hear you complaining when I was saving our asses
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