“IthinkbecauseshesawyoukisstheEgyptianlady，General，“atwhichanswermanylaughed。
　　“Youtriedtokillme，didyounot？“
　　“Yes，General，fortheEmpressorderedussotodo。“
　　“Thenwhathappened？“
　　“Youkilledorcutdownthreeofusoneaftertheother，General，beingtooskilfulandstrongforus。AsIturnedtofly，meyouwoundedhere，“and，dragginghimselfroundwithdifficulty，heshowedhowmyswordhadfallenonapartwherenosoldiershouldreceiveawound。AtthissightthoseintheCourtlaughedagain。
　　“DidIprovokeyouinanywaybeforeyouattackedme？“
　　“No，indeed，General。ItwastheEmpressyouprovokedbykissingthebeautifulEgyptianlady。Atleast，Ithinkso，sinceeverytimeyoukissedeachothersheseemedtobecomemoremad，andatlastorderedustokillbothofyou。“
　　Nowthelaughtergrewveryloud，foreventheCourtofficerscouldnolongerrestrainthemselves，andtheladieshidtheirfacesintheirhandsandtittered。
　　“Awaywiththatfool！“shoutedthepresidentoftheCourt，andthepoorfellowwashustledout。WhatbecameofhimafterwardsIdonotknow，thoughIcanguess。
　　NowappearedwitnessafterwitnesswhotoldofthefraywhichIhavedescribedalready，thoughforthemostparttheytriedtoputanothercolouronthematter。OfmanyofthesemenIaskednoquestions。
　　Indeed，growingwearyoftheirtales，Isaidatlengthtothejudges，“Sirs，whatneedisthereforallthisevidence，seeingthatamongyouIperceivethreegallantofficerswhomIsawrunningbeforetheNorthmenthatnight，whenwithsomefourhundredswordsweroutedabouttwothousandofyou？Youyourselves，therefore，arethebestwitnessesofwhatbefell。Moreover，Iacknowledgethat，beingmovedbythesightofwar，intheendIledthechargeagainstyou，beforewhichchargesomediedandmanyfled，youamongthem。“
　　Nowthesecaptainsgloweredatmeandthepresidentsaid，“Theprisonerisright。Whatneedisthereofmoreevidence？“
　　“Ithinkmuch，sir，“Ianswered，“sincebutonesideofthestoryhasbeenheard。NowIwillcallwitnesses，ofwhomthefirstshouldbetheAugusta，ifsheiswillingtoappearandtellyouwhathappenedwithinthecircleoftheNorthmenonthatnight。“
　　“CalltheAugusta！“gaspedthepresident。“Perchance，prisonerMichael，youwillwishnexttocallGodHimselfonyourbehalf？“
　　“That，sir，“Ianswered，“Ihavealreadydoneanddo。Moreover，“I
　　addedslowly，“ofthisIamsure，thatinatimetocome，althoughitbenotto-morroworthenextday，youandeveryonewhohastodowiththiscasewillfindthatIhavenotcalledHiminvain。“
　　AtthesewordsforafewmomentsasolemnsilencefellupontheCourt。
　　Itwasasthoughtheyhadgonehometotheheartofeveryonewhowaspresentthere。AlsoIsawthecurtainsthatdrapedagalleryhighupinthewallshakealittle。ItcameintomymindthatIreneherselfwashiddenbehindthosecurtains，asafterwardsIlearnedwasthecase，andthatshehadmadesomemovementwhichcausedthemtotremble。
　　“Well，“saidthepresident，afterthispause，“asGoddoesnotappeartobeyourwitness，andasyouhavenoother，seeingthatyoucannotgiveevidenceyourselfunderthelaw，wewillnowproceedtojudgment。“
　　“WhosaysthattheGeneralOlaf，OlafRed-Sword，hasnowitness？“
　　exclaimedadeepvoiceattheendofthehall。“Iamheretobehiswitness。“
　　“Whospeaks？“askedthepresident。“Lethimcomeforward。“
　　Therewasadisturbanceattheendofthehall，andthroughthecrowdthatheseemedtothrowbeforehimtorightandleftappearedthemightyformofJodd。Hewascladinfullarmourandborehisfamousbattle-axeinhishand。
　　“Onewhomsomeofyouknowwellenough，asothersofyourcompanywhowillneverknowanythingagainhavedoneinthepast。OnenamedJodd，theNorthman，secondincommandoftheguardtotheGeneralOlaf，“heanswered，andmarchedtothespotwherewitnesseswereaccustomedtostand。
　　“Takeawaythatbarbarian’saxe，“exclaimedanofficerwhosatamongthejudges。
　　“Aye，“saidJodd，“comehither，mannikin，andtakeitawayifyoucan。
　　Ipromiseyouthatalongwithitsomethingelseshallbetakenaway，towityourfool’shead。WhoareyouthatwoulddaretodisarmanofficeroftheImperialGuard？“
　　AfterthistherewasnomoretalkofremovingJodd’saxe，andheproceededtogivehisevidence，which，asitonlydetailedwhathasbeenwrittenalready，neednotberepeated。Whateffectitproduceduponthejudges，Icannotsay，butthatitmovedthosepresentintheCourtwasclearenough。
　　“Haveyoudone？“askedthepresidentatlengthwhenthestorywasfinished。
　　“Notaltogether，“saidJodd。“OlafRed-Swordwaspromisedanopentrial，andthathehas，sinceotherwiseIandsomefriendsofminecouldnotbeinthisCourttotellthetruth，whereperhapsthetruthhasseldombeenheardbefore。Alsohewaspromisedafairtrial，andthathehasnot，seeingthatthemostofhisjudgesaremenwithwhomhefoughttheotherdayandwhoonlyescapedhisswordbyflight。
　　To-morrowIproposetoaskthepeopleofByzantiumwhetheritisrightthatamanshouldbetriedbyhisconqueredenemies。NowIperceivethatyouwillfindaverdictof’guilty’againstOlafRed-Sword，andperhapscondemnhimtodeath。Well，findwhatverdictyouwillandpasswhatsentenceyouwill，butdonotdaretoattempttoexecutethatsentence。“
　　“Dare！Dare！“shoutedthepresident。“Whoareyou，man，whowoulddictatetoaCourtappointedbytheEmpresswhatitshallorshallnotdo？Becarefullestwepasssentenceonyouaswellasonyourfellow-
　　traitor。Rememberwhereyoustand，andthatifIliftmyfingeryouwillbetakenandbound。“
　　“Aye，lawyer，Irememberthisandotherthings。Forinstance，thatI
　　havethesafe-conductoftheEmpressunderanoathswornontheCrossoftheChristsheworships。Forinstance，also，thatIhavethreehundredcomradeswaitingmysafereturn。“
　　“Threehundred！“snarledthepresident。“TheEmpresshasthreethousandwithinthesewallswhowillsoonmakeanendofyourthreehundred。“
　　“Ihavebeentold，lawyer，“answeredJodd，“thatoncetherelivedanothermonarch，onecalledXerxes，whothoughtthathewouldmakeanendofacertainthreehundredGreeks，whenGreeksweredifferentfromwhatyouareto-day，ataplacecalledThermopyl？Hemadeanendofthem，buttheycosthimmorethanhecaredtopay，andnowitisthoseGreekswholiveforeverandXerxeswhoisdead。Butthat’snotall；
　　sincethatfraytheothernightweNorthmenhavefoundfriends。HaveyouheardoftheArmenianlegions，President，thosewhofavourConstantine？Well，killOlafRed-Sword，orkillme，Jodd，andyouhavetodealfirstwiththeNorthmenandnextwiththeArmenianlegions。
　　NowhereIamwaitingtobetakenbyanywhocanpassthisaxe。“
　　AtthesewordsagreatsilencefellupontheCourt。Joddglaredabouthim，and，seeingthatnoneventuredtodrawnear，steppedfromthewitness-place，advancedtowhereIwas，gavemethefullsaluteofceremony，thenmarchedawaytothebackoftheCourt，thecrowdopeningapathforhim。
　　Whenhehadgonethejudgesbegantoconsulttogether，and，asI
　　expected，verysoonagreedupontheirverdict。Thepresidentsaid，orrathergabbled，“Prisoner，wefindyouguilty。Haveyouanyreasontoofferwhysentenceofdeathshouldnotbepasseduponyou？“
　　“Sir，“Ianswered，“Iamnotheretopleadformylife，whichalreadyIhaveriskedascoreoftimesintheserviceofyourpeople。YetI
　　wouldsaythis。OnthenightoftheoutbreakIwasseton，fourtoone，fornocrime，asyouhaveheard，anddidbutprotectmyself。
　　Afterwards，whenIwasabouttobeslain，theNorthmen，mycomrades，protectedmeunasked；thenIdidmybesttosavethelifeoftheEmpress，and，infact，succeeded。Myonlyoffenceisthatwhenthegreatchargetookplaceandyourregimentsweredefeated，rememberingonlythatIwasasoldier，Iledthatcharge。Ifthisisacrimeworthyofdeath，Iamreadytodie。YetIholdthatbothGodandmanwillgivemorehonourtomethecriminalthantoyouthejudges，andtothosewhobeforeeveryousatinthisCourtinstructedyou，whomI
　　knowtobebuttools，astotheverdictthatyoushouldgive。“
　　TheapplausewhichmywordscalledforthfromthosegatheredattheendoftheCourtdiedaway。Inthemidstofagreatsilencethepresident，who，likehiscompanions，Icouldseewell，wasgrowingsomewhatfearful，readthesentenceinalowvoicefromaparchment。
　　AftersettingouttheorderbywhichtheCourtwasconstitutedandothermatters，itran:
　　“Wecondemnyou，Michael，otherwisecalledOlaforOlafRed-Sword，todeath。ThissentencewillbeexecutedwithorwithouttortureatsuchtimeandinsuchmannerasitmaypleasetheAugustatodecree。“
　　NowthevoiceofJoddwasheardcryingthroughthegatheringgloom，fornightwasnear: