Jack sheds a tear. He says that he will renounce his promise to kill Earl Ingstad. He says they are all sons of Jordan Korg. They hold high their drinking horns in a sign of peace — and then Jack throws his drink into Liam’s face. “I might break a bone,” he says, “but I can never break a promise.” So a great peace is averted, and so there must be a battle.
The Sea Rovers have turned their energies inward, battling amongst themselves. Further afield, distant lands offer new possibilities. Nayal has returned to Wessex and sees his own society ossifying. His father, Prince Daniel, is stuck in his ways; Nayal dreams of a navy, of a true seafaring defense against the tormenting Northmen. And in the distant land of the gods, Herbert’s followers continue building a new society. Pride and jealous
