Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish Page A

demandedaccusingly.
    â€œYes, Uncle Grim,” said Peer meekly.
    He received a slap that made his head ring and hiseyes water. “That’s for chattering and wasting time,”growled his uncle. “Your time is my time now, see? Andtime is money. What did she say?”
    â€œIf you don’t want me to talk to her, why do youwant to know?” asked Peer angrily, rubbing his ear.
    Uncle Grim lifted his hand again.
    â€œOh, well let me see,” said Peer sarcastically. “Sheasked me who I was. I told her my name. Then she toldme her name is Hilde, and she welcomed me to thevalley, which she seems to think she owns. Isn’t thisinteresting?”
    Uncle Grim didn’t seem to notice sarcasm. “Whatelse?” he asked.
    Peer wasn’t going to repeat what Hilde had said aboutthe mill. He racked his brains for something else. “Oh,yes!” he remembered. “She said her father went away thismorning. He’s going off a-Viking for the summer, on thenew longship.”
    Uncle Grim’s black beard split open in a very nastysmile, showing all his brown and yellow teeth.
    â€œWell, well, well! Is he indeed?” he rumbled. He bentlow and put his face close to Peer’s. In a hot gust of badbreath he whispered, “Do you know, sonny, you may besurprisingly useful?” Straightening, he bellowed,“Baldur? Guess what? Our little nevvie has someinteresting news! Ralf Eiriksson has gone a-Viking.Leaving his family all alone .” He clapped Peer hard onthe back and sent him staggering. “Come inside, my boy,and have some breakfast!”
    With a sinking heart Peer realised that he had said thewrong thing. He followed his uncle into the mill, notnoticing Loki trotting along behind him. It was so darkinside after the morning sunshine that he failed to seeGrendel lying stretched out by the fire. But Grendel sawLoki. He surged to his feet like a hairy earthquake andstrutted forwards, growling and bristling.
    Peer whirled in alarm. Loki stood there, his tailwagging slower and slower as he lost confidence.Grendel crept forwards, throbbing with cruelty, his eyesriveted on the intruder, long trails of saliva drooling fromhis jaws.
    â€œGrendel! Bad dog! Down!” cried Peer.
    â€œHe’ll not listen to you ,” said Uncle Baldur scornfullyfrom his seat at the table. Loki’s tail disappeared under hisstomach. He raised his own short hackles in pitifuldefiance.
    â€œPlease – quickly!” begged Peer, trying to bundleLoki backwards out of the door. “Tell him Loki’s afriend. Please! Can’t we introduce them, or something?”
    In no hurry, Uncle Baldur finished his mouthful.“Down, Grendel!” he ordered. The huge dog flicked aglance at his master and hesitated.
    â€œGet down, sir!” screamed Uncle Baldur, slapping hishand on the table. Slowly, Grendel sat. He shook hishead, spattering Peer with froth and saliva, and at lastlowered himself to the floor, still glaring at Loki withunforgiving menace.
    Peer opened the door, and Loki vanished into theyard.
    â€œCome here, laddie,” said Uncle Baldur to Peer,cutting himself some more cheese. He gulped his ale,spilling it down his front. Peer approached reluctantly tillhe was standing between his uncle’s outstretched legs.Crumbs of bread and cheese speckled his uncle’s beard.His stained shirt gaped open at the throat, exposinganother tangle of black hair. A flea jumped out. UncleBaldur pinched it between two thick fingers. When itpopped, he wiped his fingers on his shirt and reached formore bread.
    â€œSee here,” he said to Peer, nodding at Grendel. “Thatdog only obeys me and Grim. Right? He hates otherdogs. He’s a born fighter.”
    â€œKilled half a dozen,” agreed Grim in a sort of proudgrowl.
    â€œSo if you want to keep your dog in one piece, youwatch your step and start making yourself very veryuseful.” Uncle Baldur stared Peer