When all was quiet, but expectant, a great voice rang out from the balcony and through the hall.
The voice said, '«The time of the Challenging Hour is nearly at an end. The Challenging Hour has been called by the God Thor. For the third time of asking, where is Thor?»
A murmuring throughout the hall suggested that nobody knew where Thor was and why he had not come to make his challenge.
The voice said, «This is a very grave affront to the dignity of the All-Father. If there is no challenge before the expiration of the hour, the penalty for Thor shall be correspondingly grave.»
The drum beat again three times, and the consternation in the hall increased. Where was Thor?
«He's with some girl,» said a voice above the rest, and there were loud shouts of laughter, and a return to the hubbub of before.
«Yes.» said Dirk, quietly, «I expect he probably is.»
«Oh ah.»
Dirk had supposed that he was talking to himself and was surprised to have elicited a response from the man, though not particularly surprised at the response that had been elicited.
«Thor called this meeting tonight?» Dirk asked him.
«Oh ah.»
«Bit rude not to turn up.»
«Oh ah.»
«I expect everyone's n bit upset.»
«Not as long as there's enough pigs to go round.»
«Pigs?»
«Oh ah.»
Dirk didn't immediately know how to go on from here.
«Oh ah,» he said, resignedly.
«It's only Thor as really cares, you see,» said the old man. «Keeps on issuing his challenge, then not being able to prove it. Can't argue. Gets all confused and angry, does something stupid, can't sort it out and gets made to do a penance. Everybody else just turns up for the pigs.»
«Oh ah.» Dirk was learning a whole new conversational technique and was astonished at how successful it was. He regarded the man with a new-found respect.
«Do you know how many stones there are in Wales?» asked the man suddenly.
«Oh ah,» said Dirk warily. He didn't know this joke.
«Nor do I. He won't tell anybody. Says count 'em yourself and goes off in a sulk.»
«Oh ah.» He didn't think it was a very good one.
«So this time he hasn't even turned up. Can't say I blame him. But I'm sorry, because I think he might be right.»
«Oh ah.»
The man lapsed into silence.
Dirk waited.
«Oh ah,» he said again, hopefully.
Nothing.
«So, er,» said Dirk, going for a cautious prompt, «you think he might be right, eh?»
«Oh ah.»
«So. Old Thor might be right, eh? That's the story,» said Dirk.
«Oh ah.»
«In what way,» said Dirk, running out of patience at last, «do you think he might be right?»
«Oh, every way.»
«Oh ah,» said Dirk, defeated.
«It's no secret that the gods have fallen on hard times,» said the old man, grimly. «That's clear for all to see, even for the ones who only care about the pigs, which is most of 'em. And when you feel you're not needed any more it can be hard to think beyond the next pig, even if you used to have the whole world there with you. Everyone just accepts it as inevitable. Everyone except Thor, that is. And now he's given up. Hasn't even bothered to turn up and break a pig with us.Given up his challenge. Oh ah.»
«Oh ah,» said Dirk.
«Oh ah.»
«So, er, Thor's challenge then,» said Dirk tentatively.
«Oh ah.»
«What was it?»
«Oh ah.»
Dirk lost his patience entirely and rounded on the man.
«What was Thor's challenge to Odin?» he insisted angrily.
The man looked round at him in slow surprise, looked him up and down with his big sagging eyes.
«You're a mortal, aren't you?»
«Yes,» said Dirk testily, «I'm a mortal. Of course I'm a mortal. What has being a mortal got to do with it?»
«How did you get here?»
«I followed you.» He pulled the screwed up, empty cigarette packet out of his pocket and put it on the table. «Thanks,» he said, «I owe you.»
It was a pretty feeble type of apology, he thought, but it was the best he could manage.
«Oh ah.» The man looked away.
«What was Thor's challenge to Odin?» said Dirk, trying hard to keep the impatience out of his voice this time.
«What does it matter to you?» the old immortal said bitterly. «You're a mortal. Why should you care? You've got what you want out of it, you and your kind, for what little it's now worth.»
«Got what we want out of what?»
«The deal,» said the old immortal. «The contract that Thor claims Odin has entered into.»
«Contract?» said Dirk. «What contract?»
The man's face filled with an expression of slow anger. The bonfires of Valhalla danced deeply in his eyes as he looked at Dirk.
«The sale,» he said darkly, «of an immortal soul.»
«What?» said Dirk. He had already considered this idea and discounted it. «You mean a man has sold his soul to him? What man? It doesn't make sense.»
«No,» said the man, «that wouldn't make sense at all. I said an immortal soul. Thor says that Odin has sold his soul to Man.»
Dirk stared at him with horror and then slowly raised his eyes to the balcony. Something was happening there. The great drum beat out again, and the hall of Valhalla began to hush itself once more. But a second or third drumbeat failed to come. Something unexpected seemed to have occurred, and the figures on the balcony were moving in some confusion. The Challenging Hour was just expiring, but a challenge of some kind seemed to have arrived.
Dirk beat his palms to his forehead and swayed where he sat as all kinds of realisations finally dawned on him.
«Not to Man,» he said, «but to a man, and a woman. A lawyer and an advertiser. I said it was all her fault the moment I saw her. I didn't realise I might actually be right.» He rounded on his companion urgently. «I have to get up there,» he said, «for Gods' sake, help me.»