"The Wanderer's Necklace"
Olaf, son of Thorvald and Thora, is a Dane living at Aar in tenth century Jutland. His elder brother Ragner is to marry Iduna the Fair, daughter of Athalbrand of Lesso, but the arrangements falls through when it becomes clear that Ragner mistrusts the flirtatious Iduna. Olaf is however smitten with her. Although all the family are fearless, Olaf is something of a dreamer. He dreams of a burial mound containg a body wearing half of an ancient necklace ("the Wanderer's Necklace"), and surrounded by strange gods - this is an ancestor who had been to Egypt, and returned leaving his love, a princess of Egypt, wearing the other half. They vow that they will one day be reunite, however many centuries they may have to wait. Olaf tells Iduna, and is persuaded to dig in the local burial mound, with the help of his foster mother Freydisa, an finds the necklace, and a sword. He gives the former to Iduna. But he can't help feeling that she is not the ancient soul for whom he - the descendant of the buried chief - is waiting.
He frights a bear he has been tracking with Ragner and foster-brother Steinar, and kills it and saves Steinar. Athalbrand, not entirely happy that his daughter is to marry a mere second son, consents to Iduna's marriage to Olaf. Steinar is now found to be the heir of Hakon of Agger, one of the richest men in Jutland. is sent to escort her to the bridal feast at Aar. However, persuaded by the greedy Athalbrand, Iduna and Steinar agree to betray Olaf, and sail away to marry. The people of Aar are horrified by Steinar's action, and decide - against the inclination of the more gentle Olaf - to fall on Agger and kill its people. However, Athalbrand has anticipated this, and his ships are sailing to Aar to burn Thorvald's ships first. They meet at sea. After a furior battle Thrvald and Ragner are dead, Steinar is a prisoner, and Olaf is victorious. His following are surprised that Olaf has taken Steinar alive, but assume he is to be sacrificed to Odin.
Olaf's uncle Leif is priest of Odin, and Freydisa is priestess of Odin. Although Olaf tries to save Steinar, to the surprise of all, Leif kills him. Olaf then challenges Odin to battle. After Odin - an ancient wooden idol - remains silent, Olaf strikes it with his sword, cutting into pieces. With Freydisa's assistance he flees, taking the Wanderer's Necklace (which Iduna has returned) with him.
The story now travels far south, and forward a number of years. Olaf is now captain of the guard of the Empress Irene, in the imperial city of Byzantium. He is still looking for the woman wearing the second half of the Wanderer's Necklace. Irene, who favour Olaf, in part because of his aloofness from the politics of the court and city, is minded to raise him high - very high indeed. She is a widow, and is ruling jointly with her 20 year old son, the Emperor Constantine. But they hate one another, and this is expected to result in one killing the other. Olaf is entrusted with the command of the state prison - a post bringing with it the personal rank of general. The main reason for this task is to safeguard the imperial prisoners, the blind Caesar Nicephorus and his four brothers. Olaf prevents Nicephorus from being poisoned, but hates the job. He also prevents the drunked Constantine from eating one of the poisoned fruit, thereby earning the surprised gratitude of the emperor.
In order to elevate Olaf any higher it is necessary that he be a Christian. Fortunately for Irene he has already been baptised by the bishop Barnabas, a prisoner in the state prison. But he must be publicly received into the church at St Sophia. Martina, lady in waiting to the empress, and the minister Stauracius, are to be his godparents. In the case of Martina, this is to prevent her marrying Olaf. Although Olaf treats her as nothing more than a friend, it is clear that Martina loves him. Stauracius is his godfather so that he is not tempted to have Olaf done to death out of jealousy. Olaf as a Christian is now called Michael, but for ease the name Olaf is continued.
But at the ceremony the crowd includes Magas, and his daughter Helidore. Magas is the Coptic Christiadescendant of the Pharaohs of Egypt, but is ruler of a small principality at the first cataract of the Nile, and fighting the advancing Muslim hordes. He is in Byzantium seeking the aid of the empress. But as he passes Helidore he sees that she is wearing just such a necklace as the Wanderer's Necklace, and her face is that of the woman of his dream. Her reaction on seeing him suggest that she had a similar pre-knowledge. Although as an officer of the Varangian Guard meant that Olaf's time was not his own, opportunity soon arises to see Helidore. Irene, not realising the connection between them, instructs Olaf (now Master of the Palace and Chamberlain, as well as Captain of the Guard, and still with the personal rank of general, though no longer governor of the prison) to question Magas and Helidore and if necessary court Helidore, to discover the truth.
The story now advances a short time. Helidore and Olaf have of course fallen in love. Unfortunately Irene sees Helidore walking in a palace garden, where she has been given leave by Olaf. Since she was alone Helidore was dressed in native Egyptian fashion. This exposed the breast, allowing Irene to make a cheap remark about the Egyptian whore. She is now jealous of Olaf, who has always politely but coldly refused her discrete offers of love. She spies on Olaf and Helidore in the garden, and is livid when Olaf says that he doesn't care for Irene. She orders soldiers to capture him, but they are beaten off by Olaf, who thinks that they are kidnappers or robbers. More soldiers arrive, and then the empress herself. She orders the arrest of Olaf and tells the guards to kill Helidore. The varangians arrive and encircle Irene, Olaf and Helidore. Their leader, Jobb, a stolid officer who is second in command to Olaf, tries to use Irene as a bargaining pawn. The Greek guards and the Varangians fight, and Olaf himself takes part, unable to resist. He thinks he sees the spirit of his brother Ragner beside him in the battle, but cannot be sure.
A compromise is agreed. Olaf is to be surrendered to the empress, who is to be released. The varangians are not to be charged for rebellion, but will leave the city within a short time. Helidore is stay in their care. To guard against treachery a dozen prominent Greeks are to be hostage for Olafs continued good treatment. He is, however, to face trial. Barnabas is to arrange for Magas and Helidore to escape to Egypt.
The trial is public, though held in the palace. But it is clear that Olaf will be condemned for killing the guards, however innocent his motive may have been. But Jodd and his Varangians prevail upon the judges to not impose the death sentence that they come prepared to give. Irene privately offers to release Olaf in return for his loyalty and love, but he declines. She orders that he be blinded.
The Varangians learn that Olaf has been blinded, and treat their hostages likewise. Martina manages to discover Olafs whereabouts and leads the guards to rescue him, just as his judges are about to dispose of him in the Hall of the Pit. Here a gaping hole leads to the river several hundred feet below. But Olaf walks around the hole as though he knows it is their. He feels a hand, like that of Martina, which leads him around the trap. Martina, who had prayed intensely that the Varangians would be in time, has evidently been vouchsafed a miracle.
Constantine seizes power using the Varangians and the Armenian legions. He frees Olaf and makes him governor of the island of Lesbos. Jodd accompanies him, as does Martina. Irene is secluded as a nun, though she keeps her eyes.
Although blind Olaf manages to run Lesbos well, and to defeat a large attacking force of Muslims. One of the Muslim prisoners - who he has treated humanely - when about to be freed after a peace treaty was negotiated, told Jodd that Barnabas was killed shortly after reaching Egypt. Magas died fighting the Muslim hordes, and his daughter was taken for the caliphs harem, but has escaped. Olaf seeks leave to search for Helidore. Martina, forever faithful, accompanies him.
They charter a vessel in secret, and the captain and crew are briefed to know them only a Danish trader robbed and blinded by thieves, and his widowed niece. They manage to enter Egypt, since the officer of the customs is sympathetic. They pretend to be earning their living from singing and playing musical instruments, which indeed they can do. They head south, towards the first cataract.
By the Valley of the Kings Olaf and Martina stop as the tiny village of Kurna. There they lodge with the Coptic woman Palka. They don't disclose themselves to her, but they learn that though a Christian town, the villages continue the ancient custom of leaving offerings for the great departed. Indeed, these offerings seem especially acceptable at the moment, since they are all consumed overnight. Olaf suspects it is Helidore in hiding. He persuades Palka to show them where she leaves the food and drink, and then stayed when she left at the arrival of sunset.
They see a figure, dressed apparently in the attire of ancient royalty. It is Helidore, still in the robes she wore when in Byzantium. She had escaped from the sultan's harem, though she had to kill a servant to do so. Since then she has been hiding in the tomb of one of her ancestors. She rejoices to see Olaf, but is striken to discover that he is blind. Martina strives to hide her own grief, and almost succeeds.
The three return to Alexandria to board their ship, with Helidore dressed as a boy (doubtless "he" would be in as much danger from the Arab sodomites as Helidore was as a virginal young woman was from the Sultan). However, one of the sailors, in a drunken state, exposed the deceit just as they were about to escape. They were taken prisoner, to await shipping to the Caliph Harun in Baghdad, Helidore to enter his harem, Olaf to be punished as a leading thorn in the side of Muslim expansion.
Olaf waits for a long while in prison, where he is well treated. A physician calls to see him, and ask him to tell his life story - to cure him of a decline in health. He does so, suspecting that the physician in actually an emissary of the Caliph. He sympathises with Olaf. Heliodore is brought into the room. He offers them freedom if they will accept the true faith. The alternative is death for Olaf and a place in the Caliph's harem for Helidore. They decline. The physician offers them a cup of poison, as a means of escape. Heliodore drinks it all, and Olaf prepares to follow her by throwing himself out the window. However at word from the physician men enter the room and restrain him. It was but a test of their loyalty and love for one another; the "poison" is merely rose water. The physician is of course the Caliph himself. He give them safe passage out of his domains, but not before he witnesses the patriarch of Alexandria marry them.
Back in Lesbos several years have passed. Martina has married Jodd, and both Helidore and Martina have had children. The empress Irene arrives under guard, and instructions from Constantine make it clear (though not stated plainly) that she is to be blinded and then killed. Irene pleads with Olaf to not do so, and he agrees, though he knows that this is the death sentence for himself and his family. Sure enough a letter arrives in due course from Byzantium, instructing Olaf to appear before the court - with his family - and that if it is not convenient to come at once an imperial squadron will soon be calling to escort him there. They decide to sail to Denmark. Irene asks to come, but Olaf refuses. While their after-fate is unknown, it is suggested that they are destined to receive martyrdom at the hands of the pagan Danes.
This story is unusual in several aspects. Martina is a tragic young woman, destined to suffer from unrequited love - as indeed so does Irene. But whereas Irene is bestride an imperial legacy, Martina is happier in a more domestic setting. Iduna is shallow and vain. Unfortunately the character of Helidore isn't developed, and it is Irene who is Haggard's leading lady. Like Ayesha ("Ayesha, the Return of She" and "She") she is no innocent, she kills and blinds left right and centre, but not for mean motives. Olaf is a little like Wi ("Allan and the Ice Gods"), a man searching for truth and a dreamer in a world in which he doesn't fit. Like Wi, he finds his love in Helidore, but it is a spiritual love, like that Ayesha searches for. The story might have been strenghthened had there been a little more colour. For instances, although Olaf is at the centre of the imperial court, Haggard doesn't take the opportunity to describe the gorgeous ceremonial of that court. The religious message isn't strong. The world Patriarch, and the gentle Bishop Barnabas, are contrasted. But it is actually the Muslims who come out best, albiet from a small sample. The customs officer is sympathetic, as it the Caliph.