Somewhat evil."
"The last talk of Heidrek has raised fears in your mind," I said.
Then across the stone-framed window came a flare of red light, and
we both sprang to our feet and went to the door. Dalfin stirred,
but did not wake. And when we were in the open all was still in the
moonlight round us, but on the mainland every hill inland to the
westward was tipped with the flame of beacon fires, newly lighted.
That which had waked Bertric, as one may suppose, with its first
flash, was set on the hill over the fishers' village, whence we
were to look for the signal to tell us to be ready for departure.
It had been just lighted, and blazed up fiercely as we stood
outside the cell. Five minutes later another fire answered it to
the eastward, and again beyond that a third, and fourth, one after
the other, as men saw the glare.
"Foes landing to the westward," said Bertric. "The fires run
thence. Maybe the ship we saw went down the coast and has
returned."
Now we woke Dalfin, who came out yawning, and looked.
"Danes, I suppose," he said carelessly. "That is the usual trouble;
or else Connaught men on the raid. Well, as we cannot get at them,
we need not trouble concerning them. And they cannot reach us."
"The fires sprang up quickly as if men watched by them tonight,"
said Bertric.
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