“You’re right,” Loki said. “Surtur would never rebalance things in a way which weakens his military might. He also fancies himself as the Allfather.”

 

“That doesn’t gel with sacrificing himself to fix…”

 

He lifted a hand before I could finish my sentence. “Actually, it does. How did Odin get wisdom?”

 

I shuddered. “Oh, so he thinks…”

 

“And while it probably wouldn’t work per se, it’s entirely possible he could die and then come back worse, and Hel wouldn’t have anything to say about it because he’s leveraging stuff older than she is. Older than we are.”

 

I shuddered again. “Which is why it’s not my task to kill him. Because I’d probably end up…”

 

“Triggering something. Or there’s…” Loki considers that. “I think I know what that means but yes, try and refrain from putting a sword in his heart unless it’s genuine self-defense.”

 

“Don’t murder him.” I let my breath out. “I didn’t plan on it. Considered it, yes. Planned on it, no.”

 

“Good.” A pause. “I’d rather get things back to the status quo, myself. Anyone who replaces him is going to be an unknown quantity.”

 

“Says the chaos god.”

 

“Ah, but I’m actually a reasonably predictable chaos god.”

 

I laughed. “You are at that. I know you’re going to hit on everything that moves.”

 

“Not everything!”

 

“Oh, come on, you were hitting on Sarael.”

 

“Waste of time.”

 

“You were still doing it.” The banter cheered me up. Surtur would not rebalance things, but… “What if the efreet is wrong and somebody other than Surtur could force the rebalancing?”

 

“Hrm. Would have to be….” He tailed off. “I couldn’t do it. It would have to be somebody bound to Muspelheim. So, that eliminates both of us.”

 

“What about an entire bunch of well born fire giants forming a circle?”

 

“Might work, if you can get enough of them. And get it past under his nose.”

 

“Yngva did manage to rob his armory.”
“She must work there,” Loki mused. “Are you…”

 

“I’m returning the dagger. I think that as difficult as this is, it’s more feasible than destroying a whole bunch of weapons.”

 

“Well, then…”

 

“And I’m not calling her until you leave.”

 

He looked puppy dog hurt.