Book Four: The Trap — 13.

Colin sheaths the holy sword and, out of curiosity, tries to draw it again, discovering it is immovable to him. He laughs at the trick, recognizing the sword’s selective will. Nearby, the troll Svangur (Stu Finger) menaces with a bone, offering to strike Arthur Wren to prevent “fuss,” but Colin refuses and rebukes the troll’s slur.

They bicker over the perilous route Svangur chose, with Colin accusing the troll of angling to drop them both. Svangur deflects with teasing, needling Colin about his “brotherly” bond with Arthur. Arthur lies dead, eyes open; his final words invoked Gwen and Psalm 23, which saddens Colin as he reflects on the emptiness of promised afterlives.

Remembering the casket, Colin retrieves a small vial containing ancient, fresh-looking blood. Svangur explains it is a saintly woman’s blood, potent enough to heal any bodily wound and potentially resurrect Arthur, save for wounds of the soul. A sip would also make a man a decade younger and virile. Colin, uninterested in piety, values the elixir for extending his own life.

When Svangur presses for the promised payment—“trade for trade”—Colin first taunts him by inviting him to take the Surrealist’s Glass from Arthur’s pocket. Seeing the troll’s dismay, Colin produces the true prize: a brand-new Sony Vaio laptop with mobile internet capability. He touts its pleasures, from games to “cam girls,” and Svangur delights, asking about Doom.

Colin thus secures the troll’s satisfaction while keeping the vial for himself and leaving Arthur unrevived. With Arthur dead, the selective sword sealed, and the troll appeased, Colin consolidates power and options for the trials ahead.