welcome! the vikings react with terror, take a step back and raise their swords and axes.
i said welcome.
well, of course. we always welcome friends. the vikings look at each other and at their swords. they don't think they look that much like friends themselves.
well, everyone is friends here on hy-brasil.
well, of course. the vikings erupt into an impromptu dance of joy, hugging each other and waving their swords in the air.
please! please! what are those?
those things in your hands.
oh no! no! out them down! put them down! the vikings gradually cease their mock battles and turn to look at aud with incredulity.
please! you don't know what you're doing!
put them down! please make them put them down.
why?
but surely you know?
have you ever felt like this about anyone else?
no, of course not, silly - i mean felt like this about the?
no, i mean have you ever felt that for the first time in your life you'd met somebody you could believe in with your whole heart.  someone whose goals suddenly seem to be your goals.  whose dreams seem to be your dreams?
what does that matter? but you've.  you've.  felt like this before.
what was she like?
but you loved her all the same.
why do you go on about that? what does it matter?
i've never loved anybody!
ah! it's my father! king arnulf open up! i know you're in there! suddenly the note from ivar's horn rings out across from the bay. erik rushes to the window and looks out to see what ivar saw previously: a black ship approaching on the horizon.
quick! throw this over you! she throws a shabby bit of cloth over erik and at that moment the door bursts open, and king arnulf enters.
who, father?
there is no one. the king starts prowling round the chamber. erik stands there, naked and petrified, with the cloak hanging over his head, just where it landed.
there's nobody here, father. look for yourself. king arnulf looks around the chamber carefully. he looks straight through erik as if he weren't there. suddenly the king strides over to erik and erik instinctively cowers out of the way. the king walks straight over to a very small cupboard no more than a foot high, flings the door of it open, and starts throwing clothes around the room.
he wouldn't be a midget, father! the king turns on her.
you're losing your temper!
it's all in your own mind, father.  it's you who imagine that i'm always up here with some man or other.
there is no magic, father.  my mother had no magic.
it's your fantasy.
the cloak invisible. it was my mother's parting gift.
oh, for goodness' sake!
that's just what i was trying to tell you. you are.
you're as bad as my father.
who?
but, erik.  but erik is off out of the door.
no. wait! my father will be - there is a thump and a yell as erik is set upon by the king's two musicians.
why didn't you come up by the stairs? erik looks around and notices for the first time the magnificent flights of stairs leading up to the top of aud's tower.
i mean, you could have killed yourself. erik clambers into aud's room.
why? erik looks around and is suddenly suspicious.
it's in the chest. erik races over and grabs the cloak.
no!
erik. you don't understand.
but you don't realize.
erik! she rushes to the window in time to see erik parachuting down, holding the four corners of the cloak. erik lands safely and waves with the cloak.
no! wait! erik! the cloak! the cloak invisible! it only seems to work on my father! but erik cannot hear her. he is already racing back to his ship. back on golden dragon, thorfinn is taking "being scared" lessons from ivar the boneless.
no! but it's too late. snorri goes white, gives a hideous gasp.  and sinks slowly to his knees - revealing loki standing behind him with a bloody knife. as keitel and loki watch snorri die, a drop of blood from the knife falls to the ground. the moment it lands, there is a deep subterranean groan, and the earth begins to tremble violently. keitel and loki look around in alarm.
father! the king looks up.
but, father, it is!
it's sinking! hy-brasil is sinking!
father! harald missionary has put his arm around aud in a fatherly way.
no! don't quarrel! sven and his dad stop fighting, surprised by the vehement in her voice.
we'll never get where we want to go if we fight. aud crosses to the horn and inserts the mouthpiece. loki glances at keitel. he hadn't bargained for this!
it has not spoken for a thousand years.  you must bring it to life with a kiss.  she puts her lips to the mouthpiece and just touches it with them.  almost a kiss.  then.  very gently.  she begins to blow.  a soft.  slight note can just be heard.  aud takes her mouth away from the mouthpiece.  and the soft note goes on.  reverberating.  a sweet note.  a magic note.  the vikings stand stock-still, enchanted by the sound.  and the sound all the time is getting louder and the horn begins to vibrate with the note. as the volume increases the golden dragon itself begins to reverberate with the sound. rings of ripples begin to radiate out from the boat across the calm water. the note grows louder and louder, and the vikings, who at first were laughing and cheering at aud's success, begin to get rather alarmed. louder and louder gets the note and the horn shakes and the boat vibrates. things start to be shaken loose, and fall onto the deck. ropes uncoil and run loose. a heavy block suddenly crashes down to the deck, crowning harald and laying him out flat. louder and louder grows the note, and the vikings have to stop their ears for the pain. the water around the ship becomes more and more agitated. and then another sound is heard. it is the thunder of water in the distance like a million distant waterfalls. and suddenly they notice the sea is running like a river - all in one direction.  sweeping the ship forward with incredible momentum. in no time they are engulfed in a mist, still travelling at a rate of knots. almost at once appointed rock looms out of the mist ahead of them. erik flings himself at the steering oar, and everyone is thrown about as the ship veers wildly and just misses the rock, only to see another looming up ahead of them. the ship veers again, as a third rock looms ahead. this time sven has grabbed a coil of rope, and as they pass the third rock, he throws it like a lasso over the rock. loki and keitel leap to grab the rope just as the rope goes taut and the ship comes to a lurching stop, anchored by the rope, but still swaying and buffeted in the racing waters. those on board shout to each other, soaked to the skin. it is difficult to make out what they are shouting.
what are you doing?
you want to get to asgaard, don't you?
no! no! we are in the spell of the horn! hatred will destroy us.
i didn't know!
how else d'you think we're going to get to asgaard? the vikings look at each other amidst the roaring waters and the thick spray. erik holds his bleeding arm and looks at aud. should he trust her or not? suddenly he turns on the others.
no! don't look over the edge! erik lets out a little more rope, until the ship is protruding over the edge. sven, his dad and keitel peer over the side, and stare down into the abyss. they gasp. from above we see the prow of golden dragon and the backs of the vikings' heads in plain view against a backdrop of stars below them.
no. don't look.  the abyss will suck away your strength.
you still want to go to asgaard?
do you believe i love you?
you don't have to love me. just: do you believe i love you?
then let go! erik hesitates, then he decides to believe in aud. he throws the rope away. at once the ship shoots off over the edge of the world into space.  everything seems to slow down, as the longship drops down and down.  the ship twists slowly as it drops.  round and round. the vikings gaze about them in wonder, as they find their ship if falling in silence amongst the stars. harald comes to once again.
don't sleep.  wake.  look! erik opens his eyes and, for an instant, he sees helga. he blinks and realizes it is aud who is calling him back to consciousness. suddenly coloured lights begin to play to his face.
the second note.
gently.  erik blows.  a soft gentle note.  he takes his mouth away, and smiles at aud. once again the horn stars to vibrate and the note gets louder.  the ship starts to vibrate.  louder and louder.  the whole landscape starts to vibrate.  louder and louder grows the not until even the stars in the sky are vibrating and then a magical thing starts to happen.  the note fades as one by one the shimmering stars start to fall out of the night sky.  they fall like silver snow.  until the ship.  the vikings.  asgaard.  the whole landscape is covered in sparkling dust.  then in the ensuing silence the first light begins to glow in the halls of asgaard.  then another.  and another.  erik stares as is bewitched and slowly begins to climb out of golden dragon.  but aud tries to pull him back.
erik! you've done what you came to do!
blow the third note! the note to take us home!
no living man has ever set foot in the halls of asgaard.  the gods will never let you return. erik looks at her.  for a moment.  but he knows he has no choice.
then i shall come too.
i don't want to live without you.
aren't you afraid?
it doesn't exist for him.
sh!
please!
you're the only one who can. please. harald look around at the dumbfounded vikings. then he shrugs and wanders off, disappearing through the closed doors of valhalla.
listen! listen! the third note! but it's no good. erik has to let go of the red-hot axe. everyone screams as they start to plunge down towards the pit of hel. cut to golden dragon. harald missionary is blowing the horn resounding.