Draugr

Twelve

"How much money are we talking about?" Ruff hissed. The only reason Astrid had agreed to her twin coming along was it gave her someone to talk to, so she didn't seem to be quite as insane. Quite...

"A lot. Now please do as I say and...here we go," Astrid said calmly, seeing a medium sized bald man with jug ears and a bushy moustache approach. His suit was a neat grey and his name badge read 'Hello. My name is Sven Shepherd.' Ruffnut shot up to her feet and leered, offering her hand.

"Hi! It's a pleasure to see you ..." she began.

"Managers are all called Mister!" Astrid hissed.

"...Mr Shepherd," Ruff continued. "My name is Wenda Sheeter..."

"Shearer!" Astrid snapped.

"Shearer!" the spiritualist corrected herself. "And I need to withdraw some funds from my account."

"Miss Shearer, it's a complete pleasure to meet you at last," the man said, his voice ridiculously squeaky and high. He gestured forward to a neat desk to one side with two chairs. Tuff rose and walked by his sister, his eyes flicking around the sumptuous space. Ruff made a great show of sitting down. "Please-how much do you want to withdraw?"

"All of it," Astrid said steadily.

"The whole lot," Ruff said after a pause. Sven's eyes widened in shock.

"You-you want to withdraw three hundred and eighteen thousand dollars?" he checked.

"How much?" Ruff choked.

"Dude-say again?" her twin echoed and Astrid used her new focus to prod both of them in the ribs. Both yelped.

"Pull yourselves together!" she snapped. "Remember-this is your damned account! You know what's in there!" Ruff scowled.

"I mean...of course I do..." she announced. "I had...forgotten...that there was only three hundred and eighteen thousand dollars..." Sven Shepherd sighed.

"Give me the account number please," he asked. Astrid closed her eyes and concentrated. Since she had died, her memory had achieved a new clarity-presumably because all the mortal things like breathing, eating, digesting and so forth were no longer detracting from her attention. She smiled.

"9-2-1-5-..." she began.

"Let me think...9...2...1...5..." Ruff began, listening hard.

"...6-8-3-7!"

"...6...8...3...7..."

Sven smiled at her. "And the passcode?" he asked.

"1015," Astrid smiled. Ruffnut repeated it and gave a huge grin.

"And the final password?" Sven asked her.

"BROR," Astrid said clearly, though she could have guessed it. Brother. The reason why she was dead, why Hiccup's life was in danger-and why Heather had to be stopped. Ruff smiled.

"Bror," she repeated. Sven nodded.

"And how would you like the money?" he asked as the twins' eyes widened in utter delight.

"Cheque-made to cash!" Astrid commanded. The spiritualist was almost trembling with excitement as she repeated the instructions. Sven stared at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Couldn't I just arrange a nice bank secure transfer?"

"Cheque made to cash!" Ruff repeated instantly, her eyes round. Tuff looked at her.

"Anyone could cash it," he pointed out.