A Slave's Tale

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1 5 I HADBEGGED Hakon to allow me to stay on the ship when he and the others went to Earl Hakon's hall; but both he and Rark had been too frightened of the Earl to let me remain behind. "But I am afraid of the Earl and his slave," I had stammered. "On the goodwill of the Earl depend not only our chances of buying a new sail and stores for our ship, but also our lives," Hakon had explained. "Earl Hakon's title is only Earl, but he is the ruler of all of Norway." Again I washed myself and combed my hair; and again Gretha kindly loaned me her silver brooch. "To Odin and to Thor, who rule our lives and set our courses!" Earl Hakon held high his golden cup, as if he wanted to show it off to the gods. "To Odin and to Thor!" echoed the men around the table asthey put their cups of mead to their lips. I sat at the lower end of the table among the less important guests and the members of Earl Hakon's hird who were either very old, or very young, or not well born. "Three winters ago, half the men here forswore Odin and pledged their honor to the new god. They 107 say that when Earl Hakon was in Denmark, he too forswore the old gods," the man mumbled who sat beside me. I turned to him.His face was furrowed. I knew he was called Leif the Noseless, a name he had received after a battle against King Eirik Bloodaxe. Leif had won much fame in his time. His body was covered with scars; and though his last scar was as honorably received as any of the others, it had brought him only ridicule and this mocking name. "They say Magnus Thorsen was a believer in the new god," I remarked, for I was still thinking of Hjalte Gudbrandson and wanted the old man to talk about Magnus and his grandson. "Magnus had only one god: gold! This is the most jealous of all gods. It creeps into the man who worships it and turns his heart and brain into metal." I looked towards the far end of the long table at the many faces, and wondered if any of them worshiped any other gods but power and gold. A young man,sitting not far from Earl Hakon's seat, lifted his cup and spoke a verse. For a moment: everyone was still, and I could hear the words plainly. "Empty the halls Of Jomcastle strong, Broken the walls, That stood so long. Bue's name The wind will tell, Earl Hakon's fame In hearts will dwell." 108 When the young man finished declaiming his verse, he held high his cup and said Earl Hakon's name, then he drank. Earl Hakon smiled to the young man, and turned to talk with Hakon Olafson, who sat at his side. The old man bent towards me. He talked softly, but with a bitterness that spoke ill for the future of Earl Hakon if many men shared his opinions. "An ill-made verse, the poet's tongue is called flattery; his breath, envy; and his song, ambition. When Earl Hakon defeated Bue and his hird, they fought five against one; and rather would I have the wind tell my name than live in the heart of a coward." "Is it not mostly in the sagas that battles are won by courage rather than numbers?" My question seemed to embarrass the old man, for he looked down at the meat, which he held in his hand, and did not answer. Not far from us, on the other side of the table, sat a young man who was looking angrily at the old man at my side. Leif the Noseless noticed that I had seen the J young man. He shrugged his shoulders and whispered, "When a man gets so old that he can no longer wield the sword, he must learn to control his tongue. My son fears that I shall get both of us in trouble with the Earl." The old man took a drink of mead, stuffed some meat in his mouth, and tried to chew it. Quiet, when unexpected, can come as such a surprise , that it frightens you, as a scream would. Such a stillness now came over...