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And Osric added that they should heave a big stone into her if she did not. "Spies, most like," he said. They hailed the boat, and had an answer at once. "Tell Hakon that hither comes a courtman of Queen Gerda's." Hakon said that it must be some man who had escaped; but Bertric and I knew at once. "It is Dalfin the Prince," we said. "He has had to fly from those brothers of his."
There were five rings of gold in the bag, worth about the whole year's wage of a courtman, and I thought that for keeping a jest to myself that was good pay indeed. There must be more behind that business, as it had seemed to me already.
"The following morning, while the King was putting on his clothes, he said to his footboy, 'Go thou to Jarl Ulf and kill him. The lad went, was away a while, and then came back. The King said, 'Hast thou killed the Jarl? 'I did not kill him, for he was gone to St. Lucius's church. There was a man called Ivar the White, a Norwegian by birth, who was the King's courtman and chamberlain.
He broke the whip stock and twisted the thong from the end of the fragment. Then he tied it round the neck of the slaver, and rose up and saluted me in the way of the Danish courtman. "Whither, lord?" he asked, quite coolly. "I am ready." "Better go back to the sheriffs," I said. "Maybe we shall have to answer for this, and we will tell him first."
Halfden opened the door and went out into the night, speaking low to one whom I could not see; and so I bade farewell to her whom I loved so dearly, not knowing if I should ever look on her again. But she bade me hope ever, for nor she nor I knew what the days to come might bring us. "Ready," said Halfden; "follow me as if you were a courtman till we come to the outer gate."
"Today I am an Irish prince tomorrow the queen's courtman again, if she will. "Now farewell, fathers." He bent his knee to the priests, and then bowed over Gerda's hand as he kissed it in parting. "Forgive me, queen," he said. "The call of Eirinn must take me from you for a time. It cannot be denied by me."
And sorely he grieved at my father's death, and at the trouble that was on us. The famine had not been so sore in the south, and pestilence had not been at all. As for himself, he had been courtman, as we call the housecarls, at first, and so had risen to be chamberlain to the king, and now to the princess, and had been with her everywhere that Alsi had sent her since her father died.
I was a courtman then to the father of Thorleif, our jarl here, and I myself made the boat ready and launched her in it." And then he told me that which I have set down at the beginning of this tale neither more nor less. What was the fullness of the evil the woman had wrought he did not tell me, and I am glad. When he ended he sat silent and brooding for a long time.
Asbiorn nodded, and we went ashore, leaving that old courtman of mine, Sidroc, in charge of the ship and the dozen men left with her. The folk of the place thronged round to see us pass up the town, and saw Gerda plainly for the first time. In another moment I heard her name pass among them, and Gorm spoke to them, for there was a growing noise of welcome.
Now we turned back to the village, and as we went I asked Bertric what he would do when our end had been gained, and Gerda was once more in Norway, and at rest. "Make my way home," he answered. "There will be ships who will be glad of a pilot into English ports, if none happen to want a master. That is easy for me. What of yourself?" "A Norse king is always glad of a courtman," I said.
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