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Updated: June 8, 2025
Hodulf sat on his place on the dais, and there were thirty-one others with him, sitting on the benches that were set along the walls. Withelm counted them. Then the door was closed, and the man with whom I had spoken set his back against it, but it was not barred; and I went forward to the steps of the high place, and stood before Hodulf. "Well, what now?" he said, seeing that I was a stranger.
But I will say that presently, when we passed a stretch of wild moor where we saw no man, the same was going on towards the town of Hodulf; for if the news came to a village, some would be for the king that was, and other and older men for the king that might be.
I saw his tall form lift itself against the dim sky as he did so. "What is in the sack?" asked my father. "That is not your concern," Hodulf answered sharply. "If you know not, then you can tell no man, even in your sleep. Put off at once and sink it." "It is in my mind," said my father, "that I had better not look in the sack. Where shall I find you, lord, when the thing is in the sea?
Then the chief said, "Little cargo have you, friend Grim, and therefore I am the more sure that you have store of money with you. Even flight from Hodulf would not prevent you from taking that wherewith to trade. So I must have it; and it rests with you whether we tear your ship to splinters in hunting for your hiding place or not."
So said Havelok, and his words fell like ice from his lips, and he was very still as he spoke, though the red flush crept into his cheek and his brows lowered. And Hodulf did not answer at once. He looked at the towering young warrior before him, and maybe into his mind there crept the thought of the children whom he had slain, whom this one would avenge.
For as yet I have not heard your name." I think that Hodulf had forgotten that he would have to answer this question, or else he thought that everyone knew him, for he did not reply all at once. "You may ask the king for your reward," he said, after a little thought, "for this is his business. Now you know that it will be best for you to be secret and sure.
The road was but a quarter of a mile inland from this spot, for it ran near the shore, and it was not much more than that to the place where Hodulf would be waiting. "Creep as near as you can," my father said; "but come to help only if I call. I do not think that I am likely to do so." Then we went our ways, he making straight for the road, and I turning to my left a little.
Some of the younger chiefs of the old families held by him also, for they had known no other, and then there were old feuds with Gunnar that held back some from us; but these few took part with neither side. So before a week was out we had a matter of six thousand men in and about the town; and it seemed that, with so good a force, it was as well to march on Hodulf as to wait for him.
So I was puzzled, but held my peace until it should seem good to my father to tell me what we were about. When we reached a place where there was no house very near and no man about, he said to me at last, "What is on hand I do not rightly know, but yon man was Hodulf, the new king, as I suppose we must call him.
Only those Norsemen who came with Hodulf or have come hither since must leave the land, and they shall go in honour, taking their goods with them. Their time is up; that is all." It was a long speech for Havelok, but in it was all that could be said. Long and closely did the chiefs look at him as he spoke, for none of them had seen him before.
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