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Wondering, Olaf and Wulfnoth climbed down the ladder after me, and Relf did but stay to find a torch before he followed us. Then I showed them the stone and the hollow behind it, and the earl called for the crowbar that was left by the outlaws, and with a stroke or two easily broke out the rest of the stone, and the glare of the torch shone into the place that it had so long sealed.
"Danish laws in the Danish Anglia," she said, "and the peace that comes after the sword and the torch." "Fire and sword we have had," I said. "Danish laws have ever been ours. But Ethelred shall be king." "Ethelred is king," she answered; "but I speak of time to come." Then Wulfnoth broke in: "What is this that you speak of, dame?
So Godwine beached the ships well, in the lee of the island on which the great castle stands when the tide is high, and we went ashore. The castle gates were well guarded in our honour, for Godwine had sent the boat back with word who we were. There greeted us Earl Wulfnoth himself in the courtyard of his great house.
The fleet is miserably destroyed; Brihtric, Edric's brother, a man like-minded to himself; accused Wulfnoth, the ealdorman of Sussex, of high treason; the ealdorman, knowing that he had no chance of justice, seduced the crews of twenty ships, and became a pirate, like unto the Danes themselves.
Wulfnoth said no more to him, and turned sharply to me. "You give her no venison maybe you fear her therefore!" he said in a scornful way enough. "I fear her no more than Relf," I answered, "but, like him, I will not seek her without reason." "Maybe there is reason for you to hear what she tells me," the earl said. "I will have you come."
I have wondered that you slew me not in the heat of battle. Well, I will add this, that if we fall on Earl Wulfnoth you may fight for him." I held out my hand, and Egil took it. "You have my word, Egil; you are most generous," I said. Then he glanced at sword Foe's Bane. "Some day you and I, maybe, will have a good fight for your sword in all friendliness," he said.
Therefore, my thane, for your sake, and seeing specially that already our brother Cnut is well disposed toward you, as Godwine son of Wulfnoth tells us, by reason of your service to Emma the queen I would bid you accept him as ruler of East Anglia, where your place is.
Whereon he fled to the fleet, and sailed away with all the ships that would follow him. Then Brihtric chased him with the rest, and met with storm and shipwreck on the rugged southern coasts. And through the storm fell on him Wulfnoth, and beat him and scattered or took the ships the storm had spared. Brihtric left the rest to their own devices, and the shipmen brought them back into the Thames.
The two men had been friends of old; and they liked and admired each other. William gave Harold a warm welcome to his dominions. At the court of the duke Harold found his youngest brother Wulfnoth, who had been sent to Normandy as a hostage many years before.
When the end of the long summer day came, and he must go back to the ships for he would not sleep away from them I went with him in order to see all that I might of him before he left, for I had made up my mind to go westward with Godwine, seeing that my promise to Egil was to bide in peace with Wulfnoth till the time came when I was free.
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