Lawhead, Stephen Byzantium

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.The king looked at me, and his glance put me in mind of our previous meeting; something of the same curious thoughtfulness appeared in his expression.Lifting a hand to Gunnar, he recognized my master as a free man of Ragnar's tribe and asked him what it was that concerned him.Gunnar answered forthrightly, saying that it was a matter of grievous concern, involving nothing less than the murder of a trusted and long-servingslave.The king agreed that this was indeed a serious affair."It would seem," said the king, "a matter for grave consideration." He paused long enough for those gathered around to enjoy his wit, and then said,"You call it murder, why?"Gunnar replied that he called it murder indeed when a man's slaves were attacked by armed men--indeed, king's men!--attacked and killed without cause."Odd did not have a weapon," he concluded."Not even a rock.""Now that you bring it before me," Harald replied, "I seem to recall that I sent two karlar into that region and only one returned.Perhaps you can tell me how this happened."Gunnar, anticipating the question, had his answer ready."During theattack, my good hound killed the man who murdered my slave.For this my hound was killed also.Thus, you can see that I have lost a hound and a slave for no reason.It is not a loss I can easily bear."The king was not swift to agree with Gunnar, but allowed that hounds did not kill king's men unless provoked."Who provoked the hound?""The karlar," Gunnar answered."And who loosed the hound?" asked Harald, suggesting that he knew more about this incident than he had revealed."This man, my slave," said Gunnar, indicating me."He loosed the hound."Harald Bull-Roar's eyes became hard and his features grew rigid."Is this so?" he demanded.I think he expected me to deny it, or to try to explain it away somehow.It took him aback when I simply replied, "It is true.""Did you know the hound would kill my man?""No, lord," I answered."Did you think it might happen?""Yes.""You thought the hound might kill a king's man," Harald's voice grew angry and loud, "and yet you loosed the dog anyway?""I thought it would be no bad thing if the hound stopped the karlar from killing Odd."At this, Harald grew puzzled.I think he had made up his mind how this would be settled, but my admission had put a slightly different face on the thing and he now wondered what to do.Looking away from me, he said to Gunnar: "You have lost a slave, and I have lost a warrior.I will pay you for your slave--" "And hound," added Gunnar respectfully."I will pay you for the loss of your slave and hound," Harald said,"and you will pay me for the loss of my warrior.I will tell you now, my warrior was worth twenty gold pieces.Your slave, I think, was not worth half so much.""No lord." The colour had drained from Gunnar's face; he was no longer so eager for justice as he had been only moments before."How much then?" demanded the king."Eight pieces of silver," Gunnar suggested."Five, perhaps?" wondered the king."Six," allowed Gunnar."And six for the hound.""If we grant that twelve pieces of silver are worth two of gold, you still owe me eighteen gold pieces for the death of my warrior," said the king."Pay me now and the matter is settled.""Lord," said Gunnar ruefully, "I have never held so great a sum in all my wealth, nor has my father, nor his father before him.Not even Ragnar Yellow Hair has so much gold." On sudden inspiration, he added,"All we have, we give to you in tribute."King Harald dismissed this with an impatient wave of his hand."I care nothing for that.We have made a bargain.You must find the way to pay your part, heya?""Though I sell all I have, I could never raise so much wealth," Gunnar said.Harald seemed to soften then; he lifted a hand to his chin and appeared to consider what could be done to help Gunnar out of his predicament.He granted that it was not good to leave affairs like this unsettled, and conceded that the attack had been fomented by his karlar in the first place."Taking this into account," he concluded, "I will not demand the full blood price.The gift of your slave will suffice."Gunnar, not quite believing his good fortune, made no further protest but agreed at once, lest the king change his mind.Harald summoned one of his men, who stepped to the king's rough throne.The king put out his hand and the warrior gave him a leather bag from which the king withdrew a handful of silver coins."I would not have you think ill of your king," he said and, selecting a few coins from his hand, motioned for Gunnar and me to approach."For the loss of your slave," Harald said, pouring six silver coins into Gunnar's outstretched hands.Then, as if thinking better of his offer, he took three more coins and added these to the others."For your hound," the king said, and gave Gunnar six more silver pieces."Heya?"Gunnar glanced at me and shrugged."Heya," he replied, greatly relieved.With a flick of the king's hand, my master retreated gratefully, tucking his silver into his belt.The warrior stepped up and took me by the arm; I was brought to the king's throne.Harald Bull-Roar reached out, seized hold of my slave collar and pulled me down to my knees."You are my slave now," he said."Do you understand this?"I indicated my submission with a bow of my head, whereupon I was hauled to my feet and shoved roughly back behind the king and made to stand with the king's other servants.Even as I was struggling to adjust to this startling turn of fortune, I was thinking that the king had planned his justice very carefully.I think that from the moment he had seen me on the riverbank, he had begun scheming and this was the result.I found my place among the king's following of serving men and slaves.Once out of sight, the king seemed to lose interest in me and, since no one gave me anything to do, I stayed out of the way and observed the ordering of his court.I learned little for my effort, however, for there was no order to anything.At the conclusion of the theng the next morning, everyone bade farewell to friends and kinsmen, most of whom would not be seen again until the next summons brought them all back to the council ring.The forest trails round about echoed with the sounds of homewarding Danefolk calling to one another, and whooping with loud exuberance at the heady prospect of sailing into fame and fortune with Harald Bull-Roar [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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