Then you shall take me to one of my friends, for you will know where
their houses are."
But at that moment a man from the palace ran after us, bringing an order
from the king that I was to go back to him. So Ragnar bade me farewell.
"Come to me tonight at the gatehouse," he said. "I will speak to the
captain to let you off duty."
"Say nothing to him, jarl, for it is needless. I am only with him for a
time, and am my own master. I have no turn on watch tonight, and so am
free."
So I went back, and found the king in the hall again, and he was still
smiling. If he had looked me straight in the face, I suppose that he
might have seen that I was not a man to whom he was used, but he did
not. He seemed not to wish to do so.
"So, good fellow," he said, "you have heard a pleasant jest of our young
kinsman's contriving, but I will that you say nothing of it. It is a
pity to take a good guardroom story from you, however, without some
recompense, and therefore--"
With that he put a little bag into my hand, and it was heavy. I said
nothing, but bowed in the English way, and he went on, "You understand;
no word is to be said of what you have heard unless I bid you repeat it.
That I may have to do, lest it is said that Griffin the thane is
'nidring' [9] by any of his enemies. You know all the
story--how the earl and he planned a sham attack on the princess's
party, that Ragnar might show his valour, which, of course, he could not
do if Griffin was there.
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