"But you could have asked me nothing more after my own
mind. But what of the lady?"
"If you do not know that by this time," he said gaily, "I am
mistaken. Maybe you had better ask her."
"Am I to take her with me?"
"Yes," he said, gravely enough. "There may be fighting here, and
she is best out of the way. Her folk will hail her, and she will be
safe with them, Arnkel notwithstanding. Thoralf will send his wife
and daughter with her that they, too, may be safe."
Then he laughed at me again, and said that if all his followers
were so ready to leave him, he would be a lonely man shortly, and
so on. Yet I knew that for him to have one loyal haven in the south
lands would be no little gain, so that I was serving him as well as
Gerda.
"That is well," he said at last. "And I wonder how long I may be
able to jest thus. Now, I will give you the ship we took from
Heidrek, and Bertric will be shipmaster, for this is his affair
also. You shall have crew enough, at least, to make sure that
Gerda's men will join you without fear. And you shall sail
tomorrow, before ever Arnkel hears that I am in the land. Take him,
if you can, and deal with him as you will. Maybe a rope at the end
of the yardarm is what he deserves. But, anywise, do not let him
get to Eric if you can help it.
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