It was with a little movement of anger that she came to
herself at last. "And what are you thinking of me now? Do you clare to dream
that the King--" Turning, she confronted the old warrior fiercely. "Thorkel
Jarl, I ask you to tell the Lord of Ivarsdale as quick as you can what the
King wants with me."
"That I will not do," the Jarl said quickly. "You know no prudence, maiden.
The Lord of Ivarsdale is also English; a mishap might occur if--"
She flung the words at him; "I care not if it lose Canute his crown! If you
will not risk it, I will tell him that the King settles to-night with Edric of
Mercia and his men, and that it is to witness the punishment of my kinsmen's
murderer that he has sent for me. As for my camp-life, ask Rothgar himself, or
Elfgiva, or the King--or any soldier of the host! Of them all, you alone have
thought such thoughts of me." She flung up her hands against him in a kind of
heart-broken rage. "You! To whose high-mindedness I trusted everything I
have!" Hiding her face, she ran from them, sobbing, into the house.
Chapter XXXI
The Twilight of The Gods
Circumspect and reserved
Every man should be,
And wary in trusting friends;
Of the words
That a man says to another
He often pays the penalty.
Ha'vama'l.
Waking to tapestried walls and jewelled lanterns and a strange splendor of
furnishings, Randalin experienced a moment of wild bewilderment.
Pages:
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346