kinsman.”
“We must not reckon on him,” said Bjarni, “for though he knows
something of law, he is far too wary, and no man need hope to
have him as his shield; but he will back thee as well as any man
who backs thee best, for he has a stout heart; besides, I must
tell thee that it will be that man’s bane who undertakes the
defence in this suit for the burning, but I have no mind that
this should befall my kinsmen Thorkel, so ye must turn your eyes
elsewhither.”
Flosi said he knew nothing about who were the best lawyers.
“There is a man named Eyjolf,” said Bjarni; “he is Bolverk’s son,
and he is the best lawyer in the Westfirther’s Quarter; but you
will need to give him much money if you are to bring him into the
suit, but still we must not stop at that. We must also go with
our arms to all law business, and be most wary of ourselves, but
not meddle with them before we are forced to fight for our lives.
And now I will go with thee, and set out at once on our begging
for help, for now methinks the peace will be kept but a little
while longer.”
After that they go out of the booth, and to the booths of the
Axefirthers. Then Bjarni talks with Lyting and Bleing, and Hroi
Arnstein’s son, and he got speedily whatever he asked of them.
Then they fared to see Kol, the son of Killing-Skuti, and Eyvind
Thorkel’s son, the son of Askel the Priest, and asked them for
their help; but they stood out a long while, but the end of it
was that they took three marks of silver for it, and so went into
the suit with them.
Then they went to the booths of the men of Lightwater, and stayed
there some time. Flosi begged the men of Lightwater for help,
but they were stubborn and hard to win over, and then Flosi said,
with much wrath, “Ye are ill-behaved! Ye are grasping and
wrongful at home in your own country, and ye will not help men at
the Thing, though they need it. No doubt you will be held up to
reproach at the Thing, and very great blame will be laid on you
if ye bear not in mind that scorn and those biting words which
Skarphedinn hurled at you men of Lightwater.”
But on the other hand, Flosi dealt secretly with them, and bade
them money for their help, and so coaxed them over with fair
words, until it came about that they promised him their aid, and
then became so steadfast that they said they would fight for
Flosi, if need were.
Then Bjarni said to Flosi, “Well done! Well done! Thou art a
mighty chief, and a bold outspoken man, and reckest little what
thou savest to men.”
After that they fared away west across the river, and so to the
Hladbooth. They saw many men outside before the booth. There
was one man who had a scarlet cloak over his shoulders, and a
gold band round his head, and an axe studded with silver in his
hand.
