answer well. A place will be given thee on the lower bench over
against Hrut’s high seat. He will ask if thou art from the
North, and thou shalt answer that thou art a man of Eyjafirth.
He will go on to ask if there are very many famous men there.
`Shabby fellows enough and to spare,’ thou must answer. `Dost
thou know Reykiardale and the parts about?’ he will ask. To
which thou must answer, `I know all Iceland by heart.’
“`Are there any stout champions left in Reykiardale?’ he will
ask. `Thieves and scoundrels,’ thou shalt answer. Then Hrut
will smile and think it sport to listen. You two will go on to
talk of the men in the Eastfirth Quarter, and thou must always
find something to say against them. At last your talk will come
Rangrivervale, and then thou must say, there is small choice of
men left in those parts since Fiddle Mord died. At the same time
sing some stave to please Hrut, for I know thou art a skald.
Hrut will ask what makes thee say there is never a man to come in
Mord’s place? and then thou must answer, that he was so wise a
man and so good a taker up of suits, that he never made a false
step in upholding his leadership. He will ask, `Dost thou know
how matters fared between me and him?’
“`I know all about it,’ thou must reply, `he took thy wife from
thee, and thou hadst not a word to say.’”
Then Hrut will ask, `Dost thou not think it was some disgrace to
him when he could not get back his goods, though he set the suit
on foot?’
“`I can answer thee that well enough,’ thou must say. `Thou
challengedst him to single combat; but he was old, and so his
friends advised him not to fight with thee, and then they let the
suit fall to the ground.’
“`True enough,’ Hrut will say. `I said so, and that passed for
law among foolish men; but the suit might have been taken up
again at another Thing if he had the heart.’
“`I know all that,’ thou must say.
Then he will ask, `Dost thou know anything about law?’
“`Up in the North I am thought to know something about it,’ thou
shalt say. `But still I should like thee to tell me how this
suit should be taken up.’
“`What suit dost thou mean?’ he will ask.
“`A suit,’ thou must answer, `which does not concern me. I want
to know how a man must set to work who wishes to get back Unna’s
dower.’
“Then Hrut will say, `In this suit I must be summoned so that I
can hear the summons, or I must be summoned here in my lawful
house.’
“`Recite the summons, then,’ thou must say, ‘and I will say it
after thee.’
“Then Hrut will summon himself; and mind and pay great heed to
every word he says. After that Hrut will bid thee repeat the
summons, and thou must do so, and say it all wrong, so that no
more than every other word is right.”
