She paused, and stood panting, looking at Biorn as if for help, her hand pressed hard against her bosom.
“There be dreams and dreams,” said Biorn gently. “There is but one way for a man, and that is to remember that none may avoid his fate. This is to a man as the due ballast to the ship, which maketh the vessel indeed loom somewhat deeper, but keepeth it from tossing too lightly upon the uncertain waters.”
“Work for me in this,” said Thyri, as if she had marked nought of what he said. “Take him away hence. Keep him out of Sweden, for all sakes. Thou must not by word or look bring me into it. Thou must swear to me.”
Biorn took her hand in his. “I will swear that,” he said.
In that same while was Harald the King walking back and forth with Styrbiorn before the King’s garth. And all the time was the King a-talking, and his talk came ever and again to the same point and shied away from it, like a bad horse whose rider putteth him again and again at a jump and he refuseth again and again. But this was plainly the King’s mind, whereas he had but a month since been ever desiring that Styrbiorn should bide there in Denmark and be his man, naught would serve his turn now but to be quit of Styrbiorn and rid him out of the land. And ever as they walked and talked Styrbiorn bethought him of that look in the King’s eyes the night before when the King had looked on him at the ending of Biorn’s song. And he knew in his bones that it was the look of a man that seeth and knoweth his master, and feareth him and hateth him for his mastery and hateth his own little strength. So while King Harold talked and beat about the bush, Styrbiorn pleased himself with the memory of that caged-bear look of last night: and there ran pleasure sweetly within him with a secret caress of every member of his body, as of old when he pinned down Moldi by the horns and tasted power and dominion, but sweeter now and more dangerous, feeling under his hand the great King of the Danes ’stead of a brute beast.
And after a while he was ware of the King saying to him how it were fitter he should go forthright home to Sweden and claim his own, rather than sit a-guesting in foreign lands, howsoever welcome a guest; and how men should deem him but soft and little-hearted and a man of little account, if but at one man’s bidding he should go meekly away and stop away as long time as he was bid. That was a likelier way to show the King his uncle what mettle he was of, to tarry no more, but come home now with that force of men and ships to back him and claim his right now, in his own time not another’s.
Now such counsel as this, coming from the King upon Styrbiorn in his secret lust-fired mood of power, had like swift and unlooked-for effect as if a child should throw a cup of water into a pan of molten metal. He swung him about so sudden fierce that the King, for all his unwieldly weight of guts, leapt a pace back and away from him as light as a startled doe, and clapped hand to sword-hilt. Spite of his anger and rage Styrbiorn brake out a-laughing. Then he said in his swift stuttering way, “in many lands have I guested but never, till now, found I lords or kings so niggardly nor so shameless as chase guests away and grudge ’em their entertainment. May be ’tis your worshipping of dirty gods hath learned you these ways.”
“These be shameful words,” said the King: “I never bade thee go but for thine own good. But now I see thou art worse to deal with than I had thought for.”
“When I come again,” said Styrbiorn, “I will show thee and thy Danes if I be a man slow to take mine own or not.”
With that, he let call up his folk and bade them pack up the stuff and launch the ships, because forth of the Dane-realm he was minded to depart that very hour. They thought this a strange wild turn, and muttered and grumbled long enough, yet went about it briskly enough for all that. For so strangely was he in not two years grown into the hearts of them, of well nigh every man that was in Jomsburg, that naught seemed too hard or too useless or too much against their liking, but at his bidding they would do it without question, deeming not life itself too dear a thing to spend in his service.
And so it was that Biorn, coming forth with Thyri’s bidding on his hand, found the work done for him ere he made his first step towards it. When by questioning of Styrbiorn he had gotten the truth of the matter, he said, “That were ill, if we should part now unfriends with King Harald Gormson. And this is my counsel, that Bessi Thorlakson and I should go to the King and speak good words to him and that you be set at one before we sail away.”
“Do as thou wilt,” said Styrbiorn. “But I will not make myself little before him.”
“It is not good,” said Bessi, “that there should be ill blood betwixt us of Jomsburg and the Dane-king.”
Styrbiorn said, “ ’Tis small matter one way or ’tother. He knoweth we Jomsburgers be the better men, and able to rule him and we would.”
“Well if he know it,” said Bessi. “But it would try his temper over much if we should let him see we know he knoweth it. That is where thou hast dangered us.”
Styrbiorn laughed and shook his head:
