time we know that we can work well together."

He looked hard at me, waiting my answer.

"Lord king," I said at last, "this is a great charge, and they say
that I am always thought older than I am, being given at least five
winters beyond the two-and-twenty that I have seen;" for I thought
it likely that the king held that I had seen more than I had.

"I was but twenty when I came to the throne," he answered. "I have
no fear for you. More than his best I do not look for from any man;
nor do I wonder if a man makes mistakes, having done so many times
myself."

Here Sigehelm made some sign to the king, to which he paid no heed
at the time, but went on:

"As for your men, I will give them the same pay that Harald of
Norway gives to his seamen, each as you may choose to rank them for
me. You may know what that is."

"Harek the scald knows," I said. "They will be well pleased, for
the pay is good, and places among Harald's courtmen are much sought
for."

Then Alfred smiled, and spoke of myself.

"As for King Ranald himself, he will be my guest."

"I am a wandering viking, and I seem to have found great honour," I
said. "What I can do I will, in this matter. Yet there is one thing
I must say, King Alfred. I would not be where men are jealous of
me."

"The only man likely to be so is Odda," the king answered. "You
must settle that with him. It is the place that he must have held
that you are taking. No man in all England can be jealous of a
viking whose business is with ships. But Odda put this into my mind
at first, and then Godred found out that he was right."

"Lord king," said I, "had I known who you were at that time, I
should have spoken no differently. We Northmen are free in speech
as in action."

"So says Odda," replied Alfred, smiling. "He has piteous tales of
one Thord, whom you sent to teach him things, and the way in which
he was made to learn."

"Nevertheless," said Odda, "I will not have Thord blamed, for it is
in my mind that we should have learned in no other way so quickly."

Again the bishop signed to the king, and Alfred became grave.

"Here is one thing that our good Sigehelm minds me of. It seems
that you are a heathen."

"Why, no, if that means one who hates Christians," I said.
"Certainly I do not do that, having no cause to do so. Those whom I
know are yourself, and Neot, and Odda, and one or two more only."

"That is not it," said the king. "What we call a heathen is one who
wo