human
Then, he said,
gpt
I would ask you to winter with me, and set my ships in order. There will be work for you and all your men, for you shall give them such command in any ship of mine as you know they are best fitted for. I would ask you to help me carry out that plan of which you spoke to me when I was Godred.
human
Ay, lord king, you have found the right man at last.
gpt
Then in the spring you shall take full command of the fleet we will build and the men we shall raise; and you shall keep the seas for me, if by that time we know that we can work well together.
human
Lord king, I said at last,
gpt
I was but twenty when I came to the throne, he answered.
human
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.
gpt
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.
human
Harek the scald knows, I said.
gpt
They will be well pleased, for the pay is good, and places among Harald's courtmen are much sought for.
human
As for King Ranald himself, he will be my guest.
gpt
I am a wandering viking, and I seem to have found great honour, I said.
human
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.
gpt
The only man likely to be so is Odda, the king answered.
human
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.
gpt
Lord king, said I,
human
So says Odda, replied Alfred, smiling.
gpt
He has piteous tales of one Thord, whom you sent to teach him things, and the way in which he was made to learn.
human
Nevertheless, said Odda,
gpt
I will not have Thord blamed, for it is in my mind that we should have learned in no other way so quickly.
human
Here is one thing that our good Sigehelm minds me of. It seems that you are a heathen.
gpt
Why, no, if that means one who hates Christians, I said.
human
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.
gpt
That is not it, said the king.
human
What we call a heathen is one who worships the old gods--the Asir.
gpt
Certainly I do that--ill enough.
human
Then, said Alfred, while Odda shifted in his seat, seeming anxious as to how I should take this,
gpt
Why should I not learn of your faith? I said.
human
Neot asked me of mine. As for the other, I do not know rightly what it means. I see your people sign themselves crosswise, and I cannot tell why, unless it is as we hallow a feast by signing it with Thor's hammer.
gpt
It is more than that, Alfred said, motioning to Sigehelm to say nothing, for he was going to speak.
human
First you must know what it means, and then say if you will be signed therewith.
gpt
Here is one who will listen to good words, not already set against them, as some Danes are, by reason of ill report and the lives of bad Christians. Have no fear of telling him what you will.