Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/151

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 143 reconciled men, according to the king's decision ; so saga vn. stand up, Thorkel." Thorkel replied, " The agreement which the king made as between me and Bruse stands good ; but what regards the agreement with thee thou alone must determine. Although the king made conditions for my property and safe residence in Orkney, yet I know so well thy disposition that there is no going to the islands for me, unless I go there in peace with thee, Earl Thorfinn ; and therefore I am willing to promise never to return to Orkney, whatever the king may desire." The earl remained silent ; and first, after a long pause, he said, " If thou wilt rather, Thorkel, that I shall judge between us than trust to the king's judg- ment, then let the beginning of our reconciliation be, that you go with me to the Orkney Islands, live with me, and never leave me but with my will, and be bound to defend my land, and execute all that I want done, as long as we both are in life." Thorkel replies, " This shall be entirely at thy pleasure, earl, as well as every thing else in my power." Then Thorkel went on, and solemnly rati- fied this agreement. The earl said he would talk afterwards about the mulct of money, but took Thor- kel's oath upon the conditions. Thorkel immediately made ready to accompany the earl on his voyage. The earl set off as soon as all was ready, and never again were King Olaf and Thorfinn together. Earl Bruse remained behind, and took his time to Chapter get ready. Before his departure the king sent for E ^7 1L him, and said, " It appears to me, earl, that in thee Brus e's I have a man on the west side of the sea on whose fidelity I can depend ; therefore I intend to give thee the two parts of the country which thou formerly hadst to rule over ; for I will not that thou shouldst be a less powerful man after entering into my service