folk that we should look for the like among
them."

But I answered that we of East Anglia had no cause to blame his
people, who had made peace with us and kept it faithfully.

So the man led Lodbrok away, and I too went to seek gear more
courtly than salt-stained and tar-spotted blue cloth of Lavenham.

There are few thanes' houses which have so many chambers as ours,
for because of the king's friendship with us, my father had added,
as it were, house to house, building fresh chambers out around the
great hall itself, till all one might see was its long roof among
the many that clustered round and against its walls, so that the
thanes who came with him, or to see him, might have no cause to
complain of ill lodging with Elfric of Reedham. So it had come to
pass that our house was often the place where the court lay, and I
know that many of the poorer thanes thanked my father for thus
using his riches, since he saved them many a time the heavy
expenses of housing king and court when their turn should have
come. Yet my father would ever put aside those thanks, saying that
he loved to see his house full, though I myself know that this
saving of others less rich was in his mind.

One part of all these buildings we called "the king's house", for
it was set apart for him, and between that and the great hall was a
square and large chamber which Eadmund would use for his private
audiences, and sometimes for council room. And there we used to
gather from all parts of the place that we might enter the great
hall in his train at supper time, for there was a door which led to
the high table thence, so that the king need not go through the
crowd of housecarles and lesser folk who sat, below the salt, along
the walls. And in that chamber was a chimney to the fire, so that
the hearth was against the wall, which was a marvel to many, but
made the place more meet for the king. Ingild the merchant, my
other godfather, whose home was in London, had brought men thence
to make it for us, having the like in his own house after some
foreign pattern.

There were two men only in this room when I returned ready for the
feast. Both stood before the fire, and both were brightly dressed,
and hardly, but for the drowsy hawk which sat unhooded on his hand,
should I have known Lodbrok in the rich dress my father had had
prepared for him. The other was Beorn, the king's falconer, who
went everywhere with his master. These two were speaking togeth