company, Snorri Godi was not at the leet, but there was a great many
people together. During the day Thorgils fetched up Thorstein the
Black for a talk with him, and said, "As you know, you were one in the
onset by the sons of Olaf when Bolli was slain, and you have made no
atonement for your guilt to his sons. Now although a long time is gone
since those things befell, I think their mind has not given the slip
to the men who were in that raid. Now, these brothers look in this
light upon the matter, that it beseem them least, by reason of
kinship, to seek revenge on the sons of Olaf; and so the brothers
purpose to turn for revenge upon Helgi Hardbienson, for he gave Bolli
his death-wound. So we ask this of you, Thorstein, that you join in
this journey with the brothers, and thus purchase for yourself peace
and good-will." Thorstein replied, "It beseems me not at all to deal
in treason with Helgi, my brother-in-law, and I would far rather
purchase my peace with as much money as it would be to their honour to
take." Thorgils said, "I think it is but little to the mind of the
brothers to do aught herein for their own gain; so you need not hide
it away from yourself, Thorstein, that at your hands there lie two
choices: either to betake yourself to this journey, or to undergo the
harshest of treatments from them as soon as they may bring it about;
and my will is, that you take this choice in spite of the ties that
bind you to Helgi; for when men find themselves in such straits, each
must look after himself." Thorstein spake: "Will the same choice be
given to more of the men who are charged with guilt by the sons of
Bolli?" Thorgils answered, "The same choice will be put to Lambi."
[Sidenote: Lambi is persuaded to join them] Thorstein said he would
think better of it if he was not left the only one in this plight.
After that Thorgils called Lambi to come and meet him, and bade
Thorstein listen to their talk. He said, "I wish to talk over with
you, Lambi, the same matter that I have set forth to Thorstein; to
wit, what amends you are willing to make to the sons of Bolli for the
charges of guilt which they have against you? For it has been told me
as true that you wrought wounds on Bolli; but besides that, you are
heavily guilt-beset, in that you urged it hard that Bolli should be
slain; yet, next to the sons of Olaf, you were entitled to some excuse
in the matter." Then Lambi asked what he would be asked to do.
Thorgils said t