a lower
course."

"As to thy asking about lawyers," said Flosi, "I will answer thee at
once that there is no such man in our band; nor do I know where to look
for one except it be Thorkel Geiti's son, thy kinsman."

"We must not reckon on him," said Bjarni, "for though he knows something
of law, he is far too wary, and no man need hope to have him as his
shield; but he will back thee as well as any man who backs thee best,
for he has a stout heart; besides, I must tell thee that it will be that
man's bane who undertakes the defence in this suit for the Burning, but
I have no mind that this should befall my kinsman Thorkel, so ye must
turn your eyes elsewhither."

Flosi said he knew nothing about who were the best lawyers.

"There is a man named Eyjolf," said Bjarni; "he is Bolverk's son, and he
is the best lawyer in the Westfirther's Quarter; but you will need to
give him much money if you are to bring him into the suit, but still we
must not stop at that. We must also go with our arms to all law
business, and be most wary of ourselves, but not meddle with them before
we are forced to fight for our lives. And now I will go with thee, and
set out at once on our begging for help, for now methinks the peace will
be kept but a little while longer."

After that they go out of the booth, and to the booths of the
Axefirthers. Then Bjarni talks with Lyting and Bleing, and Hroi
Arnstein's son, and he got speedily whatever he asked of them. Then they
fared to see Kol, the son of Killing-Skuti, and Eyvind Thorkel's son,
the son of Askel the priest, and asked them for their help; but they
stood out a long while, but the end of it was that they took three marks
of silver for it, and so went into the suit with them.

Then they went to the booths of the men of Lightwater, and stayed there
some time. Flosi begged the men of Lightwater for help, but they were
stubborn and hard to win over, and then Flosi said, with much wrath, "Ye
are ill-behaved! ye are grasping and wrongful at home in your own
country, and ye will not help men at the Thing, though they need it. No
doubt you will be held up to reproach at the Thing, and very great blame
will be laid on you if ye bare not in mind that scorn and those biting
words which Skarphedinn hurled at you men of Lightwater."

But on the other hand, Flosi dealt secretly with them, and bade them
money for their help, and so coaxed them over with fair words, until it
came about that they prom