The Road To Jerusalem (41 page)

Arn listened briefly to Eskil’s descriptions and then went up to the accounting room in the tower. But he came to supper with a beautiful letter on parchment to which he had affixed Magnus Folkesson’s wax seal. Since the letter was in Latin, as such documents ought to be to possess the proper authority, he had to read it aloud in the vernacular several times for the others:

In the name of the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, I,
Magnus, lord of Arnas, and my two sons Eskil and Arn,
declare both for those now living and for posterity that the
shameful and lengthy dispute between Emund Ulvbane
and us and our sons is now at an end. And we have with
God’s help and the consent of both parties concluded the
dispute as follows: that Emund Ulvbane shall transfer to
us the estate of Forsvik with all appurtenances, fields, forests, fishing grounds, and all necessities belonging to the
estate so that it may freely and forever after be owned by
us. To this agreement for all posterity is attached 50 marks
in silver in the people’s language.

Also I, Knut Eriksson, who next according to God have
been the instigator of this conveyance and reconciliation,
have with many witnesses participated in this conveyance.
And so that this may be confirmed and irrevocable, we
have sealed this letter with the impressions of both seals of
Magnus and Knut and, through the power invested in us
by Our Lord Jesus Christ, his Mother the Eternal Virgin
Mary, and all the saints, we consign anyone who breaks
this contract and agreement to outlawry. Witnesses hereto
are Eskil and Arn Magnusson, Eyvind Jonsson, Orm
Rognvaldsen, Ragnar the Dean of Forshem, and many
others, whose names we found too extensive to append.

After Arn had read his text three times so that all understood what it said, a long and lively discussion ensued. The Norwegian kinsmen thought that he shouldn’t give Emund the name of Ulvbane but should properly call him One-Hand instead. Magnus countered that it was more likely that Emund would set his seal to a document that called him Ulvbane. Grumbling, the rams from the North eventually acquiesced.

After this Knut did not want to be called only by his patronymic but also with the appended re
x sveorum et gothorum
, words which at first Arn alone understood. He immediately objected to this title, observing that it would be like selling the skin before the bear was shot.

None of the others could make head or tail of this until Arn told them that the words meant Ki
ng of the Swedes and Goths
. Magnus then rose to speak, saying that he thought everyone present hoped, clear as water, that this would become true within the not-too-distant future. It should undoubtedly have happened already, but far too many Swedes and Goths actually believed that the king of Svealand and Eastern Gotaland was Karl Sverkersson. Yet this was a document that would lose value if it possessed the slightest hint of inaccuracy. If they simply affixed Knut Eriksson’s seal to the letter, then for all posterity it would have the same true value without those four additional words.

When Knut didn’t seem willing to acquiesce in this matter, Arn pointed out that he had actually written the document as if Knut were already king, but with words that could have a double meaning, and then he read aloud the words, slowly and clearly:

through the power invested in us by Our Lord Jesus
Christ, his Mother the Eternal Virgin Mary, and all the
saints, we consign anyone who breaks this contract and
agreement to outlawry . . .

Arn explained that if one read this “we” to mean Knut Eriksson alone, then Knut had his power from God and only a king could have such. Besides, only a king had the sole authority to condemn someone to outlawry. The intention was to suggest that Knut Eriksson was king by God’s grace, yet without saying it directly.

Knut then agreed to this and gave Arn his seal with the three crowns, asking him to go to the writing chamber to affix the seal. Now only Emund’s seal was lacking, but they all considered it a foregone conclusion that it would soon be attached next to the other seals, even though Emund himself had not the slightest knowledge of this impending business transaction.

The next day Eskil and Knut, all the Norwegian retainers, and half of those from Arnas were to ride to Forsvik on this errand. Arn wondered why they were so heavily armed for a peaceful mission carrying a load of silver, but Eskil explained that the best way to avoid a quarrel was to ensure that the man with whom one was about to conduct a tricky negotiation had as little desire to argue as possible. In that respect, Norwegian retainers would have a strongly cooling effect. When Emund affixed his seal to the document he needed to be in good health and of sound mind, otherwise everything would come to naught. Arn then thought that he understood and settled down.

Now Knut took Arn aside, saying that in this situation it would be best if Arn were not in the retinue, because his presence might adversely affect Emund’s peace of mind. Arn easily and quickly agreed, so quickly in fact that it surprised Knut, who had been dreading this conversation. But Arn had other plans and other desires, and he mentioned somewhat cautiously that while his kinsmen were away on business near the shores of Lake Vattern, he would be taking care of some matters at Husaby. Knut understood at once what he was referring to, for Eskil had already told him about Cecilia and the difficulties that might arise for her and Arn.

It was just after St. Gertrude’s Day, and spring was clearly felt in the air. The snow was easy enough to ride through but the ice was still hard, as the heavily laden and armed contingent rode out from Arnas. They had to carry everything on their backs or in saddlebags, because no wagons could make it through at this point in the spring. Emund and his men would not be expecting visitors at this time of year, which would make the negotiations easier.

They rode first to the north until they reached the River Tidan; the ice there was still exposed, making it easier to proceed all the way to the Askeberga
ting
site. There they camped overnight in the shelters. The next day they started off at dawn so as to reach Forsvik by evening, wanting to enter the courtyard before Emund’s men discovered their approach.

In this they were successful. Emund and his men were taken by surprise and swiftly disarmed. His retainers and others who looked capable of fighting were locked into storehouses and smithies and guarded closely by grim Norsemen. Present in the longhouse were only Emund himself, his grown son Germund, his wife Ingeborg, and three small children, as well as the house thralls that were necessary, although the visitors saw to it that none of them carried any weapons.

It was a somber feast at which Eskil and Knut ate heartily, speaking in loud, carefree voices, while Emund and his family replied suspiciously, giving curt answers to everything that was said.

Eskil seemed in especially good humor, and from the start he explained that he had come on business, and that they would surely succeed in reaching an agreement. After he had feasted for a while he ordered a chest of silver to be brought in. It was placed on the table between him and Emund, who brightened up a bit. The silver on the table spoke of business and not of death. And yet the conversation was sluggish.

After they had been eating for a long time, Eskil proposed quite courteously that when they began to discuss the matter at hand, such discussions were best conducted among men, so Mistress Ingeborg and her children had the guests’ permission to retire. The host family obeyed this command at once.

When Eskil and Knut were alone with Emund, Eskil spoke simply and clearly. He said that as far as the price was concerned it might seem a bit low, for it was clear that Forsvik was worth more than fifty marks in silver; anyone could see that. Here he broke off to open his silver chest and take out the bill of sale, which he read aloud in the vernacular, but without mentioning all the names in the letter and especially not Knut Eriksson’s. With this Emund was even more convinced that this matter really did concern striking a bargain, although an unfavorable one for him.

Eskil then pointed out that the thirty marks in silver that Emund had received at Axevalla
landsting
, and now those words were mentioned for the first time, should be reckoned into the sale price. Those thirty marks had been intended as reconciliation, and Emund had not agreed to reconcile then, but he would be wise to do so now.

Emund nodded that he could understand that way of thinking and replied somewhat cautiously that eighty marks in silver was still a good sum, especially as it offered reconciliation into the bargain. Eskil said that he was glad it had been easy to understand each other so far.

But Emund was not ready to affix his seal and accept the silver until he had received certain assurances, for it did not seem safe and secure to do business with his own retainers taken prisoner by Norwegian berserkers of the most belligerent type. He could not understand why the man sitting at the table with them, the man called Knut, had anything to do with this matter, because he knew no Knut.

Eskil now replied that he could well understand Emund’s ap prehensions. But they could ease his concerns in a simple way: the next morning they would load the sleighs with Emund’s family and those retainers who wanted to go along. After the sleighs had departed they would wait long enough for those who had left to reach safety before concluding the bargain. In this way Emund would not have to fear for the lives and safety of his family.

Emund concurred but added that his own life would not be worth much the moment he was left alone at Forsvik surrounded by men who were not his friends.

Eskil nodded thoughtfully at this and agreed that the same was true at the moment. But if Emund’s kinsmen were allowed to leave alive with such a big head start that they could not be caught, then that would be much different from killing them all immediately, because an agreement was proving difficult to reach.

Emund then said that he would agree. But he had one last thing to suggest. The silver that would pay for the purchase should travel in the same sleighs with his family.

Eskil found that proposal unacceptable since it was not customary to pay for something one had not yet received. If Emund refused, all the silver would be lost and of no use. They agreed to meet each other halfway after wrangling for a while. Half the purchase price would leave with the morning’s sleighs, and Emund would get the other half after he had confirmed the purchase with his own seal. There they left the matter, and they all retired for the night, though many at Forsvik had trouble sleeping.

When the morning came, half of the locked-up retainers were released so that they could have breakfast and prepare the sleighs that would be needed. Then Emund said goodbye to his wife Ingeborg and his children, who as agreed would carry half of the silver which Eskil brought out to the lead sleigh and placed next to Emund’s wife. The sleighs then set off across the ice of Lake Vattern.

They waited without saying much in the longhouse until the sleighs’ head start was so great that they could not be caught. Now it was time to conclude the bargain. Emund was melancholy and pale, and his left hand shook when with Eskil’s help he burned his seal onto the bill of sale. The stump of his right arm, suppurating through his linen bandages, smelled terrible.

When the bill of sale was in order, Eskil carefully rolled it up and stuffed it inside his shirt. He shoved the chest with the second half of the purchase price over toward Emund and said goodbye, explaining that for his part there was nothing more to do at Forsvik. Some of his men would stay and maintain the manor until spring, when replacements from Arnas would come to take over.

Then he went outside and gathered his waiting retainers from Arnas. He mounted his horse and rode off without haste.

But inside the longhouse no one gave any sign of allowing Emund to leave in his waiting sleigh. When such a long time passed that Eskil was no longer in sight and could no longer hear any noise from Forsvik, Elling the Strong and Egil Olafsen of Ulateig went out to the courtyard and immediately killed the retainers who were waiting for their lord and flung their bodies into the sleigh.

When that was done they came back into the longhouse and sat down without saying a word, since nothing needed to be said. Everyone inside had heard and understood.

Now Knut turned to Emund and spoke to him in a low voice but with cold hatred.

“You wondered, Emund One-Hand, who I was since you did not know any Knut. I will now tell you, because I’m not an ordinary Norseman. I am Knut Eriksson, Erik Jedvardsson’s son, and although you have paid your debt to Eskil Magnusson, you also have a debt owing to me.”

Emund understood which debt he was referring to and jumped up as if intending to flee, but was caught with happy shouts by the Norsemen. With much scorn they dragged him out to the courtyard kicking and flailing, and there they spread him out on the ground by pounding spikes into the ground frost and tying his arms and legs so that he lay on his back with a piece of wood as a pillow.

Geir Erlendsen thought that they should have bound him in the other direction so that Knut could witness the good Norwegian custom of carving the blood-eagle into wretches who deserved to die in torment. But it would be sufficient, after the king-killer’s ribs were broken and folded out like wings on the ground, if Knut could then with his bare hands rip Emund’s heart from his body.

But Knut Eriksson refused to hear of it, since he did not want to soil his hands with an outlaw’s blood. Rather, as the Holy Scriptures prescribed, the king-murderer should die in the same manner as he had murdered, by decapitation from the front.

Emund Ulvbane behaved in a manly way and did not beg for his life. With a single blow Knut Eriksson severed his head from his body and had it raised on a lance in the middle of the courtyard to remind the thralls who were left that there was a new lord at Forsvik. Emund’s body was flung into the sleigh among those of the retainers, and the sleigh was sent off to be burned out on the ice of the lake.