The Greenlanders - Jane Smiley [262]
Gunnar, too, went upon this seal hunt, and it was his plan to lend his boat to some other men from Hvalsey Fjord, and go in Kollgrim’s boat with him. It seemed to Gunnar that the rain had made Kollgrim very annoyed, for he spoke little, and then only sharply. Folk considered that this was one of Gunnar’s unlucky qualities as a father, that he endured the anger of his son without correcting him, and always had. Gunnar was little experienced at seal hunting, for a man of his age, but the law was that every farmstead must participate, and Kollgrim now had his own steading. Kollgrim snorted a great deal at Gunnar’s incompetence, and cried out that his father was a fool when Gunnar allowed one of Kollgrim’s spears to get away from him and be lost. Gunnar said little at the time, but at the evening meat, he took Kollgrim’s elbow, and pulled him apart from the rest. He was still a strong man, unafflicted by the joint ill, and half a head taller than his son. He said, “Folk have taken pleasure in speaking ill of us for many years, and they have many opinions concerning my failures in guiding you to manhood. But now I see that folk are annoyed with us for carrying our disagreements into their work. This is what I advise you, my son, that you hold yourself in for the duration of the hunt, and then if you must fight me, we will see to it that you have your chance. But now we are raising talk and more talk that is little to our credit.” And he held Kollgrim’s elbow so tightly that Kollgrim was hard put not to cry out in pain. He said, “It seems to me that you will finally give my sister to our enemy.”
“I have turned down the offer, almost without thinking about it. And I have no regrets for doing it.”
“Even so, your mind will change, no matter how I feel about it, for you have always sought to thwart me.”
“Nay, my Kollgrim, I have sought to make my way about you with as little disturbance as possible. When you are less overwrought, you will think better of these things.”
“Why is it that my sister’s marriage plans must become the topic of general talk before I hear of them?”
“Were you present at the Thing when the offer was made? Have I seen you since then? You do not bang down the door to our steading with your habitual visits.”
“Men laughed at my ignorance and shamed me.”
“That is the occupation of the Greenlanders, to laugh at one another and then fight about it.”
“My sister is well suited to my steading, and she is happy there.”
“Nevertheless, if I receive a suitable offer, I will do as I am accustomed to do, and ask her what her wishes are.” At this they went back to their meat, and there was ill feeling between them, but it was not so apparent to the rest of the hunters.
Now the autumn drew on, and folk went about their work, and although affairs between Kollgrim and Helga were not as pleasant as they had been, they were able to speak to one another with courtesy, at least in front of the servingfolk. One day sometime after the first snowfall, when the snow was hard and crusty on the ground, Helga discovered that she was missing a pair of fine sheep from the fold, and she feared that they had been lost. As Kollgrim was away, snaring ptarmigan, she took Elisabet Thorolfsdottir, of whom she was very fond, and went on skis up into the hills. It was a bright day, cold and still, and Helga was pleased with the change from the inside of the steading, which was close and smoky from the burning of lamps. It seemed to her also that Elisabet Thorolfsdottir was of a mild but melancholy disposition, and much in need of strengthening, and she wished to speak to her, and elicit