The Greenlanders - Jane Smiley [271]
“I had not thought that Kollgrim would ever be wed.”
“He is a handsome and skilled fellow, the best man for hunting of all the Greenlanders, folk say.”
“Even so, he is like my father’s brother, Hauk Gunnarsson. He has not the faculty for living with a wife. The concerns of women are so remote from him, that he thinks not of them. It seems to me that it would surprise him to know that such concerns exist.” Gunnar fell silent, in thought, then went on, “But perhaps I am speaking of my uncle and not of my son, for Kollgrim is greatly attached to his sister, and grieves at her marriage more than a brother should.”
“Does he treat her well or ill?”
“Well, she says, but she has devoted herself to him since he was an infant swaddled in the bedcloset.”
“But now she is going off.”
“Sisters go off, in the course of events.” Now the two men fell silent and looked carefully at each other. After a bit of time, Bjorn Bollason said, “Folk must have told you the whereabouts of Margret Asgeirsdottir.”
Gunnar colored. “Folk know better than to tell me of her.”
“Even so, should anything come of this talk we are having—”
“It seems to me better for your daughter that nothing come of it. Many years ago, Kollgrim was dunked into the ocean as a trick. The event has left its marks. It is not for the carefully raised only daughter of the lawspeaker to take this upon herself. When I have seen her about, for example at Thorkel Gellison’s feast, I have seen that she is a merry one, very pert and full of talk. It seems to me that Kollgrim would confuse her, and also that she would confuse him.”
Now Bjorn Bollason sat long in thought, and Gunnar could see that he was discontented with the outcome of this talk. At last he said, “But is it not better to let them discover their own foolishness in their own way?”
“But Kollgrim has never spoken of Sigrid Bjornsdottir. And my Helga tells me that a servingmaid at Gunnars Stead is with child. These things do not seem auspicious to me. Kollgrim is nearly thirty winters of age. I favor early marriage, as I was myself but nineteen and my Birgitta but fourteen when I gained her at the Thing from Lavrans Kollgrimsson.”
“I will tell her it cannot be, then.” And he smiled sheepishly, and Gunnar envied him not at all for carrying this news. Then Bjorn said, “But let it be that we part as friends, for you have done your best to save my folk from injury. If trouble should arise for you, from whatever quarter, you may say that the lawspeaker is as a brother to you, and will help you in every way.”
“Folk say that I am an unlucky fellow, and so I pray that you will not live to regret such liberal words.” And the two men stood up, and parted, and it seemed to them that they had decided the outcome of the matter, and they were both much satisfied.
Now it also happened on the last day of the Thing that Kollgrim was standing outside his booth, and he had just finished washing himself in a basin of water, when Sigrid Bjornsdottir ambled past. She was dressed very richly, and Kollgrim saw that she had made a fine hood for herself out of the foxskins he had given her. She passed him without looking up or speaking, and he let her go for a bit, until she was well past him. Then he called out, “Indeed, Sigrid Bjornsdottir, it would befit you to thank me for those foxskins you are so vain of.”
She spoke without turning around. “Have I not made my trade, and paid their full worth? Can there be more that you want from me?”
Now Kollgrim went after her, and stepped in front of her, and said, “You have a merry smile. A sight of that would be good thanks, except that perhaps it is the case that I would wish for more payments after I had the one.”
Sigrid laughed. Kollgrim said, “Indeed, I do wish for more.”
“Men are not to wish for such things. It is discourteous.”
Now Kollgrim laughed. “I am a Hvalsey Fjorder. It is not for me to know what is discourteous,