“Are you so sure that the farmers and common men think this way and are rejoicing over the new sovereign?” said Erlend. “It’s true that they often had difficult times—back when kings and their rivals waged war throughout the land. I know they still remember the time when they had to flee to the mountains with their livestock and wives and children while their farms stood in flames down below in the valley. I’ve heard them talking about it. But I know they remember something else—that their own fathers were part of the hordes. We weren’t alone in the battle for power, Erling. The sons of farmers were part of it too—and sometimes they even won our ancestral estates. When law rules the land, a bastard son from Skidan who doesn’t know his own father’s name cannot win a baron’s widow and her estate, such as Reidar Darre did. His descendant was good enough to be betrothed to your daughter, Lavrans; and now he’s married to your wife’s niece, Erling! Now law and order rule—and I don’t understand how it happens, but I do know that farmers’ lands have fallen into our hands, and lawfully so. The more entrenched the law, the more quickly they lose their power and authority to take part in their own affairs or those of the realm. And that, Erling, is something that the farmers know too! Oh, no, don’t be too certain, any of you, that the peasants aren’t longing for the past when they might lose their farms by fire and force—but they could also win with weapons more than they can win with law.”
Lavrans nodded. “There may be some truth in what Erlend says,” he murmured.
But Erling Vidkunss?n stood up. “I believe you’re right; the peasants remember better the few men who rose up from meager circumstances to become lords—in the time of the sword—than the unspeakable numbers who perished in filthy poverty and wretchedness. And yet none was a sterner master to the commoners than they were. I think it was of them that the saying was first spoken: kinsmen behave worst toward their own. A man must be born to be a master, or he will turn out to be a harsh one. But if he has spent his childhood among servant men and women, then he will have an easier time understanding that without the commoners, we are in many ways helpless children all our days, and that for God’s sake as well as our own, we ought to serve them in turn with our knowledge and protect them with our chivalry. Never has it been possible to sustain a kingdom without noblemen who had the ability and the will to secure with their power the rights of those poorer than themselves.”
“You could compete in sermonizing with my brother, Erling,” said Erlend with a laugh. “But I think the people of Outer Tr?ndelag liked the gentry better back when we led their sons on military incursions, let our blood run and mingle with theirs across the planks, and split apart rings and divided up the booty with our serving men. Yes, as you can hear, Kristin, sometimes I sleep with one ear open when Sira Eiliv reads aloud from the great books.”
“Property that is unlawfully won shall not be handed down to the third heir,” said Lavrans Bj?rgulfs?n. “Haven’t you ever heard that before, Erlend?”
“Of course I’ve heard that!” Erlend laughed loudly. “But I’ve never seen it happen.”
Erling Vidkunss?n said, “Things are such, Erlend, that few are born to rule, but everyone is born to serve; the proper way to rule is to be your servants’ servant.”
Erlend clasped his hands behind his neck and stretched, smiling. “I’ve never thought about that. And I don’t think my leaseholders have any favors to thank me for. And yet, strange as it may seem, I think they’re fond of me.” He rubbed his cheek against Kristin’s black kitten, which had jumped up onto his shoulder and was now walking around his neck, purring and with its back arched. “But my wife here—she is the most eager to serve of all women, although you wouldn’t have reason to believe me, since the pitchers and mugs are now empty, my Kristin!”
Orm, who had been sitting quietly and listening to the men’s conversation, stood up at once and left the room.
“Your wife grew so bored that she fell asleep,” said Haftor, smiling. “And the blame is yours—you could have let me talk to her in peace—a man who knows how to speak to women.”
“All this talk has no doubt gone on much too long for you, mistress,” began Sir Erling contritely, but Kristin answered with a smile.
“It’s true, sir, that I haven’t understood everything that’s been said here this evening, but I will remember it well, and I will have plenty of time to think about it later.”