THE YNGLING AND THE CIRCLE OF POWER by John Dalmas

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out of the fight at the old stream cairns, they are refused both to clans and septs. Tomorrow at high noon, the two septs will each have ten warriors at the fighting ground, ready for a fight with hands and feet.

“And if any of those chosen enter the fight with a I weapon, he will be declared outlaw and fair game, with only a single day of grace, regardless of whether he uses that weapon. Furthermore, his household will be held responsible for any blood payment incurred from the use of that weapon.”

Baver could hear a soft murmuring from the hundreds of northmen listening unseen behind him.

“As to blood payment for men and horses from the fight at the stream,” the young giant went on, “that will be the standard payment, made by the sept in error, the error to be determined by the new line. However, if all the old cairns are within ten spans of the new line, there will be no blood payment.”

Again Nils Järnhann turned his face toward the two opposing clan chieftains. “There will be no appeal to I these rulings, nor to the line laid out by the eight war­riors of the Seal and Bull Clans.”

He paused, then looked at Jäävklo. “Jäävklo, I have another matter to talk with you about, before the council, and before the People assembled here. You have told us that Axel Stornäve refused to require the Reindeer and Salmon Clans to give part of their territories to the Glut­ton Clan. Because, you said, there was bad blood be­tween you and Axel. You have also said this before our present meeting, though never in council.

“What your words mean is that Axel Stornäve did not treat honestly with the Glutton Clan, that he withheld fairness because of an old grudge. I have talked with other chiefs about this. They told me the question of I adjusting boundaries never came up in Council. When did you talk with Axel about it?”

“Just before the First Council of All Chiefs, held to discuss leaving the Homeland. He refused me then.”

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“Who else was there when you discussed it with him?”

“Arvid Smitsson, who now is dead, killed in battle with the horse barbarians.”

“No other?”

Jäävklo shook his head.

“You shake your head; your answer then is no. Axel Stornäve called the First Council of All Chiefs to propose his plan to leave the Homeland, and to get the agreement of as many clans as possible. And he succeeded. Did this solve the land problem of the Gluttons?”

“Yes. But now we have another problem, and with Stornäve’s own clan, the Wolves! Your clan! He has poi­soned your minds against me!”

“We’ve solved that new dispute tonight. Now I’m look­ing at your complaint about Axel Stornäve and his hon­esty. So you told Axel of your problem on one day and he solved it that same day, is that right? Or the day after?”

A sullen nod.

“I am also told that you became chief only the winter previous. When had you had dealings with Axel Stornäve before that day?”

The Glutton chieftain didn’t answer at once, and when he did, his voice was shrill. “You’re trying to trick me! You’re of the Wolf Clan too! You’re trying to make me look like a troublemaker, you and Stornäve and Varjsson! You’ve talked with the chiefs of the Seal and Bull Clans, so they will give you warriors who will mark a new boundary that will steal our land from us!”

“I see. And you have witnesses to this?”

Jäävklo stood staring wildly at the lagman, who re­peated his unanswered question. “When did you have dealings with Axel Stornäve before you first asked for a boundary adjustment?”

Jäävklo had no answer; to Ted Baver it seemed that the man’s eyes bulged.

“You do not answer. Therefore unless corrected, I will assume that you’d never had dealings with him before. From what then did this bad blood develop?”

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Again there was no answer.

“Each tribe has a law against slander, and the council a law against lies in its meetings. Men are seldom charged under them unless the lie is harmful, and I will not charge you now. But …”

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