The Last Samurai (43 page)

Ásgrímr segir: ‘Illa er slíkt mælt, at verða m
nnum
á sízt at liði, er mest liggr við.’

Asgrim said, ‘These are mean words; you are of least use when the need is greatest.
’

The postman came to the house with the second post. The woman came to the door to take it; there seemed to be a lot of letters. I ate a peanut butter sandwich.

‘Hverr er sá maðr,’ segir Skapti, ‘er fjórir menn ganga fyrir, mikill maðr ok f
lleitr, ógæfusamligr, harðligr ok tr
llsligr?’

‘
Who is that man,’ said Skapti, ‘the fifth in the line, that tall, fierce-looking, troll-like man with the pale, ill-starred look?
’

Nothing happened in the house.

Hann segir: ‘Skarpheðinn heiti ek, ok hefir
ú sét mik jafnan á
ingi, en vera mun ek
ví vitrari en
ú, at ek
arf eigi at spyrja, hvat
ú heitir.
ú heitir Skapti
óroddsson, en fyrr kallaðir
ú
ik Burstakoll,
á er
ú hafðir drepit Ketil ór Eldu; gerðir
ú
ér