Modern Icelandic Plays Part 47

And the rest of you-- where were you?

_Bjrg._

We were sitting in the _badstofa_, sorting wool.

_Rannveig._

It felt as if some one was shaking the roof and trying to pull up the whole house.

_Indridi._

We were just about to leave our work and run home to hear how you had fared, but then I thought they would be sure to send us word (_looking askance at Sveinungi_) if anything had happened. Besides, we wanted to get enough turf cut while we were at it so that we should not have to go back another time.

_Jon._

But I must say that when I began working again, it went against me. It was like cutting into a living thing-- like skinning a live animal.

_Rannveig._

Ugh, yes.

_Jon._

And the place where we'd cut turf last year looked like an ugly scar.

(_Silence._)

_Jorunn._

Did you meet anybody when you came home from work?

_Indridi._

No.

_Jorunn._

And no outsider has been here this afternoon. They don't come when they are wanted. I ought to have sent one of you to the next farm to find out how things were there, anyway.

_Jon._

I can easily go yet, if mistress wants me to.

_Jorunn._

Oh, no, it's getting late. I hope we shall have no bad tidings from any one.

_Indridi._

I hope so, too.

_Jon._

I'm afraid the Vik farm-house has fallen. It is both old and poorly built-- nothing like ours.

(_Silence._)

_Einar._

You should have seen the hawks, Jorunn, right after the shock. They kept flying back and forth, just as they do when they're warding off a foe from their nest.

_Jorunn._

They were frightened.

_Einar._

And no wonder. Great pieces of rock came tumbling down into the creek.

The sheep out on the heath yonder huddled together in flocks, looking like old snow.

_Jon._

Then you were out hunting.

_Einar._

No, I was not hunting. I was looking at the hawks, wondering whether one could get at them by going down in a rope.

(_Silence._)

_Jorunn._

What about the boy, Sveinungi? Do you mean to let him stay with the sheep all night?

_Sveinungi._

Certainly. He can sleep to-morrow.

_Jorunn._

I was only thinking he might be afraid to be alone.

_Sveinungi._

He's no more afraid than grown people.

_Jorunn._

I saw he took both the dogs with him.