Trafika Europe 14 - Italian Piazza

Lawrence Millman

After I saved you from your death?” “The only thing I say is this — get away from me, and take your fi lthy spawn with you!” The woman regarded him with eyes that seemed to bulge ever wider. At last she said: “I told you that you would pay dearly if you did not have our chi ld christened. And pay you wi l l! Henceforth you wi l l be a whale, the biggest, most monstrous whale in al l the seas, and many” — she swept her hands al l around her — “many wi l l die on your account.” Whereupon the woman snatched the cradle and hurried away. The priest told the assembled company: “That baby wi l l die without being christened, and its ghost wi l l be disturbing our sleep…” Some now crossed themselves, whi le others fel l to talking about the strange woman. Keti l , son of Skapti , said: “I have not seen the world, but I have been to Hrisey, and this woman has the eyes of women there.” Someone else remarked that perhaps this was the widow in Myrdal with whom Thorgeir was said to be keeping company shortly before he was marooned. But Gunnar the Louse held that the widow in question had since died and that, in any event, she was long past the chi ld-bearing age.

216