The couple in Radagerdi sat playing chess in the kitchen when they heard Benny coming in late at night. It was warm and cozy by the stove, and the scent of coffee wafted in the air.
“Is there anything to eat?” he asked.
“There are boiled puffin breasts in the larder,” his mother Hildur answered.
“Were you hanging out with that guy from Reykjavik?” Gudjon, the farmer, asked when Benny reappeared with the puffin breast, which he had sliced and was feeding to himself with a penknife.
“Yeah, I’d had enough. He wouldn’t share any of his rum. He drank it all himself.”
“You’re too young to be boozing with a grown-up man, Benny dear,” said his mother.
“I’m not too young just to have a taste. There’s never any fun around here,” Benny said before disappearing from the kitchen. They heard him going up to the loft and turning on his transistor radio.
“I think that boy’s going to move away from us if we continue living here,” said Hildur. “He would have left ages ago if he didn’t have that crush on little Hafdis in Svalbardi.”
Gudjon nodded and moved the bishop two squares on the chessboard.
They were silent a moment as they focused on the game. Finally Gudjon said, “Hogni, the teacher, mentioned that he’s interested in buying the house if we move. He’s tired of living in the school.”
Hildur answered him, after giving it some thought: “If we sell the house, we could settle our debt with the co-op and maybe cover our trip to Stykkisholmur, but not a lot more than that. Check!”
“Check? Hmm, we’d also get something for our land. Sigurbjorn could do with more grassland. He has some money in the savings bank to pay for that. If we could rent land on the mainland, we could take the cattle and sheep with us. Otherwise, we could slaughter the livestock to pay off the co-op debt.”
Gudjon hid his king behind his rook.
“But what if we don’t get any land?” said Hildur.
Gudjon smiled reassuringly. “You’re pretty good at filleting fish, and I can do some manual labor. And I can always take the boat out to sea and fish if I can fix the engine.”
“It won’t be easy to go away and leave all our friends behind,” said Hildur, moving her knight.
“We can come here in the spring and work for the other farmers. But we can’t hang around here in the winter without a bigger farm.”
“Do you really think Hogni can buy the house?”
“Yes, yes. He can also take out a loan,” said Gudjon, moving his bishop.
“We can think about it over the summer and decide in the fall,” said the housewife, and then she concentrated on the game.
“Yes, but I think we should go for it,” said Gudjon. He found it difficult to focus on the chess and conduct a conversation at the same time. He looked at the board in confusion and finally played his knight.
Hildur promptly slid her rook down the board: “Checkmate!”
Question fourteen: They chose the spots to fall on. Seventh letter. The Baglar were being besieged by King Sverrir at the rock of Tunsberg. The Baglar saw banners from two armies. One came from Frod’s Ridge, the other from the town. They fought when they met; some fell and others fled. The Baglar then urged Hreidar to abandon the rock and assist their men. Hreidar answered, “Let’s see what they do first and if the Birkibeins are chased to the trench.” And then he added, “There is something odd about the way they are fleeing. It seems to me that they’re playing a trick on us. Do you notice how they choose dry spots to fall on or else fall on their shields? And do you see any sign of blood on their weapons or garments? No! Neither do I,” he said. “This must be one of Sverrir’s ruses.” The answer is “Birkibeins,” and the seventh letter is e.