Hogni, Gudjon, and Thormodur Krakur found the little boat lying overturned on a patch of grass above the shore to the south of the church. Carefully turning it over, they discovered two oars underneath it. Grabbing the boat, the men then gently eased it into the sea and pushed it. Hogni climbed on board with the oars and ensured that the boat was not leaking. Then he rowed vigorously across the strait, while his companions remained on the shore.
A shamefaced young man stood on a rock at sea level as Hogni approached. Kjartan stepped onto the boat when Hogni reached him, and they immediately turned back.
“Thank you for fetching me. I’m so lucky you spotted me out here,” said Kjartan.
“You probably would have survived,” Hogni answered, unable to suppress a smile. “The tide will be going down again pretty soon, so you could have walked back the same way you came.”
“You’re probably right. I was a bit taken aback when I realized how high the tide had grown in the strait. The strip was almost dry when I walked out there. I just wanted to take a look at the birdlife. Then, when I was going to turn back, I saw the tide was coming in and I didn’t have the guts to waddle across. I didn’t know how deep it was.”
“You did the right thing to wait,” Hogni answered. “There’s quicksand around here and some steep drops on the way.”
“I just hope no one was starting to worry about me.”
“The police were asking for you. They’ll certainly be relieved to see you again.”
Question thirty-six: Killed by a serpent. First letter. King Olaf Tryggvason went with his men to Raud the Strong’s farm and broke in. Raud was seized and tied up, and his men were killed or arrested. The king offered to have Raud baptized, but Raud answered that he would never believe in Christ and uttered many blasphemies. Raud was then tied to an iron bar and a round pin of wood was shoved between his teeth to force his mouth open. The king then ordered a snake to be placed in Raud’s mouth, but the snake refused to enter it. A red-hot iron was then used to force the serpent in. The snake slid into Raud’s mouth and down his throat to his heart and then gnawed its way out his left side. Raud then died. The answer is “Raud,” and the first letter is r.