with all her trouble and the long journey.

"I would have him serve Holy Church rather, in some monastery.
Already he can read and write, my king, for I have had him taught
in hopes that this might be."

Thereat the king shook his head, and walked away to the window for
a minute. Then he came back quickly and said, not looking at my
mother:

"Holy Church will be best served by warriors who will use carnal
arms against Swein's heathen just now. The boy is right--I would
that there were more who had his spirit. We need and shall need
those who love fighting."

Then he said to me:

"Siric your father had a wondrous sword that I used to envy him;
you shall learn to use it."

"Lord king," I answered, "I must learn to win it back from the
Danes, who have it now."

I thought the king changed countenance a little at that, and he bit
his lip.

"We have been well beaten in East Anglia," he said as if to
himself. "Here is truth from this boy at least."

Now, if Ethelred did not know that our men had been so scattered by