thou hast dealt with the chapman of maidens and hast pledged thee by
the fowl of battle, and the edge of the fallow blade to pay that
which he will have of thee."

As the big man spoke there was a mocking in his voice and his face
and in his whole huge body, which made the sword of Hallblithe uneasy
in his scabbard; but he refrained his wrath, and said: "Big man, the
longer I look, the less I can think how we are to come up on to
yonder island; for I can see nought but a huge cliff, and great
mountains rising beyond it."

"Thou shalt the more wonder," said the alien, "the nigher thou
drawest thereto; for it is not because we are far away that thou
canst see no beach or strand, or sloping of the land seaward, but
because there is nought of all these things. Yet fear not! am I not
with thee? thou shalt come ashore on the Isle of Ransom."

Then Hallblithe held his peace, and the other spake not for a while,
but gave a short laugh once or twice; and said at last in a big
voice, "Little Carrion-biter, why dost thou not ask me of my name?"

Now Hallblithe was a tall man and a fell fighter; but he said:
"Because I was thinking of other things and not of thee."

"Well," said the big man, in a voice still louder, "when I am at home
men call me the Puny Fox."

Then Hallblithe said: "Art thou a Fox? It may well be that thou
shalt beguile me as such beasts will but look to it, that if thou
dost I shall know how to avenge me."