“‘I will also give thee land and sheep and cattle and goods as much as thou wantest,’ said Gisli.
“‘I will not sell it a whit more for that,’ said Kol.
“‘Put thy own price on it in money, and I will get thee a fair wife also,’ said Gisli.
“‘There is no use talking about it,’ said Kol. ‘I will not sell it, whatsoever thou offerest. It has come to what I said would happen: that thou wouldst not give me back my weapon when thou knewest what virtue was in it.’
“‘And I too will say what will happen,’ said Gisli. ‘Good will befall neither of us; for I will not give up the sword, and it shall never come into any man’s hand but mine, if I have my will.’
“Then Kol lifted his ax, and Gisli drew Graysteel, and they smote at each other. Kol’s blow fell on Gisli’s head, so that it sank into the brain; and Graysteel fell on Kol’s head, and his skull was shattered, and Graysteel broke asunder. Then, as Kol gave up the ghost, he said:
“‘It had been better that thou hadst given me my sword when I asked for it, for this is only the beginning of the ill fortune I will bring on thy kith and kin forever.’
“And so it has been. For a thousand years the tellings-up of our family are full of troubles that this thrall’s curse has brought upon us. Few of our men have grown gray-headed; in the sea and on the battlefield they have found their graves; and the women have had sorrow in marriage and death in child-bearing.”
“It was an evil deed,” said David.
“It was a great curse for it also; one thousand years it has followed Gisli’s children.”