"Hear you this?" the king said, in a terrible voice, when the noise ceased. "By the deed of your own people your lives are forfeit. They have broken the peace, and even now are marching on us. Your leader, Osmund himself, has seen them."
"It is true," Osmund said. "We are in the king's hands."
Then Alfred turned to the Witan, who were in disorder, and in haste, as one might see, to be gone to their houses and fly.
"You heard the Danish oath taken at Exeter; what is your word on this?"
They answered in one voice:
"Slay them. What else?"
"You hear," said the king to the Danes. "Is not the sentence just?"
"It is what one might look for," Osmund answered, "but I will say this, that this is some new band of Danes, with whom we have nought to do."
"What!" said Alfred coldly; "will you tell me that any Dane in the country did not know that I held hostages for the peace? Go to.
"See to this matter, sheriff."