"She is not, thou young fool," said the elder. Then Hallblithe flushed red and spake: "Knowest thou the Puny Fox?" "How should I not?" said the carle, "since he is the son of one of my sons." "Dost thou call him a liar and a rogue?" said Hallblithe. The elder laughed; "Else were I a fool," said he; "there are few bigger liars or bigger rogues than the Puny Fox!" "Is he here in this Isle?" said Hallblithe; "may I see him?" The old man laughed again, and said: "Nay, he is not here, unless he hath turned fool since yesterday: why should he abide thy sword, since he hath done what he would and brought thee hither?" Then he laughed, as a hen cackles a long while, and then said: "What more wilt thou ask me?" But Hallblithe was very wroth: "It availeth nought to ask," he said; "and now I am in two minds whether I shall slay thee or not." "That were a meet deed for a Raven, but not for a man," said the carle, "and thou that hast wished me luck! Ask, ask!" But Hallblithe was silent a long while. Then the carle said, "Another cup for the longer after youth!" Hallblithe filled, and gave to him, and the old man drank and said: "Thou deemest us all liars in the Isle of Ransom because of thy beguiling by the Puny Fox: but therein thou errest. The Puny Fox is our chiefest liar, and doth for us the more part of such work as we need: therefore, why should we others lie. Ask, ask!" "Well then," said Hallblithe, "why did the Puny Fox bewray me, and at whose bidding?" Said the elder: "I know, but I will not tell thee. Is this a lie?" "Nay, I deem it not," said Hallblithe: "But, tell me, is it verily true that my trothplight is not here, that I may ransom her?" Said the Long-hoary: "I swear it by the Treasure of the Sea, that she is not here: the tale was but a lie of the Puny Fox." CHAPTER VII: A FEAST IN THE ISLE OF RANSOM Hallblithe pondered his answer awhile with downcast eyes and said at last: "Have ye a mind to ransom me, now that I have walked into the trap?" "There is no need to talk of ransom," said the elder; "thou mayst go out of this house when thou wilt, nor will any meddle with thee if thou strayest about the Isle, when I have set a mark on thee and given thee a token: nor wilt thou be hindered if thou hast a mind to leave the Isle, if thou canst find means thereto; moreover as long as thou art in the Isle, in this house mayst thou abide, eating and drinking and resting with us." "How then may I leave this Isle?" said Hallblithe. The elder laughed: "In a ship," said he. "And when," said Hallblithe, "shall I find a ship that shall carry me?" Said the old carle, "Whither wouldest thou my son?" Hallblithe was silent a while, thinking what answer he should make; then he said: "I would go to the land of the Glittering Plain."