'Never ask another man for aught when you can ask me,' said Njal, and Gunnar answered:
'Your gifts are great, but truly your love is greater.'
In a few weeks the summer began, and, as was his custom, Gunnar rode to the Thing, leaving Hallgerda in the house at Lithend.
The day after he had ridden away with his men Hallgerda sent for Malcolm the thrall, and said to him:
'I have somewhat for you to do! Take with you two horses besides the one you ride, and go to Kirkby and steal meat enough to load the two horses, and butter and cheese as well. But take heed, when all is done, to set the storehouses on fire, so that none can trace that the goods have vanished.'
Malcolm the thrall lifted his head and looked at her.
'I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,' said he.
But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.
'Do you think men have kept silent about your misdeeds?' she asked. 'Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!'
And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt also.
A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.
'It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself further,' answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:
'I will have no part in food that is ill come by,' and with that he gave her a buffet on the cheek.
'I shall remember that,' said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.
The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell's friend, was riding to bring in some sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.
'Did you ever see these things before?' asked Skamkell.
'Yes, often,' answered Otkell; 'they are the knife and belt of Malcolm the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar's thrall with the theft and the burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them follow out his plan.