by, and honest
Thormod leaned across me to take his share quickly, and they passed
to him, wondering at me a little, but maybe thinking nothing of it.
They were but thralls, and had not been at the Ve.

But Rorik's men had their eyes on me, and when the cauldron passed
Thormod, and I had not taken thereout, one rose up and said,
pointing to me:

"Lo! this Saxon will not eat of the sacrifice."

At that was a growl of wrath from the company, and Ingvar rose,
looking over the heads of my comrades, saying:

"Have a care, thou fool; go not too far with me."

Then Guthrum laughed and said:

"This is foolishness to mind him; moreover, he has fought for and
won his right to please himself in the matter."

So too said Halfden and Thormod, but against their voices were now
many raised, saying that ill luck would be with the host for long
enough, if this were suffered openly.

Now a Dane or Norseman takes no heed of the religion of other folk
unless the matter is brought forward in this way, too plainly to be
overlooked. But then, being jealous for his own gods, whom he knows
to be losing ground, he must needs show that he is so. Nor do I
blame him, for it is but natural.

So to these voices Ingvar the godar must needs pay heed, even if
his own patience were not gone, so that he might not suffer that
one should sit at the board of Thor and Odin, untasting and
unacknowledging.

He called to two of his courtmen.

"Take this man away," he said, very sternly, "and put him in ward
till tomorrow. Today is the feast, and we have had enough trouble
over the business already."

The two men came towards me, and all men were hushed, waiting to
see if I would fight. As they came I rose from my place, and they
thought I would resist, for they shifted their sword hilts to the
front, ready to hand. But I unbuckled my sword belt, and cast the
weapon down, following them quietly, for it was of no good to fight
hopelessly for freedom in a strange land.

Many men scowled at me as I passed, and more than one cried out on
me. But Halfden and Thormod and Hubba, and more than were angry,
seemed glad that this was all the harm that came to me just now.
And Ingvar leaned back in his great chair and did not look at me,
though his face was dark.

They put me into a cell, oak walled and strong, and there left me,
unfettered, but with a heavily-barred door between me and freedom;
and if I could get out, all Denmark and the sea around me h