The guardsman's face was as inscrutable as the side of his goblet. "If
Kark had deserved to be slain, he would not be living now. He is less
accomplished than this man, therefore I changed them."

The steward bent his head in apparent submission. "Now, as always, you
are right. Rather than a boorish Odin-man, better is it to have a man of
accomplishments,--even though he be a hound of a Christian." He turned
away, as one quite innocent of the barb in his words.

An audible murmur passed down the line of Leif's men. No one doubted
that this was Thorhall's trap to avenge the slights upon his son. Would
the chief let this also pass by? Though their faces remained set to the
front, their eyes slid around to watch him.

Leif drew himself up haughtily and also very quietly. "It is unadvisable
for you to speak such words to me," he said. "I also am a Christian."

Flint had struck steel. Eric leaped to his feet in a blaze.

"Say that again!"

Thorwald and a dozen of the guests shook their heads frantically at him,
but Leif repeated the declaration.

Crash! Down went Eric's goblet, to shiver into a thousand pieces on the
table edge. With a furious curse he flung himself back in his chair, and
leaned there, panting and glaring.

A hum of voices arose around the room. Men called out soothing words to