The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1)

by Bernard Cornwell

“It is not enough!” Edmund said. He stood up to give his next words more force. “I will rule here,” he went on, “and I will suffer your presence if I must, and I will provide you with horses, food, coin, and hostages, but only if you, and all of your men, submit to God. You must be baptized!” That word was lost on the Danish interpreter, and on the king’s, and finally Ubba looked to me for help. “You have to stand in a barrel of water,” I said, remembering how Beocca had baptized me after my brother’s death, “and they pour more water over you.” “They want to wash me?” Ubba asked, astonished. I shrugged. “That’s what they do, lord.” “You will become Christians!” Edmund said, then shot me an irritated look. “We can baptize in the river, boy. Barrels are not necessary.” “They want to wash you in the river,” I explained to Ivar and Ubba, and the Danes laughed. Ivar thought about it. Standing in a river for a few minutes was not such a bad thing, especially if it meant he could hurry back to quell whatever trouble afflicted Northumbria. “I can go on worshipping Odin once I’m washed?” he asked. “Of course not!” Edmund said angrily. “There is only one god!” “There are many gods,” Ivar snapped back, “many! Everyone knows that.” “There is only one god, and you must serve him.” “But we’re winning,” Ivar explained patiently, almost as if he talked to a child, “which means our gods are beating your one god.” The king shuddered at this awful heresy. “Your gods are false gods,” he said....