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why do you fear to talk about it？〃
〃Why burden my mind with thoughts about certainties？〃 I countered。
〃But are you certain？〃 she insisted。 〃Tell me about it。 What is it
likeyour immortality？〃
And when I had told her of Niflheim and Muspell； of the birth of the
giant Ymir from the snowflakes； of the cow Andhumbla； and of Fenrir
and Loki and the frozen Jotunsas I say； when I had told her of all
this； and of Thor and Odin and our own Valhalla； she clapped her
hands and cried out； with sparkling eyes：
〃Oh； you barbarian！ You great child！ You yellow giant…thing of the
frost！ You believer of old nurse tales and stomach satisfactions！
But the spirit of you； that which cannot die； where will it go when
your body is dead？〃
〃As I have said； Valhalla；〃 I answered。 〃And my body shall be
there； too。〃
〃Eating？drinking？fighting？〃
〃And loving；〃 I added。 〃We must have our women in heaven； else what
is heaven for？〃
〃I do not like your heaven；〃 she said。 〃It is a mad place； a beast
place； a place of frost and storm and fury。〃
〃And your heaven？〃 I questioned。
〃Is always unending summer； with the year at the ripe for the fruits
and flowers and growing things。〃
I shook my head and growled：
〃I do not like your heaven。 It is a sad place； a soft place； a
place for weaklings and eunuchs and fat； sobbing shadows of men。〃
My remarks must have glamoured her mind； for her eyes continued to
sparkle； and mine was half a guess that she was leading me on。
〃My heaven；〃 she said； 〃is the abode of the blest。〃
〃Valhalla is the abode of the blest；〃 I asserted。 〃For look you；
who cares for flowers where flowers always are？ in my country； after
the iron winter breaks and the sun drives away the long night； the
first blossoms twinkling on the melting ice…edge are things of joy；
and we look； and look again。
〃And fire！〃 I cried out。 〃Great glorious fire！ A fine heaven yours
where a man cannot properly esteem a roaring fire under a tight roof
with wind and snow a…drive outside。〃
〃A simple folk； you；〃 she was back at me。 〃You build a roof and a
fire in a snowbank and call it heaven。 In my heaven we do not have
to escape the wind and snow。〃
〃No；〃 I objected。 〃We build roof and fire to go forth from into the
frost and storm and to return to from the frost and storm。 Man's
life is fashioned for battle with frost and storm。 His very fire
and roof he makes by his battling。 I know。 For three years； once；
I knew never roof nor fire。 I was sixteen； and a man； ere ever I
wore woven cloth on my body。 I was birthed in storm； after battle；
and my swaddling cloth was a wolfskin。 Look at me and see what
manner of man lives in Valhalla。〃
And look she did； all a…glamour； and cried out：
〃You great； yellow giant…thing of a man！〃 Then she added pensively；
〃Almost it saddens me that there may not be such men in my heaven。〃
〃It is a good world；〃 I consoled her。 〃Good is the plan and wide。
There is room for many heavens。 It would seem that to each is given
the heaven that is his heart's desire。 A good country； truly； there
beyond the grave。 I doubt not I shall leave our feast halls and
raid your coasts of sun and flowers； and steal you away。 My mother
was so stolen。〃
And in the pause I looked at her； and she looked at me； and dared to
look。 And my blood ran fire。 By Odin； this was a woman！
What might have happened I know not； for Pilate； who had ceased from
his talk with Ambivius and for some time had sat grinning； broke the
pause。
〃A rabbi； a Teutoberg rabbi！〃 he gibed。 〃A new preacher and a new
doctrine come to Jerusalem。 Now will there be more dissensions； and
riotings； and stonings of prophets。 The gods save us； it is a mad…
house。 Lodbrog； I little thought it of you。 Yet here you are；
spouting and fuming as wildly as any madman from the desert about
what shall happen to you when you are dead。 One life at a time；
Lodbrog。 It saves trouble。 It saves trouble。〃
〃Go on； Miriam； go on；〃 his wife cried。
She had sat entranced during the discussion； with hands tightly
clasped； and the thought flickered up in my mind that she had
already been corrupted by the religious folly of Jerusalem。 At any
rate； as I was to learn in the days that followed； she was unduly
bent upon such matters。 She was a thin woman； as if wasted by
fever。 Her skin was tight…stretched。 Almost it seemed I could look
through her hands did she hold them between me and the light。 She
was a good woman； but highly nervous； and； at times； fancy…flighted
about shades and signs and omens。 Nor was she above seeing visions
and hearing voices。 As for me； I had no patience with such
weaknesses。 Yet was she a good woman with no heart of evil。
I was on a mission for Tiberius； and it was my ill luck to see
little of Miriam。 On my return from the court of Antipas she had
gone into Batanaea to Philip's court； where was her sister。 Once
again I was back in Jerusalem； and； though it was no necessity of my
business to see Philip； who； though weak； was faithful to Roman
will； I journeyed into Batanaea in the hope of meeting with Miriam。
Then there was my trip into Idumaea。 Also； I travelled into Syria
in obedience to the command of Sulpicius Quirinius； who； as imperial
legate； was curious of my first…hand report of affairs in Jerusalem。
Thus； travelling wide and much； I had opportunity to observe the
strangeness of the Jews who were so madly interested in God。 It was
their peculiarity。 Not content with leaving such matters to their
priests； they were themselves for ever turning priests and preaching
wherever they could find a listener。 And listeners they found a…
plenty。
They gave up their occupations to wander about the country like
beggars； disputing and bickering with the rabbis and Talmudists in
the synagogues and temple porches。 It was in Galilee； a district of
little repute； the inhabitants of which were looked upon as witless；
that I crossed the track of the man Jesus。 It seems that he had
been a carpenter； and after that a fisherman； and that his fellow…
fishermen had ceased dragging their nets and followed him in his
wandering life。 Some few looked upon him as a prophet； but the most
contended that he was a madman。 My wretched horse…boy； himself
claiming Talmudic knowledge second to none； sneered at Jesus；
calling him the king of the beggars； calling his doctrine Ebionism；
which； as he explained to me； was to the effect that only the poor
should win to heaven； while the rich and powerful were to burn for
ever in some lake of fire。
It was my observation that it was the custom of the country for
every man to call every other man a madman。 In truth； in my
judgment； they were all mad。 There was a plague of them。 They cast
out devils by magic charms； cured diseases by the laying on of
hands； drank deadly poisons unharmed； and unharmed played with
deadly snakesor so they claimed。 They ran away to starve in the
deserts。 They emerged howling new doctrine； gathering crowds about
them； forming new sects that split on doctrine and formed more
sects。
〃By Odin；〃 I told Pilate； 〃a trifle of our northern frost and snow
would cool their wits。 This climate is too soft。 In place of
building roofs and hunting meat； they are ever building doctrine。〃
〃And altering the nature of God；〃 Pilate corroborated sourly。 〃A
curse on doctrine。〃
〃So say I；〃 I agreed。 〃If ever I get away with unaddled wits from
this mad land； I'll cleave through whatever man dares mention to me
what may happen after I am dead。〃
Never were such trouble makers。 Everything under the sun was pious
or impious to them。 They； who were so clever in hair…splitting
argument； seemed incapable of grasping the Roman idea of the State。
Everything political was religious； everything religious was
political。 Thus every procurator's hands were full。 The Roman
eagles； the Roman statues； even the votive shields of Pilate； were
deliberate insults to their religion。
The Roman taking of the census was an abomination。 Yet it had to be
done； for it was the basis of taxation。 But there it was again。
Taxation by the State was a crime against their law and God。 Oh；
that Law！ It was not the Roman law。 It was their law； what they
called God's law。 There were the zealots； who murdered anybody who
broke this law。 And for a procurator to punish a zealot caught red…
handed was to raise a riot or an insurrection。
Everything； with these strange people； was done in the name of God。
There were what we Romans called the THAUMATURGI。 They worked
miracles to prove doctrine。 Ever has it seemed to me a witless
thing to prove the multiplication table by turning a staff into a
serpent； or even into two serpents。 Yet these things the
thaumaturgi did； and always to the excitement of the commo