him honour, making a sign to his wife that she should leave
them. So she withdrew softly; then the priest sat down. He asked first
of Heiri whether it was determined to fight on the morrow; and Heiri
said that it was so determined. Then the priest said, "Lord Heiri,
to-morrow is the feast of the God of Death; and he claims a victim, if
we are to be victorious." Now Heiri hated the sacrifice of men, and
the priest knew it; and so for a while Heiri sat in silence, frowning,
and beating his foot upon the ground, while the priest watched him
with bright and evil eyes. Then Heiri said, "To-morrow must many men,
both valiant and timid, die; surely that were enough for the god!" But
the priest said, "Nay, my lord, it is not enough; the law saith that
unless a victim should offer himself, the priests should choose a
victim; and the victim must be goodly; for we are in an evil case."
Then Heiri looked at the priest and said, "Whom have ye chosen?" for
he saw that the priests had named a victim among themselves. So the
priest said, "We have named Nefri--be content."

Now Nefri was a lad of fifteen summers, cousin to Heiri; his father
was long dead, and Heiri loved the boy, who was brave and gracious,
and had hoped in his heart that Nefri would succeed him as prince of
the tribe. Then Heiri was very wroth, and said, "Lord priest, that may
not be; Nefri is next of kin to myself, and will grow up a mighty
warrior; and he shall be chief after me, if the gods grant him life;
look you, to-morrow we shall lose many mighty men; and it may be that
I shall myself fall; for I have been heavy-hearted for many days, and
I think that the gods are calling me--and Nefri we cannot spare."

Then the priest said, "Lord Heiri, the gods choose whom they will by
the mouth of their priests; it were better that Nefri should perish
than that the people should be lost; and, indeed, the gods have
spoken; for I prayed that the victim should be shown me, hoping that
it might be some common man; but hardly had I done my prayer, when
Nefri came to my hut to bring an offering; and my heart cried out,
'Arise, for this is he.' The gods have chosen him, not I; and Nefri
must die for the people."

Then Heiri was grievously troubled; for he reverenced the gods and
feared the priests. And he rose up, with anger and holy fear striving
within him; and he said, "Prepare then for the sacrifice; only tell
not Nefri--I myself will bring him--it may be that the gods will