"That seems like a wasteful way to approach things," Ubbe says. It seems to be the worst of both worlds and the best of none to him. He couldn't say that he understood the logic of it at all. "With the Saxons, there is a lot of distrust but both sides have betrayed each other but we've now proven to one another at least certain factions can be trusted."

King Alfred can trust Ubbe and the Danes but if Ivar's heathen army came King Alfred could not trust them as Ubbe couldn't trust the other kingdoms of England.

"I see," Ubbe says and he supposes that people must have to keep going at all.