He said he wanted a viking's funeral. But when he awoke to stench of his own burning flesh stinging in his nostrils his screams rose even above the crackling flames. From the shore his friends and loved ones looked on, their gleaming eyes, still wet with tears, reflecting the flickering pyre. Frantically, he waved and screamed, but no one seemed to see him. Didn't they realize he was burning alive? He coughed uncontrollably, choking on smoke and tears. He reached toward the shore, a blistered hand extending over the water.  Those gathered on the shore watched as, slowly, the flames succumbed to the tumbling sea.