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 Ray gathered his hat and stood.

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Ray, realizing he has no actual power in this room and any continued defense of his beliefs will only cause him to become a martyr, decides to bow out before Scarsdale becomes angry. Thanks to Shel Silverstein's "The Devil and Billy Markham," it's a tactic I've come to know as a "chickenshit hit and run." I know describing it as "chickenshit" makes it sound as if I don't think much of it but I think it's a great tactic! It's one of my preferred tactics, especially online! "Chickenshit" is just the way the God described it in the poem because Billy tried to use it against Him.

Chapter 1: Section 4: Page 32: Line 150 (522)

 Scarsdale squinted, not sure if this should be taken as an affront to his faith.

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In a way, Ray Ipsow has checkmated Scarsdale Vibe here. Vibe admitted to being guided by Second Corinthians so he can either choose to live by this statement and suffer Ray's insult, or he can drop the entire charade and just exert his ultimate power. You know, violence. Obviously that would come with some crazy complicated strings attached, and might sour his deal with the Professor. So he's taking this moment to squint and decide "if this should be taken as an affront to his faith." In other words, if he decides it was an affront, Ray is going to get his ass beat.

Chapter 1: Section 4: Page 32: Line 149 (521)

 Foley got to his feet and strolled over to the window.

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There's the violence of punching a guy in the mouth because you don't like his opinions and there's the violence of aggressively ignoring him, even if it means looking out of a window when the person is obviously a big dumb brute who has never been curious about anything outside the room he currently occupies.

"strolled"
This is the most nonchalant way you can get to a destination, a clear signal that you're currently not threatened by anything near you. It's quite a simple and genius way to exert your power during a heated exchange.

Chapter 1: Section 4: Page 32: Line 148 (520)

 The guards lounging by the doorway seemed to grow more alert.

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Whose perspective is this bit of narration from? If an omniscient narrator, wouldn't they know for sure if the guards grew more alert? If the narrator were not omniscient, I suppose this would be a fine thing to say to the reader, as if the text were the Dungeon Master of a role playing game and the reader the player character.

"Gary the Small mouths off to the wizard," declares Gary Rochambeau, clutching either side of his hobbit's character sheet in anticipation of the wizard's reaction.
    "The guards lounging by the doorway seem to grow more alert," replies Dark Cyrus, his Game Master.

I suppose if we think of Ray Ipsow as Gary the Small in the previous example, it makes sense. Ray would have known he's pushing the limits of Scarsdale's patience and so checks to see how Vibe's bodyguards are reacting. But we know the narrator is some omniscient fan of the Chums of Chance Adventure Book series. Unless the narrator changed when the story began following the Professor and Ray, leaving the Chums at the steakhouse.

Anyway, Ray probably realizes he should shut up before he gets his ass beat.