LITMIR.BIZ

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people who are forced to sit on park benches wrapped in blankets in order to watch the children’s parade when they would much rather go and have a beer now that they finally have a day out of the nursing home.”

      “And I was supposed to give the speech at school this year,” said Gabriel, his lips pale. “I forgot all about that.”

      “Oh, forget it,” said Tova. “Everyone would have been waiting impatiently for you to finish so that they could go out and get their ice cream. And imagine what kind of a 17th May it would have been today! The children’s best new clothes would have had to be covered by dull raincoats, or little angry specks of dust would have whipped in their faces or maliciously settled under their collars or cuffs. And their new shoes would have rubbed. And they would all need to pee and there would be the eternal question, ‘Have we reached the town square yet?’”

      “Don’t you have anything good to say about 17th May, Tova?” asked Marco with a little smile.

      “Yes, of course! But it’s so much more fun to be bitter.”

      “It always has been.”

      “What’s happened to Rune?” asked Halkatla.

      “Last time we saw him he was wandering across the glacier with Lucifer,” answered Ian.

      Halkatla sighed. “I would have liked to see Rune once more.”

      “So would we,” said Gabriel. “So would we.”

      “I have so much to thank him for,” said Halkatla dreamily.

      They fell silent.

      Ellen looked up at the clouds. “The day is over. Darkness is falling.”

      “Bang! It fell!” said Gabriel.

      Marco smiled. He liked the fact that they were able to keep cheerful with their chatting. It was extremely strenuous having to wait like this, not knowing what was going on.

      But with a happy feeling he thought of all the warmth that had reigned in the group that day. They had all stuck together and looked after one another. Ian sat with his arms around Tova and she had crept up as close to him as she could. Marco couldn’t help listening to a conversation the two of them were having.

      “Well?” Ian said to her. “Do you have any regrets?”

      “About what?”

      “That we have to stay together. So much has happened, you may have changed your mind.”

      She leaned her head against his chin. “How silly of you! I don’t regret it. But do you, since you’re asking me in that way?”

      “It’s the best thing that's ever happened to me,” he assured her. “Meeting you, I mean. And that we are going to be parents. I’ve been so concerned for you during all these hardships. How are you?”

      “Just fine,” she answered cheerfully. “Thank you for being alive, Ian!”

      It made Marco happy to hear that kind of talk. He had always been concerned for the unfortunate Tova. I agree with you, Tova, he thought, thank goodness for Ian, he is the best thing that could have happened to us all!

      Trond had made a field marshal’s speech to his troops after the battle. The demons had listened to his pompous oration with an ironic smile on their lips, but Marco sensed that they were actually also a little proud. Perhaps demons aren’t used to being showered with words of praise?

      And Gabriel had tried to make them sing “Frère Jacques” but it hadn’t worked at all! All the living creatures and the ancestors of the Ice People had joined in. Estrid and Jahas were so off key that it hurt everyone’s ears, but apart from them there were many nice voices to be heard. But the demons just stared at Gabriel and the newly formed choir, for it was clear that they were not familiar with songs. When they understood that the boy wanted them to participate in these strange sounds, their jaws dropped and their hoarse laughter echoed across the landscape, until the entire round dissolved into a cacophony of laughter and fading notes.

      But beneath all this great sense of community and warmth lay fear and concern for Nataniel. It was clear that Ellen was suffering the most, but she, too, tried to keep cheerful.

      Sulking wouldn’t do Nataniel any good.

      They had waited an entire day. The spring evening shone blue across the Valley of the Ice People. Well, since twilight lasts longer in May, it was night rather than evening.

      There wasn’t much food left, but the little that there was they had shared among them, the six who needed food.

      Tova sat thinking about Nataniel. When had he last eaten? When you’re in a crisis, you need to have your wits about you. And the mind is immensely dependent on food, perhaps the most of all the body’s organs. When you are hungry you are unable to think clearly. You get irritated and quickly lose heart.

      Which was the last thing Nataniel needed!

      Why wasn’t anything happening? How long were they to wait?

      She secretly looked up at the demons, who most resembled birds roosting in the blue evening light. Birds of prey that had found a shelter for the night but were vigilantly scouting the landscape, prepared for whatever danger might arise.

      She thought about them, the demons.

      Tova and some of the others had been wondering for quite a while now whom those birds were following. Because there was no doubt in their minds that it was a specific individual.

      Now she knew who it was. And that knowledge sent a shiver down her spine. Because it opened a new vista that was so huge and frightening that she didn’t dare think it through to the end.

      She remembered Daniel’s words to Shira so long ago: “But I only live on the periphery of the evil story you are about to get dragged into, I don’t know all the threads in the huge net that is being woven around us.”

      Tova shuddered. She had had a tiny glimpse of the core of the evil story.

      She didn’t want to know more.

      Then she noticed that Marco was watching her thoughtfully. Tova collected herself and mustered up a perplexed smile in his direction. The prolonged silence returned ...

      Marco happened to glance at Tiili and all at once saw that she was struggling terribly. Her whole body had begun to tremble and her face was utterly white, but not in any way connected to the cold.

      He quickly moved over to where she sat, between Villemo and Ellen, and he took the little, wrapped-up creature in his arms, holding her close to him so that she would feel safe.

      For the crisis was now about to come.

      She gasped for breath, as though she wanted to cry but couldn’t.

      “Now, now,” said Marco, stroking her jet-black hair. “Now, now, you’re among friends.”

      Tiili tried to speak. “So much is unfamiliar ... and strange to me! Mother is gone, and so is Targenor. I’ll never see them again. You all speak strangely ... Where am I? I know we are in the Valley of the Ice People, but I can’t recognize it. There isn’t a single house or person in the valley. Who are you? You are dressed so strangely! I don’t understand anything!”

      The others had grown quiet. They were listening. So were the demons. Their ears were pricked up so as not to miss a thing. They were mere silhouettes in the night.

      “Too much is happening. There are so many dangerous creatures here. Although they are kind! But I just don’t understand where I am!”

      Marco spoke as gently as he could. “You are now in the twentieth century. You have been held captive in the mountain for seven hundred years. Your life is going to begin now. But we are all going to do our best to make sure that you have as good a life as possible.”

      “I don’t know anyone anymore,” she whimpered.

      “You

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