The Ice People 47 - Is There Anybody Out There?. Margit Sandemo

found the question difficult as well, but for different reasons than Tova’s. “We would, of course, like to go to the black halls, Master ...”

      Tova could tell that he was about to add a “but” and was holding it back.

      But Lucifer was observant. “Yes, Sarmik?”

      The Taran-gai pulled himself together. “Master, we don’t know where our four spirits stand. They have helped us so much ...”

      “I understand your problem. Let me have a word with them and perhaps we can make a compromise. A collaboration of sorts. There is room for everyone.”

      Sarmik gave a sigh of relief. “In which case, we remain your loyal servants, Lord.”

      Lucifer placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Good! Now the living must be allowed to return to their homes, they have been absent for a long time now. And Marco here will fairly and squarely begin on his next mission: to prepare the way in the human world. I assume the rest of you will assist him,” he said, casting a stern and transparent glance at Tova. “We will all see one another on midsummer night above Gråstensholm. Marco will have prepared for my arrival, I’m quite certain.”

      He beckoned all the non-earthly creatures to him, with the exception of Rune and Halkatla. As the humans looked around in confusion, they found themselves alone with the strange couple. Ellen, Tova, Tiili, Marco, Nataniel, Ian and Gabriel ...

      Seven living people and two that really didn’t properly belong anywhere. They were the only ones left. Of all of them, Nataniel was alarmingly worn down.

      Halkatla led the way, very chatty, while the more sombre-minded Rune walked by her side. The others clumsily began to make their way as well, but they couldn’t really collect their thoughts properly.

      “Should we see if we can go back the same way?” Marco asked. His friends’ silence made him feel ill-at-ease. “I’d like to recover the motorbike.”

      Nataniel pulled himself together. “Yes, of course! And the car! And whatever else we may have lost along the way!”

      Tova, Gabriel and Ellen walked at the back. They looked at Marco who was walking ahead of them. He was now carrying Tiili in his arms, where she rested safe and sound.

      At first the three of them walked silently in the clear, cold spring air. They no longer noticed their surroundings, they didn’t see the liberated valley. Their thoughts were preoccupied with other things.

      Things that were heavy and difficult to absorb.

      Then Gabriel said thoughtfully: “We’ve been manipulated! Used in a way.”

      “Yes,” replied Tova. She felt completely empty inside.

      Now that the whole ordeal was over, they felt a sense of fatigue creeping over them. But it wasn’t an entirely normal sense of fatigue – they felt it was much deeper than that.

      The fatigue of disappointment. The feeling of having been betrayed.

      Ellen, who had had a different kind of upbringing from the others, said quietly: “I want to speak with God about this. I must.”

      Her two friends didn’t respond. Gabriel just swallowed hard. Never before had he felt so unsure.