“Is he dead?”

“Looks that way.”

“Christ, he scared the shit out of me.”

“Imagine if he got up right now.”

“Keep your mouth shut.”

“Do you think he can hear you?”

“Not if he’s dead.”

You keep your distance, because you’ve seen enough horror movies. You keep glancing over at the slope that Darian’s disappeared behind, after firing at the hotel like a lunatic. You lay down flat on the floor in the hall, arms over your head, and you thought: This is exactly what war must be like. You’d have liked to have Marten’s father by your side, to ask him if he meant it when he said you were safe. Then everything outside fell silent. Nothing. No voices, no footsteps, the shooting was over. Somewhere a bird was singing, and when birds sing it usually means everything’s okay.

You got up and looked carefully through one of the bullet holes. The wood was rotten and smelled of burnt paper. You saw Darian heading toward the slope.

“Darian’s leaving.”

“And what about his father?” Stink asked.

“He’s still there.”

You wanted to clear out before Darian came back. Nessi wouldn’t think of it, and handed you the key to the car.

“What are you doing?”

“You two can go where you like, but I’m not going anywhere without Taja.”

Stink turned pale.

“Come on, Nessi, she’s fucking left, or can you see her anywhere?”

Nessi looked up the stairs.

“Where could she have got to? She must be in the hotel. You two can leave. I’m not abandoning Taja.”

“Shit, I hate it when you’re like this,” Stink said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we’ll wait outside for you,” you said quickly, because if anyone can interpret Stink’s words, it’s you.

“Thanks,” said Nessi and was about to turn around, but Stink held her back.

“Just in case there’s any misunderstanding, I’m not going to forgive Taja. She’s still one of us, and that will never change, but I’ll never forgive her.”

“And you don’t have to,” Nessi replied. “I think the only person who can forgive Taja is Taja herself.”

With those words Nessi went upstairs, and Stink looked at you quizzically and you shrugged and then you all left the hotel. Since then you’ve been standing in the sun, ten feet away from Ragnar Desche, waiting for Nessi and Taja and hoping with all your heart that Darian’s not going to come back. You walk to the edge of the slope. No sign of Darian. You look around the place. No sign of anyone. No cars on the road, no one walking a dog, not even an elk standing by the water and drinking. Probably all the Norwegians have emigrated and you’re the last people left in the country. You look over at the hotel and wonder if Marten’s father is still sitting at the kitchen table.

When you return to Stink, she’s standing bent over, hands on her knees. She’s taking a closer look at Ragnar Desche.

“He’s not breathing. He’s not bleeding anymore, either.”

“Did you really have to use a pipe?”

“What are you thinking of? Should I have tried to find something softer, or what?”

“Nah, it’s fine.”

“I didn’t plan him to break down like this.”

“You saved our lives, and now shut up.”

“What about Taja?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, do you think we can save her?”

You nearly said there was nothing to save, but even a Schnappi sometimes manages to keep her mouth shut. You stand there and don’t know what to do next. You look at Ragnar Desche for another minute, then you turn away and look over at the hotel. Nothing. No Nessi, no Taja. You imagine Marten’s father suddenly deciding he’s been sitting here for long enough.

“What happens if Marten’s father goes berserk?”

“Schnappi, I hate it when you say stuff like that.”

“I’m just thinking out loud.”

“Then think quietly.”

You purse your lips, draw a cross on the ground with your heel, and spit on it.

“What the hell was that? Voodoo?”

“Nope, just bored. Where have they got to?”

“Perhaps Nessi can’t find her.”

“Perhaps Taja doesn’t want to be found.”

Both of you look over at the beach hotel.

I hope so, you think and immediately regret the thought.