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

Halkatla threw herself at Rune and kissed him intensely. He was terribly shy and muttered something about it being nice to see her again.

Lilit hadn’t had time until now to greet her son Tamlin and the nineteen night demons who had been held captive in the Great Abyss. She made up for that and hugged them one after the other. Ingrid did the same with her five demons, perhaps with more intimacy and emotion. Tengel the Good and Sol and Heike were there and wished luck to Nataniel and the object of his desire, and Benedikte, who was much closer to the present day, embraced Tova, her grandson’s daughter, and welcomed Ian into the family.

There was quite a bit of commotion for a while.

Then Lilit raised her hand and asked for silence. She had something to say.

Several of them were completely dazzled by her unique and dangerous beauty.

“Our master, who has come to earth this year, would like to meet all of you. All of you participated in the battle that ended so well. But some of you are terribly tired and horribly cold. So he’s going to keep this meeting short. Our ruler, whom I have known since the time of Eden, will then leave you time for rest and contemplation. He will return on the shortest night of the year to meet you properly. That is a good night, suitable for all the things that humans don’t believe ought to awaken. We will all meet then, on the mountain above old Gråstensholm, because Linden Avenue doesn’t have enough space for everyone.”

“In that bewitched place?” Gabriel asked excitedly.

“Exactly. There is a lot that needs to be straightened out and planned and prepared. For various reasons we will be meeting there and not at the Demon’s Mountain.”

She slowly extended her arm in a dignified gesture. “My friends ... please make room for our lord.”

There they were again! The black angels. But this time they were escorting their master, Lucifer, who came in great majesty, gliding across the meadow towards the big, dumbfounded group.

He was so huge! So ... overwhelming, not just because of his unusual height but mostly because of the utter sense of authority he emitted. In his true form he was more glorious to look at than any human child could possibly imagine, and the light in his eyes was almost unbearable. Lucifer was pitch black, glistening black like coal. He was stately, so mighty that it brought tears to your eyes. This was truly one of the archangels! The supreme one, the outcast, the fallen one.

All the demons prostrated themselves in reverence.

God, thought Tova. God! I knew it! It was Marco they had been following, the prince of the black halls!

She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. But she didn’t have a chance to analyse it properly for Lucifer raised his hand. Smiling, he spoke with a soft, melodic voice that purred in one’s ears: “You are cold, my chosen friends. From this very moment you will no longer have to freeze.”

He made a sweeping gesture with his arm and they watched all the snow on the ground melt; they felt a summery, pleasant warmth spread over them as the snowy weather retreated. He bade them sit down, and took on a more human size for their sake.

It was wonderful to have a chance to rest one’s feet after all that sliding around on the ice of the glacier. It was wonderful to feel the heat from the earth seep through one’s clothes and thaw out one’s body. Tova sensed that she must be careful not to fall asleep: there was a great danger that she might. It was clear as day that Nataniel was dead tired and in pain.

But Lucifer still stood there surrounded by all his black angels. Tova noticed that none of them were wolves now. There was no need for them anymore, so they could assume their proper forms again.

The erstwhile angel of light waited with a cunning smile on his lips. What a creature! Tova thought, greatly impressed. Even in human form, his air of authority was crushing.

But at the same time her heart trembled.

She cast a very quick glance about her. Everyone was there – except for one group. The fifteen stray demons that Tengel the Evil had hurled out into empty space.

Lucifer directed his fascinating eyes at Tova. He smiled. “We’ll be sure to get them back.”

Help! One had better watch one’s thoughts!

But the rest of the group of stray demons, the so-called Trond demons, sighed with relief.

The mighty angel extended his arm towards Rune and called him to him.

“I have always said that my men did a terrible job with you, Rune, my friend from the Garden of Eden. So now you can decide whether you want to be one thing or the other. In your case, human or root.”

There was no doubt for Rune this time: “Human, please!”

“And how would you like to look?”

“I don’t want to look different from the rest. I’ve had quite enough of that.”

“But Rune! You don’t wish to be an ordinary human, do you?”

He thought for a moment. “No ... probably I don’t.”

“That’s what I thought. Well, I’ll try to come up with something nice-looking based on your resources. I think the result will be quite pleasant.”

Halkatla stood next to Rune, blushing with eagerness.

“May ... may I say something, great Lord?”

“Be my guest!”

“I am happy for Rune. But I just want to say that as far as I’m concerned, I don’t care how he looks. I came to care for him just the way he was.”

Rune couldn’t hold back a huge smile of radiant joy and surprise.

“Your words are kind,” said Lucifer. “But I think you had better step aside, young lady, or you may risk being thrown into the bargain and turning into a root. And that would be a shame, wouldn’t it, especially now?”

That reminded Tova of a risqué story that had always made her laugh. About the old woman who lamented her loneliness in her little house in the woods. She had only a cat and she would sigh to it, saying: “If only you had been a handsome young prince and I a beautiful young woman!” Now it just so happened that there was a fairy nearby. She felt sorry for the lonely little woman and fulfilled her wish. They were both transformed into beautiful young people, and the young lady couldn’t get enough of her prince. She fell head over heels in love with him. Whereupon he said: “Well, I guess now you’re sorry you had me spayed!”

So Tova truly understood why Halkatla didn’t wish to become a root now!

Tova was laughing so hard at the old joke that she had to turn away from the group. When she turned back again a handsome young man stood in Rune’s place. He still had Rune’s colouring and features, but his appearance was much improved. Everything that had been crooked and misshapen about him had been smoothed out. He was anything but ordinary in appearance! And Halkatla was wildly enthusiastic, though also a bit shy about this new transformation that had taken place. Was it possible for the brave Halkatla to become insecure? Yes, why not? After all the bullying she had endured during her short life on earth.

Tova wished her well.

Rune looked down at his well-shaped hands in astonishment, and Ellen gave him a small pocket mirror. He lit up like the sun when he saw how handsome he was now.

“Thank you,” he said warmly to Lucifer. “Once I am properly acquainted with this stranger I think I’ll get on very well with him.”

Gabriel sighed, smiling. “I guess I don’t have to fulfil my promise to you now? About fetching soil from Ceylon for you?”

Rune thought for a moment. “No, thank you, Gabriel! That is very kind of you, but I definitely won’t be eating soil from now on.”

Everyone laughed a little.

Then Rune placed his hands around Halkatla’s face and looked her deeply in the eyes. She lit up at his gaze. No words needed to be said between them.