Margit Sandemo - The Ice People 07 - Nemesis

Tancred shuddered. He had hoped that the Holzensterns might have solved the mystery.

Hesitating somewhat, he said: “I’m wondering whether I might have seen it. The ruins, that is.”

“What? Where?”

“To be honest, I don’t know. I actually lost my bearings after the party yesterday and came across a strange building. A pretty spooky ruin.”

“Near here?”

Holzenstern was very interested.

Tancred stopped abruptly and looked around. The forest was more withdrawn here but from what he could see, it consisted mainly of deciduous trees.

“No, I don’t think so, although you never know. I’ve no idea where I was.”

“Do you think you can find it again?”

“Hardly. I don’t feel any desire at all to enter that wood again.”

Holzenstern looked at him entreatingly. “If you were to do so, would you then kindly let me know? I’m most interested in the past history of Askinge. Do you honestly mean to say that you saw it?”

“Yes, I will swear to it,” said Tancred. “But I met Dieter this morning and he told me that no such ruin exists. He ought to know since I believe he was born here?”

“Dieter? No, he arrived later than us.”

“Is that so? I see!” Tancred laughed slightly. “He told me about a witch who devoured men.”

“Salina? Yes, she was said to be quite a woman. I once heard a historian from this part of the country describe her thus: ‘With hair like a burning river at sunset; eyes that radiate insatiability. ...’”

Good heavens, thought Tancred. The description is absolutely spot on!

For a brief moment he felt dizzy and he had to force himself not to flee in panic.

“Count Holzenstern,” he said bravely as he swallowed. “Actually, Old Askinge probably no longer exists.”

“What?” said Holzenstern, stopping abruptly on the lush grass field. “But you saw it for yourself, didn’t you?”

Tancred looked unhappy. “Yes, but I also saw something else. I met Salina, the witch!”

There was great silence.

“Are you pulling my leg?”

“If only it were the case!” sighed Tancred.

“No, I met her inside the castle. And she was ... unbelievable! Then I woke up at the edge of the forest not very far from here. Count Holzenstern, I thought I was going mad. But, you see, I’ve thought about it. And I’m beginning to perceive an explanation ...”

“Go on! I don’t understand any of this!”

“Well, you see, the reason why I believe that Old Askinge no longer exists is that on my mother’s side I hale from a very strange kin, the Ice People of Norway. Many of the members of this kin are clairvoyant. They see more than other people and are able to carry out strange things. I tended to believe that I was not one of them ... But after last night ...”

He was silent and lost in his own thoughts. The horrendous events of the night swept over him once more.

“Well, so be it!” said Holzenstern. “Because nobody else has ever seen this ruined castle. Don’t you think ... that if we walked through the forest here, then maybe you could get on the track of it and find the spot? Something is bound to remain. The foundation wall perhaps – which will be completely overgrown now.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to find it again,” said Tancred nervously. “You see, all of a sudden, a mystical path opened up in the forest. And I doubt whether it exists. I believe it was only there for me.”

Holzenstern shuddered. “This is beginning to turn very eerie indeed! Although I’d love to find Old Askinge, I’m glad that I’m not clairvoyant! I don’t think I’m at all keen on meeting Salina the witch!”

“Can the old building not have been situated here? Here where the new building lies?”

“No, no! It was moved far, far away because of Salina. The air, the soil, everything was so poisoned by evil magic that the entire place was levelled to the ground.”

‘That sounds like the legend of the Valley of the Ice People,’ thought Tancred. ‘The condemned are always banished!’

For the first time in his life, he felt a deep affinity with his strange ancestors. Tancred had always just smiled politely at all the stories, since he had least connection with the family in Graastensholm and Linden Avenue. Of course, that was if you left out Tarjei’s son, Mikael, who probably didn’t know that he belonged to a strange family.

Now Tancred no longer smiled at his family stories. He felt that he was part of them.

He needed to change the subject.

“At yesterday’s party, I heard that you’ve had problems with a young relative. Was her name Jessica? Has she come home yet?”

Holzenstern’s face was red with anger. “No, she hasn’t. We have a couple of men out searching for her, but that tart, Molly, is with her, and she’s devilish!”

Tancred felt like pulling his ear but controlled himself. “Jessica didn’t have reason to disappear like that, surely?”

“No! Certainly not after all the things we’ve done for her. My wife left her magnificent castle in Holstein to take care of her cousin’s daughter, Jessica, when the poor girl lost her parents. We’ll return as soon as she’s of age. But we can’t realise this dream when she behaves so irresponsibly. I’m speechless!”

His voice broke. Tancred was afraid that he might begin to weep.

But Holzenstern quickly regained his equilibrium.

“If only we could be rid of Molly. She’s the guilty one. She’s always up to mischief and gets Jessica involved. Yet, every time we intervene, Jessica is sick with grief and so we must get hold of Molly once again. Jessica claims that Molly is her only link to when her parents lived.”

“Where do they run away to?”

“Well, previously they didn’t get very far before they were found. This time is worse.”

“How long have they been gone?”

“Let me see ... They disappeared the day before yesterday. They could be anywhere by now.”

‘Well, not terribly far,’ thought Tancred. ‘Because I met Molly yesterday. And she was scared ...’

He asked cautiously: “Was there any particular reason for them to run away?”

Holzenstern shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, well. It was probably the usual ... poor Jessica is so incredibly sensitive. And my wife reproached her – very gently – that she was up far too late that evening. And the next morning both had disappeared.”

“I understand, Count Holzenstern. I’ll keep my eyes open. If I see or hear anything, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you. We’re so nervous for the poor child.”

“I can well understand that. But now I’ve taken too much of your time. I’d appreciate it if you’d visit me soon.”

“I’d be very happy to do that.”

Tancred went over to the horse but stopped halfway. “And ... may I ask you not to tell anybody anything about my strange visions last night? Of Old Askinge? It’s better to keep quiet about such things.”

“I was about to suggest the very same, Mr. Paladin,” smiled Holzenstern. “People can very easily jump to all sorts of conclusions.”

“Yes, I wouldn’t like to have a bad reputation here. Goodbye!”

He rode home with his gaze continuously turned towards the fringes of the forest, in case he would catch sight of Molly.

But entering the forest ...? No, thank you, he had enough of it!

Tancred had been away much longer than he had thought. It was evening and dinner awaited him at a table laid just for him.

He ate and retired to his room to think about the situation. By now he was convinced that the blood of the Ice People had played a trick on him last night. It was sure to be Old Askinge and Salina, the witch, he had seen – but the castle had long since sunk into the earth. Besides, he wasn’t interested in finding the exact place where it had once been.