Margit Sandemo - The Ice People 30 - The Brothers

Mrs Lie tightened her lips. “We’ll see. I intend to keep an eye on you, my good Miss. A woman in employment is someone for whom I have no respect. I can certainly well understand that you’ve ended up on the shelf, which I’d imagine would make you desperate. Your chances won’t be any greater now, I can assure you. Men don’t care for such emancipated and outspoken women, who’ve never been taught their proper station in life.”

After this torrent of words, Mrs Lie left the house.

Malin shrugged her shoulders. She said quietly: “It seems she has never been taught to know her station. Women like her always manage to find a twisted husband of sorts, somebody they can boss about.”

For the first time that day, Henning dared to laugh – because his grandfather was just that kind of person. He gave Malin a hug. “Oh Malin, I’m so pleased you’ve come.”

“So am I,” she said gently. “But now you look as if you could do with a rest. I’ll ask Line from Eikeby to help me with the animals this evening. She seems to be a good worker. Now Henning, you just have confidence in me and go off to bed and get some sleep!”

“What if Mother and Father turn up?”

“Then I’ll wake you up immediately!”

He relaxed, and felt how completely exhausted he was. When he was in bed, Malin came in and saw to it that he was properly tucked in.

“Malin,” he said drowsily. “I haven’t had time to talk about it, but I miss Saga so dreadfully!”

She nodded and stroked his forehead. “We both do. I feel so sad for her sake. Tomorrow, you will tell me what happened, won’t you?”

“Yes, and we’ll take good care of her two boys.”

“That’s the least we can do for her.”

Henning fell asleep immediately. Malin spread the duvet properly over him and went downstairs to attend to the chores. She just had to forget her own fatigue after the journey. She stood in the doorway, looking down at the two small babies, who were fast asleep. Her expression was pensive, showing deep concern. She gazed at one and then the other. Over and over again. Then she left them. Actually, she felt great serenity in her heart. At last, she had found a place where she was needed and could use her excellent skills.

Three little boys in her care. All three needed her so desperately. It was a wonderful feeling, being allowed to do something for them.

Young Henning. What a night and day it had been for him! Unconsciously, she looked out of the window towards the road. But no carriage came bearing his parents. As a matter of fact, Malin didn’t know whether she expected it or not.

Chapter 2

Henning and Malin got on very well, and they had confidence in one another. They divided responsibilities between themselves, just as Saga and Henning had done. The only difference was that Malin was much more robust, down-to-earth, knowledgeable and self-assured. She also brought order to the farm’s economy. Now that there were more villas in the parish, she saw to it that it was Henning who sold milk, butter and other produce to the new residents. He earned quite a tidy income from that, because the new people were mostly well off and could pay. After that it didn’t matter so much if some old neglected widow in the village got her daily ration of groceries free from Linden Avenue.

The two children, Marco and Ulvar, received the best care they could have wished for. The wet nurse came regularly to give Marco his milk. They had also set up a better system for Ulvar so that he didn’t have to suck on a linen rag to get the diluted cow’s milk into him. Of course, Henning didn’t have much spare time. If he ever did, he would spend it by the window looking on to the road. Eagerly, to begin with. He expected to see his parents turn up at any moment. Sometimes, he would ride out on the horse to meet them and would return home late. Alone.

Later on, he became quieter. A shadow would appear over his eyes. Malin saw it but was unable to comfort him. All she could do was divert his attention and turn his thoughts to other things, such as the chores that needed doing or anything amusing she could think of. But what was there that was amusing now?

Then a letter arrived. It was from the company that owned the ship Emma. It was addressed to “The boy, Henning Lind of the Ice People”. Malin and Henning sat for a long time at the kitchen table before they plucked up the courage to open it. Malin had seen the immediate hope in Henning’s eyes giving way to mounting anxiety, a wish to postpone the moment and just lie down and go to sleep until it was all over and he could hear the happy sounds of an arrival around him.

Then Henning gave a deep and resolute sigh. “You open it!”

Malin didn’t want to open the letter either. She wanted to go on waiting and hoping for cheerful voices at the door. Nevertheless, she realized that it was her duty to open the letter. It was something you couldn’t expect a boy of eleven to do ...

She tore open the letter resolutely. The words swam before her eyes. It was just as she and Henning had feared. In a toneless voice, she read the letter aloud to him:

It is our painful duty to inform you that debris from the ship Emma has been found along the coast north of Arendal. Two bodies have since drifted ashore but neither were your relatives. Sadly, after such a long time has passed, we must assume that there are no survivors.

Malin let the letter drop in her lap. She didn’t like the final words of regret.

It was as if all vitality had left them. They just sat there as dusk fell, unable to rise from their chairs.

Finally, Henning broke the silence. If Malin had expected him to be broken, she was very much mistaken.

“They haven’t found them,” he said in a low and bitter voice. Malin didn’t know what to say. The best thing might have been to shatter all his illusions straightaway, yet for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Perhaps she felt that the boy needed a tiny hope in order to go on living? Perhaps the certain knowledge of his parents’ death would be the straw that broke the camel’s back? He had experienced so much evil in his young life. His one source of comfort had been his relationship with his parents. And then Saga, whom he had lost. Now he had her, Malin. She promised herself that she would never leave him, not until he was an adult.

“No,” she said. “They haven’t found them.”

It was as if Henning breathed out. A long, silent sigh of relief.

He had told Malin the story of Saga’s last night. One evening when they were sitting alone by the fire, watching the sun set across the mountain ridge, he had told her all about it. About Lucifer, the children’s father. About the dark angels with their huge wings, who had fetched Saga so that she didn’t have to die. He had told her about the strength he had felt when one of the angels had placed his hand on him. He showed her the mandrake, which he always carried around his neck. He let her feel the blankets that Marco and Ulvar had been wrapped in. They were cold now, but Malin could still feel a kind of vibrating echo of the warmth that had protected the two infants against the cold night. Malin had believed him. There were so many wonderful legends about the Ice People. The only thing they had discussed that evening was the plan for the two boys. One of them was destined to become the most distinguished of the Ice People. The other one had a different task ...

This was something Henning and Malin had spoken about a lot. About which of them was which. There was no doubt at all that Ulvar was a cursed child. Malin didn’t want to say it, but from time to time she felt that she could detect a fleeting gleam of evil in the baby’s eyes when she turned him over or if she held him a bit tight when she needed to change his nappy. Ulvar didn’t like being washed. A normal baby would have screamed, but not Ulvar. His yellow eyes would just stare at her with something that looked like hatred. It made Malin feel very ill at ease: After all, he was only a few months old. Nevertheless, she liked Ulvar. He seemed so strong, so dauntless. She felt great tenderness towards this problem child, and she wanted the very best for him.