Margit Sandemo - The Ice People 13 - The Devil´s Footprint

“I don’t like it,” Mikael said.

Villemo looked at him and nodded in agreement. “You’re able to recognize a lot in his behaviour, aren’t you, Father-in-law?” she said, smiling sadly. “Who was it who sought consolation from a small puppy when in great loneliness in Livonia? Who was it who drifted about without a home, knowing that he belonged somewhere but didn’t know where?”

“Precisely,” Mikael said. “A kinsman of the Ice People who gets parted from his nearest and dearest is lost, doomed to search forever.”

“Which is why you think that this could be one of us?”

“I’m afraid so. The eyes. The shoulders. And his behaviour reminds me completely of those among the Ice People who are cursed.”

“But where does he come from?”

“Good question! Another branch of the kin – that we’ve never known about.”

Villemo was lost in her own thoughts. “But since we’re chosen ... that would mean that he’s a danger to our kin, right?”

“It seems so. But who on earth is he?”

They pricked their ears, hearing happy, chirping children’s voices from the courtyard.

“Look,” Dominic smiled. “Now Oxenstierna’s little girls are focused on Tengel. They worship him!”

“Yes, and even if he says they’re a bother, he’s so proud of being admired by them,” Mikael said, watching with the two others as a young man of 18 was chased by three girls aged six and eleven. They had managed to grab him, pulling and tugging at him, while he pretended that he wasn’t up to offering resistance and followed them dutifully.

“Our rascal of a son,” Villemo smiled. “How have you and I managed to produce something so outrageous?”

Villemo was bursting with pride.

“You can say that again,” Dominic laughed. “This charming indolence ... Where does it come from?”

“Don’t ask me,” Villemo said innocently.

They looked tenderly at Tengel, who allowed the girls to drag him across the garden to a table laden with juice and cakes.

“The problem is that he’s just as popular everywhere,” Villemo sighed. “Surely you didn’t break the Court ladies’ hearts like that, did you, Dominic? I certainly hope not!”

“No, because I was so very virtuous then. Kept very much in check by my little mother. Isn’t that right, Dad?”

“Yes,” Mikael laughed. “Your mum certainly knew what was best for you.”

Villemo shuddered slightly. In spite of a seeming kindness, Anette had never accepted her as her daughter-in-law. Without anything ever being spoken, Villemo knew that it was war between her and Anette. Never openly, certainly not! But small hints so subtle that Dominic had never noticed their hostility. Villemo had controlled herself for his sake. She knew that no daughter-in-law in the whole world would have found favour in Anette’s stern glance, and Villemo thought that she could hardly be the worst possible daughter-in-law. But when Anette succumbed to a longstanding disorder of the stomach, Villemo heaved a quiet sigh of relief. Peace had been restored in the house.

The struggle over Tengel had been the worst of it. Everything that Villemo did was wrong. Grandma Anette spoiled him rotten, and Villemo was afraid that he would grow up to be a terrible good-for-nothing.

However, this didn’t seem to be the case. After all, it was eleven years since Anette had passed away and stability in the home had been restored for the young man. He was carefree and lazy – but beneath his play was seriousness and he had a kind disposition. Yes, he would certainly turn into something.

Suddenly Dominic, with a frightened gasp, grabbed Mikael by the sleeve.

“What’s the matter?” the two others said at once.

“Dad ... you must keep an eye on the boy. I saw something.”

“Saw something?” the others echoed, looking out onto the courtyard, confused.

“No, no! Not here! I saw the Castle. Stockholm Castle. In flames!”

“What are you saying, boy?” Mikael exclaimed.

“Keep him here as much as possible,” Dominic asked, now looking pretty pale. “I know he’s begun his apprenticeship as a page at the Castle but please see if he can’t get a job somewhere else. At Riddarhuset or anywhere else ... just not at the Castle! Otherwise we can’t leave!”

“I can easily get Tengel a place somewhere else,” a surprised Mikael said. “But what do you mean by ‘seeing’?”

“Yes, you don’t normally have visions,” Villemo said, just as surprised. “You can have forebodings, sensations. But not visions!”

Dominic’s face was stony. “Quite recently ... Last week you asked me where Tengel was and I answered that he was on his way in and then he turned up at that very moment. Only I hadn’t known where he was because I hadn’t seen him all day! And when Dad mislaid his pen – for the umpteenth time – I was able to tell him straight away that it was lying on the windowsill in his room.”

“Yes, I well remember that I thought that was strange,” Mikael said thoughtfully. “Do you mean to say that your gifts have been heightened?”

“Very much so, which is why you must take what I said about Stockholm Castle very seriously! There’s no immediate danger. It won’t happen immediately, but we can’t know how long Villemo and I will be gone.”

“Oh, how I wish I could join you,” Mikael said.

“Tengel says that, too,” Dominic smiled. “He’s very, very keen to come along as well. But we’re so immensely grateful that you’re willing to remain here.”

“Because you see death?” Villemo whispered.

He hesitated. “Yes, I see death. For somebody, but I don’t know for who.”

“Let’s hope it’s for the monster,” Mikael said, agitated.

“Yes, it could be,” Dominic said quickly. “But there’s something else that confuses me.”

“What’s that?” Villemo wanted to know.

He shook his head as if to be rid of the sight. “I see us going to war against the monster. But all this time it has been you and me and Niklas, period! And yet we have one more with us. Someone we don’t know. Or only slightly know.”

“Strange,” Villemo said.

The following morning, even before the sun had appeared above the haze of the horizon, Villemo and Dominic rode out of Mörby. Mikael and his young grandson, Tengel, stood on the balcony and waved each time the riders turned around to salute them for the last time.

Mikael waved goodbye with a heavy heart. None of them knew whether they would ever see one another again.

Villemo had grumbled a lot about their mode of transport. She would have liked to go in a carriage with a big escort, but Dominic had implied that it was about time she left behind her cosy life at Court and at Mörby. He himself wanted to ride as he had always done as a courier, and if he wasn’t capable of defending his wife from robbers and similar dangers, there wouldn’t be much they could do about a monster.

Villemo scrutinized Dominic’s facial expression as they rode through the grey morning light. Dominic was still the King’s courier but he wasn’t away from home so much any more – she knew that he wanted to be near his family. He was just as handsome as ever, maybe even more masculine and mature, broader across the shoulders and with more marked features. He had aged normally, unlike her, who hadn’t changed at all for quite a long time. Of course, you could see that she wasn’t twenty any longer – but only if you were up close! She seemed so remarkably youthful, and it was something that frightened her. People tended to guess that she was 28 – but her real age was 39.

However, it wasn’t long before Villemo began to look forward to travelling with Dominic. It was almost like the old days, she thought. Only now they travelled more comfortably, she had to admit. They never spent the night out in the open but would seek lodgings in the best inns, treating themselves to good food and drink as well. Privileged people like them usually travelled with servants and a lot of baggage, but Dominic wanted everything to be as frugal as possible. This was the quickest way to reach their destination. Matters were urgent. He rode haunted by an unknown fear.