Margit Sandemo: The Ice People 27 - The Scandal

“Yes, of course. We all have the best of intentions for our little Magdalena, don’t we?”

“Of course we do,” Consul Backman nodded heartily.

Chapter 2

Eight years earlier, in 1825, Tula’s childhood hero, Arvid Mauritz Posse of Bergqvara, had married the very young Countess Louise von Platen. She was the daughter of one of Sweden’s most eminent statesmen, namely, the celebrated Baltzar von Platen.

A few words about this great man.

He has gone down in history first and foremost for his life’s work, which was the construction of the Göta Canal. Beside that he laid the foundation for the Motala Engineering Works, and he was a minister of state, among many other things. He owned the Frugården estate at Vänersnäs, where he developed a model farm, and it was there that his plans for the canal took shape.

But not everything he did was equally successful. During the reign of Karl XIV Johan he was governor of Norway for a time, but he didn’t have any understanding of the Norwegians’ sense of independence. According to von Platen, Norway was a subsidiary state under the governance of Sweden. He became notorious for the great Battle of the Square, which took place in Stortorvet in Christiania on 17th May 1829. Despite a ban on such gatherings, a huge crowd assembled to celebrate the anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution. The city authorities grew concerned, and in their panic they turned to Governor von Platen. He gave them permission to read the Riot Act, and troops were deployed to break up the crowd. The entire population of Norway was outraged, and Karl Johan never dared to object to the 17th May celebrations again.

Baltzar von Platen became so unpopular in Norway that it was impossible for him to keep his office as governor. It was unfortunate that the battle happened in the last year of his life. In the light of his former accomplishments, the old politician and colonel in the war against Russia should not have had to suffer such a bitter experience right at the end of his career. He should never have become governor of a country he did not understand. But that lack of understanding was something that he shared with the king, so it wasn’t so surprising that he was assigned to that particular office.

So much for his career. But as a father-in-law he had a great influence on the life of Arvid Mauritz Posse. It was particularly thanks to his involvement with the Göta Canal that young Posse rose so high.

The dream of building an arterial route through Sweden was an old one. Gustav Vasa had already entertained the idea of building a canal, partly in order to avoid the long voyage around the entire peninsula of southern Sweden, but first and foremost to evade the burdensome and expensive Sound Dues imposed by Denmark on traffic through the Øresund. But his plans were not realized. Not until Baltzar von Platen came up with his grandiose idea.

The Göta River already connected Lake Vänern with the Kattegat. This was not enough, however, the politicians complained: they believed that it must connect with Gothenburg, and believed that the whole project would be too difficult and, above all, too expensive! There was no end to their negative comments.

Not until Baltzar von Platen had managed to build the Trollhätte Canal, which opened the navigation between Gothenburg and Lake Vänern, did the government come round to building the Göta Canal. It became von Platen’s chief interest in life. In 1832, three years after his death, the canal was completed. It ran for 120 miles across Sweden, from Gothenburg in the west to Stockholm in the east. It contained fifty-eight locks, it connected several lakes, and it was considered to be a small masterpiece.

The Posse family still had their estate, of course, at Bergqvara in Småland. But Arvid Mauritz’s father had six sons and they couldn’t all live at Bergqvara. Most of them had to move away. To begin with, Arvid Mauritz was extremely preoccupied with his exalted office directing the operation of the Göta Canal, and he travelled across the country making inspections.

One of the locks lacked a reliable keeper. The most reliable family that Arvid Mauritz knew was Arv Grip’s. His son-in-law, Erland of Backa, wasn’t so young any more, but his daughter had a son, Christer, who would be able to take over the position later on.

So why not ask Erland?

Old Arv Grip was dead. But both Erland of Backa and his wife, Gunilla, were good people whom Posse trusted completely. Furthermore, Gunilla had taken over much of her father’s administrative work at Bergqvara. Her daughter, Tula, had also had quite a bit to do with the Posse family, giving them a helping hand in many situations, even though Arvid Mauritz felt insecure in Tula’s presence. There was something about her that he didn’t understand. She had a strange look on her face, as if she was in possession of some great secret. But she was almost fanatically devoted to the Posse family, and that was the most important thing. Her husband Tomas and young son Christer were part of the package. Christer was still just a spring chicken.

They would be able to find good houses in Husbyfjöl – or Borensberg as it was now known – in Östergötland if they were willing to move. But Gunilla and Erland hesitated. They were attached to the Parish of Bergunda with invisible ties.

And Tomas had his instrument workshop. But that could be moved.

Arvid Mauritz Posse put their minds at rest. He had absolutely no intention of letting them down – on the contrary, he wanted to move them there because he himself intended to live close by. Partly because he owned property in the area and partly because he often visited Count Bielke at Sturefors and the Stierneld family at Ulvåsa. They would see more of him in Borensberg than they did now, because his many duties meant that he didn’t come to Bergqvara very often. He held various offices: queen’s chamberlain, member of parliament, county prefect, director of the Göta Canal, minister of state and ... yes, well, he wasn’t aware of it himself, but someday he would become prime minister. His life consisted mostly of travelling from one place to another.

Everyone in Erland’s family ended up deciding to take the plunge. And the position as a lockkeeper sounded very enticing! It wasn’t a bad post for an old petty officer. It was a task of great responsibility that would suit Erland perfectly. Office work had never been his strong suit. But being out in the fresh air, opening and closing the locks, shouting orders authoritatively, saluting the boats as they floated by ...

The more they thought about it, the more appealing it sounded.

And now it was going to happen!

When Christer returned from Ramlösa Sanatorium, Tula was busy packing. She immediately ordered her son to get started as well and asked him how everything had gone.

“Were they kind to your father?” she asked combatively, as she tried to force another item of clothing down into the trunk.

Christer assured her that Tomas was in the best of hands.

“He’d better be, or they’ll have me to contend with.”

Tula was thirty-three years old now but you couldn’t tell by her appearance. She looked like a young girl and moved like one, too. She jumped up on the lid of the trunk and stamped her foot on it. But it wouldn’t close. She jumped down and made a small movement with her hand in front of the lock, murmuring something mysterious.

The lid of the trunk closed immediately.

Christer had the same problem with another trunk that was also much too full. He made the same movement with his hand as he mumbled the same mysterious words she had used. The lid did not close.

Tula looked at her son with cheerful affection. She went over and stood next to him and chanted the same words as before.