We paid for our phones with our own money we earned ourselves, the young woman says. You do the same. Pay for your own damn phone
The line is breaking up. Penelope moves away in search of a better signal but it only gets worse. It cuts out and shes not sure shes even gotten through as she starts to speak.
Mamma, I need help. People are after us-
The woman yanks the phone from Penelopes hand and tosses it back to the young man.
Get a job! he yells.
Penelope sways in shock. She watches the woman climb onto the motorcycle behind the man and wrap her arms around his waist.
Please! Penelope calls after them. Please-
Her voice is lost in the roar of the motorcycle as it speeds away, spitting gravel. Bjorn and Penelope start to run after them, but the motorcycle disappears down the track to Skinnardal.
Bjorn, Penelope says as she stops running.
Keep running, he yells.
Shes out of breath. This is a mistake, she thinks. He stops and looks at her. Then he starts walking away.
Wait! He understands how we think! she yells after him. We have to outwit him!
Bjorn walks more slowly and then turns to look at her. He keeps on walking backward.
Weve got to get help, he pleads.
Not yet.
Bjorn slowly comes to a stop and then returns. He takes her by the shoulders.
Penny, Im sure that its only ten minutes or so to the first house. You can do it. Ill help-
We have to get back in the woods, Penelope says. I know that Im right.
She pulls off her hair band and throws it on the road in front of them and heads back into the woods, away from habitation.
Bjorn looks behind him down the road, then reluctantly follows Penelope. Penelope hears him behind her. He catches up and takes her hand. Theyre now running side by side but not all that fast. A small inlet of water bars their way. They wade across for approximately forty meters, the water coming up to their thighs. Out of the water, they start to jog again in shoes that are completely soaked.
Ten minutes later, Penelope slows down. She stops, takes a deep breath, lifts her gaze, and looks around. Somehow she no longer senses the cold presence of their pursuer. Bjorn asks, When we were in the house, whyd you yell for him to come in?
Hed have just come inside anyway-but he didnt expect a voice.
Still-
Up to now, hes been one step ahead of us, she continues. Weve been scared and he knows how fear makes people stupid.
Still, even stupid people dont say, Come on in, Bjorn says, and a tired smile crosses his face.
Thats why we cant head toward Skinnardal. We have to zigzag, change our direction all the time, keep deep in the forest, and head toward nothing at all.
Right.
She observes his exhausted face and his white, dry lips.
I think we have to think it out now. Try new ideas. I believe that we have to instead of heading for the mainland we have to keep going farther out into the archipelago and away from the mainland.
No one in their right mind would do that.
Can you keep going? she asks softly.
He nods and they begin to move again, farther into the forest, farther away from roads, from houses and people.
40
Axel Riessen unbuttons the cuff links from his stiff shirtsleeves and puts them in the bronze bowl on his dresser. The cuff links were an inheritance from his grandfather, Admiral Riessen. This design is civilian, however, a heraldry design consisting of two crossed palm leaves.
Axel studies himself in the mirror next to the closet door. He loosens his tie and then walks to the bed and sits down on the edge. The radiator hisses and he thinks he can make out snatches of music coming through the wall.
The music is coming from his younger brothers apartment in their shared family mansion. One lone violin, Axel thinks as his mind gathers the fragments hes heard into a whole. Its the Bach Violin Sonata in G Minor, the first movement, an adagio, but played much more slowly than conventional interpretations. Axel hears not only the musical notes but also every single overtone as well as an accidental bump against the body of the violin.
His hands long to take up a violin. His fingers tremble when the music changes tempo. Its been a long time since hes let his fingers play with the music, running over the strings and up and down the fingerboard.
When the telephone rings, the music in his head falls silent. He gets up from the bed and rubs his eyes. Hes very tired and hasnt slept much for the past week.
Caller ID reveals that the call is coming from Parliament. Axel clears his throat before he answers in a calm voice.
Axel Riessen.
Im Jorgen Grunlicht. As you may know, Im the president of the Government Panel for Foreign Affairs.
Good evening.
Please excuse me for calling so late.
I was still awake.
They told me you might be, Jorgen Grunlicht says. He hesitates before continuing. Weve had an extra board meeting just now where we decided to try to
recruit you for the post of general director for the ISP.
I understand.
Theres silence on the other end. Grunlicht adds hastily, I assume you know what happened to Carl Palmcrona.
I read about it in the newspaper.