proved, not even a thing like sitting at a table and drinking coffee, although that was taking things a bit too far, of course. If you carried on like that, you would end up crazy.
‘Like me, for example,’ said Edit, looking up and winking at her.
Susso had her cup to her lips but stopped. Had Edit heard her looking in the bathroom cabinet?
‘You think I’m imagining things.’
‘I don’t think that at all.’
‘Yes, you do. You think I’ve lost my marbles.’
‘If anyone’s lost their marbles, it’s me,’ said Susso, trying to force a conciliatory smile that somehow turned into a grimace. She sipped the strong coffee and then replaced her cup on the table.
‘I’ve read it,’ said Edit. ‘On your website. About hoaxers and all the trouble they cause. The people who dug up that wraith burrow, or whatever you want to call it.’
Susso nodded.
‘But I’m no hoaxer,’ Edit said.
‘No, of course not.’
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the fire.
‘We’ll have to wait and see if anything happens with the camera,’ Susso said. ‘You said that Mattias hasn’t been here since it happened?’
‘No. I don’t know if Carina’s stopping him or if he just doesn’t dare. He was really frightened. But I’ll phone and talk to Per-Erik.’
‘Well, you needn’t say anything about the camera. If that’s their attitude, I mean.’
Edit snorted.
‘Oh, no. That’s our little secret.’
Seved had driven the tractor into the barn and switched off the engine, but he had no desire to climb down from the cab. He sat there, holding the headphones. The snow streamed down outside the door. The Volvo was a black mass in the pool of lamplight outside. It had dragged along after the tractor, just like Ejvor said it would, so he had decided to wait until Börje came home. If it turned out the car had been damaged, then he was likely to get the blame.
Why didn’t they keep the cars in the barn, as a precaution? There was certainly room. But who knows what that might lead to. If the cars were missing, they might get anxious and agitated. They never liked being left alone, especially during the winter months. And what if they got into the barn and discovered the cars? That would confuse them, of course, and if the worst came to the worst they would also work out that the cars were being kept in the barn out of their reach. Then anything could happen.
He hung the chain on the wall and barred the doors again. Then he trudged back over the yard, stopping beside the car.
He tugged off the broken wing mirror and inspected it. He would probably be able to stick it back on with gaffer tape. Then he realised how stupid that was. It would just come loose again when they put the car upright.
As he stood there with the mirror in his hands, he stiffened.
He had heard something.
Bellowing.
He stood completely still for a moment or two before shaking his arm to reveal his watch. It was only three. Surely he wasn’t hearing right. Thinking about the noise they had made the past few nights, and how badly he had been sleeping, it was not impossible that the noise was inside his head.
It came again.
First a muffled groaning.
Then a whimpering that gradually increased until it culminated in a melancholy, drawn-out howl.
*
Ejvor had also heard it. She was standing in the hall, putting on her jacket, her head bowed. She was fiddling with the zip, trying to fasten it at the bottom. Seved noticed that her red, roughened hands were shaking. In his hurry he had brought the mirror in with him, so he laid it on the hat rack.
‘Are you sure you ought to go in?’
‘It’s not dangerous,’ she said, pulling up the zipper. ‘But if I get thrown up onto the barn I would appreciate it if you came and got me down.’
From one of the pegs on the hat rack she took down the head torch. She checked that it was working and fitted it so that the elastic strap lay under her knot of hair at the back.
‘I’ll think about it,’ said Seved. He had
‘Like me, for example,’ said Edit, looking up and winking at her.
Susso had her cup to her lips but stopped. Had Edit heard her looking in the bathroom cabinet?
‘You think I’m imagining things.’
‘I don’t think that at all.’
‘Yes, you do. You think I’ve lost my marbles.’
‘If anyone’s lost their marbles, it’s me,’ said Susso, trying to force a conciliatory smile that somehow turned into a grimace. She sipped the strong coffee and then replaced her cup on the table.
‘I’ve read it,’ said Edit. ‘On your website. About hoaxers and all the trouble they cause. The people who dug up that wraith burrow, or whatever you want to call it.’
Susso nodded.
‘But I’m no hoaxer,’ Edit said.
‘No, of course not.’
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the fire.
‘We’ll have to wait and see if anything happens with the camera,’ Susso said. ‘You said that Mattias hasn’t been here since it happened?’
‘No. I don’t know if Carina’s stopping him or if he just doesn’t dare. He was really frightened. But I’ll phone and talk to Per-Erik.’
‘Well, you needn’t say anything about the camera. If that’s their attitude, I mean.’
Edit snorted.
‘Oh, no. That’s our little secret.’
Seved had driven the tractor into the barn and switched off the engine, but he had no desire to climb down from the cab. He sat there, holding the headphones. The snow streamed down outside the door. The Volvo was a black mass in the pool of lamplight outside. It had dragged along after the tractor, just like Ejvor said it would, so he had decided to wait until Börje came home. If it turned out the car had been damaged, then he was likely to get the blame.
Why didn’t they keep the cars in the barn, as a precaution? There was certainly room. But who knows what that might lead to. If the cars were missing, they might get anxious and agitated. They never liked being left alone, especially during the winter months. And what if they got into the barn and discovered the cars? That would confuse them, of course, and if the worst came to the worst they would also work out that the cars were being kept in the barn out of their reach. Then anything could happen.
He hung the chain on the wall and barred the doors again. Then he trudged back over the yard, stopping beside the car.
He tugged off the broken wing mirror and inspected it. He would probably be able to stick it back on with gaffer tape. Then he realised how stupid that was. It would just come loose again when they put the car upright.
As he stood there with the mirror in his hands, he stiffened.
He had heard something.
Bellowing.
He stood completely still for a moment or two before shaking his arm to reveal his watch. It was only three. Surely he wasn’t hearing right. Thinking about the noise they had made the past few nights, and how badly he had been sleeping, it was not impossible that the noise was inside his head.
It came again.
First a muffled groaning.
Then a whimpering that gradually increased until it culminated in a melancholy, drawn-out howl.
*
Ejvor had also heard it. She was standing in the hall, putting on her jacket, her head bowed. She was fiddling with the zip, trying to fasten it at the bottom. Seved noticed that her red, roughened hands were shaking. In his hurry he had brought the mirror in with him, so he laid it on the hat rack.
‘Are you sure you ought to go in?’
‘It’s not dangerous,’ she said, pulling up the zipper. ‘But if I get thrown up onto the barn I would appreciate it if you came and got me down.’
From one of the pegs on the hat rack she took down the head torch. She checked that it was working and fitted it so that the elastic strap lay under her knot of hair at the back.
‘I’ll think about it,’ said Seved. He had
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