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Back Cold as Hell Save as PDF
Chapters (115)
  1. COLD AS HELL
  2. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. 95
  99. 96
  100. 97
  101. 98
  102. 99
  103. 100
  104. 101
  105. 102
  106. 103
  107. 104
  108. 105
  109. 106
  110. 107
  111. 108
  112. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  113. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  114. ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
  115. COPYRIGHT

He emptied the bag, started the mower again and pushed it 60once around the garden. It wasn’t a large lawn, but making the effort to mow it regularly and make sure it was nourished had resulted in lush green grass that was free of weeds and moss. The people in the upstairs flat had no time for the garden, so it was left to him and Lady Gúgúlú, who lived in the converted garage, but Daníel was the one who spent time looking after it. Lady Gúgúlú had no interest in gardening.

Daníel had built a deck outside his living room, facing south, while the beds packed with lupins closed off the top end of the garden and filtered out most of the sound of traffic on Reykjanesbraut. The remaining noise didn’t trouble him. On the eastern side was the garage, while the third side, to the south, was blocked off by a sprawling lava outcrop, leaving the garden sheltered and sunny. Daníel was particularly pleased with how flat the lawn was. There was just one corner up by the rocks that bothered him. That was the patch he couldn’t mow. That corner of the garden, with its wispy long grass that waved in the breeze and the expanse of daisies that grinned sarcastically back at him, was a constant irritant.

He couldn’t resist one more try. He always tried, even though he knew it was hopeless. He turned around quickly, as fast as the lawn mower would allow, and drove it with all his strength at the unmown patch. The engine was set to full power and as he got closer, he put even more of an effort into it as he approached the long grass, but it wasn’t enough. The engine spluttered and died before he had cut so much as one blade of the little triangle’s grass.

‘You don’t stop trying,’ said Lady Gúgúlú from where she stood, smoking a cigarette, by the door of the garage conversion. She was halfway through putting on her make-up, her hair held mercilessly back under a headband so that she was ready for her wig. There was a mischievous grin on her face. This was the grin that said she knew better and that Daníel was a fool for even trying. The smirk made Daníel want to run through that lousy patch of weeds even more.61