Everyone was as keen to find out what had happened. Göranbäckström was made to tell the story over and over again. In detail. I kept watch in a hide he said. Had just poured myself some coffee. Might have had time for a pinch of fresh snuff too but then I heard on the gps that our jana had mucked up her chance. Sensed that they’d come my way so I got up and stood there ready to shoot. When they came along I had the gun resting on a strong branch. So I shot them. Bang. Bang. The cow ran for a bit before she went down. The calf died on the spot.

There was much rejoicing that night in the smalånger hunt crew. A successful first day. About fourhundred kilos of flesh in all.

I didn’t miss my chance I said. I decided not to shoot. In my book you don’t shoot cows with calves.

No worries the hunt boss said. You’ve been away for a long while. We get how you think but these days the forest is teeming with elk. Shooting bulls might well be the better option but.

He looked at the proud hunter. Then at me.

So I think jana you’d better admit you couldn’t hack it when the opportunity came your way.

Nothing has changed I thought as I listened to the noises made by slurping mouths. The same uneventful stories. The eternal retelling that’s used as an effective barricade to prevent having to speak together in any other way. I wondered how many of them had slept with maria. Possibly all.

Did any of you know our maria I asked. The slurping ceased abruptly. They glanced at each other. Embarrassed.

You mean mariabrännström do you göranbäckström asked. 186

Yes. She was our halfsister. But maybe that’s news to you.

Now I had come up with something they didn’t know. Everyone shook his head a little.

I don’t believe you göranbäckström said. She would’ve said.

Would it be that our erik was her father too gunnargran asked.

Yes I said. Seemingly he was.

I went to the loo. Eight men had been sitting in turn on the white plastic rim before me. I glanced down the hole first.

After the evening meal we went to the site of the kill. We had to deal with the carcasses. Göranbäckström used his fourwheel drive to get the elk cart in the right place. The rest of us drove our cars as far as we could into the wood. The elks had fallen barely a kilometre from the cartrack.

Gunnargran and I happened to stop a little away from the rest.