The night grew late. Gradually the long day in the forest began to weigh on the drinkers and they climbed into their bunks one after the other.

I went along to the kennel. Chatted to lukas for a while. He was tired too. Just licked my hand and curled up like a pretzel on the ground.

When I came back into the cabin everyone except göranbäckström had gone to bed. He was carving slices off the boiled tongue and washing them down with brandy and water. He was 191the archetypal man from the village I thought. Robust and tough. Took beatings and alcohol as they came but hit the roof when faced with the will of a woman.

Let’s play twohanded whist he said and dealt the cards.

I had cards good enough to pass but went for game. Figured winning might be the wrong policy.

So in the end he sat there with eight tricks against my six and grinned like a truly rotten sport.

A cardplayer you’re not janakippo. Unlike maria now she was something else. Give her a deck and she could beat the shit out of any of us.

Is that right I said. I didn’t know that. But I never had time to get to know her at all.

That’s a shame he said and looked sad. She was a special person.

In what way I wondered.

She was different from most women. One could talk with her. She knew a lot. She was like a queen he said. Like a queen.

I held back for a moment. He was drunk and getting emotional but in the end I couldn’t resist asking. What do you think happened I wondered.

He got up and put a couple of logs into the stove even though it was hot already. Wandered off into the kitchen and fussed with something there.

When he returned and sat down opposite me again he was serious and spoke in a subdued tone.

I don’t know he said. She dumped me long ago. Enjoyed herself with a couple of other men. I was longing to get her back. Grieved in secret since I’m married after all but if you ask me and I have to answer I believe that john was mixed up in what happened. If you know who I mean. 192

Yes I said I’ve met him. But at the time they must have been divorced for a long time. Why should he mind after all those years.

John turned into a madman when she told him she wanted a divorce. He broke every stick of furniture in the house. Carried all they owned out into the yard to burn. Maria took petra and fled. Someone phoned the police. When the coppers turned up he jumped into his car and drove like a maniac towards the efour. But he crashed into the milklorry on the way.