Sønstebø threw out his arms. “It’s an impressive setup, all of this . . .” he waved around him to show that he meant the camp. “And we . . . we are very glad you’re doing this for us. . . . But we think maybe it’s getting to be enough now. Yes, it’s enough. People should maybe start going home again, little by little.”

At first Daddy didn’t say anything. Several people murmured something, but he was completely silent.

“It’s not that we don’t appreciate everything,” Sønstebø continued. “And we think it’s good that the issue has been in the newspapers and that people in Oslo have been informed about what’s happening. But the way things have evolved, I think it best if we call it a day. Before there’s trouble.”

“Trouble? You don’t have to worry about that,” Daddy said.

“We will have to live with this for many years to come,” Sønstebø said.

“That’s precisely why it’s so important.”

“And we will receive revenue. Waterfall rights?” He turned to face Magnus.

“Waterfall rights revenues,” Magnus replied.

“But you’ll lose everything else,” Daddy said.

“It’s just that . . . it’s enough now. We don’t want any trouble,” Sønstebø said.

“Are you frightened?” Daddy asked.

“No. No. We’re not frightened.”

“The man who blew up the bridge is afraid,” Daddy hissed suddenly.

Sønstebø looked around him and laughed suddenly. “I was a blaster, once upon a time, yes. You have a good memory. But I never blew up any bridge.”

He’s lying, I thought. You have to say something, Daddy, he’s lying. But Daddy sat in silence, leaning back a little, his eyes narrowed.

“I think you’ve misunderstood,” he said finally. “We’re not doing this for you.”

“No?”

“We’re doing it for all of us.”

“Yes. Of course. Yes . . .”

“For our children. For our grandchildren. The waterfalls are supposed to be eternal. Their destruction will be too.”

Sønstebø squirmed. “So you won’t leave?”

“No. We’re not leaving.”

Then Magnus took a step forward. He spoke loudly and a little too quickly. “The people of Ringfjorden are mobilizing, Bjørn.”

Daddy turned toward him. “And?”

“The construction workers are losing thousands of kroner every day the machinery isn’t running. That’s stirred up anger. These are ordinary people, you see—they’ve invested, they are counting on this development, waiting for it. And with every passing day, they are becoming angrier.”

“So much the better,” Daddy said.

“You cannot mean that.”

“More attention.”

“I don’t think you understand what you’ve started.”

“What I’ve started?”

“Yes. You.”

“I’m not the one who wants to develop the river. I’m not the one who sold the land. I’m not the one who arranged the sale of the waterfall rights. I’m not the one who’s married to the head of operations for Ringfallene.”