He declined, they should wait and let the people have a good night’s sleep, went into the galley and re-emerged with two mugs of coffee, gave her one and Arne the other. The boy bowed in gratitude, took a swig, it was too hot, placed two large fists around the mug and went quickly back to the bait house.

Ingrid wanted to follow him, but instead subjected herself to even more silence in the company of a man. They waited. Ingrid said she had to go back to the children. He shrugged. She asked if he had heard about a ship sinking a bit further south, a troop ship?

He said no.

Ingrid thought that strange. After all he had a radio, didn’t he?

He looked at her in surprise.

“So, I’ve got a radio, have I?”

“Yes,” Ingrid said, she had seen it in the chart room.

He smiled it off and asked her why she was interested in a ship going down, it was probably a military secret, wasn’t it?

She said she thought there was something else.

Magnus asked what that might be, but at the same instant turned to Ole, who was still lying on the foredeck chatting with his friend, and shouted something Ingrid didn’t catch. She didn’t catch Ole’s answer either, the three men laughed, which again gave her the feeling that she had missed something, that she still wasn’t herself.

10

The first fishing boats came in and backed away from the trading post as Magnus refused to move the Salthammer. When at length Henriksen made an appearance, and became aware of the commotion, he apologised for being late and was awkward and servile. Magnus enquired whether the Chairman had slept well and asked for proof of identity, then once again declined to move his boat so the fishermen could get to the cranes.

“We need to use the Little Quay.”

Henriksen and his men went down the steps and on board and produced lists of names which matched those that Magnus had on his. The Chairman’s eyes softened when he spotted Ingrid.

“Ah, it’s you.”

Ingrid said nothing. Henriksen shook his head and continued to confer with Magnus, who had got Ole to summon the refugees on deck, with all their belongings, in the falling snow it resembled a silent Mass. Henriksen read out the names in turn, names he was hardly able to pronounce, issued instructions and warnings, occasionally a key, and demanded signatures, which he attempted to say something humorous about as they were scribbled down, a venture he eventually discontinued when he began to realise that the amusement was not shared.

A few sniffles could be heard from women saying goodbye to one another. Together with their children and mattresses and chests and suitcases, they were helped up onto the quay, where two motor cars and five horses and carts had assembled to transport them to their new homes.