Depths - By Henning Mankell & Laurie Thompson Page 0,80

he thought. I must put a stop to this madness, I will go back.

Then he continued walking towards the skerry. The boat was beached, the sail furled tightly round the mast. The snow had melted away on the path to the cottage, he could see no footprints.

He sat down on one of the large stones used as a sinker and took a bottle of aquavit from one of the soaking rucksacks. He took two deep swigs, and could feel the heat spreading through his body.

He took another drink, then set off for the cottage.

I'll knock on the door, he thought. I'll open it and go inside. When I've closed the door behind me I'll start looking for a way of escape right away.

Before he had time to knock the door opened. Sara Fredrika flung it open. She was wearing different clothes, patched, worn, but clean. Her hair was not in a mess, she had put it up. She was shaking. He had never seen so much happiness.

'I knew you'd come,' she said. 'I have had my doubts, but I had not given up.'

'I said I would come. It took time. But now I've trekked over the ice and here I am.'

They went into the cottage. She had tidied. A lot had been taken away – bits of rag, odd pieces of worn carpet – but the skin of the mad fox was still there. He wriggled out of his rucksacks.

She grabbed hold of him. It was as if she were sticking fish hooks into him. She started pulling and tugging at his clothes. They tumbled to the floor in front of the fire. He burned his back, but the hooks were so deeply embedded that he could not get away.

Afterwards they got dressed in silence. He eyed her back furtively.

When she turned round he saw that her expression was different. He recognised it, he'd seen it before, but on somebody else's face. He knew straight away. She had the same look in her eyes as when his wife told him she was pregnant.

CHAPTER 130

Sara Fredrika told him the next day, as if it were the most straightforward thing in the world.

They were walking along the shore, collecting driftwood for the fire.

'I'm pregnant,' she said.

'I thought as much,' he said.

She eyed him expectantly.

'Will you be disappearing again now?'

'Why should I want to do that?'

'A naval officer and a slut from the sea. What sort of a future is there in that? We're on the edge of a precipice.'

'I came to fetch you.'

'You ought to know that I'd made up my mind. I'm pleased about the baby, even if you hadn't come back.'

'I'm here.'

She was still looking at him. He had the feeling that a rope was being drawn taut around them.

CHAPTER 131

The baby was surrounded by silence.

Sara Fredrika said nothing that was not necessary. Lars Tobiasson-Svartman tried to understand what was happening. Nothing was clear any more. He could feel an unusual sense of peace, but it was misleading. It was frequently broken by a pain that seemed to encroach from all sides at the same time.

He pushed aside all thoughts, put obstacles in their way. When he became too uneasy he clambered round and round the rocks, as if he were trying to erase some pursuers. He told Sara Fredrika that he needed to keep himself in good shape.

They shared her bed at night. Their bodies asked no questions that made him feel ill at ease.

CHAPTER 132

On 19 April a strong south-westerly wind blew up and dispersed the remains of the ice that was still covering the bays.

They went to the highest point on the island and saw that they were now surrounded by open sea. Further in towards the mainland they could still see traces of the broken-up, greyish-white ice.

The next day they launched the sailing dinghy. He was surprised by how strong she was. He stayed on shore while she rowed out to check that the boat was still water-tight, and that the sail smacking against the mast did not have any tears.

'I'll sail around the island,' she shouted.

He stretched out his arms. He did not want to go with her, he stayed on the skerry. He followed her progress through his telescope. She suddenly turned to look at him, smiled and waved. She was saying something, but he could not read her lips. Further out to sea he could see another sail. He could see through the telescope that it was a little cargo boat coming from