Part 5 (1/2)

chapter 6.

its Monday morning. Anne-Lise arrives at the DCIG and steps into the Winter Garden. She tries to clear her head and sound cheerful and friendly.

Good morning.

Camilla is the only one in. Her eyes are fixed on her monitor. Good morning.

With her coat over her arm, Anne-Lise stops and looks about her. The library door is closed as usual. The only sound is the faint hum from Camillas computer.

Camilla keeps staring at the screen, and Anne-Lise walks off to the library. She hangs up her coat and checks her hair in a small mirror she keeps inside a cupboard. It looks all right, but she goes over it with the brush all the same. It is dark and carefully cut in a pageboy style, which covers the sides of her broad jaw, but her face still looks too square. She bends closer to the mirror. The skin under her eyes hasnt aged more than youd expect in someone almost forty.

She picks a few hairs off her black turtleneck sweater and has a quick look to make sure that there are none on her camel-colored skirt. Shes ready to start work.

From the beginning one of her main tasks has been to scan the keyword lists at the back of every volume in the library and use a text-recognition program to turn them into Word files. After editing the lists, she enters the keywords into the library database. She is deep into her work when she hears Malene arrive. A few minutes later she hears Ibens voice.

Anne-Lise knows from the talk last Friday that Malene and Iben were invited to a party. She walks into the Winter Garden. h.e.l.lo. How was the party?

Malene replies, but looks at Iben. It was okay.

Anne-Lise sees that the others have little plates, each with a fresh b.u.t.tered roll. Theres also a tray with an extra roll, b.u.t.ter, plate, and a knife.

Oh, look, fresh rolls! Did you bring them, Camilla?

Yes.

Is today special?

No.

Thanks. Ill bring some next Monday.

Anne-Lise b.u.t.ters one half of the spare roll. Holding her plate, she takes a few steps toward Ibens desk, but Iben is engrossed in something on her computer.

Anne-Lise stands motionless for a few seconds. n.o.body takes any notice of her, so she walks away, back to the library.

She tries to put her mind to the next keyword editing job. There is a neat stack of reports to the right of her on the desk, and each one has to be checked to make sure that the keywords are relevant. She starts with a report describing the ma.s.sacre of at least two thousand Muslims in India.

She can hear the others chatting now and, sure enough, theyre discussing the party. Its hard to follow what theyre saying from behind her closed door. Anne-Lise concentrates on the screen to block out their voices. The computer lists the keywords electric, food, and s.e.x. Far too general. She quickly looks through the pages of the report, corrects the keywords, and extends them to enable searches on specifics such as electrical shocks to the s.e.xual organs, rotten food, and s.e.xual violation.

Ibens voice is louder now, and what she is saying sounds important. Anne-Lise hurries to the door. She must become familiar with what theyre talking about or else sh.e.l.l be lost when they chat later over lunch.

The Winter Garden is full of animated talk. Theyre joking about one of the journalists who interviewed Iben when she came back home from Kenya. Iben says that she kept asking her about what they were fed in captivity.

When the others have said their piece, Anne-Lise tries to join in. Was it because she was doing a feature on food?

No, not at all. No matter what I said, she wouldnt let go. Back shed come with another question about the food.

Iben looks impatient, but Anne-Lise carries on. And did she write about it for the paper?

Yes.

Iben turns back to her computer.

Anne-Lise glances at Malene. Is she looking this way? No. One more try. I suppose you felt differently about reading interviews after your own experience?

Iben clicks again and again, scrolling through a file. Anne-Lise still does not want to leave. After all, Iben often keeps working while she speaks to other people.

But Iben turns to Camilla instead. Camilla, do you remember that e-mail they sent us, with the new French links? Do you have it?

I do.

Could you mail it to me, please?

Sure. Youll have it in just a moment.

All three of them stare at their screens. Anne-Lise fiddles with things she finds on a shelf next to the fax machine.

I shouldnt ask you any more questions, should I?

Iben looks up and smiles for a fraction of a moment. Of course you should. Its fine, Anne-Lise but later, when Ive got time to explain. Right now my head is full of things I have to do.

Back in the library, Anne-Lise hears them laugh. Malene has said something funny.

Anne-Lise has mentioned quite a few times that shed like to be in the Winter Garden too. In the beginning Paul used to tell her that he thought it was a good idea, but after a while he backed off. It would be impractical, he said, blaming lack of s.p.a.ce and problems with telephone lines and computer connections. He added that it would be better if her workplace was close to the main book collection.

She thought that the real reason was that the others had conspired to keep their cozy threesome. Presumably Paul had asked for their opinion.

Anne-Lises first day at the DCIG was just a few days after the death of Malenes aunt, and it had seemed natural enough that they shut her out back then. She had a.s.sumed that it would get easier the longer they worked together. Now it seems that the barriers will never come down.

Paul had emphasized that Anne-Lise should go into the Winter Garden whenever she liked. He repeats this every so often and she takes him at his word, even when it makes her feel awkward.

During the lunch break, Camilla echoes Anne-Lises question and asks Iben if she feels differently about reading interviews after having been interviewed herself. Iben responds at length.

Some days, usually after a holiday or a nice weekend, Anne-Lise steps into the office naively hoping that things will soon change for the better. As recently as yesterday evening she told Henrik that she felt much more able to cope, and that she would try to have a proper conversation with everyone. But most of the lunch break is spent discussing Swedish dentists. Three hours into the workweek and already Anne-Lise feels limp and dull. Still, she steels herself, making one more effort to join in.

She picks up on something Camilla has just said. Isnt it expensive to drive to Malmo? The bridge tolls, I mean. You know, something happened to me when She turns to Malene, and just as she is about to continue, Malene interrupts and talks past Anne-Lise to Iben and Camilla. There is no opportunity in their three-way exchange.

Anne-Lise cant take any more.

Lunch is over and she walks down one of the remote pa.s.sages behind the librarys East European collection. At these times she always brings her compact; her face must not show that she has been crying.

Twenty minutes later she returns to her desk. Once again, Anne-Lise makes up her mind to ignore them for the rest of the day.

Obviously, an individual cant ostracize a group. Most likely, they wont even notice, but thats not the point. She has to protect herself, especially today. After work she has to prepare a special birthday dinner for Henrik and she must have enough energy left for their guests.

She throws herself into her work. There are reports waiting to be scanned, Word files to be transferred into the database, and keywords to be checked.