Part 13 (1/2)

Fine. Anne-Lise asks no questions.

Malene pushes the trolley along to the large meeting room. The board meets there every other month, but it too has gradually filled up with bookshelves and, despite its name, the room is mainly used by visitors who want to read in peace.

Frederik stops by Ibens and Malenes desks for a chat before going off with Malene to start on the boxes.

After lunch Paul turns up. He checks his mail in his office and then drifts back into the Winter Garden. They see at once his phony nonchalance and know it means trouble.

Look, Malene, weve got something to discuss, you and I. Why dont you drop in as soon as it suits you?

Malene gets up. Now, if you like.

Camilla is at her desk. Malene makes sure to close Pauls door.

Have a seat, Malene. One of Pauls hands moves toward his chin. Look, we made a deal yesterday.

Yes, we did.

Its now Anne-Lises responsibility to work directly with users on anything to do with the library.

Thats right.

Paul always speaks carefully when he has to step into his managerial role. Have you decided not to keep your promise?

Not at all. Only, Frederik and I have been working together a lot. I just wanted to help him.

Only Frederik. Then you have referred everyone else to Anne-Lise?

Not yet. We only agreed on this yesterday, but I will do it.

Paul says nothing, just looks at her.

Malene studies the backs of the photo frames on Pauls desk. They cast pale, angular shadows across the piles of paper. Then she looks up. You must have spoken with Anne-Lise?

No. I asked Frederik how the new system was working.

Malene thinks this sounds unlikely.

Then, in a different tone of voice, Paul says, What you achieved by contacting the Austrian foundations was really impressive.

Thanks. The emba.s.sy made a lot of good suggestions.

Then, without warning, Paul suddenly changes the subject again. I was under the impression that the door to the library was meant to be kept open. Right?

It will be, but we cant open it until Camillas desk has been moved. And that cant be done until Bjarne fixes the network links and all the plugs.

Paul inhales, a brisk little reverse puff.

Malene speaks quickly. Im not the one dealing with it.

I didnt think so, Malene. But have you told Camilla that the sockets and the rest of it must be done as soon as possible?

Actually, yes, I have. I didnt quite put it like that, but I did tell her. And I reminded her it should be soon. She says that its cheaper if we let Bjarne pick a day when hes not too busy. Presumably hes had a lot to do this week.

Paul starts sifting through some papers. Okay. Ill speak to Camilla about this.

After the meeting in Pauls office, Malene goes to the kitchen to make fresh coffee. Iben turns up, but so does Frederik: he wants to get hold of more court doc.u.ments from Poland.

The DCIG archive holds one of the worlds largest collections of doc.u.ments relating to the ethnic cleansing of Germans from the Polish regions. It is the result of Pauls sometimes rather unconventional methods of developing the Centers a.s.sets. Some two years ago he persuaded an academic friend of his to offer a years research fellows.h.i.+p to a Polish sociologist whom Paul had promised to help. In return, the sociologist was charged with driving around the Polish provinces and photocopying all the relevant papers he could obtain, mostly from town halls, courts, and churches.

Malene has met the Pole, a thin, opinionated man whose views put him well to the right of any Danish sociologist she has ever come across. He must have been photocopying for a year nonstop or made somebody else do it. His collection of material, never before archived in the same place, arrived inside 278 cardboard boxes, filling three containers. Some of the doc.u.ments looked remarkably like originals.

The Pole obtained a temporary work permit through inscrutable channels, and before it expired he found himself a Danish wife and went to live with her in Odense.

When Frederik announces that he needs additional doc.u.mentation, Iben and Malene exchange a quick glance.

Iben nods toward Malene, inviting her to tell him what has been decided. Malene explains quietly and precisely very properly that, from now on, all requests for books and doc.u.ments must be presented to Anne-Lise.

Frederik clearly finds the new order strange and says something to that effect.

Malene looks from him to Iben and back again before she speaks up, not minding if her tone is sarcastic. Well, thats what teamwork is all about: adjusting to what the other person needs or wants. She raises her mug in a kind of toast. The movement is so energetic that some of the coffee slops over. So, thats how its going to be.

Frederik leans against the kitchen counter and gives her a quizzical look. It sounds oddly formal to me.

Malene wipes the dribbles off the mug with her finger. We arent that formal, are we, Iben?

Guess not.

Malene touches Frederiks arm to steer him toward the door. Frederik, you go back to your reading. Ill go and tell Anne-Lise what you want and then sh.e.l.l bring it to you.

Thanks.

Not at all. From now on youll be working together with Anne-Lise. Just as we all try to do.

Later that afternoon Malene and Frederik get together in the meeting room to discuss the English version of the invitation to the conference. They sit side by side at the large table, scribbling changes on Malenes printout. Malenes green marker pen dominates the top of the sheet, while Frederiks additions in blue ballpoint snake around the lines in the last paragraph.

Anne-Lise knocks and enters the room. h.e.l.lo there. Am I disturbing you?

Not at all.

Oh, good.

Anne-Lise pauses briefly and looks at Frederik. Frederik, we have the doc.u.ments you want from the courts in Gryfice, Lobez, and Nowograd, but not from Koszalin.

Anne-Lise walks toward the table. She looks self-a.s.sured enough, but somehow her usually earnest expression seems about to disintegrate.

Places down there have several names, of course, so when I recorded the items in our Polish collection I took special care to enter automatic links into the database. The cross-referencing should ensure that everything is easy to locate, regardless of whether you search the German or the Polish name. Even so, I did take the precaution of starting a new search using the German name for Koszalin, which is Koslin, with a German o, and there are no doc.u.ments under that name either.