Part 41 (1/2)

Malene doesnt reply.

Are you writing to Rasmus?

Mmm.

Thats good. I mean, its good for you to write down what you feel. Im sure there are so many things youd like to tell him.

Mmm.

Afterward, Malene walks around turning on lights. Someone who didnt know about her arthritis might miss the small signs of her illness scattered around her apartment: a plain metal-framed adjustable chair set among the wooden dining chairs; special knives and other equipment in the kitchen; small toylike objects for exercising her fingers.

She sits down and continues her letter.

I admit that Iben is right about some things. We have been too rough on Anne-Lise. We shouldnt lower our own standards. Yet it was Anne-Lise who started it all. She was the one who convinced Paul to give her some of my most exciting responsibilities. She was the one who maneuvered it so that I would be the first in line to be fired if we merge with Human Rights. It doesnt matter that Ive been here the longest and that Im suffering from this vile, diabolical illness, which could make it difficult for me to get another job. And that I lost you three weeks ago.

Rasmus, cant you understand how awful all of this is making me feel? Bitter enough to do things Id never have thought I was capable of doing?

Even so, Ive always behaved professionally toward Anne-Lise. I wasnt friendly, but I was always polite. Iben made me join in with some of her antics she thought up some really crazy things. I know I shouldnt have played along, and I regret it now. Yet, to think that Iben told me off, in that smug way of hers, for what she had coaxed me to do in the first place.

Malene hits the wrong keys several times. Im too angry to write now. I cant She gets up, grabs her tea, and drinks half of it before sitting down again.

Of course, Im not so stupid I cant work out why this is happening right now. Iben needs to think up a reason for getting rid of me, and she probably believes every word she says. Thats what self-righteousness will do for you.

Oh, Rasmus, Im so dreadfully disappointed in her. I cant imagine ever trusting her again.

Malene looks around the room. The remains of her supper are on the coffee table. She sits on the sofa to eat because she never did buy a new dining table.

Now youre gone. Iben says that she thinks our relations.h.i.+p wasnt as good as I remember it, but what does she know? What does anyone know? Except you and me!

chapter 42.

it is a special day for the DCIG.

A genocide researcher has just completed her Ph.D. thesis and today she will take her oral examination at the Historical Inst.i.tute of the University of Copenhagen. Anita studied the ma.s.s killings during Stalins Great Terror, a period during which, according to some estimates at least, 4.5 million Soviet citizens died.

Ole, who chairs the DCIG board, was her advisor. At one time Anita spent practically every day in the large meeting room going through the extensive but rather chaotic collection of Soviet doc.u.ments. Everybody in the Center liked her. A trained nurse and the mother of three children, she started to study history at the age of thirty-three. Now, after ten years and a divorce, she is up for a doctorate.

Ole, Frederik, and several other board members are going to attend the formal public examination. It is an academic occasion, but also a reason to celebrate with the doctoral candidate at the reception afterward. The Center has closed for the morning so that Paul and his staff can go as well.

Malene is rus.h.i.+ng along the confusing network of wide concrete corridors at the universitys Amager campus. She takes a wrong turn, tries another one, and gets it wrong again. She knows that even former students cant always find their way about this place. Iben once likened it to a web spun by a schizophrenic spider.

Two male students are sitting with their papers spread out on top of one of the fixed concrete seats. They turn to look at Malene, who is wearing a tightly fitted dark green jacket that looks good with her light-colored hair. She designed her new knee-high boots herself, drawing them in detail for the orthopedic shoe maker.

She thinks about when would be the right time to call Gunnar. It would be good to get together again. She phoned him once, but he wasnt in and she didnt leave a message. She knows that his magazine has sent him to Afghanistan, but he should be back by now. Maybe his trip was extended.

At last she sees a group of well-dressed historians at the far end of another corridor. Frederiks blond head is sticking up above the crowd. She goes to greet them.

Ole is there too, in the center of the group. Where is Paul? Have he and Frederik met since the board found out about Pauls anti-Frederik machinations?

Malene says h.e.l.lo to everyone. She and Frederik chat in their usual mildly flirtatious way while people begin to drift into the lecture theater. She looks around for Iben and the rest of the DCIG crew. Theyre probably already seated.

On her way in Malene sees several other familiar faces. Many have no special links either to Anita or to the Soviet purges, as far as Malene knows. Maybe theyve come to get into Oles good books, or Tatianas? Still no Paul. It depresses her. As things stand now, he of all people should try to humor the chairman.

Then she spots Iben sitting between Anne-Lise and Camilla. So, how far away should I sit from Iben? Malene asks herself. It would look too obvious to go to the opposite end of the room.

Quickly she squeezes between some tables so that she can approach them from the other side and sit next to Camilla rather than Anne-Lise.

She can hear them talking. Their voices carry. Iben, especially, is speaking a little too loudly.

Do Dragan and Zigic know each other?

Camilla turns her head nervously from side to side. She seems as if she would like nothing better than to be somewhere else.

But Iben, Dragan hates Zigic!

Camilla, thats not the point. I asked if they know each other.

Dragan hates him!

But, have they met?

No, never. They havent! Camilla shakes her head. Something about her body language shows that shes lying.

Malene looks around quickly. How many others are listening in? Most likely quite a few.

Iben charges forth. We looked up Dragan Jelisic in our database. His name is mentioned in a book called Days of Blood and Singing. When I was at the Center this morning, I tried to find it, but its not in the library anymore, although the record shows that it hasnt been checked out.

Malene sits down and asks whats going on, but they are all too absorbed in their conversation with Camilla to answer her. She asks again and Anne-Lise explains, leaning back behind the other two.

Last night, Iben saw on the Internet that theyve dropped all charges against the Chicago Serb who said hed sent the e-mails.

Okay, but what is ?

Malene can easily imagine how that would have upset Iben. However, she has more serious things to worry about.

n.o.body informed us. Iben decided to phone up people to make sure, Anne-Lise adds.

Meanwhile, Iben continues her interrogation of Camilla. Do you know where that book might be?

No, I dont.

Camilla purses her lips and stares at the tabletop. Why is she so bad at lying? Its like shes asking to be punished.

The murmur of voices around them dies down when the audience sees that the chairman of the examiners has stood up.

Ibens eyes stay on Camilla. Anyway, someone has been in the Center and has Then she realizes that shes the only one still speaking.