Per closed his eyes, feeling the heat from the sky reflected by all the stones. He picked up a smooth piece of stone from the makeshift grave and turned his back on the quarry.
Then he wheeled Gerlof back up to the cottage and placed the last contracts of employment – including Regina’s – on the burning coals. It flared up and burnt just as well as all the rest.
When the fire began to die down he turned to Gerlof and Nilla. ‘I won’t be long,’ he said. ‘I’m just going to give this stone to Vendela Larsson.’
‘In that case I’ve got something for her as well,’ said Gerlof, picking up something he had on his knee.
It was a large white envelope. As Per took it he heard something rattling inside.
‘What is it?’
‘A few pieces of jewellery,’ said Gerlof. ‘You can give them to Vendela.’
Per didn’t ask any more questions. He went past his cottage and out on to the gravel track, then turned off towards the Larssons’ house and walked up to the front door. He rang the bell, the envelope and the polished piece of stone in his hand.
The thick walls of the house rose above him. As the bell died away he could hear a dog barking excitedly somewhere inside, but no one opened the door.
He rang again. Then he took a step backwards out into the sunshine, feeling the warmth and the breeze on the back of his neck.
In front of Per the latch was suddenly turned, and the door opened.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
There are many quarries along the coast of Oland where the trolls (or
Two excellent non-fiction books which influenced the writing of this novel were
Johan Theorin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Throughout his life, Johan Theorin has been a regular visitor to the Baltic island of Oland. His mother’s family – sailors, fishermen and farmers – have lived there for centuries, nurturing the island’s rich legacy of strange tales and folklore.
Johan’s first novel,
A journalist by profession, Johan is currently working on the final novel in his Oland quartet of books, all of which are set on the island that means so much to him.
Echoes from the Dead
The Darkest Room