“What’s going on?”
Inniki gestured for Petra to sit, then shrugged out of her jacket and draped it over the back of the nearest chair chair. “I’ll tell you,” she said, as Petra sat down.
A light at the far end of the hall hummed and blinked, distracting Inniki for a second, and casting a yellow light on her tired face. She sat down, reached for Petra’s hand and clasped it with bony fingers.
“Things are escalating,” she said. Then, pressing a finger briefly to Petra’s lips, stalling any questions, she continued. “In a matter of weeks Constable Maratse has gone from administrative employee to fugitive. The Greenland government has been wooed and suppressed with the promise of investment, personal gain, and promotion. After the initial resistance and public outcry, you’ll notice there has been no formal complaint. In the eyes of the government, all change encouraged and demanded by the Office of Intermediary Greenlandic Affairs has been accepted and approved. This includes the relocation of people from the settlements and small villages to the towns and Nuuk.”
“Lauritz said it was voluntary.”
Inniki nodded. “Of course, that’s the official line. But now, Petra – Piitalaat – it is forced, often at gunpoint.”
“They can’t.”
“They are.” Inniki let go of Petra’s hand. She tugged a pair of reading glasses from an inside pocket, put them on, and then scrolled through the messages on her phone. “In the past twenty-four hours since David’s last broadcast, there have been reports of forced relocation from Kussannaq – a settlement north of Maniitsoq.” Inniki scrolled to the next message. “There has been some fighting…”
“Fighting?”
Inniki lifted her head and peered over her glasses at Petra. “Between the IGA and police officers from Sisak III.”
“I’ve been on that boat.”
“I know.”
“Who has been fighting?”
“Your colleagues,” Inniki said. “Patriots.”
“Greenlanders.”
“Aap.”
Petra reached for the phone, and Inniki gave it to her. She scrolled through the messages as Inniki talked.
“This is the flash point. This is the trigger.” She paused as Petra looked up. “This is how it starts.”
“How what starts?”
“The struggle.”
Petra held Inniki’s phone in her lap, and said, “But there was a struggle. Back when the Americans bought Greenland, and the deal went through. There was fighting in the streets. Rioting.”
“Protesting,” Inniki said. “It was frustration. Anger. All those things. But this,” she said, leaning forward to tap the screen of her phone. “This is the next step. The trigger.”
“A Greenlander was killed,” Petra said, reading the messages.
“Nukappi Aalisartoq,” Inniki said. “That’s right.”
“And an American.”
“From the IGA.”
“Shot in Kussannaq.”
Another nod from Inniki. “This is how it begins.”
Petra pressed her hand to her mouth as she scrolled through the last messages.
“Petra,” Inniki said, taking her phone. “This is important.”
“I know,” Petra said. She nodded, placed her hands in her lap, and focused on Inniki.
“This struggle could claim more lives, more Greenlanders.”
“The Americans have lots of resources.”
“This is true.”
“Then this struggle is doomed,” Petra said.
“It doesn’t have to be. But it will be hard.” Inniki removed her glasses and tucked them into her pocket. “I need your help.”
“I don’t know.”
“Greenland needs you.”
Petra shook her head. “I don’t know. My girls… Lauritz.” She looked at Inniki, suddenly torn, saddened by the events in Greenland, her home, but safe in Denmark. “I can’t…”
“Can’t what?” Inniki smiled. “I haven’t told you what I need yet.”
“You want me to go to Greenland.” Petra reached for Inniki’s hand. “I just can’t.”
“You’re jumping the gun, Petra.” Inniki gestured at the hall, nodding at the faulty light at the far end. “I need you here. With me. Every Tuesday.”
“Why?”
“Because,” Inniki said with a glance at the ceiling, “when the drums stop, we need to be ready to receive our guests.”
“What guests?”
“Greenlanders,” Inniki said.
She stood and tugged Petra to her feet. They walked the length of the hall to the storeroom along the far wall. Inniki opened the door and walked inside. Petra followed, wrinkling her nose at the smell of rubber mattresses, sap, and sweat. Inniki rolled a ping pong table to one side to reveal tall, narrow cupboards built into the wall. She opened them and reached inside for a radio handset and a compass.
“Greenlanders living in Denmark will come. We will teach them how to use radios.” Inniki laughed at the frown wrinkling Petra’s brow. “Not all Greenlanders know how to use a radio, but we’ll teach them.”
“And the compass?” Petra pointed and said, “We’re going to teach them…”
“Navigation,” Inniki said. She slid the radio and the compass back onto the shelf and opened the next cupboard.
“An air rifle?” Petra bit her lip to stifle a laugh.
“You see an air rifle,” Inniki said. “I see a tool to teach precision and patience. We’re both used to handling weapons, maps, and radios. It’s time we passed on those skills to those less fortunate to have grown up in Greenland.” She closed the cupboard. “This is phase one.”
“Phase one?” Petra frowned as she raced to catch up. “What’s phase two?”
“Greenland, by container ship.”
“Inniki,” Petra said, stifling another laugh. “We’re recruiting?”
“Aap.”
“You’re serious?”
Inniki pulled her phone from her pocket, and said, “The Americans take this seriously, and so should we.”
“This is crazy, Inniki. We can’t possibly fight the Americans… Even if we could...”
“The fight has already begun,” Inniki said. “All we have to do is fight back long enough for the world to take notice.” She put the rifle back in the cupboard and slipped her phone into her pocket. Inniki slid the table back into position, then smiled as she spotted something on a shelf behind Petra.
“What’s this?” Petra asked, as Inniki pressed a roll of foam into her hands.
“Tell Lauritz it’s a yoga mat,” she said. “Now, go home, snuggle up with the girls, and say nothing.” Inniki reached up to brush a loose strand of hair from Petra’s cheek. “I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
Greenland
Part 10
________________________________
The mountain wind fanned the flames from the heather towards the helicopter cabin. Maratse jerked at the restraints strapping him to his seat.
