Читать книгу The Ice People 41 - Demon's Mountain - Margit Sandemo - Страница 8

Chapter 3

They heard a hollow roar as the sky flared up deep red and then calmed down to its golden colour once more. The colour that gave them all such a warm, beautiful glow.

Heike, who had lived in the same era as Tula, gave her a long hug. Both were deeply moved at seeing each other again, and this rubbed off on the others.

Gabriel was surprised. It’s as if they’re ordinary people – which they probably are, tonight. Or are the rest of us dead?

No, I think we’re simply equals. That’s all.

Anyway, they had witnessed a loving reunion, just as Ulvhedin had predicted. Perhaps there would be more of them, and who would they be between? They were all gathered now, both the living and the spirits. Or almost all. Sol and Tengel the Good were missing and so were Shira and Mar.

Gabriel didn’t know anymore.

“Where have you been, Tula?” Ingrid wanted to know.

Tula reluctantly broke loose from Heike’s embrace. “Here,” she said, “and I’ve been having a wonderful time!”

“Wasn’t it rather lonely?”

“No, why should it be?” Tula laughed, with a sidelong glance at the four demons who stood motionless on the balcony. One of them had antlers and another had huge, twisted horns like an ox. The third had ears that reached far back, and the fourth had thick, unruly, dark-green hair hanging down over his muscular shoulders. Although the demons never moved their heads, their sharp eyes were following everything that was happening.

Tula giggled. “Just for today, I made them put on their loincloths. Otherwise they’re a sight. No, this place isn’t boring, but having you pay a visit is wonderful. And I’m looking forward to taking part in the struggle against what’s-his-name.”

Ingrid lowered her voice. “Are your friends truly opposed to him?”

“Oh, absolutely! As you know, he wants all evil power under his control. That could easily happen if they don’t watch out. Demons are particularly exposed to attacks by Tengel the Evil, but my four fine friends are incredibly proud. They won’t allow anybody to rule over them.”

“Not even you?”

“No, but I’m not their slave either. We’re equals.”

Gabriel was pondering the enigma that they represented. The enigma to which the Ice People had never found an answer: why had they been at Gråstensholm? Why did they want to be there?

He was just about to ask Tula, when Mari’s disapproving voice interrupted his train of thought. “They’re so awful!” she whispered, making a face.

Tula replied: “I don’t think so. To me, they’re handsome, and all four have personality. You could have worse friends than these.”

Several of the guests lifted their eyes towards the demons gliding around the mountain tops.

“Those up there are inferior,” Tula said lightly. “You’ll get to meet many more. Villemo! And Dominic!” she cried, thrilled. “I’m delighted to see you both again, my own guardian spirits! I gave you plenty of trouble, but now I suppose you have others to protect?”

“Yes, we must admit that Mali and Ellen are a lot easier to handle.”

Mali laughed. “Oh, dear. Now you make us sound boring.”

Dominic interrupted quickly: “No, you’re most definitely not. However, you won’t enter our evil ancestor’s territory in the way Tula did.”

“Oh, dear, no, no,” muttered Tula.

A hand gently touched Gabriel’s arm. It was one of the handsome horse creatures, which signalled to him to step inside.

Tula, as the hostess, led the way with Heike and Gand, and the horse demons accompanied all the members of the Ice People into a hall where the walls sparkled. The ceiling was made of an unknown mineral. Everything inside was bathed in a golden light, and there was no mountain coldness, just mild and pleasant warmth. Fountains shot glistening cascades of water out of niches in the walls.

Gabriel saw secret corridors leading to other parts of the mountain. He could discern beautiful rooms with chandeliers hanging from their ceilings. He could swear that they were made from the purest rock crystal.

Tula struck up a conversation with Tova. Gabriel gleaned that the two of them were getting on splendidly. He heard Tula explain that she had gone through the same, painful “cleansing process” as Tova, because she turned into a good girl, following the straight and narrow path of the Ice People.

The words seemed to do Tova good. Gabriel thought that it was nice of Tula not to mention Tova’s enormous handicap – her appearance.

Then they were led along a corridor and into a hall that lay in semi-darkness. Gabriel was startled when he saw that the floor was lower in the centre. Benches were placed around it in the form of an amphitheatre. Stairs on either side that led into the middle of the hall, where there was a dais.

Where was Gand?

And the Wanderer? And ... wasn’t somebody else missing as well? Gabriel couldn’t figure out who that was.

Tula gave Gabriel a smile and wanted to know who he was.

The boy explained.

“Then you must be one of my descendants,” she said. She was delighted and gave Gabriel a hug.

He was overwhelmed at the thought that he had now experienced being hugged by a spirit. It didn’t feel like that. Gabriel felt it was quite human and real.

In the centre of the hall stood a marble table. That was certainly what it looked like. It was the only thing that was illuminated. Light came from unknown sources from above and below. The glow spread right up to the nearest rows of benches. And right opposite the stairs, beyond the table, stood a short row of five chairs.

Gabriel watched his grandfather, Vetle, being guided to the row just behind those chairs. André and Mali, Benedikte and most of the others followed him and sat down in the armchairs in the same row.

Gabriel thought it was almost like a cinema, only much more sophisticated. More elegant and more comfortable. There was much more style to it all. Like a fairy palace.

Ellen and Tova were beckoned and led to the five chairs.

When Gabriel wanted to follow after his mother, Karine, his horse-like escort put his hand gently on his shoulder and led him down to one of the chairs. Gabriel sat down nervously on the edge, but the horse-like creature smiled and looked mildly at him from black eyes under his long eyelashes. That made Gabriel relax and sit more comfortably next to Ellen. Shortly afterwards, Nataniel came and sat down on the other side of him.

The fifth chair was still empty, but Gabriel thought he knew who was supposed to sit in it.

Gand.

The five in the front row had been chosen to lead the struggle against Tengel the Evil: Nataniel, Tova, Ellen, Gabriel (his role would be mostly passive) and Gand.

But Gand was nowhere to be seen.

Gabriel thought: I have Ellen and Nataniel on either side of me – I believe I’m supposed to keep the two of them apart. He had heard that they weren’t to be together too much. And ... he turned around carefully. His mother Karine, Uncle Jonathan and Rikard Brink were sitting behind him.

He smiled. Now he felt quite at ease.

The people who had accompanied them through the mist entered the hall and sat down on one side of the row of benches: Heike, Ingrid, Ulvhedin, Villemo, Linde-Lou, and the others.

Still there was no Gand, and no Wanderer either. Perhaps he had disappeared along the way, probably in the big hall. Now Gabriel could see who the third missing person was: Tarjei.

Gand, the Wanderer and Tarjei. Why those three?

Gabriel was very comfortable in his seat. Each person in the hall had a small table in front of them, and the horse demons walked about placing food on the tables. Gabriel stole a cautious glance at the bowls. Did he dare to eat any of that? He had read tales about the spit of troll-cats and cobwebs, and all sorts of strange things that those who were spellbound were forced to eat.

But this looked better. Truly delicious and quite human. There were small dishes of various kinds and impressive cakes with lots of cream.

Gabriel wondered whether he could begin with them?

But none of the others had yet begun to eat, or drink from the exquisite glasses of light wine and other refreshments.

He had better wait a bit.

He wondered what he would have to do if he needed to go to the bathroom. But he didn’t feel that he had to go there straightaway.

Time seemed to stand still here inside the mountain. Just as it said in the chronicle of the Ice People, about when Shira met Shama and he stopped time so that they found themselves in the interval between one moment and the next.

It was strange, but that was precisely how Gabriel felt. This was certainly an enchanted night. Was it all just a dream? A terrible, exciting dream! But all the same, he hoped that wasn’t the case.

Gabriel had long known that he had been chosen as one of the five members of the Ice People. Occasionally, the knowledge had faded far, far away, as something he didn’t have to worry about. At other times, his hands would turn quite clammy at the mere thought. What frightened him most was that he was supposed to carry out a task he didn’t understand. He would ask his mother what he was to do. But what could he ask her about? And why had he, of all the Ice People, been chosen?

His mother had replied: “Because of your clear eyes. Because you’re absolutely honest and because of your seriousness.”

He had thought about that a lot. Everybody said that his personality was very similar to that of the serene Henning Lind of the Ice People, but they were not alike in appearance. Gabriel was quite short and had big, dark blue eyes, bristly hair and freckles. The girls in class used to say that he looked “sweet”, which he loathed. He was a dreamer and tended to leave everything in a mess. He would forget everything around him, forget his homework and schoolbooks; would be lost, deep in thought, with one sock in his hand in the morning, forgetting to put it on; lost in thought at the dinner table, forgetting to eat; he might begin to tell a story or a joke and then get lost halfway through the narrative because something else had entered his mind.

He was honest and without deceit, he was quite sure of that, and he was good at writing essays in school. The teacher said that he was good at expressing himself. He was extremely conscientious. Was that why he had been chosen? He started. All this had seemed to be in the distant future for so long, but now, all of a sudden, it was real! Now! Now, this very night!

Gabriel’s heart began to beat hard, and his hands shook. He would never get through all this. He didn’t know what to do!

Fortunately, his thoughts were diverted by what was happening around him.

Tula was no longer there, and Gabriel understood that she had gone out to receive more guests because now a new crowd was walking in. He looked at them from the corner of his eye in the semi-darkness.

They sat down in the second row on both sides, on the same level as his mother and the others. Suddenly, Gabriel recognized some of them from photographs hanging on the wall at home.

There was his grandfather, the professor! Christoffer Volden! And his mother, Malin! But they had died many years ago!

All this was beginning to turn slightly spooky!

There was old Henning from Linden Avenue. Gabriel had often seen the photograph of him, but he looked older in the photo. So did Christoffer Volden.

Now, all of them seemed to be just about the same age. Roughly in their thirties or forties.

That was nice. Perhaps that was the time when people were in their prime? It was nice that the Ice People’s deceased came back at that age. It would have been sad if they had been there as frail old men.

There were a lot of them! Gabriel was unable to recognize them all, and he couldn’t see them clearly either because now they began to fill the rear benches as well. He gathered that only the relatives of the Ice People were present. Christoffer Volden’s wife, Marit of Svelten, wasn’t there. The same went for Sander Brink and Henning Lind’s wife. They were all outsiders.

Tula stood on the dais again. She made a sweeping gesture towards the new arrivals: “Thanks to Gand’s promise to Henning Lind of the Ice People and the Wanderer’s promise to Vetle Volden of the Ice People, we now have all our friends with us today. All those who will fight against our doubtful ancestor. You are all most welcome. It’s wonderful to see you all gathered here!”

An elf-like woman came in, and Heike stood up immediately. The two of them clasped each other in a warm embrace. Then she went further up the row of benches with the others.

Gabriel, who knew the Legend of the Ice People like the back of his own hand, thought: Vinga Tark of the Ice People. They had been married, but only Heike was stricken.

How nice that they’re allowed to meet each other again!

The heavy steps of big boots could be heard on the stairway. There was a rattling of weapons, a creaking of elk-skin.

The Paladins, Gabriel thought, and had to swallow hard. He couldn’t see them properly because they were too far up in the semi-darkness, but he could discern three men: Alexander, Tancred and Tristan. He knew that these were their names, and Alexander Paladin had received a special invitation since he was not one of the Ice People. There was a fourth person with them. That must be Michael Lind, Tarjei’s son, who had lived in the 1600s, in the age of top-boots, swords, gloves and helmets with waving plumes.

The first two rows were beginning to fill up, but there were still empty rows of benches above them.

The lowest row was also empty. Gabriel worked out that this was where the stricken and the chosen would sit.

He was sitting at the same level as that row ...

In one of the most important seats.

The thought made him shudder with pleasure, excitement and awe. And a touch of nerves, but this was something he didn’t want to admit to himself.

A couple of women entered together. You could tell that they had just met each other and were thrilled. Gabriel couldn’t see them properly, but Nataniel whispered: “Silje. And Charlotte Meiden.”

“But they’re not ...”

“No, they’re not of the Ice People, but a few others, who have meant a great deal to our clan, have been allowed to come here.”

“That was exactly what I thought about Alexander Paladin!”

“Bravo. It’s also the case with Elisa. She’s the one Ulvhedin is welcoming so warmly right now.”

Gabriel leaned back and said: “I think it’s just so wonderful.”

“Yes, it is.”

At that very moment, he felt something cold creeping down his spine. A long, long row of very small humans came in and were shown to places in the row of benches opposite the most recent arrivals. Gabriel twisted his neck to get a better view.

With big eyes, he whispered: “Who were they?”

Nataniel had also seen them. He murmured: “They’re the Taran-gai. It can’t be anybody else. You know that Tengel the Evil left relatives there.”

Gabriel said: “Yes. Yes, I can just about see them. Their faces look very foreign.”

A completely extinct people! This was a dizzying thought. There were many of them. And then ... Gabriel shuddered once more. The last one of them to enter the hall was like a mist! They must come from eons ago, from Tengel the Evil’s time in the east. Roughly from the early twelfth century.

Even more of the Ice People’s Norwegian ancestors came in. They too were almost translucent because it was such a long time ago that they had lived on earth.

Tula came down to the front row and bent over Gabriel’s chair to speak to André.

She said hello and held out her hand. “I’ve been given the honour of being your protector.”

André took a deep breath. “Goodness!” he said, impressed. “This is certainly a great honour. I heard that I would have a strong helper, but I’d no idea ...! I’m looking forward to it! I imagine that I won’t be bored in your company, Tula!”

“We’ll work it out between us,” she cooed.

She hurried back to the dais.

The last of the misty ancestors had taken their seats. Then there was a pause. Is everybody here? Gabriel wondered. But it wasn’t over yet. A new group entered the hall. They filled the lowest row of benches. Gabriel stared at them as they nodded and smiled at Heike and Villemo and the others. The new arrivals were all quite special. They were either unbelievably attractive or so grotesque that you would rather look away.

They were the stricken and the chosen ones.

Gabriel didn’t know any of them, but Nataniel whispered in his ear: “Tengel the Good ...”

Yes, Gabriel was pretty sure who that was.

“Sol ...”

You couldn’t miss her. This was impossible. Wonderful!

“Shira and Mar ...”

That was not difficult to guess. My word! Gabriel thought. Mar was just about the most intimidating creature he had ever seen, and yet he was also engaging.

Nataniel went on speaking, and Gabriel and Ellen listened to him attentively. “We’ve met the ugliest man over there from time to time. He’s from the time between Tengel the Evil and Tengel the Good, and so are the couple. They’re all on our side, even if they seem intimidating.”

They were surprised to see that the three spirits greeted Jonathan’s three children, Finn, Ole and Gro, very warmly. “We’re your guardian spirits,” they said, smiling at the children, who at first seemed stunned, but who brightened up and shook hands with their helpers. Then the three spirits walked over and sat down next to Shira and Mar.

Nataniel was surprised. “There is somebody I don’t know here!”

“It’s Halkatla,” Tova whispered. “I thought she didn’t belong here!”

After the deviant Halkatla, five Taran-gai walked in – with an appearance that showed that they were stricken but with sadness written all over their closed faces. To everybody’s surprise, they walked to the second row of benches, stopping in front of Mari’s five children. They bowed deeply before the children, touching their foreheads and then the floor with their right hands. Christel and Mariana and their three younger brothers were so confused that they got up and greeted the Taran-gai in the same way, awkwardly and slightly nervous.

“There you have your protectors,” said Jonathan. “It seems I’m the only one not to be given one.”

That was true, because Jonathan was the only one left now.

The five Taran-gai took their seats on the front row of benches. A few more entered: they looked Nordic, but Nataniel didn’t have time to figure out who they were because suddenly the light in the room was dimmed.

Gabriel sat up in his chair and listened. Something was happening ...

Now he grasped it. He heard quiet steps further up. Row after row was being filled very quietly. It took time but he couldn’t see anything. Perhaps he wasn’t supposed to. The sound was rather eerie. As if it wasn’t human. Peculiar sounds ... all he could hear was that a row was being filled now and then without him being able to see any figures. As if the new arrivals were lower than the backrests of the seats in front of them?

At one point, Gabriel thought that he heard the flapping of wings against the walls. Another time, he could discern some very tall creatures, like enormous shadows in the total darkness. At another point, he could see the eyes of many predatory animals, and breathing mouths glided past him.

Gabriel made himself small in his chair. His hands sought Nataniel’s and Ellen’s. It was comforting to feel each hand being given a warm squeeze.

At last, everything was quiet.

Everybody was waiting.

The light over the table slowly strengthened. Just a fraction. The table seemed almost luminous in the dark hall. Then the dais at the top of the stairs was lit with the same gentle, dim, yet clear glow. The platform wasn’t particularly high.

Tula appeared on it.

She wouldn’t have been Tula if she hadn’t enjoyed standing there being the centre of everybody’s attention. Yes, quite rightly, she paused to stretch expectations a bit more. Her eyes gleamed.

She began to speak. “Dear everyone, I have the great honour and pleasure of being allowed to welcome the Ice People and their friends to my abode. The reason for our meeting is the worst possible; nevertheless I’m happy to see you here. In the name of friendship, let’s make this an unforgettable night.”

Everybody agreed on that. Yet Gabriel couldn’t help wondering who his new friends up on the top benches were ...

“Before we begin our meeting,” Tula continued, “we ought to concentrate our thoughts on those of us who were truly hit by our old ancestor’s curse. Those who may be our opponents in the struggle. We must never forget that their cruelty isn’t self-inflicted. All of us have in our families somebody who has been badly stricken. They aren’t here now, but let’s meet them with compassion.”

Gabriel bit his lip. This wasn’t how he had thought of the evil ones: Ulvar and Hanna and Kolgrim and all the others. Yet he could feel that everybody in the hall was touched by Tula’s words. There was quiet for a long time.

Then she continued: “We don’t all speak the same language, but that is unimportant tonight. Tonight, each and every one of us will understand one another.”

Gabriel thought that sounded strange, but he had no problem in understanding Tula, even if she used archaic words and expressions.

He knew there were Danes present, which worried him the most. What if he couldn’t understand them? He had always thought that Danish was such a difficult language to understand on the radio and television.

Then there were the Taran-gai ... Gabriel felt his ears grow hot. How was he to understand them?

But they probably wouldn’t say anything. After all, they wouldn’t understand a word of what Tula was saying.

She went on: “We want to tell you that we have established a Council of the Highest – for tonight and for the time to come. We will tell you later who the five members are.”

Gabriel looked about. Who could they be?

He could almost guess.

Gand must be one. And the Wanderer. And Tarjei. And ... probably Tula herself. But who was the fifth member? Who was it?

He hadn’t had time to think any further when Tula’s clear voice could be heard once more. “Much in the history of the Ice People is enigmatic and hidden from us. Before we tell you about our plans against Tengel the Evil, we would like to ask every single one of you to tell us about your life. Unfortunately, we don’t have the time for that, because we would be sitting here until Doomsday. So we have decided to ask to step forward those we just have to hear. If any of you have anything to add, you’re welcome to do so. Please ask for permission to speak, but only speak about what is relevant to our dear little ancestor with the bad breath!”

Heike smiled wryly and got to his feet. “I think some of us would need a bit more time. There are some that we are especially curious about and whose history we don’t know at all.”

Tula replied: “We agree to that. However, the twenty-two who are currently living don’t need to say anything at all. They’re here to listen and to learn.”

“Twenty-two?” said Tova. “What about Gand?”

Tula smiled. “We’ll come to him.”

“I suppose he is here, is he?”

“Oh, yes. Gand’s here.”

Tova sat down. She could relax. Oh, she thought. Now I must be careful not to sound silly.

Gabriel could barely see the four demons behind Tula. Her own demons. And with a thrill, an insight came to him: he had a vision of the deserted mountain peaks outside.

Discreetly, he tried to look up to the top rows of benches on the other side of the hall. They lay in complete darkness.

But here and there, he could see the phosphorescent glow of narrow, slanted eyes ... He imagined that, for a second, he saw the pointed teeth of a predator as an upper lip was pulled up.

He shuddered and turned to look the other way.

There was something else to see far up on the benches. He was better able to sense than to see them: tall creatures so black that they blended in with the darkness. They seemed to fill the upper benches behind him, which he could only see if he turned around, which he felt wouldn’t be the right thing to do. But up beside those creatures, quite close to the entrance, he could detect others. They had been among the last to come in. He hadn’t heard them because there were so many other, frightening sounds. Now he could hear soft, surreptitious movements, a growl, a snort, and the threatening, snorting sounds of predators. The creatures that had been so short that all he had seen of them was the dark glow in their horrible eyes.

Now he stole a glance up towards the entrance, diagonally behind Tula. The newcomers were there. As the dais was illuminated, he could see them more clearly than the others. There was some kind of greenish phosphorescence over them when they moved.

It was just a sensation that Gabriel registered, but he instinctively felt that they were anything but nice! He was extremely grateful that he had them on his side.

However, in order to feel safe, Gabriel moved a bit closer to Nataniel.

There must be a reason why the lights in the hall had been switched off.

Now Tula’s voice could be heard once more: “We’ll open this meeting by drinking a toast to the victory we all wish for!”

They all got to their feet and lifted their glasses, including Gabriel, who had never been allowed to do that at home. Of course, there was only a soft drink in his glass, but that didn’t matter. It was a solemn toast nevertheless. He cast a sideways glance at his cousins, who were the same age as him. They were also drinking the toast ... but they weren’t sitting in the front row.

Phew! He mustn’t be arrogant! But surely he was allowed to be proud of himself?

When everybody had emptied their glasses and sat down again, there was a slight pause. When the room was absolutely quiet, Tula spoke again.

“The Council asks Tengel the Good to step forward!”

There was a stir in the hall. Tengel left his seat and stepped up onto the dais.

Now it begins, thought Gabriel, and he felt very excited.