Malene tries again to comfort Camilla. She tells her how she feels about the way Iben has behaved these last few days. But there are things about Iben that Malene won’t give away. Right after her father’s death, Iben would apparently wander the streets in a state of deep depression. She acquired a profound aversion to people, and this antipathy caused such an overpowering reaction that on two occasions Iben had to spend the night in a psychiatric ward.
Now Iben is seen as a very competent person. Few would guess the hidden flaws that Malene knows so well. Or do the others sense something? Could this be the reason why everyone was so amazed by the heroic stories of Iben in Kenya?
When Malene returns to the Winter Garden, Iben still hasn’t unearthed any more information about Jelisic. Nothing, that is, apart from the familiar Omarska stories that have already been circulated in the press and reported to the War Crimes Tribunal. Like the ones about how Jelisic and two other volunteer camp guards killed a couple of prisoners by forcing them to drink engine oil, and made fathers bite off the balls of their own sons. Horrors of that kind.
Iben has no evidence as to where he is and what he is doing. Camilla insisted this morning that, unlike Zigic, Dragan is not a member of the Yugo mafia and says he is not in contact with Zigic any longer. But Iben can’t hide the fact that she doesn’t trust Camilla one inch.
Anne-Lise keeps coming in to tell Iben about her latest phone calls. She’s good at pretending that she’s as scared as Iben. And when they walk from one computer to the other, Anne-Lise follows Iben like a lapdog — an anxious one who glances nervously from time to time at Malene.
Malene tries to concentrate on reading an article about the expulsion of 3.5 million inhabitants from the German regions of Czechoslovakia. The plan is to publish an edited volume of the delegates’ papers about the fates of the 15 million ethnic Germans in Eastern Europe in time for the conference. When the Germans occupied Czechoslovakia they behaved with more restraint than anywhere else, except Denmark, but many of the regional Germans supported the occupation. So, during the war, the future Czech president said he would demand ‘a radical and definitive solution’ to the German problem — he envisaged a ‘one hundred per cent effective extermination of Germans’. During the first post-war year, some 270,000 Germans were killed and more than 3 million expelled.
The phone rings. Camilla’s strange response to the call distracts Malene. Usually so friendly, she seems hesitant and at a loss for words. ‘If I can see it’s from you … yes. I suppose it’s all right if your name is on the back.’
She catches Malene’s eye and makes a face. ‘I see. Then it’s not … If I mustn’t even mention it to Paul, then … yes, but … All right, I’ll do that. Yes, I promise I’ll destroy it. I understand. I’ll get rid of it. Bye for now.’
Baffled, Malene and Iben stare at Camilla. Anne-Lise turns up at the library door.
‘It was Ole,’ Camilla tells them.
‘Really?’
All three of them are astonished.
‘Yes. You see, Ole wrote a letter to Paul, but now he says it’s vital that Paul does not get it. I’m to take the letter from Paul’s in-tray and shred it. I’m not supposed to read it or tell Paul.’
‘It’s the sack!’ Iben blurts out. ‘Ole got the support of the rest of the board for getting rid of Paul and yesterday he wrote the letter of dismissal. But why change his mind today?’
They all agree that it probably means the boot for Paul. Malene tries to figure out the consequences for herself, but has trouble. Possible scenarios tumble around in her mind. She is too tired and weak to think straight. If the tension between herself and Iben reaches some sort of crisis and one of them has to go, Paul will keep Iben. But if Paul has to leave first and Frederik is still deputy chairman of the board, then the chances are he will have Iben kicked out. But if Frederik is no longer on the DCGI board by then and Gunnar has taken his place? Who would Gunnar prefer?
Malene realises that before she arrived, they must also have been discussing the awkward situation of Paul versus Frederik. Anne-Lise says that her husband has a great amount of experience in this because he’s sat on so many corporate boards. In Henrik’s view, Paul’s attempt to eliminate Frederik was such an outrageous manoeuvre that the board have no option other than to get rid of him.
They discuss who should take over as temporary leader of DCGI — Anne-Lise thinks Iben is the one who should be Paul’s long-term replacement. They talk about what Paul would do next and if his departure would increase the likelihood of a merger with Human Rights. And, of course, they have to wonder why Paul seems so calm about everything, and where he has been these last few days.
Malene has many questions but she can’t make herself talk to Iben or Anne-Lise. She can’t bear even to meet Anne-Lise’s eyes ever since Rasmus died. Instead she turns to Camilla. Does she detect something? Something small. Tiny. As if Camilla is trying to avoid Malene’s glance.
This will get worse, Malene thinks. Less than an hour ago, I comforted her when Iben had upset her. But in front of Iben, Camilla knows who is the strongest and has chosen sides accordingly.
Malene hates Iben for this too.
Malene catches a picture of herself in some suburban street back in Kolding, trotting around talking ineptly to groups of acquaintances, just like her mother used to do when Malene still lived at home. Malene is the ghost at the party, unemployed, dressed in some dull old sack of a dress and complaining, as her mother did. ‘It was as if my old colleagues wanted me dead and out of the way. How can people be like that?’
It seems that nothing she has done, or achieved, has helped her to escape from her mother’s shadow — moving to Copenhagen or getting a university degree. And it’s Iben’s fault.
They must get back to work. Malene is determined not to mention Gunnar.
No more than a quarter of an hour later, Malene smiles at Iben and speaks in the old confiding way, as if she has no idea that there’s been a change in their friendship. ‘Iben, Gunnar spent the night with me.’
‘Oh, he did?’ Iben manages to look friendly and curious, as if the previous week hadn’t happened, as if Malene were talking about any man.
She then hurries out into the corridor, towards the toilet. Malene sighs. She relaxes and smiles at Camilla, who looks questioningly at her. Maybe later Malene will feel bad, but maybe not.
Iben returns. She looks paler than usual. A tiny muscle is twitching beneath the blue skin under her right eye. She sits down. They both carry on reading their articles.
After a few minutes Iben speaks. ‘I can’t concentrate with you staring at me like that.’
‘I’m not staring at you.’
‘Yes, you are.’
‘I’m not!’
Iben gets up again. ‘I have a lot to do.’
‘I know that very well.’
‘So far I’ve spent the whole day on Dragan Jelisic. I need to finish the Turkey issue.’
‘I know.’
‘And you’re staring at me.’
‘No, Iben, I’m not.’
‘Look, I’m not trying to punish you or whatever it is you imagine. It’s just that I can’t get anything done when you just sit there and watch me. I assume that you can’t concentrate with me here?’
Iben is right, but Malene doesn’t reply.
‘We’ll both do better if I work somewhere else. I’m going to move to one of the readers’ desks in the library.’
Malene stiffens and almost shouts, ‘You’re going to sit with Anne-Lise?’
‘That’s exactly how I didn’t want you to take it. I’m not … “going to sit with Anne-Lise”. I’m going to sit somewhere you can’t keep staring at me like you’re doing now.’ Iben starts gathering up her papers.