Meanwhile Strike was in the not altogether unfamiliar position of feeling that his life had become one long procession of emotional demands he was failing to meet and physical requirements he was barely able to fulfil. His hamstring was continuing to play up, and in spite of twice-daily applications of cream, the end of his amputated leg remained inflamed. Given that he was to blame for adding an extra job to the agency’s workload, he was trying to cover as many hours as possible, to free up Dev and Midge for the Ross investigation. Not only did this mean it was impossible to remove his prosthesis and rest up with an ice-pack pressed to the end of his stump, as he knew his specialist would have advised, he’d been forced to turn down invitations both from Madeline, who had tickets to La fille mal gardée at the Royal Opera House, and Lucy, who’d expected him to spend the weekend at her house in Bromley with their recently bereaved Uncle Ted. Neither woman had hidden their disappointment and displeasure when he said he had to work, and Strike, who was far less fond of the ballet than of his uncle, had at least made time to snatch a coffee with Ted before he returned to Cornwall.
Days out with his favourite nephew had also had to be shelved for the present. Strike’s growing closeness to Jack was as much of a surprise to him as to his sister. He’d had little voluntary contact with Lucy’s three sons before Jack had been hospitalised, when Strike had been forced to deputise for the parents who were stuck in Italy. Out of that traumatic, chance event had grown a totally unforeseen connection that had strengthened over the next couple of years. Strike genuinely missed his and Jack’s outings, which usually involved going to see things of mutual, usually military, interest. As Jack now had his own mobile phone they occasionally texted each other jokes or information they thought the other might appreciate. Jack had lately told his uncle he was going to do his First World War project on the 1915 Battle of Neuve Chapelle (where the Royal Military Police, in which Strike had served and which Jack aspired to join, had played a decisive role). As Strike was the one who’d told Jack all about the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, he felt an unfamiliar glow of vicarious pride and for a few minutes wondered whether this sort of feeling accounted for people’s desire to procreate, an urge Strike had never personally felt.
Adding to his general feeling of strain, Strike realised on Wednesday night that two of the three dates his half-sister Prudence had proposed for a possible meeting had already passed. He wrote a hasty email apologising for not answering her sooner, told her truthfully that he was exceptionally busy, and said, somewhat recklessly, that he’d try to make the third of her suggested dates.
When Robin picked Strike up from the office at midday on Thursday, she saw in the rear-view mirror of her old Land Rover that he was limping. As Strike never responded well to enquiries about his leg, and as she was in any case feeling a good degree of resentment towards him just now, she passed no comment.
‘Just had a call from Katya,’ said Strike, trying not to wince as he clambered into the Land Rover. ‘Venue for the meeting’s changed. She wants us to go to her house, not the café, because her daughter’s unwell and off school. Lisburne Road in Hampstead. I can navigate.’
‘OK,’ said Robin coolly, moving off. ‘That stuff on the dashboard’s for you to look at. I think I’ve found that brotherhood the police asked Wally Cardew about, and I’ve also found out something about Edie’s phone that might be relevant.’
Strike reached for the plastic folder and took out the sheets of paper inside. The first was a printout of a web page.
Brotherhood of Ultima Thule
(BOUT)
“Let a man never stir on his road a step
without his weapons of war;
for unsure is the knowing when need shall arise
of a spear on the way without.”
The Hávamál
The Brotherhood of Ultima Thule is committed to defending the civilised values common to the northern European nations: justice, racial purity, Enlightenment values and national sovereignty. We subscribe to the Viking ideals of strength, solidarity and brotherhood. We live by the laws and maxims laid down in the Hávamál. We believe that feminism and the legalisation of homosexuality have disastrously undermined both the traditional family and wider society. We believe that multiculturalism has failed. We support humane repatriation of Jews and other non-native ethnic groups from all northern nations.
Ultima Thule
Ultima Thule was the name given in ancient times to a landmass in the extreme north, a place at the far reaches of the known world. Ultima Thule was the capital of Hyperborea – the land beyond the north wind. Recent archaeological finds confirm that the hominids who first populated the boreal regions originated in the distant north. The birthplace of the Northern races is not Africa, but Ultima Thule.
Faith
The Brotherhood of Ultima Thule practises the ancient faith of Odinism. Odinism is an ancient religion of the northern races, entirely uncorrupted by Jewish influence.
Publications
BOUT regularly produces written papers on key issues of the day. The founder of the brotherhood, Heimdall, has published two books: The Hávamál for Modern Man and Reclaiming Masculinity.
The Brotherhood
BOUT accepts only male members. New brothers must be vouched for by two existing members. For further details, contact heimdall@#B_O_U_T.com.
Meet-ups
BOUT meets regularly for political gatherings and Odinist retreats.
Follow BOUT on Twitter at @#b_o_u_t and on Reddit r/Brotherhoodofultimathule
‘I found it yesterday,’ said Robin, eyes on the road ahead, ‘through the tweets on the next page. They date from three years ago. Their members aren’t shy about being in the Brotherhood. A lot of them have got “BOUT” or “UT” in their usernames.’
As the tweets showed, Wally Cardew had come to the Brotherhood of Ultima Thule’s notice through the ‘Cookies’ video that had got him sacked from The Ink Black Heart.
Brotherhood of Ultima Thule
@#B_O_U_T
Literally the funniest thing you’ll see this year.
www.YouTube/DrekMakesCookies
9.06 pm 12 March 2012
Arlene @queenarleene
replying to @#B_O_U_T
if you think mocking the holocaust is funny you’re fucking disgusting
SQ @#B_O_U_T_Quince
replying to @queenarleene @#B_O_U_T
they’re mocking the kind of outrage junkie who wants to police every fucking joke, dumbass
Wally Cardew @The_Wally_Cardew
replying to @#B_O_U_T_Quince @queenarleene @#B_O_U_T
Exactly. We’re taking the piss out of SJWs who see Nazism everywhere.
Strike turned over.