67

Ante was apparently the only one who had seen the news from Lier, and so he became the centre of attention that morning, describing the fiery scene to every new colleague coming into the kitchen for breakfast. And by the third time the same story was being told, Bjorn felt a strong desire to leave the kitchen.

Bjorn was in no mood for further speculations about the imminent influx of desperate, aggressive and right out violent asylum seekers. Not that he was very concerned for his own safety. He knew full well when he signed on to the job as a border guard that violent episodes might well happen. But the uncomfortable dream, still lingering in the back of his mind was a terrible backdrop for a clear and level headed assessment of the news story. And the excited small talk among his colleagues did not help much either.

So it was with some relief that Bjorn stepped out in the sun, thermos in hand, on his way to relieve John from his night shift. The fresh air was invigorating, and Bjorn felt happy knowing that he would be able to enjoy a full six hours all to himself in the glass cage.

There were no whales to watch this morning, but there were plenty of other things to keep Bjorn entertained. A small army of workers were putting red terracotta roof tiles into place on the apartment building down by the fjord, the morning delivery of fish for Ane's processing plant was coming in from the east, and there was even a large container ship entering through the narrow straight, with a delivery for the port.

The ferry had just entered through the strait when the enormous ship suddenly appeared, and for a moment it looked like the ship was going to crush the ferry. However, it was soon clear that there was never any danger of the ship hitting the ferry. As soon as the two vessels were inside the bay area, they headed in different directions, and Bjorn could see that the ferry was in fact moving a good deal faster than the enormous ship.

The general level of activity in the bay area had picked up noticeably over the last few days. Things were happening everywhere, and it was quite exciting to see the progress made over such a short period of time. The apartment building was now fully clad with a brick façade, the windows and doors were all in place, and the roofing would, by the look of it, be completed pretty soon too. There were more cars going between the port and the village, and the two big cranes over by the village centre were also doing more work.

Bjorn was starting to feel excited about the planned outing to the village to celebrate Thomas' birthday too, and all this energy and excitement made him feel happy and optimistic. When he, every now and again, had to let a car in or inspect a car before leaving, he greeted the drivers with a happy smile, asking them where they were from and what they were planning to do on their way in, and warning them politely on their way out that the amounts of stuff they could freely take with them from the village would soon be subject to customs regulations.

Bjorn considered Frank's prediction for what the lawmakers in Oslo would come up with to be so likely that he warned people as if it was a done deal. And Bjorn was strengthened in his belief by the reaction of the drivers. Everyone seemed to accept his warning as inevitable, saying such things as "it's too good to last", and that "it is pretty much a miracle that it has not been stopped yet".

Towards the end of Bjorn's shift, a small bus load of young men and women heading for Lundby stopped at the barrier, which once again reminded Bjorn of his own imminent pleasure trip to the village.

"So where are you all from?" Bjorn asked, expecting the usual answer. But, as it turned out, they were not from Neiden. They were from Alta, a full six hours drive away Lundby. And they were going to Lundby to spend the weekend partying. Rumors about Lundby's night life had clearly also spread. People were not only going to the village to buy chap stuff, they were going there to have a good time too.