Bjorn scratched his head. He felt a mild urge to get up of his chair and stretch his legs. A trip to the bathroom would do fine. Except, someone was in there, so he'd rather wait for that someone to finish and leave before going there himself. Not that he had to. The bathroom was equipped with three toilets in separate stalls after all. But he preferred to have the place to himself.
It annoyed him that the barracks had a common bathroom, rather than a separate one for each bedroom. It would have made a big difference to him if he had had his own en-suite bathroom. It would have made him feel more relaxed, more at home, as it were.
The servants quarters in Pedro's luxury apartment were equipped with their own bathrooms. And the rooms were slightly larger too. Bjorn felt almost envious of Pedro's servants. However, if Einar was right, and Bjorn saw no reason to think him otherwise, the servants were actually slaves, working for free, and that was not exactly a nice situation to be in. Giving away ones freedom for a place to live was hardly something to be envious about.
With Ane paying a mere hundred MG per day to her workers, not including any kind of housing, Pedro could surely go even lower, offering free housing and food instead of money. The capitalists down in Lundby were running a tight ship. With the possible exception of Olga, everyone was raising to the bottom as far as wages were concerned. And why not. No one were there to stop them. "Lundby is a desperate lawless place where everything goes, and everything is accepted," Bjorn thought to himself, shaking his head. "Even slavery is legal down there."
Bjorn was making more money in an hour than Ane's poor workers were making in a day, and Pedro was probably going to go even lower. It was a disgrace, and Bjorn was struck by how lucky he was to have a whole system of unions and tariffs and laws to protect him from such exploitation. He had to smile of his naivety for having considered the poor slaves lucky for even a moment.
The bathroom door opened and shut, and footsteps passed by Bjorn's door. The place was once again vacant. "Kind of strange how I knew someone was in there," Bjorn thought to himself as he got up of his chair. "I wasn't really paying attention to the comings and goings, yet I knew it was occupied."
Bjorn was struck by a fleeting light dizziness as he got up of his chair, but it was so subtle that he did not think of it before it subsided out in the hallway. "I've been having this for months," Bjorn thought, suddenly realizing that the dizziness was not actually anything new, but rather something that had grown on him so slowly and gradually that he had not thought of it before these last few days when it had suddenly become more intense.
"I sure hope it's nothing serious," Bjorn continued thinking on entering the bathroom. "I really have to stop smoking, and maybe get myself some exercise."
The bathroom was damp and stuffy and somewhat filthy. It needed cleaning, and Bjorn found himself suddenly wondering if anyone was in charge of this, and if so, who. He couldn't remember anyone telling him of any cleaning duties. Ante didn't mention any such responsibilities when giving him the quick tour of the premises. Yet, now that he was thinking about it, someone must have cleaned the place during the week. And it must have been on Wednesday while he was at Ane's place together with Geir, or else he would have noticed, or maybe not. He was terrible when it came to this kind of stuff, he had to admit to himself. He could see that the place needed cleaning, and he vaguely recalled thinking the same when he first moved into the barracks. But at some point, when things actually got cleaned and tidied up, he had not really noticed.
Showing posts with label luxury apartment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label luxury apartment. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
138
Bjorn looked around, stunned by Pedro's claim to have a better knowledge of his near future than himself. How could that possibly be? he wondered. And Pedro's insinuation that his behavior was somehow being monitored was right out bizarre. But knowing smiles and looks exchanged between Jan's daughters seemed to support Pedro's claim. The girls were in on it somehow, and obviously amused by Pedro's shameless forwardness.
"But what do you think about the apartment?" Pedro asked, changing the topic to the more mundane.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Olga replied enthusiastically.
"So you like it?" Pedro asked, looking for confirmation from the rest.
"Yeah, yeah," everybody agreed, nodding politely.
"It's great, isn't it," Pedro said with a big smile. "I can hardly wait to move in."
"It's a palace," Igor commented.
"It is. It's a palace!"
Pedro looked around in the kitchen, and then over at Georgio.
"Well, I guess it's time for you to show your guests out," Pedro commented. "But you'll return, right?"
"Yeah. In fact... Einar can let them out... I can stay here if you like."
"Yes, I would. You're not too busy are you?"
"No... Not really. Einar and I are just here to finish a few things."
Pedro made a sweeping pass of Georgio's guests with his head as if to firmly lock their faces into his memory. Then he bid them farewell with a friendly smile, telling them that he had much enjoyed getting to know them, even if their presence was somewhat unexpected.
"Well, that was unexpected," Ante commented to Bjorn as they followed Einar to the back exit.
"And awkward," Bjorn added.
"Yeah, but he was cool about it though, wasn't he?"
"Is this the first time you've met Pedro?" Bjorn asked Einar as he ushered the group out of the servants' hallway and into the stairwell.
"He's been here a few times before," Einar replied. "But this is the first time I've talked to him face to face."
"And what do you think?"
"Well, he was super cool about this, wasn't he... And Jan almost offered me a job. Isn't that cool?"
"Impressive guy, don't you think?" Olga continued.
"And not as mean looking as Jan," Einar agreed.
"You think Jan looks mean?" Ante asked.
"He can look kind of scary, don't you think?" Bjorn added, agreeing with Einar. "And his daughters... They got those beady eyes too."
"Beady eyes?"
"Yeah. Don't you think so?"
Ante did not answer. Then, as they reached the ground floor, he could not help asking everybody if they too got the impression that Pedro was ready to hire him as a chef.
"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" Einar replied, stopping up by the back door. "Will you take his offer?"
"Now, now," Bjorn protested. "None of you guys got any job offers up there. They were just being polite."
"You think so?" Einar asked.
"Well... I guess you could take them up on their words one day. But they were just thinking out loud."
"Okay," Einar commented. "But anyway... Are we all going down to the garage, or are you two going back by foot?"
Bjorn and Ante looked at each other. They were both ready for a walk in the fine weather, and asked Einar to let them out. A gush of fresh arctic air entered the stairwell the moment Einar opened the door, and it felt great to step into the crisp coolness of it all.
Bjorn and Ante waved goodbye to Einar and the two Russians, and started walking up to the path at the back of the building, leading diagonally up towards the crest of the hill.
The part of the path closest to the apartment was widened into a dirt road, and a large excavator parked at the end of the road, gave the two men the impression that there were plans to widen the entire path, all the way up to the top of the ridge.
Bjorn pulled out a cigarette, and lighted it, taking in the full view of the building site, as it appeared from the back of the apartment building.
"So, what did you make of Pedro's prediction about the days to come?" Bjorn asked.
"About Tuesday and Wednesday, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"You know," Ante said, hesitating while thinking. "Maybe Frank is sharing info with these guys... I mean... Frank's probably corrupted, isn't he?"
"You're right. It must be Frank. Who else could it be?"
"If Pedro wasn't bluffing, that is."
"Oh no, I don't think he was."
"But what do you think about the apartment?" Pedro asked, changing the topic to the more mundane.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Olga replied enthusiastically.
"So you like it?" Pedro asked, looking for confirmation from the rest.
"Yeah, yeah," everybody agreed, nodding politely.
"It's great, isn't it," Pedro said with a big smile. "I can hardly wait to move in."
"It's a palace," Igor commented.
"It is. It's a palace!"
Pedro looked around in the kitchen, and then over at Georgio.
"Well, I guess it's time for you to show your guests out," Pedro commented. "But you'll return, right?"
"Yeah. In fact... Einar can let them out... I can stay here if you like."
"Yes, I would. You're not too busy are you?"
"No... Not really. Einar and I are just here to finish a few things."
Pedro made a sweeping pass of Georgio's guests with his head as if to firmly lock their faces into his memory. Then he bid them farewell with a friendly smile, telling them that he had much enjoyed getting to know them, even if their presence was somewhat unexpected.
"Well, that was unexpected," Ante commented to Bjorn as they followed Einar to the back exit.
"And awkward," Bjorn added.
"Yeah, but he was cool about it though, wasn't he?"
"Is this the first time you've met Pedro?" Bjorn asked Einar as he ushered the group out of the servants' hallway and into the stairwell.
"He's been here a few times before," Einar replied. "But this is the first time I've talked to him face to face."
"And what do you think?"
"Well, he was super cool about this, wasn't he... And Jan almost offered me a job. Isn't that cool?"
"Impressive guy, don't you think?" Olga continued.
"And not as mean looking as Jan," Einar agreed.
"You think Jan looks mean?" Ante asked.
"He can look kind of scary, don't you think?" Bjorn added, agreeing with Einar. "And his daughters... They got those beady eyes too."
"Beady eyes?"
"Yeah. Don't you think so?"
Ante did not answer. Then, as they reached the ground floor, he could not help asking everybody if they too got the impression that Pedro was ready to hire him as a chef.
"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" Einar replied, stopping up by the back door. "Will you take his offer?"
"Now, now," Bjorn protested. "None of you guys got any job offers up there. They were just being polite."
"You think so?" Einar asked.
"Well... I guess you could take them up on their words one day. But they were just thinking out loud."
"Okay," Einar commented. "But anyway... Are we all going down to the garage, or are you two going back by foot?"
Bjorn and Ante looked at each other. They were both ready for a walk in the fine weather, and asked Einar to let them out. A gush of fresh arctic air entered the stairwell the moment Einar opened the door, and it felt great to step into the crisp coolness of it all.
Bjorn and Ante waved goodbye to Einar and the two Russians, and started walking up to the path at the back of the building, leading diagonally up towards the crest of the hill.
The part of the path closest to the apartment was widened into a dirt road, and a large excavator parked at the end of the road, gave the two men the impression that there were plans to widen the entire path, all the way up to the top of the ridge.
Bjorn pulled out a cigarette, and lighted it, taking in the full view of the building site, as it appeared from the back of the apartment building.
"So, what did you make of Pedro's prediction about the days to come?" Bjorn asked.
"About Tuesday and Wednesday, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"You know," Ante said, hesitating while thinking. "Maybe Frank is sharing info with these guys... I mean... Frank's probably corrupted, isn't he?"
"You're right. It must be Frank. Who else could it be?"
"If Pedro wasn't bluffing, that is."
"Oh no, I don't think he was."
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
137
"Well, that's awkward," Ante said in a low voice. "What do we do now?"
"Ah... I was just showing these people around," Georgio explained to Pedro at the far end of the hallway.
"I can see that, Georgio. But why are you hiding your guests from me?"
"I'm not hiding them. I... We were... I mean, we were just about to leave."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah!"
Pedro looked unimpressed by Georgio's explanation.
"You know! Why don't you all come down here so I get to meet you guys?" Pedro continued. "If you have time, that is."
Georgio looked at Ante and Olga who both did as if they could spare a few minutes, nodding and smiling sheepishly.
"Okay, why not?" Georgio replied, still pretending that their rush to leave had nothing to do with Pedro and his guests entering the apartment.
"As you can see, I have some guests here of my own," Pedro continued, as Georgio and his guests headed towards the kitchen. "This is Jan and his two daughters, Vera and Hannah. They run the casino in the village, and Jan owns most of the land around here, isn't that so Jan?"
"That's right," Jan replied with a smile.
"And, who do we have here?" Pedro asked politely as Georgio came into the kitchen with his guests.
"Well, this is Olga and Igor from the village, and Ante and Bjorn from the Neiden road checkpoint, and this is Einar, my assistant," Georgio explained.
"And this must be your hand bag," Pedro commented, handing the bag over to Olga.
"Yes, thank you," Olga answered, looking bothered and embarrassed.
"And what sort of business are you in, Olga?" Pedro asked, looking genuinely interest.
"I'm running a sewing factory... cooperative."
"A sewing cooperative. Here in Lundby?" Pedro asked rhetorically, "Well, that's great."
"You think so?"
"Absolutely. Entrepreneurship is what Lundby is all about. What sort of things are you making?"
"Dolls and fluffy animals. And jackets and... well... lingerie."
"That's quite a range of different stuff," Pedro commented. "How many are you all in all."
"It's just me and two others here in the village, and three over in Nikel. Six all in all."
"So there's plenty of room for expansion?"
"There is," Olga replied with a modest smile.
"And you're her proud husband, I take it?" Pedro continued, looking at Igor.
"Yes, I am... Very proud of her."
"You work together?"
"No. I work for Pingo."
"When you're not driving people around at night, that is," Ante added.
"Well... Only when I'm off work."
"You drive people around?" Pedro asked.
"Yeah... Like a taxi service."
"A taxi service?"
"You know... Those apps that you can use. And you get a car to drive you from A to B."
"Yes, I do. Which one are you using?"
"A2B."
"Cool name, don't you think?" Pedro asked with a smile.
"Yeah."
"You know, I own that app."
"You're kidding?"
"Well... I own ten per cent."
"You do?"
"Absolutely!" Pedro replied with a satisfied nod. "I see a great future in that kind of services."
Then, looking at Einar, he asked how he was doing, working for Georgio.
"I'm doing fine," Einar answered.
"He's very talented," Georgio added. "He's been a great help."
"And what sort of plans do you have when you're finished here?" Pedro asked. "You're not going to Venice with Georgio and his friends, are you?"
"Oh no... That won't happen," Einar answered. "I don't know what I will do... I'll find something."
"I'll need a carpenter or two one of these days," Jan commented.
"Is that so?" Einar asked.
"Yep... You seem a little young, though. How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"So! That's younger than I thought."
"How old did you think I was?"
"Seventeen... Or what do you think, Vera?"
"Yeah... More than fourteen, any way," Vera replied.
"But you know your stuff, do you?" Jan continued.
"He does." Georgio replied on Einar's behalf. "Do you already have a master carpenter?"
"I'm negotiating with one right now."
"Well, I would not hesitate to recommend Einar to him."
"Okay," Jan said with a nod. "You know... Give me a call when you're finished working for Georgio."
Jan handed a business card to Einar, who accepted it with stunned appreciation.
"And how are things up at the checkpoint?" Pedro asked, turning to Bjorn and Ante.
"Can't complain, really," Ante answered.
"You got any special skills?"
"No, not really," Ante answered modestly.
"He's one heck of a chef. But apart from that, no." Bjorn added with a smile.
"Is that so?" Pedro asked. "You're the chef up there?"
"Kind of, yes."
"Kind of?"
"Oh, come on now," Bjorn said, turning to Ante. "Of course you are. He's really talented!"
"Good enough to come work for me?" Pedro asked.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Bjorn protested. "He's our chef."
"He is your chef?" Pedro asked. "You own him?"
"No, but..."
"And what about you?" Pedro continued, still looking at Bjorn. "Do you have any special skills?"
"No... Not really."
"You've been a soldier all your life?"
"No. I worked as an engineer once."
"You did?" Pedro asked. "So, why have you joined the army?"
"Ah... Because... I'd rather be in the army than an engineer."
"Why?"
"It's easier... And it pays just as well."
"It does?"
"After taxes," Bjorn added.
Pedro looked at Bjorn for a moment, as if he was considering whether or not to tell him a secret.
"You were over at Ane's factory the other day, weren't you?" Pedro asked.
"Yeah. Together with Geir. Why?"
"Nah... Nothing. Ane told me about you. That's all."
"She did?"
"Nothing bad... Just that you were over there at Wednesday, was it?"
"Yeah. She told you that?"
"She did indeed... But never mind that. What sort of stuff did you do as an engineer?"
"Ah... Electronics. But mostly programming towards the end."
"Is that so?" Pedro asked with a pleased smile. "What sort of programming?"
"Scripts, web pages, and some low level stuff."
"Well, that's very interesting," Pedro said with a nod. "We're looking for programmers."
"You are?"
"Well... Not me so much as my technical guru... You know... I'll introduce you to him on Wednesday."
"This coming Wednesday?" Bjorn asked puzzled.
"Yeah."
"But, when?"
"When you're down at the airport anyway."
"At the airport?" Bjorn asked even more puzzled.
"Sure. Haven't Frank told you?"
"No."
"Well," Pedro said with a knowing smile. "Then you have it from me. You'll spend most of Wednesday at the airport, together with Espen, provided you don't misbehave on Tuesday."
"And what's going to happen on Tuesday?" Bjorn asked.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Pedro answered with a smile. "If I told you everything ahead of time, life wouldn't be any fun, would it?"
"Ah... I was just showing these people around," Georgio explained to Pedro at the far end of the hallway.
"I can see that, Georgio. But why are you hiding your guests from me?"
"I'm not hiding them. I... We were... I mean, we were just about to leave."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah!"
Pedro looked unimpressed by Georgio's explanation.
"You know! Why don't you all come down here so I get to meet you guys?" Pedro continued. "If you have time, that is."
Georgio looked at Ante and Olga who both did as if they could spare a few minutes, nodding and smiling sheepishly.
"Okay, why not?" Georgio replied, still pretending that their rush to leave had nothing to do with Pedro and his guests entering the apartment.
"As you can see, I have some guests here of my own," Pedro continued, as Georgio and his guests headed towards the kitchen. "This is Jan and his two daughters, Vera and Hannah. They run the casino in the village, and Jan owns most of the land around here, isn't that so Jan?"
"That's right," Jan replied with a smile.
"And, who do we have here?" Pedro asked politely as Georgio came into the kitchen with his guests.
"Well, this is Olga and Igor from the village, and Ante and Bjorn from the Neiden road checkpoint, and this is Einar, my assistant," Georgio explained.
"And this must be your hand bag," Pedro commented, handing the bag over to Olga.
"Yes, thank you," Olga answered, looking bothered and embarrassed.
"And what sort of business are you in, Olga?" Pedro asked, looking genuinely interest.
"I'm running a sewing factory... cooperative."
"A sewing cooperative. Here in Lundby?" Pedro asked rhetorically, "Well, that's great."
"You think so?"
"Absolutely. Entrepreneurship is what Lundby is all about. What sort of things are you making?"
"Dolls and fluffy animals. And jackets and... well... lingerie."
"That's quite a range of different stuff," Pedro commented. "How many are you all in all."
"It's just me and two others here in the village, and three over in Nikel. Six all in all."
"So there's plenty of room for expansion?"
"There is," Olga replied with a modest smile.
"And you're her proud husband, I take it?" Pedro continued, looking at Igor.
"Yes, I am... Very proud of her."
"You work together?"
"No. I work for Pingo."
"When you're not driving people around at night, that is," Ante added.
"Well... Only when I'm off work."
"You drive people around?" Pedro asked.
"Yeah... Like a taxi service."
"A taxi service?"
"You know... Those apps that you can use. And you get a car to drive you from A to B."
"Yes, I do. Which one are you using?"
"A2B."
"Cool name, don't you think?" Pedro asked with a smile.
"Yeah."
"You know, I own that app."
"You're kidding?"
"Well... I own ten per cent."
"You do?"
"Absolutely!" Pedro replied with a satisfied nod. "I see a great future in that kind of services."
Then, looking at Einar, he asked how he was doing, working for Georgio.
"I'm doing fine," Einar answered.
"He's very talented," Georgio added. "He's been a great help."
"And what sort of plans do you have when you're finished here?" Pedro asked. "You're not going to Venice with Georgio and his friends, are you?"
"Oh no... That won't happen," Einar answered. "I don't know what I will do... I'll find something."
"I'll need a carpenter or two one of these days," Jan commented.
"Is that so?" Einar asked.
"Yep... You seem a little young, though. How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"So! That's younger than I thought."
"How old did you think I was?"
"Seventeen... Or what do you think, Vera?"
"Yeah... More than fourteen, any way," Vera replied.
"But you know your stuff, do you?" Jan continued.
"He does." Georgio replied on Einar's behalf. "Do you already have a master carpenter?"
"I'm negotiating with one right now."
"Well, I would not hesitate to recommend Einar to him."
"Okay," Jan said with a nod. "You know... Give me a call when you're finished working for Georgio."
Jan handed a business card to Einar, who accepted it with stunned appreciation.
"And how are things up at the checkpoint?" Pedro asked, turning to Bjorn and Ante.
"Can't complain, really," Ante answered.
"You got any special skills?"
"No, not really," Ante answered modestly.
"He's one heck of a chef. But apart from that, no." Bjorn added with a smile.
"Is that so?" Pedro asked. "You're the chef up there?"
"Kind of, yes."
"Kind of?"
"Oh, come on now," Bjorn said, turning to Ante. "Of course you are. He's really talented!"
"Good enough to come work for me?" Pedro asked.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Bjorn protested. "He's our chef."
"He is your chef?" Pedro asked. "You own him?"
"No, but..."
"And what about you?" Pedro continued, still looking at Bjorn. "Do you have any special skills?"
"No... Not really."
"You've been a soldier all your life?"
"No. I worked as an engineer once."
"You did?" Pedro asked. "So, why have you joined the army?"
"Ah... Because... I'd rather be in the army than an engineer."
"Why?"
"It's easier... And it pays just as well."
"It does?"
"After taxes," Bjorn added.
Pedro looked at Bjorn for a moment, as if he was considering whether or not to tell him a secret.
"You were over at Ane's factory the other day, weren't you?" Pedro asked.
"Yeah. Together with Geir. Why?"
"Nah... Nothing. Ane told me about you. That's all."
"She did?"
"Nothing bad... Just that you were over there at Wednesday, was it?"
"Yeah. She told you that?"
"She did indeed... But never mind that. What sort of stuff did you do as an engineer?"
"Ah... Electronics. But mostly programming towards the end."
"Is that so?" Pedro asked with a pleased smile. "What sort of programming?"
"Scripts, web pages, and some low level stuff."
"Well, that's very interesting," Pedro said with a nod. "We're looking for programmers."
"You are?"
"Well... Not me so much as my technical guru... You know... I'll introduce you to him on Wednesday."
"This coming Wednesday?" Bjorn asked puzzled.
"Yeah."
"But, when?"
"When you're down at the airport anyway."
"At the airport?" Bjorn asked even more puzzled.
"Sure. Haven't Frank told you?"
"No."
"Well," Pedro said with a knowing smile. "Then you have it from me. You'll spend most of Wednesday at the airport, together with Espen, provided you don't misbehave on Tuesday."
"And what's going to happen on Tuesday?" Bjorn asked.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Pedro answered with a smile. "If I told you everything ahead of time, life wouldn't be any fun, would it?"
Friday, October 24, 2014
136
"He's quite a character," Ante said, watching Einar follow Igor and Olga up the servants' hallway.
"He is," Georgio agreed. "But he's surprisingly talented and reliable."
"Really?" Bjorn asked.
"Yeah... I have some other helpers too, but Einar is the smart one. It's really impressive how quickly he's picking up the tricks of the trade."
"But you're not afraid he might click one day, and go completely bananas?"
"Well, I didn't know about his past before I caught him with that plank the other day. That's when he told me about the police man he killed."
"And you've chosen to ignore that?"
"Yeah... I guess I have... You know. It was an accident. It happened when he was twelve."
"So he managed to break out of jail?"
"No, of course not. They don't put kids his age in jail. They had him locked up in one of those orphanages, or whatever, and he just escaped one day. Stole some money from one of the guards and headed for Lundby."
"He's from Kirkenes?"
"Yeah, I think so. It's not very hard to get from there to Lundby."
Bjorn looked at Georgio, thinking it weird that he had not suspected anything was amiss right away. Einar had after all been quite aggressive several times just in the short time he had known him.
"But he's constantly making threats. Didn't you find that kind of odd?" Bjorn asked.
"Not to me he hasn't."
"Really?"
"Yeah. In fact, he is always very polite and helpful."
"You're kidding?"
"No."
"But he has threatened me several times all ready," Bjorn protested.
"Well, that's probably due to your uniform. He feels threatened by you and is telling you to stay clear. That's all."
"You think so?"
"What else could it be?"
Bjorn had to admit that Georgio had a valid point, and he felt suddenly uncomfortable in his uniform, suddenly realizing that not everybody might be equally happy to see him in it.
"But never mind that," Georgio continued. "I'll show you something... Come with me!" And off he went leading Ante and Bjorn through the dining room to the smaller one of the two living rooms.
"This is where Pedro will sit and relax when he is not entertaining guests," Georgio explained. "And as you can see, the floor is decorated with a small armillary sphere in each corner, and with St. George slaying the dragon here in the middle. Now... One of these armillary spheres was cut and put together by Einar on his own, with no help from me. Can you guess which one it was?"
"Is that so?" Bjorn asked impressed, immediately starting to scrutinize the handy work together with Ante. "Well, there's no way to tell, is there?"
"No. There isn't. And he has only worked for me like six weeks or so."
"Wow, that's quite impressive!" Ante exclaimed.
"It is, isn't it?"
Georgio was about to say more, but was interrupted by someone coming in through the main entrance.
"Oh my... That's Pedro," Georgio whispered. "I'm not sure he'll be too pleased to see you here. Let's go!"
Georgio led Bjorn and Ante into the hallway with the bedrooms, and through the door leading into the servants' section where they met up with Einar, Igor and Olga.
"Here's the key for the door downstairs," Georgio explained, handing it to Einar. "Can you show our guests out through the back entrance? Pedro is here, and I'm not sure how he'll react if he finds us here, showing his place off to strangers."
"Oh, really... He's here?" Einar asked, wide eyed at the news.
"Yeah... Now hurry up will you?"
Georgio opened the door to the servants' back entrance and started ushering his guests out.
"But what about my bag?" Olga protested.
"Your bag? What you mean?" Georgio asked.
"I dropped it off by the entrance."
"You did? Well... I'll come down with it... Now, go will you?"
But before they all had time to exit, Pedro appeared in the kitchen, directly from the main entrance, and closely followed by Jan and his two daughters. He was holding Olga's bag in his hand, and was looking straight down the servants' hallway.
"Hey Georgio, shouldn't you at least introduce your guests to me?" he asked in a loud voice.
"He is," Georgio agreed. "But he's surprisingly talented and reliable."
"Really?" Bjorn asked.
"Yeah... I have some other helpers too, but Einar is the smart one. It's really impressive how quickly he's picking up the tricks of the trade."
"But you're not afraid he might click one day, and go completely bananas?"
"Well, I didn't know about his past before I caught him with that plank the other day. That's when he told me about the police man he killed."
"And you've chosen to ignore that?"
"Yeah... I guess I have... You know. It was an accident. It happened when he was twelve."
"So he managed to break out of jail?"
"No, of course not. They don't put kids his age in jail. They had him locked up in one of those orphanages, or whatever, and he just escaped one day. Stole some money from one of the guards and headed for Lundby."
"He's from Kirkenes?"
"Yeah, I think so. It's not very hard to get from there to Lundby."
Bjorn looked at Georgio, thinking it weird that he had not suspected anything was amiss right away. Einar had after all been quite aggressive several times just in the short time he had known him.
"But he's constantly making threats. Didn't you find that kind of odd?" Bjorn asked.
"Not to me he hasn't."
"Really?"
"Yeah. In fact, he is always very polite and helpful."
"You're kidding?"
"No."
"But he has threatened me several times all ready," Bjorn protested.
"Well, that's probably due to your uniform. He feels threatened by you and is telling you to stay clear. That's all."
"You think so?"
"What else could it be?"
Bjorn had to admit that Georgio had a valid point, and he felt suddenly uncomfortable in his uniform, suddenly realizing that not everybody might be equally happy to see him in it.
"But never mind that," Georgio continued. "I'll show you something... Come with me!" And off he went leading Ante and Bjorn through the dining room to the smaller one of the two living rooms.
"This is where Pedro will sit and relax when he is not entertaining guests," Georgio explained. "And as you can see, the floor is decorated with a small armillary sphere in each corner, and with St. George slaying the dragon here in the middle. Now... One of these armillary spheres was cut and put together by Einar on his own, with no help from me. Can you guess which one it was?"
"Is that so?" Bjorn asked impressed, immediately starting to scrutinize the handy work together with Ante. "Well, there's no way to tell, is there?"
"No. There isn't. And he has only worked for me like six weeks or so."
"Wow, that's quite impressive!" Ante exclaimed.
"It is, isn't it?"
Georgio was about to say more, but was interrupted by someone coming in through the main entrance.
"Oh my... That's Pedro," Georgio whispered. "I'm not sure he'll be too pleased to see you here. Let's go!"
Georgio led Bjorn and Ante into the hallway with the bedrooms, and through the door leading into the servants' section where they met up with Einar, Igor and Olga.
"Here's the key for the door downstairs," Georgio explained, handing it to Einar. "Can you show our guests out through the back entrance? Pedro is here, and I'm not sure how he'll react if he finds us here, showing his place off to strangers."
"Oh, really... He's here?" Einar asked, wide eyed at the news.
"Yeah... Now hurry up will you?"
Georgio opened the door to the servants' back entrance and started ushering his guests out.
"But what about my bag?" Olga protested.
"Your bag? What you mean?" Georgio asked.
"I dropped it off by the entrance."
"You did? Well... I'll come down with it... Now, go will you?"
But before they all had time to exit, Pedro appeared in the kitchen, directly from the main entrance, and closely followed by Jan and his two daughters. He was holding Olga's bag in his hand, and was looking straight down the servants' hallway.
"Hey Georgio, shouldn't you at least introduce your guests to me?" he asked in a loud voice.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
135
Bjorn, Ante and Einar walked down the narrow hallway to the kitchen at the far end.
"Man! What a kitchen," Ante exclaimed on seeing the modern fittings and spacious work surfaces. "This is what we should have up at the checkpoint."
"It's fancy, isn't it?" Einar agreed.
"Sure is! Who's the lucky chef?"
"I don't know. No one has moved in yet."
"I'm sure Pedro has his own chef. Probably brings him along," Georgio commented from the side, entering the kitchen from the dining room, together with Igor and Olga.
"Oh... Hi... There you are," Ante said. "This sure is a great kitchen, isn't it?"
They all nodded in agreement, looking around to take in the sight.
"So you survived?" Georgio asked with a crooked smile.
"Einar, you mean?" Ante asked casually.
"Yeah."
"Ah... Well... As you can see, we're all here."
"You sure are. I told you he's harmless. Aren't you, Einar?"
"Mostly harmless," Einar replied with a nod and a sly smile.
"When you're not bashing people around the head with a plank, that is!"
"Hey! It wasn't that bad. And he was asking for it... I mean, he was breaking into the apartment."
"Well... Yeah. He's not going to try that again any time soon."
Bjorn looked at Georgio, and then at Einar, both clearly quite pleased with how things turned out at the night of the attempted break in.
"So, what happened to him?" Bjorn asked, curious to know how the burglar had faired after the beating.
"Well... I'm glad I stopped you, Einar" Georgio replied. "I just happened to come by, and there this guy was on the ground being bashed around with that plank."
"I wasn't bashing him. I was just giving him a lesson. It was not like I was trying to kill him or anything."
"No, but you messed him up pretty badly. David had to stich him up a bit."
"David, the pharmacist?" Bjorn asked.
"Yeah... He'll do little things like that. He's no doctor, but he knows what he's doing."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully.
"Have you seen the servants' quarters?" Bjorn asked, turning to Olga and Igor.
"No, we haven't," Olga replied. "It's up that way, is it?"
"Yeah... Well worth a look, I think."
"Why don't you show them?" Georgio suggested, turning to Einar.
"Okay," Einar replied.
"Only if you promise not to kill us," Igor said mockingly.
"I only kill people who mess with me or my stuff," Einar replied in kind. "You're not planning to steal anything, or harass me are you?"
"No."
"Well, then I won't kill you."
"Man! What a kitchen," Ante exclaimed on seeing the modern fittings and spacious work surfaces. "This is what we should have up at the checkpoint."
"It's fancy, isn't it?" Einar agreed.
"Sure is! Who's the lucky chef?"
"I don't know. No one has moved in yet."
"I'm sure Pedro has his own chef. Probably brings him along," Georgio commented from the side, entering the kitchen from the dining room, together with Igor and Olga.
"Oh... Hi... There you are," Ante said. "This sure is a great kitchen, isn't it?"
They all nodded in agreement, looking around to take in the sight.
"So you survived?" Georgio asked with a crooked smile.
"Einar, you mean?" Ante asked casually.
"Yeah."
"Ah... Well... As you can see, we're all here."
"You sure are. I told you he's harmless. Aren't you, Einar?"
"Mostly harmless," Einar replied with a nod and a sly smile.
"When you're not bashing people around the head with a plank, that is!"
"Hey! It wasn't that bad. And he was asking for it... I mean, he was breaking into the apartment."
"Well... Yeah. He's not going to try that again any time soon."
Bjorn looked at Georgio, and then at Einar, both clearly quite pleased with how things turned out at the night of the attempted break in.
"So, what happened to him?" Bjorn asked, curious to know how the burglar had faired after the beating.
"Well... I'm glad I stopped you, Einar" Georgio replied. "I just happened to come by, and there this guy was on the ground being bashed around with that plank."
"I wasn't bashing him. I was just giving him a lesson. It was not like I was trying to kill him or anything."
"No, but you messed him up pretty badly. David had to stich him up a bit."
"David, the pharmacist?" Bjorn asked.
"Yeah... He'll do little things like that. He's no doctor, but he knows what he's doing."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully.
"Have you seen the servants' quarters?" Bjorn asked, turning to Olga and Igor.
"No, we haven't," Olga replied. "It's up that way, is it?"
"Yeah... Well worth a look, I think."
"Why don't you show them?" Georgio suggested, turning to Einar.
"Okay," Einar replied.
"Only if you promise not to kill us," Igor said mockingly.
"I only kill people who mess with me or my stuff," Einar replied in kind. "You're not planning to steal anything, or harass me are you?"
"No."
"Well, then I won't kill you."
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
134
"So, how did you get to know Georgio?" Bjorn asked Einar as they entered the servants' living room.
"Well, it kind of just happened."
"Kind of?" Bjorn asked, teasing Einar by imitating his local dialect.
"I was hanging around here, and when I saw all those other kids helping out with stuff, I asked if I could help him too, and he said yes."
"And now you're his favourite helper?"
"Kind of, I guess."
Noticing a kitchenette in the corner of the living room, Bjorn wondered out loud about the need for it, considering the large modern kitchen just down the hall from where they were standing.
"The kitchen is part of the main apartment, so the servants aren't supposed to use it for themselves," Einar explained. "So if the servants feel peckish or anything, they have to cook here in the corner."
"Strict segregation in other words."
"Yeah, that's how Pedro likes it I guess. There's even a separate entrance to this section."
"Really? where?"
"The first door to you right in the hallway."
"Can I have a look?"
"Sure, I'll show you."
Einar brought Bjorn with him over to the hallway, where he opened the door to let Bjorn have a quick peek.
"With a lift and everything!" Bjorn exclaimed.
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Why not indeed?" Bjorn said with a nod. "And the stairs lead all the way down to the garage?"
"It does... And there's an entrance at the ground level too. All locked of course."
"Of course!"
"There were some guys trying to break into the flat that way the other day," Einar continued before closing the door and leading Bjorn Back into the living room.
"Really?"
"Yeah, but me and my friends beat them away."
"You did?"
"We did... We messed them up pretty badly."
Einar was about to continue talking, but was interrupted by Ante suddenly appearing in the doorway.
"So you actually killed a guy?" Ante asked, with a fascinated look on his face.
"Me? Yeah," Einar replied. "Who told you?"
"Georgio..."
"You're kidding?" Bjorn asked, baffled. "Did you kill those guys trying to break in here?"
"No, no... We just beat them up. You know... With a plank."
"With a plank?"
"Yeah... I mean... Wouldn't you?"
"Well... We carry guns," Ante explained.
There was a moment of silence. Then Bjorn asked how old Einar was.
"I'm fourteen."
"Holy Moly, and you killed a guy?" Bjorn asked, shocked and surprised.
"Not on purpose."
"So, what happened?"
"I knocked him on the head with a frying pan."
"Who? Why?"
"Ah... A police officer."
"So they really are looking for you?" Bjorn asked.
"Sure... But they aren't going to get me, are they?"
"We could arrest you right now," Bjorn ventured.
"But you aren't are you?"
"No, we aren't."
"Because if you do, I'll kill you both."
"No, you're not. We're not afraid of you."
"Well, you should be."
"Why?"
Einar didn't answer.
"You know... Let's go back to the others," Einar suggested. "You guys are creeping me out."
"Okay, but why did you hit that guy on the head with a frying pan?" Bjorn asked.
"He was coming to get me, and I hit him."
"Get you for what?"
"For school."
"For school?"
"Yeah, they sent two big guys after me for having skipped school."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"And so you killed one of them?"
"Well, not on purpose."
"But even so. You killed him."
"He fell and cracked his head against the floor. That's what actually killed him."
"Sure!" Bjorn replied, eager to change the topic. "Let's find the others!"
"Well, it kind of just happened."
"Kind of?" Bjorn asked, teasing Einar by imitating his local dialect.
"I was hanging around here, and when I saw all those other kids helping out with stuff, I asked if I could help him too, and he said yes."
"And now you're his favourite helper?"
"Kind of, I guess."
Noticing a kitchenette in the corner of the living room, Bjorn wondered out loud about the need for it, considering the large modern kitchen just down the hall from where they were standing.
"The kitchen is part of the main apartment, so the servants aren't supposed to use it for themselves," Einar explained. "So if the servants feel peckish or anything, they have to cook here in the corner."
"Strict segregation in other words."
"Yeah, that's how Pedro likes it I guess. There's even a separate entrance to this section."
"Really? where?"
"The first door to you right in the hallway."
"Can I have a look?"
"Sure, I'll show you."
Einar brought Bjorn with him over to the hallway, where he opened the door to let Bjorn have a quick peek.
"With a lift and everything!" Bjorn exclaimed.
"Yeah. Why not?"
"Why not indeed?" Bjorn said with a nod. "And the stairs lead all the way down to the garage?"
"It does... And there's an entrance at the ground level too. All locked of course."
"Of course!"
"There were some guys trying to break into the flat that way the other day," Einar continued before closing the door and leading Bjorn Back into the living room.
"Really?"
"Yeah, but me and my friends beat them away."
"You did?"
"We did... We messed them up pretty badly."
Einar was about to continue talking, but was interrupted by Ante suddenly appearing in the doorway.
"So you actually killed a guy?" Ante asked, with a fascinated look on his face.
"Me? Yeah," Einar replied. "Who told you?"
"Georgio..."
"You're kidding?" Bjorn asked, baffled. "Did you kill those guys trying to break in here?"
"No, no... We just beat them up. You know... With a plank."
"With a plank?"
"Yeah... I mean... Wouldn't you?"
"Well... We carry guns," Ante explained.
There was a moment of silence. Then Bjorn asked how old Einar was.
"I'm fourteen."
"Holy Moly, and you killed a guy?" Bjorn asked, shocked and surprised.
"Not on purpose."
"So, what happened?"
"I knocked him on the head with a frying pan."
"Who? Why?"
"Ah... A police officer."
"So they really are looking for you?" Bjorn asked.
"Sure... But they aren't going to get me, are they?"
"We could arrest you right now," Bjorn ventured.
"But you aren't are you?"
"No, we aren't."
"Because if you do, I'll kill you both."
"No, you're not. We're not afraid of you."
"Well, you should be."
"Why?"
Einar didn't answer.
"You know... Let's go back to the others," Einar suggested. "You guys are creeping me out."
"Okay, but why did you hit that guy on the head with a frying pan?" Bjorn asked.
"He was coming to get me, and I hit him."
"Get you for what?"
"For school."
"For school?"
"Yeah, they sent two big guys after me for having skipped school."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"And so you killed one of them?"
"Well, not on purpose."
"But even so. You killed him."
"He fell and cracked his head against the floor. That's what actually killed him."
"Sure!" Bjorn replied, eager to change the topic. "Let's find the others!"
Friday, October 17, 2014
133
Georgio brought his guests with him to the top of the stairs where they remained standing while he picked out the right key for the door to one of the apartments.
"The sky light is a miniature version of the dome they will erect over the tennis court, by the way," Georgio explained while looking through his keys. "And the crystal chandelier is imported from Venice. It's the real deal! You see how it breaks the light, and makes a little pattern at the wall over there?"
"This is a palace, isn't it?" Olga exclaimed, thoroughly impressed by it all.
"It is," Georgio confirmed. "It certainly isn't your average apartment building. That's for sure."
Then he opened the door to the north facing apartment.
"Come have a look! And remember, don't step outside the floor coverings."
They stepped into a generous hall with cabinets and racks on both sides for guests to hang off their jackets. The craftsmanship was stunning with little patterns and details everywhere. Everything shaped and fitted perfectly. And although the cabinets were what drew the guest's immediate attention, it was clear that no less care had gone into the flooring and skirting which was done with similar precision and craftsmanship.
The floor was partly covered by large rugs for the guests to walk around on, but elaborate patterns could be seen everywhere, especially in the larger rooms, such as the living room overlooking the fjord. And Bjorn noticed that the armillary sphere was a recurring element everywhere, while the theme on the more elaborately decorated floors and doors was that of St. George slaying the dragon.
"This is Pedro's apartment, isn't it?" Bjorn ventured.
"That's right," Georgio confirmed. "St. George gives it away a bit, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, that's what I thought too."
"So, every apartment is different with different patterns and cabinets?" Igor asked.
"That's right. Mons' apartment is furnished like a yacht. Thick teak floors, and sturdy cabinets. All polished and shiny, of course. Brass elements... You name it. And the foreign minister has an illustration of the whole world edged into the floor of his living room."
"And the armillary spheres?" Ante asked.
"Well, that symbolizes the empire."
"Yeah, I know, but do the other apartments have them too?"
"Ah... Yeah, they do. Even the fourth one... In fact, the fourth one has no other theme. It's entirely dedicated to the empire."
"So, you think Frederico will be moving in there?" Bjorn asked.
"I don't know. I don't think he has the money for it to be honest. Frederico isn't a very rich guy."
The apartment building was much larger than Bjorn had thought from seeing it from the outside, and he was amazed to learn that it had seven bed rooms, all fitted with their own en suite bathroom, in addition to a separate section for the servants, complete with a little living room and four small bedrooms, also with their own bathrooms.
The servant section ran parallel with the guest bedrooms, with its own corridor. A single door connected the servants' corridor to that of the guest section. And having never seen a modern place with its own division for servants, Bjorn was intrigued to explore it together with Einar, who acted as his guide.
"The servants have a small living room for themselves up there," Einar explained, pointing to the far end of the servants' corridor. "And the kitchen is over there," Einar continued, pointing over in the exact opposite direction.
"This doesn't look so bad," Bjorn commented on seeing one of the servant's quarters. "It's bigger than what I have up at the checkpoint... And it has its own bathroom. That's pretty good."
"Yeah, it is. He'll have people willing to work for free, just to be able to live here," Einar commented with a nod.
"You think so?"
"Yeah... Things are pretty bad, you know. There's just too many people looking for work."
"The sky light is a miniature version of the dome they will erect over the tennis court, by the way," Georgio explained while looking through his keys. "And the crystal chandelier is imported from Venice. It's the real deal! You see how it breaks the light, and makes a little pattern at the wall over there?"
"This is a palace, isn't it?" Olga exclaimed, thoroughly impressed by it all.
"It is," Georgio confirmed. "It certainly isn't your average apartment building. That's for sure."
Then he opened the door to the north facing apartment.
"Come have a look! And remember, don't step outside the floor coverings."
They stepped into a generous hall with cabinets and racks on both sides for guests to hang off their jackets. The craftsmanship was stunning with little patterns and details everywhere. Everything shaped and fitted perfectly. And although the cabinets were what drew the guest's immediate attention, it was clear that no less care had gone into the flooring and skirting which was done with similar precision and craftsmanship.
The floor was partly covered by large rugs for the guests to walk around on, but elaborate patterns could be seen everywhere, especially in the larger rooms, such as the living room overlooking the fjord. And Bjorn noticed that the armillary sphere was a recurring element everywhere, while the theme on the more elaborately decorated floors and doors was that of St. George slaying the dragon.
"This is Pedro's apartment, isn't it?" Bjorn ventured.
"That's right," Georgio confirmed. "St. George gives it away a bit, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, that's what I thought too."
"So, every apartment is different with different patterns and cabinets?" Igor asked.
"That's right. Mons' apartment is furnished like a yacht. Thick teak floors, and sturdy cabinets. All polished and shiny, of course. Brass elements... You name it. And the foreign minister has an illustration of the whole world edged into the floor of his living room."
"And the armillary spheres?" Ante asked.
"Well, that symbolizes the empire."
"Yeah, I know, but do the other apartments have them too?"
"Ah... Yeah, they do. Even the fourth one... In fact, the fourth one has no other theme. It's entirely dedicated to the empire."
"So, you think Frederico will be moving in there?" Bjorn asked.
"I don't know. I don't think he has the money for it to be honest. Frederico isn't a very rich guy."
The apartment building was much larger than Bjorn had thought from seeing it from the outside, and he was amazed to learn that it had seven bed rooms, all fitted with their own en suite bathroom, in addition to a separate section for the servants, complete with a little living room and four small bedrooms, also with their own bathrooms.
The servant section ran parallel with the guest bedrooms, with its own corridor. A single door connected the servants' corridor to that of the guest section. And having never seen a modern place with its own division for servants, Bjorn was intrigued to explore it together with Einar, who acted as his guide.
"The servants have a small living room for themselves up there," Einar explained, pointing to the far end of the servants' corridor. "And the kitchen is over there," Einar continued, pointing over in the exact opposite direction.
"This doesn't look so bad," Bjorn commented on seeing one of the servant's quarters. "It's bigger than what I have up at the checkpoint... And it has its own bathroom. That's pretty good."
"Yeah, it is. He'll have people willing to work for free, just to be able to live here," Einar commented with a nod.
"You think so?"
"Yeah... Things are pretty bad, you know. There's just too many people looking for work."
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
132
Georgio parked his car in an underground parking lot in the basement of the luxury apartment building. The parking lot was big enough to hold at least twenty cars, and the entrance was wide and generous, with a steel gate being installed by a couple of guys in overalls.
Georgio rolled down his window to greet the men working on the gate, and to explain to them who the visitors were. Then he put his hand in the air to signal that Igor too was welcome to park his car in the basement.
Georgio and Igor parked their cars in the far end of the parking lot, away from the gate, and next to a door leading into the rest of the building. A few metres to the right of the door, there was a spacious elevator as an alternative means to get to the apartments, but Georgio informed the visitors that the elevator still wasn't operational, so they would have to take the stairs.
"And let us first take a look at Einar's place," Georgio suggested, as he ushered his visitors in through the door. "He has set up a little place for himself and some friends, which they are allowed to use while they're working here."
"Is that how you're paid?" Ante asked in Norwegian, turning to Einar.
"Partially," Einar replied. "I get some money too, though."
"Like how much?" Bjorn asked.
"Fifty MG a day... It's not a lot, but Georgio is a nice guy. He lets me sleep here, and he pays for lunch and stuff."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully, but did not pursue the topic of pay any further. Instead, he listened in on what Georgio had to say about the various rooms.
The basement was divided into two section, the parking lot and a pool area with a hot tub and a large swimming pool, none of them containing any water. A spacious sauna, which still required some work, served as Einar's bed room. Georgio showed it off with some pride, as if this make shift bedroom was some sort of grand generosity from his part.
"This is where Einar, and his friends spend their nights," Georgio announced. "It's ideal in many ways. Short distance to the showers and toilets, snug and easy to keep warm. And a very short distance to work."
"But there are apartments upstairs. Why not let the kids live there?" Bjorn asked.
"Ah! Well... I think that will become clear when you get to see them. It is not a place we let people in just to roam around. There's the fumes for one thing... Varnish and stuff... And it would be like living in a museum. We can't take the risk of anything going wrong."
The building, set in a slightly sloping terrain, had large windows to the north and the east of the pool, overlooking the fjord, with both the port and the airport visible in the distance. The grounds outside were barren and grey, but some landscaping had nevertheless been taking place, and Bjorn commented on this as he took in the view.
"Yeah, there will be a tennis court and a small marina for their boats," Georgio explained.
"A tennis court?" Olga asked. "Here in the arctic?"
"It sounds weird, doesn't it?" Georgio agreed. "But it will be covered by a glass dome.... You see those concrete slabs, over there and there? That's the foundation for the dome. It's a pre-fabricated thing. I believe it will be delivered this coming week."
They looked around a little more, circling around Georgio who explained and pointed out little details, such as the finesse with which the pool had been decorated, the place where Einar and his friends had set up a make shift kitchen for themselves, and the fine quality of the wood used for the benches in the sauna.
Then he lead his guests upstairs to the apartments. The stairway was wide and fully lit by natural light. Everything, even in the stairwell, was done exquisitely, and with strong, beautiful materials.
"Please do not step outside the floor coverings we've rolled out to protect the floors," Georgio said as they walked up the stairs. "It is not a catastrophe if you step outside. But I'd rather see you don't."
Georgio rolled down his window to greet the men working on the gate, and to explain to them who the visitors were. Then he put his hand in the air to signal that Igor too was welcome to park his car in the basement.
Georgio and Igor parked their cars in the far end of the parking lot, away from the gate, and next to a door leading into the rest of the building. A few metres to the right of the door, there was a spacious elevator as an alternative means to get to the apartments, but Georgio informed the visitors that the elevator still wasn't operational, so they would have to take the stairs.
"And let us first take a look at Einar's place," Georgio suggested, as he ushered his visitors in through the door. "He has set up a little place for himself and some friends, which they are allowed to use while they're working here."
"Is that how you're paid?" Ante asked in Norwegian, turning to Einar.
"Partially," Einar replied. "I get some money too, though."
"Like how much?" Bjorn asked.
"Fifty MG a day... It's not a lot, but Georgio is a nice guy. He lets me sleep here, and he pays for lunch and stuff."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully, but did not pursue the topic of pay any further. Instead, he listened in on what Georgio had to say about the various rooms.
The basement was divided into two section, the parking lot and a pool area with a hot tub and a large swimming pool, none of them containing any water. A spacious sauna, which still required some work, served as Einar's bed room. Georgio showed it off with some pride, as if this make shift bedroom was some sort of grand generosity from his part.
"This is where Einar, and his friends spend their nights," Georgio announced. "It's ideal in many ways. Short distance to the showers and toilets, snug and easy to keep warm. And a very short distance to work."
"But there are apartments upstairs. Why not let the kids live there?" Bjorn asked.
"Ah! Well... I think that will become clear when you get to see them. It is not a place we let people in just to roam around. There's the fumes for one thing... Varnish and stuff... And it would be like living in a museum. We can't take the risk of anything going wrong."
The building, set in a slightly sloping terrain, had large windows to the north and the east of the pool, overlooking the fjord, with both the port and the airport visible in the distance. The grounds outside were barren and grey, but some landscaping had nevertheless been taking place, and Bjorn commented on this as he took in the view.
"Yeah, there will be a tennis court and a small marina for their boats," Georgio explained.
"A tennis court?" Olga asked. "Here in the arctic?"
"It sounds weird, doesn't it?" Georgio agreed. "But it will be covered by a glass dome.... You see those concrete slabs, over there and there? That's the foundation for the dome. It's a pre-fabricated thing. I believe it will be delivered this coming week."
They looked around a little more, circling around Georgio who explained and pointed out little details, such as the finesse with which the pool had been decorated, the place where Einar and his friends had set up a make shift kitchen for themselves, and the fine quality of the wood used for the benches in the sauna.
Then he lead his guests upstairs to the apartments. The stairway was wide and fully lit by natural light. Everything, even in the stairwell, was done exquisitely, and with strong, beautiful materials.
"Please do not step outside the floor coverings we've rolled out to protect the floors," Georgio said as they walked up the stairs. "It is not a catastrophe if you step outside. But I'd rather see you don't."
Thursday, October 2, 2014
129
The singing and swinging continued until the music stopped. Then there was a round hand of applause for Frederico, Aung and Elisabeth who bowed for the congregation as if they had just completed a theatre show.
Frederico wished everybody a prosperous week until next Sunday, when he hoped to see everybody back in his church.
"And for those who want some coffee or chocolate before leaving for home, we will shortly be serving some goodies over there," Frederico added, pointing to the back of the building.
"Well, that's always a winner with me," Ante said with a smile. "Coffee and chocolate! Why not?"
People were moving about in the church, some leaving, but most staying on for the refreshments. Bjorn noticed again how Olga seemed to dislike Ane, staying clear of her as much as possible. But Ane did not seem to notice or care that Olga had a dislike of her, and passed her by with a friendly nod on her way over to Jan and Pedro, apparently eager to have a quick word with the two of them.
However, Bjorn had no time to think about this as he bumped into Georgio, one of the carpenters he had been talking to at the Casino Friday night.
"So you're here!" Georgio commented. "In uniform and all. That's kind of cute, isn't it?"
"What you mean?" Bjorn asked.
"An army soldier in the empire. It's a bit of a contradiction isn't it?"
"With me working for the state, you mean?" Bjorn answered, vaguely getting Georgio's point.
"Exactly!" Georgio said with a nod. "But never mind that. Did you like the show?"
"Yeah I did. It's not quite my thing, all this hallelujah and stuff. But I liked it, I have to admit."
Bjorn noted how Aung and Elisabeth were putting coffee and chocolate out on a table and suggested to Georgio that they get some for themselves.
"So how are things progressing over at the apartment building you're working on?" Bjorn added, more to be polite than out of any great curiosity.
"Very well, I'd say. We're pretty much finished. Another week at the most, and we'll be heading back to Venice."
"You're looking forward to that, I bet."
"Sure! Will be nice to get back home."
Bjorn and Georgio picked up a piece of chocolate and a Styrofoam cup with steaming hot coffee, then retreated from the crowd before continuing their small talk.
"You can come and have a look at what we've been doing if you please," Georgio said, taking a bite of his chocolate.
"In the apartments, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that's very generous of you. You're going over there now?"
"I am. I got a few things I'd like to do in order to get ready for a full day of work tomorrow. You and your friend can come with me if you please. I've got my car parked over by the vicarage."
"That's great. I'm sure Ante will love that... I'll just have to check with him, though."
Frederico wished everybody a prosperous week until next Sunday, when he hoped to see everybody back in his church.
"And for those who want some coffee or chocolate before leaving for home, we will shortly be serving some goodies over there," Frederico added, pointing to the back of the building.
"Well, that's always a winner with me," Ante said with a smile. "Coffee and chocolate! Why not?"
People were moving about in the church, some leaving, but most staying on for the refreshments. Bjorn noticed again how Olga seemed to dislike Ane, staying clear of her as much as possible. But Ane did not seem to notice or care that Olga had a dislike of her, and passed her by with a friendly nod on her way over to Jan and Pedro, apparently eager to have a quick word with the two of them.
However, Bjorn had no time to think about this as he bumped into Georgio, one of the carpenters he had been talking to at the Casino Friday night.
"So you're here!" Georgio commented. "In uniform and all. That's kind of cute, isn't it?"
"What you mean?" Bjorn asked.
"An army soldier in the empire. It's a bit of a contradiction isn't it?"
"With me working for the state, you mean?" Bjorn answered, vaguely getting Georgio's point.
"Exactly!" Georgio said with a nod. "But never mind that. Did you like the show?"
"Yeah I did. It's not quite my thing, all this hallelujah and stuff. But I liked it, I have to admit."
Bjorn noted how Aung and Elisabeth were putting coffee and chocolate out on a table and suggested to Georgio that they get some for themselves.
"So how are things progressing over at the apartment building you're working on?" Bjorn added, more to be polite than out of any great curiosity.
"Very well, I'd say. We're pretty much finished. Another week at the most, and we'll be heading back to Venice."
"You're looking forward to that, I bet."
"Sure! Will be nice to get back home."
Bjorn and Georgio picked up a piece of chocolate and a Styrofoam cup with steaming hot coffee, then retreated from the crowd before continuing their small talk.
"You can come and have a look at what we've been doing if you please," Georgio said, taking a bite of his chocolate.
"In the apartments, you mean?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that's very generous of you. You're going over there now?"
"I am. I got a few things I'd like to do in order to get ready for a full day of work tomorrow. You and your friend can come with me if you please. I've got my car parked over by the vicarage."
"That's great. I'm sure Ante will love that... I'll just have to check with him, though."
Friday, September 12, 2014
120
The drive down to Lundby was pleasant but uneventful. Bjorn noted that there were people working on the apartment building by the water, despite it being Sunday. However, there were not as many working there as on a regular weekday. Some people were clearly taking time off, while others were not.
"No wonder that this building is being completed in record time, with so many people working on it all the time," Bjorn commented as they drove past it.
"Yep. They get things done down here," Ante agreed. "It is quite impressive what they have managed to do in such a short period of time."
Then, as they passed the billboard with the ad for the casino, Ante continued with his thoughts.
"You know, it used to take for ever to get anything done down here. My grandparents told me that the fish factory took a full five years to complete in its time. I bet these people could put up a shed like that, complete with machines and all, in less than a month."
"So what's their secret formula, you think?" Bjorn asked.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yep. These people don't worry about anything. There is no bureaucracy. There's nothing stopping them."
"And as a result, they are already in a slamming match with each other," Bjorn commented. "You know, Ane is dumping fish waste straight into the water, and the neighbours are anything but pleased. That's the sort of mess you get without any rules or regulations."
"Maybe so, but they sure get things done."
Bjorn had to admit that Ante had a point, but he could not free himself from thinking that this free wheeling anything goes attitude in the end would lead to some pretty unfortunate consequences.
"No wonder that this building is being completed in record time, with so many people working on it all the time," Bjorn commented as they drove past it.
"Yep. They get things done down here," Ante agreed. "It is quite impressive what they have managed to do in such a short period of time."
Then, as they passed the billboard with the ad for the casino, Ante continued with his thoughts.
"You know, it used to take for ever to get anything done down here. My grandparents told me that the fish factory took a full five years to complete in its time. I bet these people could put up a shed like that, complete with machines and all, in less than a month."
"So what's their secret formula, you think?" Bjorn asked.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yep. These people don't worry about anything. There is no bureaucracy. There's nothing stopping them."
"And as a result, they are already in a slamming match with each other," Bjorn commented. "You know, Ane is dumping fish waste straight into the water, and the neighbours are anything but pleased. That's the sort of mess you get without any rules or regulations."
"Maybe so, but they sure get things done."
Bjorn had to admit that Ante had a point, but he could not free himself from thinking that this free wheeling anything goes attitude in the end would lead to some pretty unfortunate consequences.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
83
"So, what are you up to here in Lundby?" Bjorn asked the tall Italian as they entered the casino.
"We're carpenters," the Italian answered with some pride. "We're working on the apartment building behind the church."
"The one down by the water?" Bjorn asked.
"Exactly."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully as he followed the Italians in the direction of the roulette table, in the room to the left, behind the staircase.
"I'm doing the flooring," the man explained. Then, with a toss of his head in the direction of his colleague to his left he continued. "Mario here is taking care of the skirting, and Lorenzo is our cabinets guy."
"Sounds serious," Bjorn remarked, impressed by the high degree of specialization. "So you don't do a bit of everything each? Wouldn't that be more fun?"
"Not really, the stuff we are doing hasn't been done since Venice was a republic. You really have to be an expert to get it right. And, to be honest, I'm pretty blank on both skirting and cabinets."
Bjorn found it hard to believe that skirting was actually a field that required specialization. Cabinets, on the other hand were another matter. Cabinets may require a high degree of specialization, but skirting? Wasn't that just a matter of cutting some planks into proper lengths before attaching them to the walls?
Bjorn vented his scepticism.
"Well, Lorenzo could probably do both skirting and flooring just as well as Mario and me," the tall Italian explained. "But he's the only one of us who knows how to do cabinets the old fashioned way. I mean... It would be a complete waste to have him do any of our jobs."
"But skirting and flooring is in fact very different fields," Mario added, having followed the conversation closely. "Those are no ordinary floors Georgio is putting in. And the skirting is not just a bunch of narrow planks. We're talking top of the line luxury stuff."
Bjorn was again surprised. The apartment building, although large and elegant, did not look like a palace, but the inside was evidently another matter.
"It looks deceptively ordinary from the outside," Bjorn commented.
"It does," Georgio agreed. "But they have some wild plans for the garden."
"Garden?" Bjorn asked. "Are they going to plant a garden up here in the arctic?"
"They are."
"Really? How? I mean, this is the arctic after all. Hardly anything grows up here."
"They are going to put up glass domes," Mario explained. "And it is not like they will plant tropical plants. Just ordinary sturdy garden plants common further south in Norway."
It all sounded doable, but insane. This was Lundby, after all. A modern day gulag of sorts. And here he was talking to expert carpenters from Venice, describing a building project so luxurious that only the very best carpenters can complete it.
"So, who's behind this project?" Bjorn asked.
"Pedro," Georgio answered.
"Ah... King Pedro the Great!" Bjorn said with a smile. "The mad scientist, or whatever."
The Italians laughed. Even Lorenzo who had been curiously quiet during the conversation smiled.
"He's actually a nice guy," Lorenzo commented. "Surprisingly down to earth."
"Yeah," Mario added. "He's not the only one moving in there when the place is finished. Your foreign minister is also getting an apartment. And so is Mons... I'm not sure who is moving into the fourth apartment, though."
"Mons?" Bjorn asked. "Who is Mons?"
"Oh... You don't know?" Marius asked, genuinely surprised. "He's the owner of the port and iron mine."
"The ship owner?"
"Yeah... Pedro's friend."
Bjorn looked around in the room they were standing. People were placing bets on the roulette table, and over by the wall, there was a Black Jack table with people also betting against the house. Bjorn felt that he had talked enough to the Italians, and signalled that he was ready to go back to his colleagues, thanking the men for the pleasant and interesting conversation.
The Italians too, seemed ready to end the conversation at this point, but Mario had a final question for Bjorn.
"So, what are you doing up here?" Mario asked. "Are you from Kirkenes?"
"No, I´m from Oslo," Bjorn explained. "I work as a guard up at the Lundby Neiden checkpoint."
"Ah... Really!" Mario exclaimed with a sly smile. "So you are watching an arbitrary line, making sure that the rules on one side are not the same as those on the other side?"
Bjorn was caught a little off guard by this comment, and had to think a bit before he answered.
"Arbitrary?" Bjorn asked rhetorically. "It's hardly arbitrary. It's drawn by the foreign minister himself... And, someone has to make sure the asylum seekers don't escape."
"Sure," Mario answered, still smiling. "But just remember, in the Fifth Empire there are no borders, only property lines."
"And what's the difference?" Bjorn asked.
"I'm sure you can figure that out for yourself if you think about it," Mario said with a wave of the hand. "Chao!"
"We're carpenters," the Italian answered with some pride. "We're working on the apartment building behind the church."
"The one down by the water?" Bjorn asked.
"Exactly."
Bjorn nodded thoughtfully as he followed the Italians in the direction of the roulette table, in the room to the left, behind the staircase.
"I'm doing the flooring," the man explained. Then, with a toss of his head in the direction of his colleague to his left he continued. "Mario here is taking care of the skirting, and Lorenzo is our cabinets guy."
"Sounds serious," Bjorn remarked, impressed by the high degree of specialization. "So you don't do a bit of everything each? Wouldn't that be more fun?"
"Not really, the stuff we are doing hasn't been done since Venice was a republic. You really have to be an expert to get it right. And, to be honest, I'm pretty blank on both skirting and cabinets."
Bjorn found it hard to believe that skirting was actually a field that required specialization. Cabinets, on the other hand were another matter. Cabinets may require a high degree of specialization, but skirting? Wasn't that just a matter of cutting some planks into proper lengths before attaching them to the walls?
Bjorn vented his scepticism.
"Well, Lorenzo could probably do both skirting and flooring just as well as Mario and me," the tall Italian explained. "But he's the only one of us who knows how to do cabinets the old fashioned way. I mean... It would be a complete waste to have him do any of our jobs."
"But skirting and flooring is in fact very different fields," Mario added, having followed the conversation closely. "Those are no ordinary floors Georgio is putting in. And the skirting is not just a bunch of narrow planks. We're talking top of the line luxury stuff."
Bjorn was again surprised. The apartment building, although large and elegant, did not look like a palace, but the inside was evidently another matter.
"It looks deceptively ordinary from the outside," Bjorn commented.
"It does," Georgio agreed. "But they have some wild plans for the garden."
"Garden?" Bjorn asked. "Are they going to plant a garden up here in the arctic?"
"They are."
"Really? How? I mean, this is the arctic after all. Hardly anything grows up here."
"They are going to put up glass domes," Mario explained. "And it is not like they will plant tropical plants. Just ordinary sturdy garden plants common further south in Norway."
It all sounded doable, but insane. This was Lundby, after all. A modern day gulag of sorts. And here he was talking to expert carpenters from Venice, describing a building project so luxurious that only the very best carpenters can complete it.
"So, who's behind this project?" Bjorn asked.
"Pedro," Georgio answered.
"Ah... King Pedro the Great!" Bjorn said with a smile. "The mad scientist, or whatever."
The Italians laughed. Even Lorenzo who had been curiously quiet during the conversation smiled.
"He's actually a nice guy," Lorenzo commented. "Surprisingly down to earth."
"Yeah," Mario added. "He's not the only one moving in there when the place is finished. Your foreign minister is also getting an apartment. And so is Mons... I'm not sure who is moving into the fourth apartment, though."
"Mons?" Bjorn asked. "Who is Mons?"
"Oh... You don't know?" Marius asked, genuinely surprised. "He's the owner of the port and iron mine."
"The ship owner?"
"Yeah... Pedro's friend."
Bjorn looked around in the room they were standing. People were placing bets on the roulette table, and over by the wall, there was a Black Jack table with people also betting against the house. Bjorn felt that he had talked enough to the Italians, and signalled that he was ready to go back to his colleagues, thanking the men for the pleasant and interesting conversation.
The Italians too, seemed ready to end the conversation at this point, but Mario had a final question for Bjorn.
"So, what are you doing up here?" Mario asked. "Are you from Kirkenes?"
"No, I´m from Oslo," Bjorn explained. "I work as a guard up at the Lundby Neiden checkpoint."
"Ah... Really!" Mario exclaimed with a sly smile. "So you are watching an arbitrary line, making sure that the rules on one side are not the same as those on the other side?"
Bjorn was caught a little off guard by this comment, and had to think a bit before he answered.
"Arbitrary?" Bjorn asked rhetorically. "It's hardly arbitrary. It's drawn by the foreign minister himself... And, someone has to make sure the asylum seekers don't escape."
"Sure," Mario answered, still smiling. "But just remember, in the Fifth Empire there are no borders, only property lines."
"And what's the difference?" Bjorn asked.
"I'm sure you can figure that out for yourself if you think about it," Mario said with a wave of the hand. "Chao!"
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, February 3, 2014
25
The two cranes that Bjorn had been observing from the check point were suddenly fully visible as the car reached the perimeter of the village, just a few minutes after passing the apartment building under construction at the other side of the low hill to the east of the village.
This was a much bigger construction site than the apartment building, and very far from being finished, at least as far as Bjorn could judge. Unlike the apartment building which had people working on it everywhere, only a handful of people could be seen, putting up scaffolding and preparing for concrete to be poured into huge moulds, all with a mesh of iron rods sticking out of them.
The impressive but quiet building site was located at the top of a long, moderately inclined street, leading all the way down to a square by the fjord. A few houses lined the street, but in a rather random fashion, with some houses drawn quite far back from the road, while others were practically next to it. The old village had clearly been constructed without much planning, and the only place with any indication of proper planning was the square which was lined with buildings neatly positioned around the open space in the middle.
The road circling the central square had sidewalks on both sides, and was as far as Bjorn could see, the only bit of road with a sidewalk. No such luxury had been afforded for any of the other roads, of which there were quite a number, all leading into the square.
A small low knoll of a hill, separating the square from the fjord served as a parking space, with several cars placed semi-randomly along its perimeter, and Geir drove the red sedan up next to a car already parked on this hill, adding to the pattern that had been established for the day.
The trip down from the check point had taken less than ten minutes, which left the two men with a bit of time to spare before going over to the fish processing plant. Geir suggested they walk up on top of the knoll as a short detour before going to the plant, and Bjorn was more than happy to comply, feeling an urge for a cigarette and eager to get a fuller view of the village.
The two low hills on either side of the village formed the valley in which the village was nestled, and protruding into the fjord, the same two hills formed a small bay, with the fish processing plant located on the eastern shore, and several houses located on the western shore.
Standing on the top of the knoll separating the town square from the innermost point of the bay, the layout of the village seemed less random than first impression had given cause to believe. The layout was simply following the natural lay of the land, and the wooden houses, painted in all sorts of bright colours, especially blue, red and yellow, were almost all located in spots that were both elevated and shielded at the same time.
A small church, located on top of a steep incline from the road joining the fish processing plant and the village square, perfectly illustrated this fondness for elevated yet shielded locations, located as it was on a rather commanding little hill, but shielded to the east and the north by a rock formation, dwarfing it while simultaneously protecting it from the hostility of arctic winds and weather.
There were quite a number of people out and about in the village considering that it could not possibly be housing more than a few hundred inhabitants and that it was anything but a pleasant summer day. Bjorn had noticed several people selling stuff from little stands in the village square, there had been a gang of people mending holes in the long, straight road leading up the valley from the square to the building site, and others were just walking about, seemingly with no purpose or business at all.
The mending of the road had struck Bjorn as extremely primitive and inefficient, as it was done with no help of any type of machinery, except for a big pan to heat the asphalt, which was poured into buckets as Geir and Bjorn had crawled past in their car on their way down to the square, careful not to hit any of the men. And the asphalt, once poured into the various potholes was made flat by men manually dragging a heavy roller across the soft, oily mess.
From the top of the knoll, Bjorn could see that the asphalt was simply broken up from the sidewalk in front of the casino, at the west side of the square, and taken in buckets up to the pan where it was heated and made into road repair. The process seemed totally nonsensical since the road repair clearly was at the expense of the sidewalk in front of the casino, but by the time Bjorn pointed out the strange spectacle to Geir it was time to go and inspect the fish processing plant.
"We can look at it later," Geir said as they wandered down the hill towards the plant. "I have a few things to buy for Ante while we are down here. Pingo is right across the square from the casino. Maybe it makes more sense once we take a closer look at what they are doing."
This was a much bigger construction site than the apartment building, and very far from being finished, at least as far as Bjorn could judge. Unlike the apartment building which had people working on it everywhere, only a handful of people could be seen, putting up scaffolding and preparing for concrete to be poured into huge moulds, all with a mesh of iron rods sticking out of them.
The impressive but quiet building site was located at the top of a long, moderately inclined street, leading all the way down to a square by the fjord. A few houses lined the street, but in a rather random fashion, with some houses drawn quite far back from the road, while others were practically next to it. The old village had clearly been constructed without much planning, and the only place with any indication of proper planning was the square which was lined with buildings neatly positioned around the open space in the middle.
The road circling the central square had sidewalks on both sides, and was as far as Bjorn could see, the only bit of road with a sidewalk. No such luxury had been afforded for any of the other roads, of which there were quite a number, all leading into the square.
A small low knoll of a hill, separating the square from the fjord served as a parking space, with several cars placed semi-randomly along its perimeter, and Geir drove the red sedan up next to a car already parked on this hill, adding to the pattern that had been established for the day.
The trip down from the check point had taken less than ten minutes, which left the two men with a bit of time to spare before going over to the fish processing plant. Geir suggested they walk up on top of the knoll as a short detour before going to the plant, and Bjorn was more than happy to comply, feeling an urge for a cigarette and eager to get a fuller view of the village.
The two low hills on either side of the village formed the valley in which the village was nestled, and protruding into the fjord, the same two hills formed a small bay, with the fish processing plant located on the eastern shore, and several houses located on the western shore.
Standing on the top of the knoll separating the town square from the innermost point of the bay, the layout of the village seemed less random than first impression had given cause to believe. The layout was simply following the natural lay of the land, and the wooden houses, painted in all sorts of bright colours, especially blue, red and yellow, were almost all located in spots that were both elevated and shielded at the same time.
A small church, located on top of a steep incline from the road joining the fish processing plant and the village square, perfectly illustrated this fondness for elevated yet shielded locations, located as it was on a rather commanding little hill, but shielded to the east and the north by a rock formation, dwarfing it while simultaneously protecting it from the hostility of arctic winds and weather.
There were quite a number of people out and about in the village considering that it could not possibly be housing more than a few hundred inhabitants and that it was anything but a pleasant summer day. Bjorn had noticed several people selling stuff from little stands in the village square, there had been a gang of people mending holes in the long, straight road leading up the valley from the square to the building site, and others were just walking about, seemingly with no purpose or business at all.
The mending of the road had struck Bjorn as extremely primitive and inefficient, as it was done with no help of any type of machinery, except for a big pan to heat the asphalt, which was poured into buckets as Geir and Bjorn had crawled past in their car on their way down to the square, careful not to hit any of the men. And the asphalt, once poured into the various potholes was made flat by men manually dragging a heavy roller across the soft, oily mess.
From the top of the knoll, Bjorn could see that the asphalt was simply broken up from the sidewalk in front of the casino, at the west side of the square, and taken in buckets up to the pan where it was heated and made into road repair. The process seemed totally nonsensical since the road repair clearly was at the expense of the sidewalk in front of the casino, but by the time Bjorn pointed out the strange spectacle to Geir it was time to go and inspect the fish processing plant.
"We can look at it later," Geir said as they wandered down the hill towards the plant. "I have a few things to buy for Ante while we are down here. Pingo is right across the square from the casino. Maybe it makes more sense once we take a closer look at what they are doing."
Thursday, January 23, 2014
24
Geir wasted no time hanging around at the barracks when Bjorn entered. He too was eager to go, but as it turned out, for very different reasons than Bjorn. While Bjorn was eager to find out what the village was actually like, Geir's excitement was all about telling people about procedures and protocol, and generally being a big shot. It soon became clear to Bjorn that Geir had no interest in learning anything. As far as Geir was concerned, the village was no more and no less than a concentration camp populated by asylum seekers and profiteers. A place in grave need of regulations and control, which was what he and Bjorn was going to impose through rigid inspections and clear cut rules for operating businesses like the fish processing plant. Geir was all worked up and was soon busy lecturing Bjorn on the importance of coming across as assertive and authoritative so as to establish the right level of respect for the law and the rules and regulations that define the limits of what can and cannot be done in the village.
Geir was sitting behind the wheel of the red sedan that Ante had used to pick up Bjorn at the port two days earlier, complaining that the check point didn't have a proper military vehicle that they could use to come across more assertively on the population, when Bjorn caught eye of a billboard at the roadside promoting the Lundby Casino. It displayed a glamorous looking couple by a roulette table, and the text seemed perverse considering that the village was little more than a modern day gulag. In gold letters, below the smiling couple, the text read "Lundby, where dreams come true!"
"What sort of a sick mind came up with that?" Bjorn asked, interrupting Geir in his seemingly endless monologue.
"Came up with what?"
"The billboard we just passed. The one with an ad for the casino."
"Well, that is aimed at the scum who come out here from Kirkenes to play, get drunk, and get laid, I guess. This place is a cesspool of vice."
"Really?"
"Its the way of the Samis. They have no shame, and we should never have given them autonomy."
"Autonomy?"
"Well, semi-autonomy. That was the deal when they negotiated this plan. As long as they make sure no one escapes this place, they are free to do just about anything they please, and this kind of shit is what the they come up with. They like to present themselves as poor victims, and close to nature, and all that crap, but when push comes to shove, it's all about making money."
"And what about that apartment building over there?" Bjorn continued, catching sight of the building site he had been observing from the glass office. "Who's going to move in there?"
"The same scum bags who put up the casino, I guess. Some people are out here just to make a quick buck, you know. The factory we are about to inspect is probably no exception. Be prepared to see a lot of miserable people being exploited big time!"
Bjorn felt a sting of guilt as he once again was reminded of the sort of misery he was employed to sustain, and asked Geir if he felt the same way.
"No, I don't," was his short reply.
"Why not?"
"Its either them or us, you know. They are like parasites, and we had to stop them. Now that they have to work while they wait for their asylum papers to be processed, I'm sure we'll soon see the asylum seeker problem solved. It may be brutal for the few true asylum seekers coming to Norway, but the way things were going... You know... Things were really getting out of hand."
"Yeah I know..." said Bjorn with a nod, feeling better from hearing Geir's honest and straight forward assessment of the situation. "We really had to do something. This colony is all for the best. Stroke of political genius, if you ask me."
"Yep, that's the truth, and don't you forget it. It really was a stroke of genius, and I for one... I'm proud of being part of this."
Geir was sitting behind the wheel of the red sedan that Ante had used to pick up Bjorn at the port two days earlier, complaining that the check point didn't have a proper military vehicle that they could use to come across more assertively on the population, when Bjorn caught eye of a billboard at the roadside promoting the Lundby Casino. It displayed a glamorous looking couple by a roulette table, and the text seemed perverse considering that the village was little more than a modern day gulag. In gold letters, below the smiling couple, the text read "Lundby, where dreams come true!"
"What sort of a sick mind came up with that?" Bjorn asked, interrupting Geir in his seemingly endless monologue.
"Came up with what?"
"The billboard we just passed. The one with an ad for the casino."
"Well, that is aimed at the scum who come out here from Kirkenes to play, get drunk, and get laid, I guess. This place is a cesspool of vice."
"Really?"
"Its the way of the Samis. They have no shame, and we should never have given them autonomy."
"Autonomy?"
"Well, semi-autonomy. That was the deal when they negotiated this plan. As long as they make sure no one escapes this place, they are free to do just about anything they please, and this kind of shit is what the they come up with. They like to present themselves as poor victims, and close to nature, and all that crap, but when push comes to shove, it's all about making money."
"And what about that apartment building over there?" Bjorn continued, catching sight of the building site he had been observing from the glass office. "Who's going to move in there?"
"The same scum bags who put up the casino, I guess. Some people are out here just to make a quick buck, you know. The factory we are about to inspect is probably no exception. Be prepared to see a lot of miserable people being exploited big time!"
Bjorn felt a sting of guilt as he once again was reminded of the sort of misery he was employed to sustain, and asked Geir if he felt the same way.
"No, I don't," was his short reply.
"Why not?"
"Its either them or us, you know. They are like parasites, and we had to stop them. Now that they have to work while they wait for their asylum papers to be processed, I'm sure we'll soon see the asylum seeker problem solved. It may be brutal for the few true asylum seekers coming to Norway, but the way things were going... You know... Things were really getting out of hand."
"Yeah I know..." said Bjorn with a nod, feeling better from hearing Geir's honest and straight forward assessment of the situation. "We really had to do something. This colony is all for the best. Stroke of political genius, if you ask me."
"Yep, that's the truth, and don't you forget it. It really was a stroke of genius, and I for one... I'm proud of being part of this."
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
18
Bjorn put down the binoculars. Now that he had studied the building site more closely, he could make sense of the distant figures as they moved around with no instrument to help him. He did no longer need the binoculars to know who were the slaves and who were the masters. And pleased to have figured out the division of labour down at the building site, he poured himself another cup of coffee, which he drank leisurely while keeping an eye with the builders.
Refreshed by the coffee, Bjorn felt an urge for nicotine, so he got up and out of the glass cage to smoke a cigarette. The clouds and the wind from the day before had pretty much disappeared, and the sun was shining down on the melting snow by the road side. A faint trickle of moving water could be heard everywhere, and the air was full of freshness and a sense of expectation. It was almost a shame to light up a cigarette in all this freshness, but on the other hand, the contrast between the sharp taste of the smoke and the mild crispness of the spring air was quite invigorating too.
The arctic summer, short and fragile, was on its way, pushing the winter to its side. Standing next to the glass box, with the sun shining down on him, Bjorn could feel how the warmth of the sun lifted his spirit, as by magic. But a cloud was drifting in from the west and would soon come between him and the sun, and that would be the end of the summery sensation. Another few minutes of sun, and then it would be gone for at least half an hour, judging by the size of the cloud and the speed that it was moving.
Wanting to keep the optimistic feeling of summer, and not wait for the cloud to spoil it with its bitter reminder of how fragile the summer will be, even at its warmest, Bjorn decided to go back into the glass cage while the sun was still bright. But just as he was about to enter, he heard a distant clatter from the south, which he immediately recognized as the sound of a snow clearing truck pushing a heavy plow in front of it, and curious to see it, he turned away from the door, ignoring the sudden chill that came with the sun disappearing behind the cloud.
Bjorn caught a first glimpse of the truck as it appeared from behind a hill, up the valley to Neiden. But it was soon gone again, and for a while, even the clatter of the plow was gone. Then the clatter reappeared, followed by the truck, now heading straight down towards the check point. Bjorn liftet his hand to greet the trucker the moment he could see him through the windshield, and the trucker responded by honking his horn.
The truck made a wide turn on the parking lot up by the barracks without reducing the speed by much. The trucker waved to Bjorn as he did this. Then, honking his horn again, he headed back towards Neiden.
Refreshed by the coffee, Bjorn felt an urge for nicotine, so he got up and out of the glass cage to smoke a cigarette. The clouds and the wind from the day before had pretty much disappeared, and the sun was shining down on the melting snow by the road side. A faint trickle of moving water could be heard everywhere, and the air was full of freshness and a sense of expectation. It was almost a shame to light up a cigarette in all this freshness, but on the other hand, the contrast between the sharp taste of the smoke and the mild crispness of the spring air was quite invigorating too.
The arctic summer, short and fragile, was on its way, pushing the winter to its side. Standing next to the glass box, with the sun shining down on him, Bjorn could feel how the warmth of the sun lifted his spirit, as by magic. But a cloud was drifting in from the west and would soon come between him and the sun, and that would be the end of the summery sensation. Another few minutes of sun, and then it would be gone for at least half an hour, judging by the size of the cloud and the speed that it was moving.
Wanting to keep the optimistic feeling of summer, and not wait for the cloud to spoil it with its bitter reminder of how fragile the summer will be, even at its warmest, Bjorn decided to go back into the glass cage while the sun was still bright. But just as he was about to enter, he heard a distant clatter from the south, which he immediately recognized as the sound of a snow clearing truck pushing a heavy plow in front of it, and curious to see it, he turned away from the door, ignoring the sudden chill that came with the sun disappearing behind the cloud.
Bjorn caught a first glimpse of the truck as it appeared from behind a hill, up the valley to Neiden. But it was soon gone again, and for a while, even the clatter of the plow was gone. Then the clatter reappeared, followed by the truck, now heading straight down towards the check point. Bjorn liftet his hand to greet the trucker the moment he could see him through the windshield, and the trucker responded by honking his horn.
The truck made a wide turn on the parking lot up by the barracks without reducing the speed by much. The trucker waved to Bjorn as he did this. Then, honking his horn again, he headed back towards Neiden.
Monday, January 6, 2014
17
Bjorn sat down in the office chair in front of the control panel, put his thermos on a small ledge by the window in front of him, and felt immediately at ease as he gazed out at the panoramic view of the fjord, with snow capped alpine mountains rising up from the icy marsh land on the other side.
Lundby, partially hidden from view by two low hills shielding it from the weather on either side, looked positively idyllic with houses scattered in a seemingly random fashion on the barren rocks, between which a road could be seen, with the occasional car driving by. The pace of life in the village, which Bjorn derived solely from the cars coming and going, seemed neither stressful nor sedated. From the distance, everything looked both normal and peaceful.
The port, completely hidden from view by a hill to the east could nevertheless be detected due to the regular comings and goings of the ferry. And there was almost always a little rush of cars driving by, down by the fjord, every twenty minutes after a ferry arrival. People were coming and going, and the woman that Bjorn had briefly talked to on the ferry was probably not the only one doing business in the village. Some of the cars coming in from the port were fairly large trucks, clearly carrying goods of various kinds.
Having spent some time taking in the initial impression from the commanding view of the glass panelled office, Bjorn leant back in the chair with a mug of hot coffee in his hand, letting his eyes wander freely in search of things of interest. With the road to Neiden still blocked by snow, there was no chance of anyone coming up to the checkpoint, unless in an errand for the checkpoint itself, so there was literally nothing for Bjorn to do but to let his mind wander with his gaze.
The view both barren and motionless, made any motion draw immediate attention to itself, and two cranes, partially hidden by the near hill between the check point and Lundby, drew Bjorn´s attention every time they made an occasional turn, and so did cars coming and going on the bits of road visible from the check point, as did a mobile crane getting into place at a building site down by the fjord, at the near side of the hill obscuring the view of Lundby.
It soon became intensely sleep inducing to just sit and watch the view, and Bjorn realized he had to entertain his mind in order not to nod off with his wandering eyes and mind. He decided to scrutinize the building site down by the fjord, and lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes to take a closer look. By the look of it, the building being erected was some sort of low apartment building, and the site was very busy with people, many of whom did not seem to have much else to do than to carry materials from one place to another. Others, presumably more skilled workers, were busy finishing the ground floor façade, while others were putting in place scaffolding higher up.
Everything seemed to be happening all at once, and looking through the large openings, still without doors or windows, people could be seen in the light of harsh incandescent lamps, tiding up and getting started on the interior. For every skilled worker, there seemed to be at least five people busy sweeping floors and carrying stuff around, and Bjorn got a strong feeling that what he was witnessing was nothing less than modern day slavery. The only thing missing was any sign of armed guards. And the slaves did not seem as discouraged as he would have expected. They did not work excessively hard. But they did not seem to drag their feet either.
Lundby, partially hidden from view by two low hills shielding it from the weather on either side, looked positively idyllic with houses scattered in a seemingly random fashion on the barren rocks, between which a road could be seen, with the occasional car driving by. The pace of life in the village, which Bjorn derived solely from the cars coming and going, seemed neither stressful nor sedated. From the distance, everything looked both normal and peaceful.
The port, completely hidden from view by a hill to the east could nevertheless be detected due to the regular comings and goings of the ferry. And there was almost always a little rush of cars driving by, down by the fjord, every twenty minutes after a ferry arrival. People were coming and going, and the woman that Bjorn had briefly talked to on the ferry was probably not the only one doing business in the village. Some of the cars coming in from the port were fairly large trucks, clearly carrying goods of various kinds.
Having spent some time taking in the initial impression from the commanding view of the glass panelled office, Bjorn leant back in the chair with a mug of hot coffee in his hand, letting his eyes wander freely in search of things of interest. With the road to Neiden still blocked by snow, there was no chance of anyone coming up to the checkpoint, unless in an errand for the checkpoint itself, so there was literally nothing for Bjorn to do but to let his mind wander with his gaze.
The view both barren and motionless, made any motion draw immediate attention to itself, and two cranes, partially hidden by the near hill between the check point and Lundby, drew Bjorn´s attention every time they made an occasional turn, and so did cars coming and going on the bits of road visible from the check point, as did a mobile crane getting into place at a building site down by the fjord, at the near side of the hill obscuring the view of Lundby.
It soon became intensely sleep inducing to just sit and watch the view, and Bjorn realized he had to entertain his mind in order not to nod off with his wandering eyes and mind. He decided to scrutinize the building site down by the fjord, and lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes to take a closer look. By the look of it, the building being erected was some sort of low apartment building, and the site was very busy with people, many of whom did not seem to have much else to do than to carry materials from one place to another. Others, presumably more skilled workers, were busy finishing the ground floor façade, while others were putting in place scaffolding higher up.
Everything seemed to be happening all at once, and looking through the large openings, still without doors or windows, people could be seen in the light of harsh incandescent lamps, tiding up and getting started on the interior. For every skilled worker, there seemed to be at least five people busy sweeping floors and carrying stuff around, and Bjorn got a strong feeling that what he was witnessing was nothing less than modern day slavery. The only thing missing was any sign of armed guards. And the slaves did not seem as discouraged as he would have expected. They did not work excessively hard. But they did not seem to drag their feet either.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)