Fire (55 page)

‘So you were driven by a desire for revenge?’ Alexander asks.

‘Yes, but not that alone. I had been given an opportunity to make life seem a little fairer. I took the chance. And I believe you would have done the same in my shoes, all of you. At heart, you know you would have.’

Vanessa looks straight at the judges, but they appear to be utterly indifferent, almost bored. The Council despises weakness. Why be merciful to someone like Anna-Karin?

‘Call it what you like,’ Alexander says. ‘The facts of the matter are that you used your powers for personal gain and, by doing so, you broke the law of the Council. The case against you is more damning since you are one of the mythical Chosen Ones. Your responsibility is therefore greater than that of others.’

Now that she knows he ranks the Chosen Ones somewhere on a level with Santa Claus, she easily picks up the contempt in his voice.

‘Do you admit that you broke the law of the Council?’ Alexander asks.

‘When we spoke in Kärrgruvan, you said yourself that I could not be held responsible for what I did before I knew of the Council’s law. I didn’t know which law applied to us.’

He cannot hide a slight smile.

‘True, you did not know. Not initially. But later, you were informed by Adriana Lopez, isn’t that so?’

He so loves doing this, Vanessa thinks. He is utterly convinced that he has got Anna-Karin in the bag. Certain that we can’t get out of this hole. He is ready to show the Santas who is in charge.

‘Yes.’

‘And why did you continue to use your powers afterwards?’

Time now to go for the big lie. The lie everything depends on. Vanessa hardens her mind and body once more, in readiness for her punishment, for a great, piercing wave of pain.

‘I did not continue,’ she says. ‘As soon as I was told, I stopped.’

She feels nothing.

Well, something. A little tingle of triumphant delight.

Over at the prosecution’s table, Viktor goes pale. The whispering in the audience dies down when an old man on the judges’ table raises his hand to demand silence.

‘I must ask you to try and think carefully,’ Alexander says between his teeth. ‘When did you stop using your magic powers inappropriately?’

‘As soon as I was told that it was forbidden,’ Vanessa says. ‘When Adriana Lopez told us who she is. And who we are. And what the Council is. She told me right there and then that I must stop using magic.’

She pauses dramatically and looks at Alexander.

‘So of course I did. Stop, that is.’

‘She is lying,’ Alexander says.

‘How could I? You’ve worked quite hard to prevent it.’

‘During the preparatory hearings, my assistant, Viktor Ehrenskiöld, definitely registered that you lied when you made this same statement.’

‘I have no idea what I’m supposed to say about that,’ Vanessa remarks calmly, while looking straight at Viktor. ‘Maybe you had one of your off-days?’

Linnéa titters and Vanessa doesn’t dare to look at her for fear she too might start laughing.

‘Your family barn burned down,’ Alexander goes on. ‘And you’re aware that the fire was magic, aren’t you?’

‘I am now, because you told me during the interrogation,’ Vanessa points out. ‘But when it happened I had no idea.’

Alexander’s eyes narrow.

‘Are you sure of this?’

‘I don’t know what you want me to say. But I won’t lie. I know what the consequences are.’

Alexander comes closer. He is furious. About to explode.

Good, Vanessa thinks. You’re showing yourself up more and more in front of everyone you want to impress.

‘Have you ever experimented with magic without the supervision of the Council?’

‘No.’

‘She’s lying!’ Alexander exclaims and turns towards the judges again. ‘I don’t know how she’s doing it, but she is!’

Adriana stands up and starts to speak.

‘Your Honours, with all due respect, I did point out from the beginning that this trial is a waste of your precious time. As you can observe for yourselves, Anna-Karin is innocent of the charges made against her. I must add that, in my view, Prosecutor Ehrenskiöld is harassing the defendant to attempt to prove his baseless assumptions. I hereby request
that this trial is declared invalid.’

The dinosaurs on the stage turn to each other and have a mumbling exchange. Then the woman in the red suit looks straight at Alexander.

‘We concede that this is a most unexpected turn of events,’ she says in her sharp voice. ‘But this trial will continue. Does the defence have any questions for the defendant?’

‘No, Your Honour,’ Adriana says. ‘I deem that to be unnecessary.’

‘In that case, I now call Ida Holmström to the witness stand,’ Alexander says. Then he adds, with a furious glance at Vanessa, ‘You may stand down.’

Minoo looks at the closed shutters and wonders if it is dark outside yet. Inside the courtroom, time seems to have ceased to exist.

Linnéa is sitting on the witness chair now. She is the last of the Chosen Ones to be called for questioning. And she sails through it, just as the others have. Even Minoo.

As the day passes, the atmosphere in the courtroom has changed noticeably. The members of the Council are tired and fed up. The judges look increasingly impatient. That, in turn, makes Alexander more and more stressed. Makes him spit out his questions. Viktor is sitting silently at the prosecutor’s table. He is staring blankly into the middle distance, as if he cannot, will not, believe what is happening.

Minoo has worked out how this has come about. It is thanks to that side effect of the body exchange, the short-circuiting of their magic, that lying is possible. When they swapped bodies, their powers were lost. They have no elements that can be turned against them.

‘Thank you, Vanessa,’ Alexander says finally. ‘You may stand down.’

And wordlessly, Linnéa gets up and walks past him, so close that she almost touches him before going to sit down next to Minoo.

Alexander goes to speak quietly with Viktor for a while.

One of the old men at the judges’ table coughs repeatedly, loud barking noises that echo in the otherwise silent room.

‘Your Honours,’ Alexander begins again. ‘I would like to call one additional witness.’

Clearly irritated, the white-haired woman in the centre of the row of judges looks at him.

‘Do try to be quick,’ she says and Alexander nods.

‘I hereby call Adriana Lopez to the witness stand,’ he says.

Minoo is suddenly wide awake. Adriana knows everything. And she cannot lie.

The chairs behind Minoo start to squeak and scrape as the Council members come back to life. Now they are stretching and whispering excitedly.

Minoo never even imagined that Anna-Karin’s defence advocate would herself be heard. Terrified, she stares at Adriana.

But Adriana looks quite calm as she walks towards the witness chair and sits down. Then, just as calmly, she scans the audience. Waits.

‘Can you confirm that you are Adriana Lopez, sent to Engelsfors on behalf of the Council in order to investigate the prophecy of the Chosen Ones?’

‘Yes, I can,’ she says and meets her brother’s gaze.

‘And that you will be speaking the truth during these proceedings?’

‘Yes.’

Anna-Karin grabs hold of Minoo’s arm and Minoo feels her nails through the sleeve of her sweater.

‘Last autumn, you reported certain suspicions concerning Anna-Karin Nieminen. You believed that she misused her
powers, even though you had informed her about the law of the Council?’

‘Yes.’

‘In other words, she has been lying to the court?’

‘No,’ Adriana replies.

Minoo realises that she has been holding her breath ever since Adriana sat down, but she is almost too scared to let the air out again, in case she is heard to sigh with relief.

Alexander stands with his back to Minoo, but his body language is easy to read all the same. This was his last option. His last hope. And now it’s gone.

But how is this possible? Minoo wonders. How can Adriana lie?

‘I reported my suspicions,’ Adriana continues. ‘But I had no proof, at any time. And neither do you.’

Is there a hint of a smile tweaking one corner of her mouth?

‘Adriana Lopez,’ Alexander says. ‘Are you loyal to the Council?’

‘Yes, I am. Always.’

Alexander stands very still. The room is so silent the faint humming in the ventilation shaft is audible.

‘Since your arrival in Engelsfors, have your reports to the Council always been honest?’

‘I believe, Alexander, that my previous answer is sufficient. I am completely loyal to the Council.’

‘That is all for today,’ the leading judge pronounces. ‘I have heard enough. We will deliberate and announce the verdict tomorrow.’

When they finally leave the manor house, the evening air almost gives Minoo an oxygen high. It also makes her even more aware how much she longs for a smoke. She finds the packet in Linnéa’s bag and lights a cigarette.

‘Please, may I have one, too?’ Adriana asks. Amazed, Minoo looks at her.

‘Of course,’ she says and holds out the packet.

‘I’m worn out,’ Vanessa says.

‘It’s been such a long day,’ Adriana says and puts her hand on Vanessa’s arm. ‘Especially for you, Anna-Karin.’

‘Long, but a success from beginning to end,’ Linnéa says.

‘Yes, really,’ Adriana says and lights up. ‘And I don’t want to know how it was done.’

She and Minoo drag on their cigarettes. Adriana must never know how they managed to get through the trial. She is already in possession of far too much information that could become dangerous for her.

‘And we don’t want you to tell us either,’ Minoo says to Adriana.

It’s not true. She would dearly like to know more.

‘What happens tomorrow?’ Vanessa asks.

‘I doubt that Alexander will want to carry on with the prosecution,’ Adriana says and looks fondly at her. ‘He won’t care to risk making even more of an ass of himself. The case will be closed. They have no proof.’

Viktor comes out and stands at the top of the steps. When he catches sight of them, his eyes darken to the deepest blue. As he walks towards them, Minoo feels triumph sparkle inside her.

‘Well, congratulations,’ he says and looks at Linnéa. ‘You won. You humiliated us totally, just as you said you would. You didn’t lie that time, anyway.’

Linnéa grins while she twists a strand of Vanessa’s blonde hair.

‘How did you do it?’ Viktor asks.

‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,’ Minoo tells him.

‘Linnéa, listen,’ he says plaintively and looks at her. ‘I saved your life.’

‘And for that, I’m very grateful to you,’ Minoo replies.

‘You presumably don’t know either how they managed it?’ Viktor says and turns to Adriana.

‘No, Viktor. I truly don’t know.’

He stares at Adriana, and Minoo realises that he is reading her mind, trying to catch her out in a lie.

‘And how did you do it?’ he asks.

Not a muscle moves in Adriana’s face.

Viktor sighs, turns away so abruptly that the gravel crunches under his heels and walks back into the house.

‘Alexander must hate us by now,’ Linnéa says with a little laugh.

‘He certainly will,’ Adriana replies gravely. ‘You’ve humiliated him and Viktor in front of some of the most influential members of the Council. He will want to restore his reputation above all. I think it is over for now, though, and I feel hugely relieved and happy. But I know Alexander will be biding his time.’

‘We won’t ever be free of him, is that it?’ Anna-Karin asks.

‘For now, I’m sure we are free of him,’ Adriana says and a cautious smile suddenly emerges. ‘There’s nothing left for him to do in Engelsfors.’

Minoo looks at the others, takes in their relief. She wishes she could feel the same. But she hasn’t had any opportunity to tell them about her dream.

After the trial you must identify and then stop the Blessed One
.

Time is running out.

Minoo feels it is very peculiar to be in her own room together with all the other Chosen Ones. Most peculiar of all, to see herself sit on her bed. Actually, it’s unpleasant to think that Ida has slept in that bed for the last two nights. Minoo hadn’t even had time to hide her diary. She can only hope that Ida has had enough distractions recently to keep her from snooping.

Minoo has just told them about her dream and the task that Matilda gave them.

‘Now, we at least have something to go by. We know that the person who controlled Diana is no ordinary witch, but someone blessed by the demons,’ Vanessa says. ‘We can’t be sure, of course, but Positive Engelsfors seems like a good place to start looking.’

‘Minoo! Any chance of giving me a hand?’ Minoo’s father calls from the kitchen.

Ida pulls her fingers through Minoo’s hair so vigorously Minoo worries it might come off. Ida glances anxiously at her.

‘I’ll come along too,’ Minoo says and they go downstairs together.

Dad is standing at the cooker, wiping his forehead on his shirtsleeve. Then he bends to sniff the steam rising from the saucepan.

Minoo has missed him. Not only these last two days while she lived Linnéa’s life. Her sense of loss has been with her for longer than that. Ever since the time when everything was peaceful and normal at home. Before the rows. Before Mum moved away.

She wishes she could hug him this minute. Tell him how much she loves him. Obviously, it’s out of the question. He would think Linnéa had gone quite mad.

‘Almost done now,’ he says. ‘Minoo, would you lay the table?’

Minoo points discreetly at the cupboard where they keep the guest china. Ida opens it and takes out plates.

‘Let me help,’ Minoo says.

She picks six glasses from the right shelf.

‘Good to have all these people eating with us,’ Dad says and drains the potato pan. ‘I’ve looked forward to this, you know. You can tell the rest of them to come down now.’

Ida calls up the stairs. Minoo distributes the cutlery while the others get seated. When Dad finally sits down, he has placed a still-steaming oven roast, potatoes, gravy, and a bowl of salad on the table. It looks so nice, Minoo can hardly keep her fingers off it, but Linnéa sends her a warning glance.