Massacre in Norway by Stian Bromark & Hon Khiam Leong

Author:Stian Bromark & Hon Khiam Leong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Published: 2014-12-10T16:00:00+00:00

11

Disco Is Canceled

The AUF members are gathered in the cafeteria building. People sit and stand close to each other, stretching from the main hall through the little hall and out into the long corridor. Body heat from hundreds of young people causes the air to turn sluggish and humid in the building. The windows go from slightly ajar to wide open. It’s with a knot in his stomach that Eskil Pedersen climbs onto the elevated stage in the main hall. No one has fully confirmed that the explosion was caused by a bomb. The leaders don’t know any more than the other youngsters, who have been able to obtain information via their laptops and smartphones. Eskil shares his concerns with the others on Utøya: that those closest to them could be affected; that Norway will become a different country if it turns out there’s a premeditated, political decision behind the explosion; that Norway will in any case have a tough time if civil servants, secretaries, and ministers have lost their lives in a gas explosion. The last thing Eskil saw before he went to the main hall was the web page from an online newspaper in the editing room of Planet Utøya. On the PC screen were large black letters: “Stoltenberg is injured.”

Eskil’s face is pale, his eyes are glazed, and he is clearly trembling. He says that there has been an explosion in the government quarter, that the surrounding buildings are damaged, and that no one knows whether it was a bomb or a gas explosion. He tells the youngsters what he knows while taking care not to provoke fanciful speculations. But the AUF’S leader has to make an effort to put his words in the correct order. Utøya’s camp administrator is more comforting with her responsible, determined voice. The forty-five-year-old is said to be authoritative but fair. She has done everything on the island, from replacing door frames to feeding the youngsters. She has defied the ice in winter and dealt with liquidity crises. She has served prime ministers waffles when they arrived and sandwiches before they left. The youngsters couldn’t be in better hands. “We are in the safest place there is—on a desert island on Lake Tyri. We will grill sausages, we will get the news on the big screen, and we will eat all the goodies we have on the island.” She reckons there should be one or two sausages for each person. It’s her last summer on the island; she has been the administrator for over twenty years. Starting in the fall, she will be the director of the Norwegian Maritime Museum. A big farewell and thank-you party has already been planned.

When Stine Renate Håheim found out that the High Rise was most likely to have been the worst affected in the government quarter, she became worried. As a member of the Justice Committee, she has become close to the minister and the political leadership. Stine Renate sends a text message to the committee’s

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