Rituals by Margit Sandemo

Author:Margit Sandemo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jentas A/S
Published: 2019-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Judge Snivel returned after a week in Sarpsborg.

He hadn’t exactly lost weight since the previous year when he had had to watch his nephew lose a case against that awful girl at Elistrand! That little tart he couldn’t get rid of. But he was sure to get even with her someday. He would annihilate her. Then he alone would finally reign over Gråstensholm Parish.

The parishioners had a peculiar fondness for the loathsome little wretch. They looked up to her and almost dared to defy him, Judge Snivel, because she had them on her side. Descendants of the Ice People! Lord have mercy!

But he knew what it was all about. It wasn’t the girl in whom they had put their faith. It was the man who stood behind her. That preposterous monstrosity was hiding himself somewhere, making it impossible for Snivel to get at him.

The judge burst out of the carriage – he practically had to squeeze himself out. How narrow carriage doors were getting these days! Nothing was as good as it used to be in the old days!

He was bitter and irritable after the journey, and the fact that it was the garden boy and not the stable boy who came to fetch the horse didn’t exactly improve his mood.

“Where is that confounded scoundrel?” Snivel roared. “Doesn’t he know his place?”

“He ran off, my Lord,” the boy stammered. He was so frightened that his teeth – the few that were left – were chattering.

“Ran off? How?” Snivel snarled, staring fixedly at the boy.

“Umm, I don’t know, my Lord.”

Any fool could see that he was lying. But Snivel didn’t have the energy to discuss the matter with that stupid idiot, so he just snorted and went indoors.

As he entered he met the housekeeper, who was somewhat red-eyed.

“Where is my steward? Don’t tell me he’s run off as well?”

“Yes, my Lord,” the housekeeper said. “I’m afraid several of them have disappeared.”

Snivel’s face turned almost purple. “What in the devil’s name is going on? Has everyone gone mad? Or ...?” He began to grow suspicious. “Or have they been bought off? By Elistrand, perhaps?”

“No, my Lord. But strange things have been happening on the Gråstensholm estate. It’s no longer safe to be here.”

“Not safe? What the devil do you mean by that, woman? Out with it!”

“Odd things have taken place, my Lord. The stable boy was the first. He claimed there was a little man sitting on a box laughing at him. And the next day ... the next day there were throngs of ghosts everywhere.”

For a moment the poor housekeeper was certain Snivel had had a stroke because his face had turned black and both his eyes and the veins on his forehead were practically popping out.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life! Ghosts! And he believed it?”

“Not just him, my Lord. A strange woman wouldn’t leave the steward in peace. She became inappropriate. And one of the kitchen maids ...”

“No, I don’t want to hear another word!” the judge roared as he strode into the drawing room.

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