SUMMARY

The story happens in Reykjavik in 1995; there it begins, and there it ends. The narration flashes back as far as 1943 and flows so that the circle closes, and the beginning and ending run together as one.

The main characters are the couple Violet and John. They live in one of the old and dignified houses on Tjarnargata, across from the Frikirkja Church. They have two children, Paul and Steina. Laura, an au pair, also lives in the house.

The street Frikirkjuvegur, named after the Frikirkja Church, lies along the eastern side of Tjörn Pond. The church along with a few dignified, but not very large, buildings, form a row of buildings which has often caused artists to pause and write poems or paint pictures.

John first saw Violet nearly 20 years ago. Right after he had returned to the country, he had taken a jaunt east of the mountains to meet some people he knew. On his way back to town, he stopped for a while at the greenhouse-restaurant Eden in Hveragerdi to get a cup of coffee.

It is safe to say that John was well brought up. He was raised, as they say, in a God-fearing, moral household where both parents had taken their upbringing roles seriously. They subscribed to the theory that the parents' role was at once magnificent and terrifying; such a role was only possible for those who deeply respected God's creation.

John had enrolled in the Reykjavik Gymnasium right after finishing junior high school. He was industrious and always got the highest grades. Some in his family said that John did not have a very high IQ and certainly one much lower than his friend and classmate, Kalli Sandfeldt, had. However that may be, John got higher grades than Kalli Sandfeldt who just barely scraped through despite a high IQ. On the other hand, this IQ business was a little mysterious.

And it happened just as Kalli Sandfeldt had hinted. Didi Stina moved in with him, and about the time he flew west over the ocean, she had a lovely bulge in front and paraded on high heels down Laugavegur and Bank Street and all the way to Slum Square. When she sensed that men were looking at her, she waggled her ass and smiled teasingly at them.

A year later John came home from America, and Kalli Sandfeldt went to the Keflavik Airport to pick up his dear friend and classmate. When they came into town, they went straight to Freyjagata to Rev. Pauline who took them with open arms. She stood at the top of the steps and kissed John and stroked him all over:

"Oh, you've gotten terrifically cute, dear boy. Let me get a look at you."

By the time for the party, John had changed clothes, gotten out of his red pants and put on shiny, new American-style clothes and a very starched shirt with a large, plaid bow tie. He even had gone to see his parents. Now he had stood for a long time talking to Bertha, his classmate and friend. By nature, Bertha was shy, blushing for the least reason, and she was attractive to men without realizing it. Bertha was rather tall and thin with a mild, graceful smile that she kept behind her eyes. She never used make-up and used only a special cream soap when she bathed to keep her body soft. Bertha, however, was also neurotic. She feared death more than anything and was completely at sea in spiritual matters.

When John returned from the United States, he had a refreshing air about him. He was positive, progressive, and was especially good at finding the right word. Neither did it hurt any that John came from a family respected in the city's business community. His grandfather, Thorsteinn Steinsson, had returned to Iceland from Denmark where he had learned blacksmithing. Shortly after arriving home, he set up a blacksmith shop on the west side of town. It was a direct copy of the blacksmith shops that were operated in Copenhagen and all over Europe in the 19th Century. These were sunken blacksmith shops where wheels of all sizes and shapes, connected by belts vertically, horizontally and diagonally, turned above men's heads and emitted a typical works-whine, and hammers and sledgehammers boomed in smoke and fire-glow from morning till night.

Before John introduced Violet to his parents, he took her?as could be guessed?to see Rev. Pauline on Freyjagata.

She opened the door in her robe, having just gotten out of the bath. She looked at John smiling, went to him and embraced him as was her custom.

Just a few days after they met, John took Violet to see his father at the Smithy.

"You have to meet Dad," he had said to Violet. "I know he's going to like you."

And so it was. Director Stein greeted the girl and looked her over. At first it was not easy to see what he thought, but about the time they were leaving the Director's office, it was clear that John was right because when Violet started to move, glance down and smile, the old man had melted like butter.

It has not yet been mentioned how John persuaded Violet to marry him. There were some preliminaries.

Two days after John met Violet in Hveragerdi, he had called her up to invite her out for dinner and a play afterward. Violet thought this was extremely funny. She called Solla friend to tell her about this slightly cracked chap. Solla friend listened to her and tried to get some information out of her. The only problem was that Violet knew little about the guy. She had nearly forgotten what had happened at the greenhouse-restaurant, but after the call she had started to think it over.

A little past midnight, after the end of the play, they had gone to John's. He had temporarily moved into a three-room apartment in the Thingholt neighborhood.

At this point things started to move quickly. There was no question about John being captivated by Violet, and he had no doubts about her being the woman he wanted to have. They chatted and John followed her every movement as if she were a holy being he might not touch, but only look at. They listened to music, and she whirled freely about the room and was so happy and beautiful that John felt half-paralyzed.

Violet was barely back in the house before she called Solla friend.

"He's fantastic," she said.

"So what happened?" asked Solla friend.

"That's the thing. Nothing, really."

"Did he kiss you?" asked Solla friend.

"Not really."

A few days later John had gotten the message through to Violet that he wanted to marry her; he was serious. But before that he wanted to lay his cards on the table. He told Violet about the girls he had slept with, and he spared no details. After that he thought it was time for Violet to tell him about her affairs.

He looked at her expectantly, but still realized that she would lie; down deep he hoped so. He was certain that Violet had been with guys. Anything else was impossible. He remembered very well when he first met her at the flower store with her friend, probably her lover.

A few days before the wedding John's mother, Madame Sigrid, started to think about the prospective daughter-in-law's family and roots. She called people up and thumbed through books and genealogical tables. This research revealed that Violet's father ran a family company up on Bergstadastræti. The family lived on the upper floor of the building, and C&C (Caramels and Creams) was on the ground floor. This operation was not prominent in the city's business community, although, so it seemed, the company was sound and earned the family a good living. Besides Violet, the couple had a daughter, Edith, who was four years older. Madame Sigrid's survey also revealed that Violet's father, Simon Sörenson, better known as Speedy Simon, was none other than the former star athlete, Champion of Iceland, Champion of Europe and nearly World Champion in the noble sport of speed walking. That, of course, was why he had the nickname Speedy Simon.

Various important people from John's group of friends and relatives were invited to the wedding party. Violet's party guests, on the other hand, were few and little known except for Speedy Simon. A few knew him even though his fame had dimmed over the years. Violet herself, at any rate, was queen of the evening and surrounded by admirers. These few souls of Violet's, including her parents, stood more or less like gatecrashers near doors and windows and suffered like social hermits. Even though Violet had the best intentions, she had not the slightest chance of improving things since she was in fact smothered by admirers.

In Rev. Pauline's living room they sat and chatted and smiled and laughed. Solla friend and Rev. Pauline smoked cigarettes and blew smoke up into the chandelier that hung over the round living room table.

It was obvious that Rev. Pauline really belonged in this company. She had a large group of friends, and in her opinion all her friends were excellent people. She liked her liquor, but took care not to let it affect her work. Her rule was: never a drink in the morning.

You could say John and Violet's wedding night was traditional. Violet slept until well past ten. By then John had showered, fried bacon and eggs and made coffee. He had also laid the table and put a glass vase with roses on it. Then he went into Violet, kissed her and invited her to breakfast. She whisked into the shower, put on a light robe and went into the dining room.

After discussing their sex life, Violet gradually became convinced that something had to be done. She listened to John and hoped that he could solve the problem.

"I knew a girl," said John, and Violet listened. "This was when I was in the United States." John had gotten an apartment on the first floor of an old wooden house on Bernard Circle. He studied hard as always, was popular and active in the campus social life. On the upper floor lived a young couple with three children. The oldest was a nine-year-old boy and, then, twin girls aged three. The husband, tall and thin, was named Tom LaTendre. He was in his last year of engineering. His wife's name was Merilyn and had the same last name, LaTendre.

It was just past midnight. He crept up the stairs and stopped in front of the door into Merilyn's apartment. He listened and was nervous. He wore his bathrobe. He gripped the doorknob. When he felt the door open, his excitement grew, and he felt strange inside. A thought flashed through his mind that he was committing a sacrilege, that he was an insignificant wretch who was taking advantage of his situation to wound and injure a person who did not deserve it. The next moment he was convinced that she had understood him and would receive him. She probably was expecting him to come, would even be disappointed if he did not come.

The next evening she came down to him. She knocked lightly on the door. He opened and she went in.

"Could I offer you a drink," he said.

"Yes, please," she said, sitting down.

He went out to the kitchen and mixed two drinks. Then he came back and sat down facing her.

"I knew you would come," she said.

Once Tom had called Merilyn from the airport and asked her to pick him up. When the phone rang, John was with her, and they were making love. "Just a sec," she said to John as she stretched for the receiver. While she talked to Tom, John continued stroking her nude body.

"I'll be there in 45 minutes," she said and put down the receiver. Then they continued their lovemaking to mutual orgasm.

Violet listened to what John said about Merilyn. "Did you love her?" she asked.

"Yes, in a way."

She looked at him and asked, sounding a little childlike: "What did she have?"

John smiled. "I think she had what every healthy person does."

"What?"

One day Solla friend called up Violet and suggested they go see the psychic healer, Brandur Brandsson, who was advertising family counseling and relaxation. When they had told Brandur Brandsson about the problem, he sent them away, saying that Violet should bring John, and that Solla friend had nothing to do with the matter.

Violet had barely arrived home when the phone rang. It was Solla friend.

"Just let me take off my coat," said Violet and let Solla friend wait a while. Before picking up the phone again, she went into the kitchen and got a glass of sherry.

"Well, what did he say?" asked Solla friend blatantly curious.

When Violet next went to an appointment with Brandur Brandsson, she got the feeling that she was experiencing something new and magnificent. She was seated on the sofa when the side door opened and the psychic healer walked in. He greeted Violet and got up on his chair in front of her. He did not start talking right away, but then said: "You are not just a mammal, Violet, you are also a soul. The body is little and limited, but the soul is large. These two things, the body and soul, we call a person."

By the time Violet went to her last appointment with Brandur Brandsson, many things had surfaced, some of which Violet had never thought about and had even forgotten. One thing caught the psychic healer's attention, something Violet thought totally unremarkable. When she and John were making love, and they were both nude, and John stroked her breasts and thighs, it tickled her so much that that it wrecked everything. At that point, the psychic healer asked whether she had ever been raped.

Although Kalli Sandfeldt had had a hard time getting through the Reykjavik Gymnasium, he steadily picked up steam which indicates that he actually had as high an IQ as people said. Now Kalli Sandfeldt had three children with his Didi Stina while John and Violet had only had one (that is, Paul). This was, in other words, before Steina was born. Didi Stina blossomed. No matter where you looked, she was a model person?a complete genius and a bulldozer in getting things done. As a registered nurse, she was number one in the Surgery Department, and if friends or relatives got colic, they called Didi Stina. If someone had to give a party, they yelled for Didi Stina. Then there were the children; they always looked as if they came out of fashion magazines. And their behavior?yes, indeed!

One day when Didi Stina had a day off at the hospital, Maggi, the fisherman, came by with some fish. She called him Cod-biter and thought the nickname was terrific. They had known each other since they were kids. He grew up with his mother who lived directly across the street from the house where Didi Stina's foster parents lived. He was always a bit of a boozer, splendidly careless, but otherwise a fine fellow. He quit school before finishing compulsory education and worked here and there. Then he got married?divorced?then married again and divorced again.

Director Stein was among the fourteen Icelanders in 1985 selected to receive the highest honor in Iceland, the Knight's Cross. In the evening there was a party at the Director's home. Besides the regular guests, there were a few well-known individuals from the ranks of the employers, two bank directors, four board chairmen for government companies and two or three minor politicians.

It was also news at the party when Kalli Sandfeldt showed up at the party with his assistant, Pia Leifs. This surprised several guests and resulted, among other things, in Rev. Pauline seeing a reason to take Kalli Sandfeldt by the arm and push him into the bathroom where she read him the riot act.

"You just don't do such a thing," she said, but Kalli Sandfeldt did not seem to grasp the seriousness of the matter.

Solla friend was thin, but she had padding on her hips that God had given her in her genes, but which had not started to grow much before she was 20 months into puberty. These pads of flesh and blood which were thus situated on the woman's hips had quite some effect on men, causing them to notice her, especially at swimming pools. Solla friend was unusually tall?six feet, four inches.

When Solla friend stood in front of the house and looked at all her possessions, it immediately occurred to her to call her true friend, Violet. She got to use the phone next door, and shortly Violet came with a truck from C&C. They got the stuff into the truck and drove over to Violet's parents. There, at her parent's place, Violet put up Solla friend for the next few days until Solla got an apartment in Solheimar.

A little after Solla friend had gotten settled in her Solheimar apartment, Violet dropped in. Solla friend had arranged all her earthly possessions; she had lit candles and incense, and there they sat and drank tea and ate crackers with cheese and marmalade.

John's birthday was on Iceland's Independence Day, June 17. Then Violet held a dinner party, always inviting the same guests: Didi Stina and her husband Kalli Sandfeldt, and John's parents, Madame Sigrid and Director Stein.

Somehow the tradition had developed that at the end of the dinner party, John and Kalli Sandfeldt took a walk up to Freyjagata to Rev. Pauline. After the appropriate kisses and signs of friendship which always accompanied a visit to Rev. Pauline, they settled into the living room with a drink, and Rev. Pauline spewed cigarette smoke into the air.

A little after John and Kalli Sandfeldt had left the dinner party, the Director and his wife thanked their hostess and went home. Violet and Didi Stina were left alone to drink coffee and cognac. They liked each other. And as was to be expected, Didi Stina immediately started to talk about her marriage.

"Of course he's playing around; everyone in town knows it. It won't be long before there are stories in the local tabloids."

"But, Didi Stina! You're no angel yourself."

It had never occurred to Kalli Sandfeldt that something was wrong with his marriage. Didi Stina certainly had pestered him because of this rumor that he was having an affair with Pia Leifs. And although he had been pinching the woman a little down there where they worked underwater, it did not seem much of a reason for risk to his marriage. It was not until Rev. Pauline, on John's birthday, had raised the possibility that Didi Stina, perhaps, had gotten tired of him and, for that reason, had taken a lover. Kalli Sandfeldt always had regarded that as a completely remote possibility. It was more accurate to say that it never had occurred to him. He had half-listened when Didi Stina was joking about her friendship with Cod-biter, but that anything serious lay behind it, that was ridiculous.

A few days later Didi Stina called Violet and told her what had happened.

"You know, Violet, I've been thinking a lot about Cod-biter."

"What do you mean?"

"He's such a good guy. I really want to do something for him."

"Where are you headed?"

"Don't laugh. Promise?"

The next time Cod-biter brought fish to Didi Stina, she called Violet and Solla friend. When they arrived, Didi Stina had told Cod-biter what was up. First, she strictly forbid him to lust for Violet; that would spoil things. Solla, on the other hand, was a single, upbeat girl whom he would certainly like.

At first Cod-biter was a little shaky. When alone with Didi Stina, he was sure of himself, but with these other two women around, he was insecure, and his self-confidence was at a low ebb.

About the time Didi Stina and her husband were getting ready for bed, the phone rang. It was Solla friend. She told Didi Stina that Cod-biter had fallen asleep.

"Is he there with you?"

"Yes, of course."

"And?"

"Nothing much."

As mentioned before, Director Stein was a many-talented man and man of the house. After he hired Bertha as his personal secretary, various things got out of hand. Or, so it seemed to Madame Sigrid.

Director Stein, on the other hand, found it difficult to understand his wife when she complained that he was unusually heedful of the personal secretary's various interests.

The day after Director Stein returned from a successful trade exhibition in Tokyo, a long interview with him appeared in the daily newspaper, Morgunbladid. The interview revealed that the Director had signed one of the biggest private agreements ever made in the country. The news, which filled a double-page spread, included a large picture of the Director signing the agreement along with some Japanese merchants and representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This was good news.

It is often said that fathers dote more of their daughters than their sons. There is probably something in that. At least it was said of John that he was not himself for many days or weeks after little Steina was born. The birth happened somewhat unexpectedly. According to well-known indicators, the baby should have been born two weeks later than it actually was. This took John completely by surprise.

It had been a full day. The guests had left, and they were alone in the house in the bedroom. He was one of a kind, John. So it seemed to Violet then. What ideas he could get. Sometimes he reminded her of a little boy who wanted to play with her, as if she were a little girl. She, in fact, thought this was great fun and went along with John's ways. It was exactly then that she first got the idea that John was not quite sane, had a screw loose, but she quickly concluded that he was only mildly loony, as it was called.

Then there was Paul. Shortly after he was confirmed, he came down with a nasty flu. This forced him to stay in bed for days on end with a high fever and spells of delirium. But since it was impossible for Violet to care for the lad, John had got an au paire, a girl from the western part of Iceland, the Dala District, to take care of the boy.

Her name was Laura. She was only 17, but she was large and sturdy and also a bit of a bumpkin. Her gait walking along the street caused others to stop to look at her. If asked to describe this gait, one perhaps would say that she bobbed. With each step, it was if her knees buckled. Her arms hung straight down at her sides, with her forearms flapping up at a sharp angle with the elbows. She looked directly ahead, her chin slightly raised and her mouth closed. Thus she walked outside.

Although Steina was not very tall, she was energetic and always asking questions. It will not, then, surprise anyone that she would have worked it out, sooner or later, that her brother Paul and Laura were messing around. Steina had gotten some insight into sex in her Sex Education class at school and knew enough about it to conclude that Paul and Laura were doing something of the kind.

When John, with his singular shrewdness, discovered that his son, Paul, had started to have a regular love life with the domestic help, he called a meeting with Violet to discuss the matter.

"What makes you think so?" asked Violet after he had told her his suspicions.

"I see it on them both."

"He's just a child."

The sisters, Violet and Edith, had little in common in their early years. When Violet reached confirmation age, Edith had moved out of the house, and a few years later she moved abroad and settled in Copenhagen. She had lived there for eight years, when she met Cecil, an Icelandic musician. After a brief acquaintance, she moved in with him. A while after that, they were married. They moved back to Iceland in 1992.

One day Steina came into Paul's room. He sat at his desk reading.

"I don't have any time to talk to you," he said sullenly, but when he saw Steina's expression, he put down his book.: "OK, what is it?"

She had been visiting her grandfather, Speedy Simon, earlier.

She seemed a little insecure.

"Sister dear, what's the matter?" he said

The same day Speedy Simon came over and wanted to speak to Violet. By then Paul had already spoken to her.

Speedy Simon sat in Violet's room.

"You know, Violet, that I can't help myself. This is my curse, it's a disease. Really nothing much happened; I barely touched the girl."

When Paul and Steina came in, Violet was alone, picking up in the living room. She knew immediately what they wanted.

"Let's go up to the office," she said, and they went silently into the little library that John used when he worked at home. Violet locked the door and sat down:

"I know what happened. Now, I want to hear the details." She directed her words to Steina who looked at her brother and then back to her mother. Then, she repeated what she had told Paul earlier that day.

That evening Violet told John. Although Violet tread with the utmost care, it made no difference. John totally lost control. In fact, Violet had to repeat things twice and, sometimes, three times. In addition, he flooded her with questions. Before she had time to answer, he had stormed out the door.

Gudrun Rose opened the door for her son-in-law. John made it into the living room before he called: "Where's the fucking bastard?"

Later in the evening John visited Rev. Pauline. He told her what had happened to Steina and Violet. Rev. Pauline listened, and John had to follow her out to the kitchen while he spoke. She started to make coffee, and she had not said a word even when John stopped talking. She brought the coffee into the living room, put some candy in a dish, some cookies on a plate and tots of cognac into crystal glasses. John was silent, knowing that Rev. Pauline would address the issue when she was ready. They had begun to sip the coffee and the cognac. Rev. Pauline crossed her arms and looked at John: "That's some bomb you've dropped."

For the next few days, John stayed home a lot with Violet. He had also talked to Steina and was grateful to Paul for reacting the way he did. Violet had called up Solla friend to tell her what had happened, and a bit later she told Didi Stina about it.

When Violet mentioned to John that she wanted to go to see Brandur Brandsson again, he was understanding. It was Solla friend who yet again had advised this course.

Brandur Brandsson received Violet with the same friendliness and formality as before. Violet told him what had happened, and the psychic healer listened. When she had finished telling him, he stepped off the chair and crossed the floor and washed his hands. Then he dried them on a little white towel with a yellow and blue fringe and remounted his chair across from Violet.

John and Violet sat in Rev. Pauline's living room. Speedy Simon's case was not well known about town, but was much discussed among the friends in the family's confidence. After they had rid themselves of contempt and contumely, they started to look coolly and deliberately at facts. Everyone agreed that something had to be done. The question was simply what to do, how and when.

John was finishing up the organization of the case. Violet had followed its progress from the start, and the more time that passed, the more convinced she was that her father should be made to answer charges.

Down at the Reykjavik Iron Smithy a place was already prepared for Speedy Simon's trial. It was in a rear building behind the forge. A room had been furnished there where the case of the defendant would be heard. There was another smaller room where the defendant would stay. Speedy Simon had been placed there earlier in the day, and he was kept under strict detention by two men hired by John.

The next day they re-assembled in the court room next to the forge. It was seven o'clock when Rev. Pauline stood up and began to speak. After a short introduction she began to ask the defendant questions which he usually answered immediately:

"Did your wife, Gudrun Rose, know about your sexual relationship with Edith?"

Violet got the job of contacting her sister, Edith, and finding out whether she would come to town and testify. Violet outlined for Edith what had occurred at the family court concerning their father.

They sat in the living room and watched the kids ice-skating out on Tjörn Pond. Violet had served light refreshments, and nothing disturbed them.

The family court's request had a bracing effect on Edith, although the occasion was not exactly uplifting. After they had eaten and chatted a while, Violet turned to the Edith's previous visit. She smiled: "I knew that something was on your mind."

"Yes, right. I just didn't have the courage to to mention it, so I just didn't."

The story of the champion speed walker had its dark side. These dark aspects were never revealed. They occurred in the world of silence. Gudrun Rose knew that her husband had certain emotions to grapple with which she did not think it was a good idea to define. She asked nothing and tried to keep herself on the sunny side where the world champion was triumphant, and where the businessman profited.

The day after Speedy Simon had finished competing in Amsterdam, he took the girls shopping. He bought Slow Suzy a dress, socks and high-heel shoes. Slow Suzy had never worn such shoes. He also bought red lipstick and a few other little things that the girls did not know about. Edith, her father's goddess of fortune, got a dress, shoes and ribbon for her hair.

Although Edith was only seven, she knew various things about her father and Slow Suzy. Her father had told her that Slow Suzy was an orphan to whom he wanted to be nice. Tonight he planned to stay in and play with Slow Suzy, and Edith was supposed to be a part of it. At least she would get to watch.

The next day Speedy Simon took the girls to a movie. When it was over, he took Slow Suzy to one of the best known beauty parlors in the city. That evening the three of them went to a small restaurant near the hotel. They had been seated and Speedy Simon had ordered food. Slow Suzy looked at the people and the decorations on the walls. She took her role as baby-sitter very seriously and followed Edith's every step, played with her and talked to her, answered her questions and read for her.

They were up in their room. Speedy Simon had taken a shower and changed clothes. He had shaved and the fragrance of shaving lotion permeated the room. Edith had started watching television, but Slow Suzy was in the shower by orders from Speedy Simon.

"Do you like fucking Suzy?"

"Yes, I like it a lot."

"Do like it better than fucking Mama?"

 

5

The taxi stopped in front of a private nightclub which Speedy Simon had ensured he could get into. They got out of the car, and Speedy Simon held the girl under the arm as they entered the club and went to the top floor of the building. They were shown to their seats in a special large booth that they had to themselves. In the booth were a table and two chairs, and at one end there was a large, black leather sofa.

5

The taxi stopped in front of a private nightclub which Speedy Simon had ensured he could get into. They got out of the car, and Speedy Simon held the girl under the arm as they entered the club and went to the top floor of the building. They were shown to their seats in a special large booth that they had to themselves. In the booth were a table and two chairs, and at one end there was a large, black leather sofa.

After the visit to club Speedy Simon had gone straight to bed and fallen asleep, but Edith took it upon herself to clean up Slow Suzy because lipstick was smeared all over her face. Speedy Simon woke up two hours later. Then Slow Suzy and Edith were looking at themselves in the mirror and dressing up. Edith had put on Slow Suzy's nightgown and had made up her lips and eyebrows, and she had also put polish on her finger- and toenails. After Speedy Simon had taken a shower, he dressed and sat in front of the television. A little later, Edith came out in red high-heels: "Don't you think I'm elegant?"

Two years later, when Edith was nine, Speedy Simon had deflowered her and was lying with her as with a full-fledged mistress. Most often he lay with her in Slow Suzy's room. Sometimes, he lay with them both at the same time.

Edith had been shown to a seat next to her sister. The defendant sat opposite between the two guards who had watched his every step since the beginning of the trial. Rev. Pauline had taken the floor.

"I want to begin by welcoming Edith. We are very grateful that she could come on such short notice." She directed her words to Edith: "I immediately want to make it clear that you do not have to answer any questions that seem uncomfortable to you. Now, I'll turn to the matter at hand. Do you have any explanation of what happens when a seven-year-old girl is sexually abused by her father."

The defendant had sat through this testimony without protest. He looked at the floor and looked up or raised his eyes only a few times. When Edith came in, he was startled. He clearly had not expected to see her. She had changed greatly, and despite the condemnation he experienced, he appeared nothing if not proud of this daughter of his after all that had happened.

After Edith's testimony, Rev. Pauline turned again to Speedy Simon.

Simon Sörenson, the elder, was usually called Simon Sör*. He had been a respected farmer, sexton and District Council Chairman. His wife, Peace, was very religious and had been in the Salvation Army when she was younger and living in Reykjavik. Peace was short and wore the national costume as was common then.

It was Sunday, and the sexton stood before the altar, in front of the congregation, and read. He spewed out the words hurriedly, reading without pause, took a breath and spewed again until he had finished the reading:

"Lordiamcom intothy'oly 'ouse

to praisancal?pon thee,

andto?ear what you God-Father-Creator,

You Lorjesus, my Saviour,

Wantosaytome, wi?thy Word."

Later that evening Simon Sör drove Peace out to the barn and ordered their son and Crazy Lou to come along.

"I am going to re-baptise you so that the Holy Ghost can flourish properly."

Then he drove his wife into the barn and ordered her to disrobe. He loosened her bun in back so that the black hair fell down to her shoulders. Then he had the lad pour lukewarm cow urine over the woman.

"Now I hope the Holy Spirit comes over you."

The defendant's statement that the roots of his sick sexual behavior could be traced to his upbringing seemed to surprise some people. When Rev. Pauline asked for questions from the court, Kalli Sandfeldt signaled that he had one:

"I can well imagine that your father's crude behavior affected you, especially since you admired the man, and when he was completely sensible, you say that he was a kind person. But why haven't you gone to a doctor?"

Speedy Simon had listened to Kalli Sandfeldt: "It isn't easy to get treatment for something like this."

A little past noon the next day, a supplementary meeting was held where the sub-committee's proposals were presented and approved. Later in the day, after deciding the judgment, John got Matt jailer and Bjössi-the-nail to assist him in preparing the punishment that was supposed to be carried out at midnight.

When the court re-convened that evening, it became apparent that it was necessary to bring the defendant into the courtroom both bound and gagged. During the night he had made a big commotion. Thus both the bailiffs were needed. After the defendant had been put in his chair and everything seemed to be ready, Rev. Pauline stood up: "I think it's a shame to have to put up with this trouble. I thought the man, who has to answer for his actions, realised the seriousness of the matter and was not given to shenanigans. This is not a play. This is reality."

It was midnight, and now John was in charge. The defendant sat in his chair and was still gagged and fettered. The bailiffs also sat on either side of him and had to hold him down every so often because of commotion.

John spoke: "Now the judgment against Simon Sörenson will be carried out. I ask the bailiffs of the court to loosen the defendant's gag so that he can speak. If he makes a racket, he will be gagged without objection."

It was obvious that the defendant felt better after his gag was loosened. He tried to massage his mouth and licked its corners.

When Speedy Simon came to work at his company more than a week later, you might have thought he had been on a short summer vacation. John and Violet decided to let matters rest there for a while, and Speedy Simon dropped his threats to file a complaint for torture. On the surface, therefore, everything looked calm and smooth, but underneath there was tension and uncertainty.

Speedy Simon sat on the sofa. Brandur Brandsson had taken up his position on the chair opposite him.

"What is a disease, and what is not a disease? What is a cure, and what is not a cure? All this is a game of words. The interplay of body and soul is remarkable. It is said that some men are born geniuses, and that is quite true. But this is a game of words. It is no less true for that. When we play with words, we are finding a costume for our thoughts. It doesn't matter if we call sexual abuse a disease, or not a disease. This addiction can exist, and we can consider how it is possible to get rid of it."

Two months had now passed since Speedy Simon's excommunication, thrashing and branding. Violet had stood for a while at the east window of her house on Tjarnargata and looked at the swans. She looked across Tjörn Pond at Frikirkjuvegur where the traffic had increased and at the peaceful walking path just above the pond's edge where a few souls were strolling. She put down the hair dryer.

At 10 o'clock everyone was there?the entire family court. They were accustomed to being punctual and not let anyone wait on them even though this was an informal meeting.

John and Rev. Pauline had gone up to the office to confer. When they came back down to the living room, the other six had gotten comfortable.

Rev. Pauline circulated with a glass bowl and let those present draw numbered slips. John explained that there was no better procedure than drawing slips.

"As you know, we intend this to be very informal. The family court that we established has finished its task."

About the time that the guests were getting ready to leave, something unexpected happened to upset them somewhat.

It was what Didi Stina pointed out about Simon Sör's role.

She had sat down at a table with John and Solla friend.

She was angry and spoke loudly: "If we can justify excommunicating Speedy Simon, then I want to suggest that we do something appropriate to Simon Sör."

Rev. Pauline sat not far away at another table talking to Bertha. She caught a hint of what Didi Stina was saying and, so, moved closer along with Bertha.

The next moment everyone was listening to Didi Stina: "In all of this, I think Simon Sör's part is the ugliest. If anyone deserves to be an outcast and excommunicated, then he does!"