Everyone watches him, and he shifts back and forth on the heels of his boots in front of me. He is so rough, and yet it was he who thought to protect me when Per did not. “I have something for you, Solveig,” he says. “It is a gift.” I manage a nod. “Can we go inside?” I nod again. We turn and approach the hall. There is an awkward moment standing before the door when Hake clearly wants to open it for me, but he looks at the bundle in his arms. “Let me,” I say, and open it. He steps through, sheepish, and looks around as if to make sure we are alone. It seems we are. Bera and Raudi are out milking the cows in the shed. Asa may be hidden away in our bedcloset, but I’m not sure. Hake sets the bundle on the ground, and I hear a flutter inside. “First, I must confess something to you.” I wait. He clears his throat. “It was I who killed your goat.” I know that, or had guessed it, but his integrity touches me. His voice becomes quieter. “I am sorry for that.
