She sat dumb and looked in wonderment at the kettle
and coffee pot; at the fire and smoke; at the Lapp men and Lapp women;
at the children and dogs; the walls and floor; the coffee cups and
tobacco pipes; the multi-coloured costumes and crude implements. All
this was new to her.
Suddenly she lowered her glance, conscious that every one in the tent
was looking at her. Soederberg must have said something about her, for
now both Lapp men and Lapp women took the short pipes from their mouths
and stared at her in open-eyed wonder and awe. The Laplander at her side
patted her shoulder and nodded, saying in Swedish, "bra, bra!" (good,
good!) A Lapp woman filled a cup to the brim with coffee and passed it
under difficulties, while a Lapp boy, who was about her own age,
wriggled and crawled between the squatters over to her.
Osa felt that Soederberg was telling the Laplanders that she had just
buried her little brother, Mats. She wished he would find out about her
father instead.
The elf had said that he lived with the Lapps, who camped west of Lake
Luossajaure, and she had begged leave to ride up on a sand truck to seek
him, as no regular passenger trains came so far. Both labourers and
foremen had assisted her as best they could. An engineer had sent
Soederberg across the lake with her, as he spoke Lappish.
Pages:
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543