“I—”
Erlendur could not get his answer in.
“They ought to take those men and throw them straight into jail,” Egill continued. “When they’re caught or confess, they ought to be sentenced immediately. They shouldn’t see the light of day until they’ve spent at least ten years inside. But you let them go as if nothing had happened. Is it surprising that everything here’s going to hell? Why do repeat offenders always get such ridiculously light sentences? What is it in our society that produces such a submissive attitude towards criminal scum?”
“It’s the law,” Erlendur said. “It always operates in that lot’s favour.”
“Change it then,” Egill said, agitated.
“I understand you’re against immigrants too,” Erlendur said, accustomed to hearing tirades against Iceland’s lenient sentencing and peculiarly soft treatment of criminals.
“Who says I’m against immigrants?” Egill asked in a surprised voice.
“No one in particular,” Erlendur said.
“Is it because of the meeting the other day?”
“What meeting?”
“I took the liberty of siding with Jonas Hallgrimsson. At a parents” meeting for one of the years here someone proposed singing a few lines of his poem “Iceland, Prosperous Land” with the children. They’d been learning about the poet. Sometimes they teach a bit of sense in this school. A couple of parents started finding fault with the idea, saying that the school was a multicultural society. Like it was racist to sing Icelandic songs. There was a bit of a debate and I spoke up to ask if these people were soft in the head. I think I might have used those very words. Of course, some of them complained to the principal about me. Felt I was being rude. The poor old sod was shaking in his shoes when he talked to me about it. I told him to go ahead and fire me. I’ve taught here for more than a quarter of a century and I’d welcome it if someone would be kind enough to kick me out. I don’t have the balls to get myself out of here.”
Another cigarette appeared in Egill’s huge hand and when Erlendur darted a glance at the lump on his bald head it seemed to be turning red. He took it as a sign that Egill was becoming angry at the very thought of the parents” meeting. Or perhaps it was the quarter century that he felt he had wasted teaching woodwork at the school.
“I’ve got nothing against immigrants,” Egill said, lighting his cigarette. “But I’m against changing everything that’s traditional and Icelandic just to pander to something called multiculturalism, when I don’t even know what it means. I’m against the conservatives too. I’m also against having to sit out here in this wreck of a car to smoke. But what say do I have?”
“It was more than just poetry, I’m led to believe,” Erlendur said. “You made remarks about Asian women that upset people. If I understand correctly you expressed strong antipathy against these women coming to Iceland.”
The bell rang to signal the end of break and the children started to file back into the school. Instead of making a move, Egill sat tight, inhaling the toxic fumes of his cigarette.
“Strong antipathy!” he mimicked Erlendur. “I’ve got nothing against immigrants! Those buggers started arguing with me and I told them what I thought. We’re still allowed to have opinions at least. I said I thought it was terrible, the circumstances under which many of those women come to Iceland. They generally appear to be fleeing appalling poverty and think they can find a better life here. I said something along those lines. I didn’t criticise those women. I respect self-reliance in any form and I think they’ve got on very well in Iceland.”
Clearing his throat, Egill reached forward to the ashtray with difficulty and stubbed out his cigarette.
“I think that applies to all these races who come to settle in Iceland,” he went on. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t honour Icelandic culture and promote it everywhere, especially in schools. On the contrary, I think the more immigrants there are in this country, the more effort we should make to introduce them to our heritage, and encourage anyone who actually wants to come and live here in the cold not to reject it out of hand. We ought to support religious instruction, not shoot it down like something we’re embarrassed about. I told that to the people who were glorifying the multicultural society. In my opinion, people who want to live here ought to be allowed to and we should help them in every way we can, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose our Icelandic language and culture.”
“Shouldn’t you have—”
“Surely, as an absolute minimum we should be allowed to foster our own culture, even if people of other nationalities move here.”
“Shouldn’t you have gone back to your class ages ago?” Erlendur asked when he finally got a word in edgeways. Egill did not appear to have noticed that the break had ended long ago.
“I have a free period now,” Egill said, making ruminatory noises. “I totally agree that society is changing and we have to respond right from the start in a positive fashion. It’s important to step in and eradicate prejudice. Everyone should have the same opportunities and if children of foreign parents have more trouble in achieving at school and entering further education, then that needs to be put right. Start right away in kindergarten. Anyway, I don’t think you should waste your time on me just because I wrangle a bit at meetings. There are plenty of more obvious things to consider here when children get stabbed.”
“I’m gathering information, that’s my job. Did you have any particular dealings with the brothers, Elias or Niran?”
“No, nothing special. They hadn’t been at the school long. I believe they moved to this part of town in the spring and ended up at this school in the autumn. I taught Elias; I suppose the last time would have been the day before yesterday. The lad was clever with his hands. We don’t do complicated tasks with that age group, just sawing and that sort of thing.”
“Was he well liked in his class?”
“As far as I could see. He was just one of the kids.”
“Are you ever aware of clashes between the immigrant pupils and the others?” Erlendur asked.
“There’s not much of that sort of thing,” Egill said, stroking his beard. “Though you do get certain cliques forming. I don’t like that Icelandic teacher of ours, Kjartan. I think he causes friction in that respect. Half-bonkers, the poor sod. Had to give up a career in handball just when he was reaching the top. That sort of thing can unbalance people. But you ought to talk to him about these issues. He knows more about them than I do.”
They fell silent. The playground was quiet.
“So everything’s going to hell?” Erlendur said eventually.
“I’m afraid it is.”
They sat for a while in the smoke-filled car and then Erlendur started thinking about Sigurdur Oli, who had once been a pupil at the school. It occurred to him to ask Egill. The woodwork teacher needed to think hard before he remembered a boy who had been there all those years ago, a terribly flashy sort.
“It’s amazing what you can and can’t remember about those kids,” Egill said. “I think his dad was a plumber.”
“A plumber?” Erlendur said. He knew nothing about Sigurdur Oli apart from what he saw of him at work, even though they had been investigating crimes together for years. They never discussed their private lives, were both content not to. That, at least, they had in common.
“And a rabid communist,” Egill added. “He attracted quite a bit of attention in those days, because it was always him who came to parents” meetings and school events. It was exceptional then for fathers to be seen with their children at school. He always turned up, the old bugger, and delivered thundering speeches about the bloody conservatives.”