Contents
Chapter 38 - Monday. The Cloud.
Overview
At Frogner pool, Rakel briefly loses Oleg and finds him by the diving pool, revealing her heightened vigilance. A solitary, changing cloud and Oleg’s question about Harry underscore her isolation. The chapter closes with Rakel locking the door, signaling mounting tension and perceived threat.
Summary
Rakel wakes with a start at the Frogner open-air pool, unsettled by a fading dream and the harsh heat. Realizing Oleg is missing, she panics and runs to search for him.
Rakel finds Oleg sitting by the diving pool, chatting with a boy she vaguely recognizes. She scolds Oleg for leaving without telling her, then composes herself and decides it is time to go home, noting a single, upward-pointing white cloud on the blue sky.
Driving away, Oleg asks if Harry will be coming; Rakel says no. At the Smestad crossing, Rakel looks for the same cloud, now higher with a grey tinge, and an unease lingers.
Back home, that unease hardens into caution. Rakel makes sure to lock the door.
Who Appears
- RakelAnxious and protective; briefly loses Oleg at Frogner pool, notes an ominous cloud, and locks the door at home.
- OlegRakel’s son; wanders to the diving pool to talk with a friend and asks if Harry is coming.
- Oleg’s friendUnnamed boy by the diving pool; chats with Oleg when Rakel finds them.