hjalmar. hjalmar? i--oh, where's hjalmar? he's gone out. so early? in all this snow? oh. oh, well, let him. i can go for a walk by myself. help your grandfather into the loft, hedvig. hedvig. hello. mother, what's poor grandfather going to say when he hears daddy is going to leave us? rubbish. grandfather mustn't hear anything of the sort. oh, what a godsend he wasn't around yesterday when all this business was going on. yes, but-- well, found any trace of him? as like as not, he's down there in with relling, they say. with relling? has he really been out with those fellows? - yes. - how could he, when he desperately needs solitude and a chance to collect himself? you might well say that. - is daddy with you? - is he there? indeed he is. and you never told us. [belching] i know. i'm a beast. but i had to see to the other beast first, you know, the demoniac one, our friend molvik. and then i fell right off to sleep. well, what's hjalmar got to say for himself today? he doesn't say anything. hasn't he said anything at all? not a blessed word. i know. i understand that so we