TE22 Potpourri

Cold as Hell (novel excerpt) Lilja Sigurðardóttir Translated from Icelandic by Quentin Bates 21 Her mother had been as good as her word, calling ahead to announce Áróra’s arrival. Her fingerwas poised over the button marked Daníel Hansson , ready topress it, when thedoor swung open. ‘Good morning,’ he said. His voice was deep and welcoming, and Áróra had the feeling she had heard it before, although the man’s serious face was nowhere in her memory. He looked to be well past forty, with a touch of grey in the close-cropped hair that she guessed he clippered short himself. The eyes that met hers were a pale grey but strangely warm. ‘Hello,’ she said, extending a hand. ‘Apologies for the inconvenience.’ ‘No problem,’ he said, ushering her in. ‘It’s no inconvenience at all. It was good to speak to your mother. I hadn’t heard from her for a long time.’ Icelandic style, Áróra took off her shoes in the hall and followed him on stockinged feet into the living room, overwhelmed by the feeling of being a child again, visiting Iceland. She could 61

Lilja Sigurðardóttir