"THE BLESSED" "Do you really believe in God?" "I can't live without God." "True." "No one can live without him." "Do you believe too?" "My grandfather was a clergyman." "And his father." "But my father "let the team down"." "I thought he sounded bitter." ""But you'll do it", he said." ""You'll do it"." "He meant that I was going to follow grandfather in his place." "And you were angry, right?" "No, I don't think so." "I almost always wanted the same thing as him." "He was such a good man, even though he didn't think so himself." "He taught me that Jesus..." "And then there was the carpentry..." "I was crazy about that." "As soon as I got hold of a piece of wood I just wanted to work on that." "You're so beautiful when you smile." "You're wondering about my eye." "My right eye has a slight defect, it's not affecting my eye-sight." "I see it now:" "a little jagged black hole." "But I didn't see it before you mentioned it." "No one'll notice." "I hope your mother let you do some woodwork." "She died when I was born." "There was only Father and me." "Just you two?" "He played the bass." "Double bass." "He was in loads of bands." "But after a while, they always found someone better." "But you didn't agree, right?" "We had a good time together." "He never complained..." "If only he didn't worry so about me." "He always thought I would fall and hurt myself, drown or get run over." "Well, you were going to follow the calling." "And then he died as well the year I was going to finish secondary school." "And no money..." "So I started at the sawmill and went on to the timber merchants." "There I got my fair share of wood." "Weren't you happy about that?" "Yes, of course." "And then?" "I inherited some money from an aunt." "I was going to use it to study theology." "You can imagine what that felt like." "What my father and I had talked about since I was little." "It seemed like the meaning of my life." "But I couldn't do it." "And now I teach woodwork." "We had a pillow at home..." "It was nothing special, but it had an eye embroidered on it." "The eye of God with a black triangle and surrounded by rays." "Have you ever studied one of those?" "Yes." "When I was 13, I asked Father if we could put it away." "He asked me why." "It was Grandmother's." "He called Mother and then they stood there looking at me and whispering." "When I was going to bed, the pillow lay on my bed." ""You need it the most", Mother said to me." "I couldn't sleep all night." "The eye was shining from the ceiling." "I fell ill and had to stay in a hospital." "When I got home, the pillow was gone." "I thought I had managed to forget it." "They didn't think I would amount to anything." "I was so stupid and clumsy." "It was only fear." "I'm neither stupid nor clumsy." "But my younger sister was exceptional." "But I took a degree and she's a housewife." "I teach art." "Do you paint in your spare time?" "You mustn't look." "I was in love once." "He left after a while." "I moved to another town." "He moved three times to get rid of me." "Besides, there's no such thing as love." "There's no place for it in this world." "No place, and no time, either." "It must exit." "We can't exist without it." "Have you ever..?" "No, I've never..." "Never?" "It just didn't turn out that way." "What's that?" "Do you want to see?" "SEVEN YEARS LATER" "Viveka, wake up!" "But we weren't going to celebrate..." "Not birthdays." "Our anniversary." "Seven years ago. "Viveka, 14 September 1978." Blow out the candles." "But what's that?" "Do you want me to open it?" "When will we use this?" "In August, in the mountains." "We haven't decided yet." "Remember how happy we were even though we were cold." "Where did you get it?" "In the supermarket." "I got a discount." "A nice girl helped me." "Do you know her?" "No, it was just a shop assistant." "But she made an effort." "She checked the zipper and the seams." "Oh dear, the tea water..." "Viveka, we haven't been to Uppsala in seven years..." "These are first class tickets." "You wanted to live like your sister." "I've never wanted to live like Annika." "Let's celebrate today of all days." "You want to go to Uppsala without us even discussing it." "It's impossible." "Yes?" "Don't be frightened, I won't interrupt." "But it's an even birthday, so I told Magnus that we really have to..." "So we took a chance and you're here." "Happy birthday." "You know I never celebrate." "But it's your 50th!" "Hello, Sune." "50 years!" "Then you can't hide under the duvet." "She always used to do that." "You had to sing to someone hiding in bed." "Happy birthday." "They won't bite." "Don't look so terrified!" "I won't stay." "Magnus and the kids are waiting in the car." "We're going to the grave." "Have you been recently?" "No, we haven't had time." "A flower is the least you should get on your 50th birthday." "I was only trying to be nice." "They're very pretty." "Magnus and the kids say hi." "Please come and visit." "That would be really nice." "Little Sister..." "You..." "We only have each other now that Mother and Father are gone." "Bye." "Bye." "And thank you very much." "Thank you." "Wasn't it nice of her?" "I don't think you should be forced to celebrate your birthday." "Maybe she wanted to be nice." "She just wanted to spy on me." "She thinks it's strange that we never see each other." "Do you think it's strange?" "Not with the way you feel." "Was the sleeping bag her idea?" "What an idea!" "You never go shopping." "Then it was the nice blonde assistant." "Was she blonde?" "Blonde and helpful..." "Viveka!" "I don't remember her." "Put away those flowers!" "I can't talk to you when you stand like that." "Oh, let's just..." "Let's go for a walk." "A nice, long walk." "The sun is out and there's no wind." "Let's go out and forget this." "Let's go and leave everything, like we did three years ago." "You told me that we were happy then." "It was just because Annika came." "It was me as well." "I don't feel like it." "Do we really need to do this?" "It'll be better." "As long as you say what you feel." "That's what we've learnt." "Just tell me what you feel." "I don't like celebrating." "When you stood there with that horrible, big present," "I just wanted to hide myself beneath the sheets." "You were so happy, and I..." "It's not worth discussing." "I feel there's something." "I had such an urge to hit you." "I wanted to tear the present from you and jump on it." "Why didn't you?" "Once, when I was young, I hit Santa Claus." "I started beating him like a mad person." "When he tried to lift me, I bit him." "You were just afraid." "I was furious and wanted to kill him." "Why?" "I just knew that I had to kill him before he started shouting about nice children." ""Have you been nice, children?"" "Was it related to your father?" "No, it had nothing to do with him." "I wanted to kill Santa, because..." "You have to work through this." "It was the same thing as when I spat on God." "I spat on that pillow with the eye." "And when I couldn't do that, I started to punch." "Children who want to kill God, that can't end well..." "I don't believe you wanted to kill God." "Yes, I wanted to kill God..." "Hit me!" "Just hit me." "Stop playing Jesus." "I'm definitely no Jesus, darling..." "And I'm not your "darling"." "How can I be when I only hurt you?" "You were so happy this morning." "If only you could be happy sometimes," "but you got a witch!" "Calm down!" "You didn't know it seven years ago." "A bad person attracts bad people." "There's nothing doing, because it's in here!" "And it spreads all the time." "I would like to believe that I love someone, but I don't have the courage." "You looked like a thief when you stood there before me this morning." "You had stolen from me in order to be happy." "You're never happy." "And we'll never go to the mountains." "So it's the sleeping bag." "It's bought for money I worked extra for." "You say you don't hide anything, but you get home later and later." "Don't you understand it's not about money?" "Our love is dying..." "How can you say something like that?" ""In sickness and in health"..." "It has to be like that." "That your body is my body?" "Yes." "How can I then be a thief?" "If your body really is mine, then your time is mine." "You have simply stolen my time." "But it was time off..." "You wanted to be free of me." ""Let it all out, Viveka"." "You wanted to have time away from me!" "Divorce me before it's too late." "Before I've ruined all the wonderful things we've had together." "You can create a new life, find a girl whose mind doesn't darken." "I'll never be any different." "I know that now." "Once mean, always mean." "That's how it is." "I beg of you..." "I beg you for both of us." "It's easier to live alone with the darkness than dragging other people with you." "This horrible person has ruined this day as well." "I'll never abandon you, and you know it." "You're right." "You see things as they really are." "I just go around and dream." "Maybe it's true that I love that laurel more than you." "But a short, short instance." "I admit it." "Do you hear me?" "Yes." "Do you believe me?" "I want to believe you." "Why doesn't Sune come?" "He's not at home." "Why are you sitting out here?" "It's so hot in there." "But the radiators were freezing this morning." "There's no point in waiting for him." "Sune won't show." "Hello." "Hello." "Sorry, have you seen a crazy little kid?" "Shall we swap?" "How do you mean?" "Your kid for my escaped husband." "Is Sune gone?" "Yes." "It's the same old story." "It's the same thing with my wife, but not with your Sune." "Haven't you heard that looks sometimes deceive?" "Ah yes, that's true." "Here he is." "Hi there." "Hello." "Your wife is flirting." "Bet you didn't know that." "Why do you look so unhappy?" "He's ashamed of his wife." "Watch out." "Goodbye." "Bye." "Bye." "Did you notice that his eyes were red?" "They turned red when I looked at him." "I wonder if my eyes turn red as well." "Are they red now?" "Please, Sune, have a look." "Come and look your wife deep into her eyes." "He moved my hand to his zipper." "Not bad at all." "Moved it up and down." "The bulge was magnificent." "You see the black hole in my right eye." "I never think about it." "You always think about it." "You can't look at me without thinking about it..." "I can't look at you without thinking that you don't have a black hole." "Stop it, Viveka." "Yes." "You don't want to hear this, right?" ""If your eye is a temptation, pluck it out." You wouldn't dare." "But you can have affairs with lots of blondes and Mrs. Storm." "She was sitting in the hall when I got back from work." "I said, "There's no point in sitting there, spying."" "She sits there because she's afraid of being alone." "Do you know what it said on the blackboard when I arrived at work?" ""Colour blind", in red and green letters." "But that was two years ago." "Viveka dear, two years ago." ""Viveka, dear." Now you get to learn that it's always the same story." "I asked them what it meant." "They answered that they had seen me cross the street at a red light." "I heard that they were lying." "There's nothing wrong with my hearing." "Your eyes are fine." "Do you know what the principal suggested?" "That I should take time off." ""No need", I answered, "since I'm so incredibly strong."" ""No one will get to me." "There's no point in even trying."" "I went back and erased the words and pasted up the optician's certificate." "A photocopy, naturally." "Don't you believe me?" "Naturally, I do." "I just don't understand how you can be so similar." "It's not that strange." "It's about the same old witch." "Don't be afraid, my love." "I'll protect us." "They'll attack from all sides, but I'll know how to handle them." "Don't be afraid." "They can never defeat love." "How clever Sune is." "You're lucky to have such a husband." "When I'm upset with people, I normally think about Sune." "It's so peaceful here." "At our place, oh my God..." "The girls have grown up, and when they turn up the stereo..." "I wanted to talk..." "I was so surprised when I heard it was you on the phone." "But it's not normal that two sisters living in the same city never..." "It's nothing serious, is it?" "No, I only wanted to..." "Damn it." "Damn it...." "I almost forgot Mother's favourite." "I don't drink nowadays." "How thoughtless of me..." "What about Sune?" "Something nice after dinner..." "I'm sorry..." "All right, then." "Then you'll have to save it for Christmas." "I won't take it home." "I just wanted to..." "I hear it's something terrible." "Not for you." "But for you." "You frighten me!" "I asked you to come to ask for your forgiveness." "Forgiveness?" "You don't have to ask for forgiveness." "You haven't done anything." "We never see each other." "We meet anyway." "You know that." "I visited you yesterday night." "You're ill again." "No, I didn't mean that." "I didn't mean it." "I'm not having an affair with Sune." "I swear." "Well..." "Do you want to forgive me?" "But there's nothing to forgive." "Very well..." "If it makes you less unhappy..." "What do you want me to forgive?" "That I hate you." "You can't hate me." "You're my sister." "Can't I?" "You've been speaking with Sune." "Did he say that?" "What did you talk about?" "He said that you were well again and that I should leave you alone." "Did he say anything about himself?" "No." "He never does." "But he looked terrible." "I'm saying this for your own good, Viveka." "Love can't take just anything." "What do you know of love?" "Shall I say something I know?" "Yes, I will." "It's time." "You're not the one who's worse off." "It's him." "You can be scared and sick and scream when the depression hits." "But the person who can only stand there and take it..." "He will break." "If that's what you want me to forgive..." "Don't touch me!" "Don't go!" "They're pouring down arsenic through the roof at night." "But that's impossible." "Listen to me." "It's impossible." "For God, but not for the others." "It feels like a defeat." "But it will be our victory." "If they can go through the roof, they can go through an umbrella." "Not if they haven't figured it out." "I never know who you're talking about." "The people at school or the people in the house?" "They're everywhere." "I hear footsteps behind me in the street." "They're breathing down my neck, trying to subdue me." "They won't dare take me as long as you believe in me." "You know I do." "Your body is my body?" "Your hand is my hand?" "Your eye is my eye?" "Your right eye is my right eye." "But you won't put on the blue glasses or sleep in the wardrobe with me." "It feels like we're in a vicious circle." "We just go round and round, faster and faster." "We have to get out of it, with the help of God." "That was close!" "Did you get stuck in the hook?" "It was electricity." "It's all over the house." "But they didn't count on my heart being so strong." "You mean that there is electricity in the wall?" "Now the others can get to me since you don't believe me anymore." "You don't understand a thing." "I'll examine the wall." "We haven't done anything wrong." "The world is a wolf." "Now it's caught our scent." "We've chosen love, the world hasn't." "Are you sure?" "Absolutely." "They will test you." "How?" "I don't know, but it will be horrible." "You must choose." "Me or the world." "I mustn't help you." "That's not allowed." "Just one thing, Sune." "Whatever happens, don't forget that I'm not ill." "I just see what's about to happen." "I see the sign." "You're afraid and that fear confuses you." "It will kill the love inside us." "Only we can kill that." "You don't understand what the world does." "You don't notice it." "What does it do?" "It's trying to separate me from you." "But it can't!" "Will you sleep here with me?" "That's the last of the salt." "We haven't got any more bread." "Come." "Here we won't be contaminated with arsenic." "I can't." "You can if you want to." "And love?" "Forever and ever..." "In Uppsala Cathedral." "It was the last of the salt..." "Your hand is my hand?" "Yes." "Your mouth is my mouth?" "Yes." "My eye is your eye?" "Especially the right one." "My bad eye is yours?" "Especially your bad eye." "I don't want you to buy food." "There's nothing left anywhere." "We haven't eaten in two days." "It's not feasible." "We need salt." "You can stand behind the curtain by the window." "You'll see me on the other side of the street." "It'll only be a few minutes." "I'll turn a corner and go into the nearest local shop." "It'll only take 10 minutes, maybe 15." "Then I'll come back." "Who's at the till?" "Not her." "She doesn't work there." "And all the hairs in the shopping bag?" "I don't understand..." "I haven't spoken to her, since..." "I haven't touched her." "She was here the other night." "There was hair everywhere." "Then there's only the other option:" "to turn on the gas." "No." "Before that we have to be tested." "What will this test?" "Let me try." "From here I cross the street." "I won't wave, that'll attract attention." "But I'll turn my head up, like this." "And the glasses?" "I have them in my pocket." "Take my scarf." "That will protect you." "It might take 5 or 10 minutes more than I said." "You'll get bananas." "We'll pulp them and eat with milk." "Slowly, slowly." "Where?" "With our heads inside the chest of drawers?" "By Uppsala Cathedral?" "By Uppsala Cathedral, forever and ever." "What will he do around the corner?" "What if he removes his glasses?" "He mustn't!" "He won't do that if he loves me." "He says he loves me." "What if it's her at the till?" "Oh Lord, have mercy on me!" "Don't punish me for my misdeeds." "Hello, is it the police?" "Come at once!" "My husband has a knife." "He is trying to kill me!" "Please hurry up!" "Pardon?" "Grönviksvägen 8, second floor." "Burman." "Burman!" "What's happening?" "It's something at the Burman's." "The Burmans." "That wasn't a surprise." "Do you know what they're called in the house? "The Two Blessed"." "That sounds sweet." "It means that they're crazy." "Open up, or we have to break in." "There must be a mistake." "There's a man with a knife." "I've got some spare keys." "It's a terrible mistake." "Is that also a mistake?" "I assure you, there's no one there." "Then who's holding the knife?" "Please..." "My wife is easily frightened." "It's her nerves..." "But it'll be fine as soon as I'm there." "Please wait." "I have keys..." "I don't understand how..." "I must have lost them." "Move aside." "There's a chain on it." "They had to go down to the basement to get more bananas." "Let's eat." "My wife hasn't eaten in two days." "Otherwise, we live a quiet life." "Do you understand?" "Who called about a man with a knife?" "The Devil!" "He can't accept that people are trying to live in peace." "Here are some bananas." "Look!" "Aren't those bananas nice?" "Judas!" "He tried to kill me." "We haven't eaten." "It'll be fine..." "And what about the Devil?" "That's me!" "Because my body is so fantastic." "Come and have a look!" "Don't touch me!" "Don't!" "No!" "No..." "Let go of me." "I can walk by myself." "Judas!" "Read Matthew 5:29 and you'll see..." "You'd better come back tomorrow." "Can't I come in for a moment?" "I'm afraid it's not possible." "Has she eaten?" "No, she hasn't eaten." "But she is drinking?" "She must." "She gets her salt from the water." "We'll force-feed her if need be." "No, that'll make it worse." "Can't I try?" "If I drink first, she's fine." "She doesn't want to see you..." "But I'm her husband." "It'll be better in a few days, when the medicine has taken effect." "Can I stay here tonight?" "You need to go home and rest." "We have your phone number." "I'll take the flowers." "Sorry to bother you, but I need to know which window is Viveka's." "Come, then..." "It's the fourth window from the right in that row." "That statement about Viveka's and my life together..." "I would be grateful if only you read it." "I promise." "On the bus here, I thought I had forgotten the most important thing." "Tell me now, then." "It's nothing pathological, doctor." "It may seem so from the outside." "But if you look from the inside everything is clear and logical." "It's not just ideas." "I've got a testimonial here about the electric shocks." ""Inspection of the flat:" "Grönviksvägen 8, second floor."" ""When inspecting Burman's flat,"" ""we noticed that the cabling above the stove was faulty"" ""given the official regulations for cabling over sinks with running water."" "You say here that you left everything and wandered around the coast." "It's a few years ago." "Was your wife in touch with a doctor then?" "No, Viveka just felt that we had to leave for a while." "I was a bit worried in the beginning... ..but when I understood and adapted to her wishes, she was much better." "Wishes?" "Simple things, really." "We should avoid other people and spend more time by ourselves." "We slept out in the open." "We wandered along the beaches and accepted what God sent us." "It was a great experience." "Did she hear voices at that time?" "We didn't call them "voices"." "They were more like sensations." "Like these drawings." "That's right." "Don't you think it's your wife who's drawn them?" "That's a terrible accusation." "Why would she?" "She just wants to live in peace." "It's just the thing about her eye." "That's just a stiff nerve." "That's right, but the world is after her because of that eye." "It's been like that since she was little." "I've written about it..." "Why won't she see you?" "I don't know." "It's a misunderstanding." "She says you've betrayed her." "That's not true." "That's not true..." "I just can't explain..." "My wife is not ill, and I request, no, I demand that she's released from here as soon as possible." "She is not ill!" "Why won't you see your husband?" "I've already told you." "Poison and marriage don't mix." "But he loves you." "Who doesn't want to get rid of a witch with a deformed eye?" "There's nothing wrong with your eye." "It all comes from him." "I've learnt this now." "The drawings, the electricity, the arsenic through the roof..." "But it couldn't go through the roof." "But he can't poison you here." "Then why does he sit in the corridor all day long?" "The doctor doesn't know the depth of Satan." "The doctor has no idea of what happens at the hospital." "The nurse at the electrical department sells electricity by the hour." "I can feel that you're a good person." "But you have to be careful." "The world is now so evil that God can't support it anymore, but before he lets go, all good people must be caught and eliminated." "Do you belong among the good people, mrs Burman?" "Only as long as my husband loved me." "Now, they're battling for me." "Everything depends on my husband." "Now, hate is in charge." "The whole of Sweden are run by the hate groups." "The police and the social workers only want one thing:" "To kill love wherever it appears." "And your husband is in their clutches?" "My husband is very weak, and I'm born with the darkness." "Father and Mother hated me." "I fought to get out of the darkness, but the Devil is stronger." "He's got all the resources." "He's the most profitable." "What is it you can't forgive your husband?" ""In sickness and in health" sounds beautiful..." "But no one will enter Hell to help another person." "No one." "Your husband doesn't understand why he can't see you." "He understands, but he doesn't dare." "What is it he should dare, mrs Burman?" "What are you doing here?" "Hello, Sune." "I'm just tidying up a bit." "The janitor gave me the key." "Please, Sune, take off those horrible glasses." "Do you want some coffee?" "Can't you take them off?" "For me?" "Sune?" "It's only when I wear them that I understand." "But there's nothing to understand." "Viveka has always had periods like these." "She's ill." "There's nothing to adapt to." "You're far too nice." "I'm so afraid that she's contaminated you with her ideas." "Yes, it's contagious." "I know it." "But she's right." "The end of the world is nigh." "If only I could understand why I can't see her." "It's probably some mad idea that you don't know about yet." "Yes, just stare." "I know the routine." "Just because of her eye..." "Annika!" "You're right!" "But I haven't said anything." "Sune..." "It's nothing serious, is it?" "The most dangerous thing is to do nothing." "How is Viveka?" "Sorry, I don't think we've met, but I see that you're wearing her glasses." "I often talked to Viveka when she cried because the children had teased her." "She was always worrying about that eye." "I think I have to pass a test before I can see her." "But I don't see the point of it." "Sometimes you have to do things you don't understand." "Even if it seems mad?" "You know that on the inside, nothing is crazy." "Only from the outside." "LOVE CONQUERS ALL" "Lord, have mercy on me." "Lord, hear me." "Lord, give me a sign." "Viveka, my love." "Don't be afraid." "Tell me if you're dead." "I live, and I've passed the test." "What have you done?" "I took your mirror and your finest brush." "It was hard." "I had to push several times, but in the end I made it." "You really did it?" "How did you get in?" "No one saw me." "Neither the porter at the gate, nor the night watchman or the night nurse." "I saw them, but they didn't see me." "It's the night nurse." "She's gone." "You have to leave before it's light." "Otherwise, they'll take you too." "Forced internment, forced feeding, forced injections..." "They'll kill..." "Viveka, before it's light, we'll both be out of here." "I don't have any clothes." "I've got some." "And the glasses?" "We don't need them anymore." "I put mine here as well." ""Dear Dr. Dettow..."" ""Love can't live in the world today, so we must die."" ""We wanted love, but the world didn't allow this."" ""That's why death is not a defeat, but a victory."" ""Those who have found the truth must bear witness."" ""Otherwise, their lives are wasted."" ""Thus we humbly request that we're buried in the same coffin."" ""Respectfully yours, Viveka Burman."" ""Sune Burman.""