birches behind the old rabbit hutches was so intense that it seemed as though the Cre-
ator had not yet finished blending the color.
Could she really believe that everything was one divine “I”? Could she believe
that she carried within her a soul that was a “spark from the fire”? If it was true, then
she was truly a divine creature.
The Postcards
…I’m imposing a severe censorship on myself…
Several days went by without any word from the philosophy teacher. Tomorrow
was Thursday, May 17— Norway’s national day. School would be closed on the 18th
as well. As they walked home after school Joanna suddenly exclaimed, “Let’s go
camping!”
Sophie’s immediate reaction was that she couldn’t be away from the house for
long. But then she said, “Sure, why not?”
A couple of hours later Joanna arrived at Sophie’s door with a large backpack.
Sophie had packed hers as well, and she also had the tent. They both had bedrolls and
sweaters, groundsheets and flashlights, large-size thermos bottles and plenty of their
favorite food.
When Sophie’s mother got home around five o’clock, she gave them a sermon
about what they must and must not do. She also insisted on knowing where they were
going to set up camp.
They told her they intended to make for Grouse Top. They might be lucky
enough to hear the mating call of the grouse next morning.
Sophie had an ulterior motive for choosing that particular spot. She thought that
Grouse Top must be pretty close to the major’s cabin. Something was urging her to
return to it, but she didn’t dare go alone.
The two girls walked down the path that led from the little cul-de-sac just
beyond Sophie’s garden gate. They chatted about this and that, and Sophie enjoyed
taking a little time off from everything having to do with philosophy.
By eight o’clock they had pitched their tent in a clearing by Grouse Top. They
had prepared themselves for the night and their bedrolls were unfolded. When they
had eaten their sandwiches, Sophie asked, “Have you ever heard of the major’s
cabin?”
“The major’s cabin?”
“There’s a hut in the woods somewhere near here ... by a little lake. A strange
man lived there once, a major, that’s why it’s called the major’s cabin.”
“Does anyone live there now?”
“Do you want to go and see?”
“Where is it?”
Sophie pointed in among the trees.
Joanna was not particularly eager, but in the end they set out. The sun was low
in the sky.
They walked in between the tall pine trees at first, but soon they were pushing
their way through bush and thicket. Eventually they made their way down to a path.
Could it be the path Sophie had followed that Sunday morning?
It must have been—almost at once she could point to something shining
between the trees to the right of the path.
“It’s in there,” she said.
They were soon standing at the edge of the small lake. Sophie gazed at the cabin