Summary

Nine days after the storm, the bodies of the men begin to wash ashore. Mamma comments that Erik appears to have been struck by lightning, meaning his death would have been quick and relatively painless. Since the ground is frozen, making burial impossible, the bodies are all stored in Dag’s father’s boathouse until spring arrives and they can be buried. Diinna, who is Sámi, suddenly disappears after the bodies return, leading Mamma to curse and insult her, worried that she is leaving to raise her baby with the Sámi. Diinna’s father had been a noaidi (shaman), and provided charms and prayer to the people of Vardø before it was outlawed, though still practiced in secret, to the dislike of some in the village.

Within the week, news arrives from Kiberg, where the storm’s damage was apparently minimal...