Read Online ASA LARSSON ~ THE SAVAGE ALTAR by Åsa Larsson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Åsa Larsson
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possible.”
“I quite understand,” said Sven-Erik in a tone of voice that conveyed quite clearly that he didn’t understand in the slightest.
Anna-Maria looked at Sven-Erik as he pushed his lips forward, his moustache protruding like a big scrubbing brush beneath his nose.
Vesa Larsson fiddled with a button on his leather waistcoat and glanced sideways at Thomas Söderberg. Thomas Söderberg didn’t look at him, but nodded thoughtfully at what had just been said.
Aha, thought Anna-Maria, Pastor Söderberg approves of Vesa’s reply. It isn’t difficult to see who’s pulling the strings in this particular setup.
“Can you explain how the church is actually organized?” asked Anna-Maria.
“God is at the top,” replied Gunnar Isaksson in a loud voice full of faith, pointing upward. “The church has three pastors, that’s us, and five elders. If we were to compare it with a company, you could say that God is the owner, we three are the managing directors and the elders form the board.”
“I thought you wanted to talk to us about Viktor Strandgård,” interrupted Thomas Söderberg.
“We’ll get to that, we’ll get to that,” Sven-Erik assured him, almost humming.
The young man with the Bible had stopped beside a chair, and he was praying in a loud voice and waving his hands at the empty seat. Sven-Erik looked confused.
“Could I just ask…?” he said, jerking his thumb toward the young man.
“He’s praying for this evening’s service,” explained Thomas Söderberg. “Speaking in tongues can seem a little strange when you’re not used to hearing it, but I can promise you it isn’t some kind of hocus-pocus.”
“It’s important that the church is prepared with the spirit world,” explained Pastor Gunnar Isaksson, stroking his thick, well-groomed beard.
“I understand,” said Sven-Erik again, looking helplessly at Anna-Maria.
His moustache was almost at a ninety-degree angle to his face.
“So, tell us about Viktor Strandgård,” said Anna-Maria. “What kind of person was he? What did you think of him, Pastor Larsson?”
Pastor Vesa Larsson looked troubled. He swallowed vigorously before answering.
“He was dedicated. Very humble. Loved by everyone in the church community. He simply allowed himself to be used by God. Despite his, how shall I put it, elevated status within our community, he wasn’t slow to serve, even when it came to practical matters. He was on the church cleaning rota, so you’d often see him dusting these chairs. He made posters for our services….”
"Looked after the children," added Gunnar Isaksson. "We have a rolling program so that parents with very young children can listen in a completely focused way to the word of God."
“Like yesterday, for example,” Vesa Larsson continued. “He didn’t join everyone for coffee after the service, instead he stayed here to tidy the chairs. That’s the disadvantage of not having pews, it can soon look a mess if you don’t put the chairs back into neat rows.”
“That must be a huge job,” said Anna-Maria. “There’s an awful lot of chairs in here. Nobody stayed behind to help him?”
“No, he said he wanted to be alone,” said Vesa Larsson. “Unfortunately we never lock the door when someone is in here, so some madman must have…”
He broke off and shook his head.
“Viktor Strandgård seems to have been a gentle soul,” said Anna-Maria.
"Yes, you could say that." Thomas Söderberg smiled sadly.
“Do you know if he had any enemies, or had fallen out with anyone?” asked Sven-Erik.
“No, no one,” replied Vesa Larsson.
“Did he seem worried about anything? Anxious?” Sven-Erik went on.
“No,” replied Vesa Larsson again.
“What kind of work did he do for the church? He was a full-time employee, wasn’t he?” asked Sven-Erik.
“He did the work of God,” replied Gunnar Isaksson pompously, with considerable emphasis on “God.”
“And by doing the work of God he brought some
“I quite understand,” said Sven-Erik in a tone of voice that conveyed quite clearly that he didn’t understand in the slightest.
Anna-Maria looked at Sven-Erik as he pushed his lips forward, his moustache protruding like a big scrubbing brush beneath his nose.
Vesa Larsson fiddled with a button on his leather waistcoat and glanced sideways at Thomas Söderberg. Thomas Söderberg didn’t look at him, but nodded thoughtfully at what had just been said.
Aha, thought Anna-Maria, Pastor Söderberg approves of Vesa’s reply. It isn’t difficult to see who’s pulling the strings in this particular setup.
“Can you explain how the church is actually organized?” asked Anna-Maria.
“God is at the top,” replied Gunnar Isaksson in a loud voice full of faith, pointing upward. “The church has three pastors, that’s us, and five elders. If we were to compare it with a company, you could say that God is the owner, we three are the managing directors and the elders form the board.”
“I thought you wanted to talk to us about Viktor Strandgård,” interrupted Thomas Söderberg.
“We’ll get to that, we’ll get to that,” Sven-Erik assured him, almost humming.
The young man with the Bible had stopped beside a chair, and he was praying in a loud voice and waving his hands at the empty seat. Sven-Erik looked confused.
“Could I just ask…?” he said, jerking his thumb toward the young man.
“He’s praying for this evening’s service,” explained Thomas Söderberg. “Speaking in tongues can seem a little strange when you’re not used to hearing it, but I can promise you it isn’t some kind of hocus-pocus.”
“It’s important that the church is prepared with the spirit world,” explained Pastor Gunnar Isaksson, stroking his thick, well-groomed beard.
“I understand,” said Sven-Erik again, looking helplessly at Anna-Maria.
His moustache was almost at a ninety-degree angle to his face.
“So, tell us about Viktor Strandgård,” said Anna-Maria. “What kind of person was he? What did you think of him, Pastor Larsson?”
Pastor Vesa Larsson looked troubled. He swallowed vigorously before answering.
“He was dedicated. Very humble. Loved by everyone in the church community. He simply allowed himself to be used by God. Despite his, how shall I put it, elevated status within our community, he wasn’t slow to serve, even when it came to practical matters. He was on the church cleaning rota, so you’d often see him dusting these chairs. He made posters for our services….”
"Looked after the children," added Gunnar Isaksson. "We have a rolling program so that parents with very young children can listen in a completely focused way to the word of God."
“Like yesterday, for example,” Vesa Larsson continued. “He didn’t join everyone for coffee after the service, instead he stayed here to tidy the chairs. That’s the disadvantage of not having pews, it can soon look a mess if you don’t put the chairs back into neat rows.”
“That must be a huge job,” said Anna-Maria. “There’s an awful lot of chairs in here. Nobody stayed behind to help him?”
“No, he said he wanted to be alone,” said Vesa Larsson. “Unfortunately we never lock the door when someone is in here, so some madman must have…”
He broke off and shook his head.
“Viktor Strandgård seems to have been a gentle soul,” said Anna-Maria.
"Yes, you could say that." Thomas Söderberg smiled sadly.
“Do you know if he had any enemies, or had fallen out with anyone?” asked Sven-Erik.
“No, no one,” replied Vesa Larsson.
“Did he seem worried about anything? Anxious?” Sven-Erik went on.
“No,” replied Vesa Larsson again.
“What kind of work did he do for the church? He was a full-time employee, wasn’t he?” asked Sven-Erik.
“He did the work of God,” replied Gunnar Isaksson pompously, with considerable emphasis on “God.”
“And by doing the work of God he brought some
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