[Subsection]

The summer passed with toil and busyness. The autumn was welcome. The autumn seemed to arrive along with Skrim, the cattle dealer, who came and bought all the cows in the district which could not be used for breeding that winter. Skrim came and bought; he was welcome but held in affection by nobody. He left with many loved animals. He was unavoidable, like the seasons. He sold the animals he bought at once, some to live and some to be slaughtered. When you heard that Skrim was in the district, a pang went through you, and you thought: It's autumn. Skrim is in the barn and in the pasture and will take the cows away.

School started again.

At school there were only Olav Bringa and lessons. He could not be with Åsne; he was a boy. Signe Moen meant nothing to him. He and Olav walked and stood about together and were happy. "Couple of dopes!" shouted the rest at them, but the label did not stick. They were the two best. At home there was homework. He had to be best. What was going on outdoors and in at Bufast was not important. A whole year passed. The baby was strong and filled the yard with echoes, eager to play. But Per was too big to play with a baby. Aunt Anne did so. Per was waiting for the baby to be big enough for Mother to remember him, Per, a bit more as well. No. You're a big boy, you can manage, she said. She had gone on saying it until it had become a habit.

Father stood in the earth. He growled now and then, and that was all.

A voice would be raised: Mother, Auntie, Father. "Hurry up, Per. What are you dreaming about?"

He would hurry to do as he was told. They always had to find something for him to do. He wanted to be enormously clever and read and read.

"Didn't you hear what I said, Per?"

Yes, he had heard.

"Run then."

He ran.

It was summer. Botolv's summer.