[Subsection]

The next day the doctor came and decided that Botolv must have died of heart failure, and said it was rare for children to die of it but that it might happen if they had been badly frightened.

Mother said, "But Botolv wasn't frightened."

Mother and Father seemed almost glad that Botolv had died. Even though Mother cried.

There was a funeral. People were invited from the neighboring farms. To Per they were just people. It was remarked scores of times that children like Botolv never grow up healthy. It was repeated until Per felt ready to throw up. Neither Åsne nor Olav had been invited; they lived too far away.

Per went to church, saw the grave, heard the bell. They said that Botolv was an angel now. The church was full of staring people. Per seemed to see Botolv's eyes in every single one of them.

Then he drove home with Father and Mother. He would never dare tell them what he knew about Botolv's death. He believed that if he were to tell them, something monstrous would happen. The earth would open up, the house plunge to destruction.