Page 5 - Fanget I Tiden oversættelse - caught in time (komplet)-converted

Karl looked at him with curiosity and raised his eyes over the thick rim of his glasses while

running a hand through his hair. Johan felt uneasy.
“I have spent many wonderful days in Jutland, though it seems that the media people couldn’t

care less about farmers and country folk, don’t you think?” Without expecting an answer, Karl
continued: “If there is anything you would like to know about Germany, just fire away.”

One Friday when Johan had to go to Denmark late in the afternoon, Karl promoted Hirts

Guesthouse once more.
“Try it. It’s a lovely place. Experience the real Germany,” Karl said encouragingly and wrote the

address down.

Even though Johan felt that it was ridiculous, that Friday he drove to the guest house instead of
booking a room at one of the usual but expensive motels. Karl was right. The place was cosy. Over

the past few years, he had regularly spent the night at Hirts Guest House when he was commuting
between Hellerup and West Berlin.

For one minute, Johan contemplated the house. In the dark of the night, it resembled a lonely

giant in the midst of the flat landscape. A few kilometres from there, he could make out the forest
as a huge dark shadow.

He continued and emptied the third can of petrol in a circle around the car making the pebbles

round the vehicle slippery. The final and the fourth can, he emptied into the car’s boot, and he
then flung the empty cans in among the others on the back seat followed by his working gloves.

He stepped a few paces back and quickly struck a match. Moving quickly he lit one of the ten

crumpled balls of newspaper which he had prepared for this. He threw the fireball towards the
car’s open door.

There was no need to light the other nine. The flames had already reached the front seat. A

strange whirring sound from the car’s back seat was followed by a roaring rumble.
The car was at the point of exploding and an enormous shooting flame smashed its windscreen

while the fire in the rest of the car took hold so violently that the passenger seat twisted round

into an absurd position.
The hospitable Herr Hirts had insisted that he should park his car beside his old Volvo that stood

in the carport. Too late Johan realised that it was fatal that the car stood between the gable of the
house and the carport. The plan was not for the house to burn as well!

Black clouds of smoke billowed up from the rear of the car and just then the boot hatch blew off, it

flew out onto the road and hit the asphalt making a tremendous clatter. Whistling flames burst
out from the boot and before too long the drive was transformed into a sea of flames.

Just before a panic attack nearly overpowered him, his mind registered that flames had reached

the lowest part of the house’s gables. Desperately he ran through the front door and into his small