The Dinosaur Feather

was worth millions of kroner – just a tiny bolt so the lens wouldn’t focus or the eye pieces couldn’t be adjusted to fit the distance between Helland’s eyes. Or how about grafting mould on to his wallpaper? Or releasing a couple of mice in his office? Something which would wind him up without resulting in serious repercussions for her? They were enjoying a tea break and had discussed a film they had seen, they had been laughing, but Johannes paled when she shared her fantasy.
    ‘That’s not funny,’ he said. ‘Why do you say stuff like that? That’s really not funny.’
    ‘Hey, relax,’ Anna said, instantly embarrassed at suddenly finding herself isolated with a clearly highly inappropriate idea.
    ‘You can’t go around playing tricks on people,’ Johannes had muttered.
    ‘It was just a joke,’ Anna said.
    ‘It didn’t sound like it,’ Johannes said.
    ‘Hang on, what are we really talking about?’ Anna asked, defensively, and turned on her chair to face Johannes who was bent over his keyboard. ‘Are you saying you think I would actually hurt Professor Helland?’
    ‘No, of course not.’ But Johannes sounded unconvinced.
    ‘It’s beyond me why you always have to defend him,’ she continued, outraged.
    ‘And it’s beyond me why you always have to attack him.’ Johannes gave her a look of disbelief. ‘Honestly, Anna, just give the man a chance.’
    ‘He’s not committed,’ she said and could hear herself how ridiculous that sounded.
    ‘And so he deserves mould on his wallpaper which will give him a headache, itchy eyes and a streaming nose?’
    ‘It was a joke!’
    Johannes studied her closely.
    ‘Tell me, why do you have to be so harsh sometimes? Your tone . . . it can be really cutting. And Helland isn’t so bad. In many ways, he’s quite all right.’
    Anna turned to her screen and hammered away at the keyboard. She was close to tears. Johannes boiled the kettle and made more tea.
    ‘Here, gorgeous,’ he said, affectionately, placing a cup of tea on her desk. He nudged her softly.
    ‘It was just a joke, all right?’ she mumbled.
    ‘But it
wasn’t
funny,’ he replied and went back to his desk.
    From that day on Johannes and Anna avoided discussing their mutual supervisor, even though Anna was finding Professor Helland’s behaviour increasingly bizarre. One evening, after taking Lily to Cecilie’s, she cycled to the Institute to work. It was dusk and the car park behind the building was filled with dancing blue shadows. There was the leafy scent of the end to an unusually chilly summer. Pigeons were pecking at the ground by the bicycle stand. They scattered when her bicycle keeled over. Johannes had obviously gone home ages ago, which was a shame.
    Professor Helland materialised out of nowhere in the twilight. He stood with his back to her, completely rigid, right where the birds had just been congregating and he looked like a waxwork. He seemed unaware of the birds and didn’t turn around. Anna felt uncomfortable and carefully walked towards him. The light was fading, and she moved in a soft curve, hoping he would, at least, say ‘hi’. But still he didn’t turn. He remained with his back to her, apparently doing nothing. Anna looked for his car, but she couldn’t see it. She looked for his bicycle, but couldn’t see that, either. Nor did he have car keys in his hand, or a bag slung over his shoulder, and he wasn’t wearing a jacket. She was just inside his field of vision now, so she cleared her throat. Helland turned his head and stared blankly at her; he opened his mouth to say something, but only a bubbling sound and some white froth emerged from the corner of his mouth.
    ‘Are you all right?’ Anna called out; she was frightened now.
    ‘Gho whay,’ he mumbled and lashed out at the air. He gave her a furious stare, but the blow had missed by a quarter circle if, indeed, it had been Helland’s intention to push her away.
    ‘Gho whay,’ he repeated, a little louder. Some froth dripped from his mouth and disappeared into the darkness.
    ‘You want me to go away?’ Anna asked.
    Helland nodded. ‘Yes, go away,’ he said, very clearly this time.
    Anna had left. Her heart had pounded all the way up to the second floor where she let herself into the photocopier room which faced the car park. She stood in the dark window,watching Professor Helland. He remained there for a while. Then he shuddered deeply, jerked his head and shook first one, then his other