The Room by Jonas Karlsson Read Free Book Online Page B

discussion, a decision has been made to test my limits.”
    “Who—?” Karl began.
    “Everyone,” I interrupted. “Who knows, maybe you yourself are involved somehow?”
    “I don’t think so,” Karl tried once more.
    “Would you mind waiting with your analysis until all the facts are on the table?” I said, in a reasonably stern voice.
    Karl fell silent again. It was obvious that he had nothing to offer in response. He stood there stiffly and listened as I went on.
    “I have reason to believe that my—shall I say closest?—colleague, Håkan here…”
    I pointed at Håkan, who immediately looked down and began to scratch his sideburns.
    “…is one of the people behind this. At least he was the first person to raise it with me.”
    I let the accusation sink in, then turned back to face Karl again. I fixed him with a steady gaze.
    “I have no great expectation that you will be able to resolve this situation, Karl. But I presume you can’t bury your head in the sand indefinitely, and that that’s why you’ve called this meeting. It can’t be any secret that you feel threatened by me, and would like to get rid of me, which is why I’m taking the liberty of uncovering this charade. This attempt to destroy me.”
    There was absolute silence in Karl’s office. Everyone was standing completely still. The only thing disturbing the silence was the rustling from my blue shoe covers as I turned to inspect the stunned workforce.
    “Try to see this as a learning experience,” I went on in a somewhat gentler tone. “If we all go back to our respective duties and never mention this incident again, embarrassing as it is for everyone—if everyone can promise to be open and honest from now on, and never try to play similar tricks on me to unsettle me, then I am prepared to forget the whole business. Simply because I am all too aware that intelligence and talent always upset people of more average abilities. For that reason alone, I am prepared to forgive you. Little people can’t always be held accountable for the fact that they sometimes feel drawn to ruin and undermine their betters.”
    —
    There was total silence for something like twenty seconds. It was as if no one in the room had properly understood what had happened. I looked at Karl, who just stared back. This time he had met his match. After a while I realized that I was going to have to take charge.
    “You can go now,” I said.
    One by one they went back to their desks. A breathless procession of subdued employees dispersed around the department.

26.
    Karl ran his hand over his thinning hair. He had tiny beads of sweat on his brow. Almost imperceptible. He craned his neck and loosened his tie slightly. I sat down on the comfy armchair opposite him, although it was a bit lower than the office chair he was sitting on. Karl slumped down in his chair. He sat there in silence for a long time, massaging his temples with two fingers on each side. Eventually he sighed.
    “How are you feeling, Björn?”
    “Fine, thanks,” I said.
    He rolled his chair closer to his desk, leaned his elbows on it, and rested his chin on his clasped hands.
    “You appreciate that you simply can’t behave like this?”
    “How so?”
    “This sort of performance. It’s unacceptable.”
    And then once more, as if he thought I hadn’t heard him, or simply needed to repeat it to himself:
    “Unacceptable.”
    “The way I see it,” I said, crossing one leg over the other, “they simply need a strong hand. This sort of collective bullying only arises when people feel lost and—”
    “Björn, Björn.”
    Karl raised one hand in the air. He leaned toward me.
    “I’m in charge here. You do know that, don’t you?”
    “Yes,” I replied.
    I nodded.
    “Don’t worry about personnel matters, Björn. I can deal with those.”
    He leaned back in his chair again. Rubbed his chin with his hand and looked at me.
    “Björn,” he said. “You pulled down the Christmas decorations