Daniel by Henning Mankell

other explanation. He told him about the need to show mercy, the simple Christian message not to refuse a fellow human being who was in trouble. But these words seemed to annoy Herrnander even more.
Bengler abandoned the Christian argument and shifted to science. He wanted to make a study of Daniel and at the same time observe how Swedes reacted to their meeting with this foreigner.
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    Herrnander groaned. Slowly he crossed out the word why and replaced it with another one. Bengler read it: crazy . When he started to speak again Herrnander closed his eyes.
    The conversation was over. Bengler felt insulted. What entitled this old man, with one foot in the grave, to criticise him? He stuffed the money in his pocket, took the handkerchief out of the keyhole and opened the door.
    The serving woman came towards them from an adjacent room.
    â€˜You stayed far too long,’ she said impatiently. ‘Now he’ll be restless all night.’
    â€˜I promise we won’t come back,’ was Bengler’s friendly reply. ‘We have completed our business.’
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    When they were out on the street Bengler took a deep breath and looked at Daniel.
    â€˜Now we have the most important thing a person can have,’ he said. ‘Capital. You don’t know what that is. But one day you’ll understand.’
    Daniel could see that Bengler was calmer now. His eyes no longer flicked back and forth.
    He stroked Daniel’s hair.
    â€˜Tonight we’re going to live the way we deserve. We’ll eat an excellent dinner. And we’ll stay at the Grand Hotel.’
    He stretched out his arm to point in the direction they were headed.
    â€˜I knew it the whole time,’ he said and laughed. ‘I’m born to be a commander. Even if my army consists only of you.’
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    Daniel didn’t understand the words. But he felt that the most important thing was that the man walking in front of him no longer seemed worried.

CHAPTER 9
    They took a corner room on the third floor. The man in the lobby had regarded Daniel with displeasure, but he hadn’t asked any questions. The room had thick curtains and smelled strongly of tobacco smoke. Daniel recoiled when he stepped over the threshold. Bengler thought it felt like stepping into a musty crypt. He was secretly ashamed that Daniel would have to sleep in this heavy smoke. He pulled back the curtains and opened the window. Daniel came over and stood next to him. He was afraid when he saw how high above the ground they were. Bengler realised that for Daniel there was probably no connection between the stairs they had climbed and how high the room was: for Daniel a staircase was a hill going up, not something that left the ground far below them.
    â€˜Tonight we shall sleep here,’ Bengler explained.
    He pointed at the bed. Daniel went over to it and lay down.
    â€˜Not yet,’ Bengler said. ‘First I have to give you a wash. Then we’ll go down to the dining room and eat dinner.’
    Bengler gestured to Daniel to get undressed. He took off his clothes too and hung up the worn suit on a clothes hanger. Daniel was very thin. Just below his right nipple he had a scar that shone white against his black skin. Bengler looked at his member. It was still undeveloped, but very long. On an impulse he couldn’t resist, he touched it. Daniel at once did the same to him and Bengler gave a start. Daniel gave him a worried look. Bengler thought it was like having a puppy for a companion. He poured water into the washbasin and told Daniel to sit down on the bed and watch how a person washed properly. Bengler placed a towel on the floor and washed himself carefully. He reminded himself of how he had been washed as a child and concluded by scrubbing his buttocks with a brush. Daniel watched him intently. Bengler felt like a heavy and shapeless animal standing naked in front of the basin. When he had dried himself he rang a bell. It took a few