Burial Rites

As Chapter 7 opens, an old letter from a Reverend Johann Tomasson states that Fridrik is a smart and learned boy, but has a poor character and is disobedient. In a more recent letter, Blondal writes to Toti asking about his progress with Agnes, and Toti visits Blondal to discuss the case in person. At Blondal’s house he has an odd encounter with a servant named Karitas, but Blondal quickly pulls Toti away. Toti reports that Agnes seems to have adjusted well and is helping around the house, but spiritually she is having more trouble. Toti believes the best to get through to her is to talk to her as a friend, and he has encouraged her to speak of her past with him. He believes her spiritual awakening is more private. Blondal describes what happened the night of the murders, to which Fridrik has confessed. Toti asks if Agnes was involved, to which Blondal replies that she was there and had incentive to kill Natan. She wanted to marry him, and killed him because Natan preferred the younger Sigga. Toti tries to find out if this is what Fridrik has claimed, but it seems to be Blondal’s opinion of the crime.