Page 32
Oskar's love for Eli overcomes his distaste for killing, and he says, "Well, I don't like killing people either, but if that's what it takes to make you happy, I'll do it!" Eli kisses him again and gives him Håkan's tools of the trade: a flashlight, a gas container attached to a mask to render a victim unconscious, a rope to hoist him up by the feet, a knife to sever his jugular, a funnel to catch the blood and a big bottle to collect it. Oskar leaves behind the knife and the container. "I already have a knife, and the container would only weigh me down," he explains. "Gas is an unreliable weapon: if the guy doesn't inhale right away, he would have lots of time to remove the mask. I'll have to rely on my knife - and on the element of surprise."
"Well, happy hunting, Oskar. I'll see you when you get back."
As Oskar searches for a suitably deserted spot, he realizes that the hunting will be far from happy even if it is successful. Despite the weightlifting he has done, he is no match for an adult even with his knife, and he doesn't have the heart to kill a small child. He can't even bring himself to kill a boy his own age unless the boy bullies him. He will have to encourage his intended victim to bully him - by acting scared.
Soon Oskar spots a boy walking alone. He pulls his knife out of his pocket and hides it behind his back. When they get close, Oskar says in a voice feigning terror, "Are you going to beat me up?"
The boy looks at Oskar kindly and replies, "Why should I? You've done me no harm. Say, I bet you get bullied a lot at school. I sure as heck do! Hey, ya wanna hang out?"
"I'd really like to," says Oskar truthfully, "but I'm kinda busy right now. Maybe later." Oskar feels a great kinship with this boy, and he shudders to think how close he came to killing him.