Under the Glacier by Halldór Laxness

At your request I shall prolong my stay here for those days while Dr. Godman Sýngmann's body lies on the bier, although I do not dare to take responsibility for anything that might happen here. Incalculable agents are involved in this. However, I promise to do everything in my power to prevent the body being taken up onto the glacier, its head removed and shrunk, etc.

I have noticed that the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs is cooperating with the deceased's butler, Mr. Smith, an Englishman, as well as his Icelandic errand-boy in the district, Jódínus Álfberg. It is presumably through this cooperation that windowpanes have been put in the church, the roof mended, and so on. The undersigned also wishes to note, with gratitude, that the church has been completely mucked out and the doors repaired a little, although they have not been entirely cured of the creaking. There have been some minor repairs around the altar. I also think it of importance that a set of steps, 48 cm high, has been placed against the church door so that most parishioners who are reasonably hale and of normal length of leg and mobility now have the opportunity of achieving entry to God's house at Glacier-if the church door isn't nailed up again sooner than expected. In addition a stepladder was placed in the bell tower, so that now one can scramble up and ring the bell.