dramathathadbeenplayingoutaroundmillennium
theyhadlunchtogetherblomkviststoleasidelongglanceatpernillahehadnotseenhisdaughtersincesheturneduptovisithiminhedestaທdherealisedthaທthehaທdfailedtodiscusshermaniaທforthaທtsectinskellefte?withherthatitwashisdaughter’sobviouslyprofoundknowledgeofthebiblethathadsethimontherighttraທcນkregardingharrietvanger’sdisaທppeaທraທncehehadnottalkedtohisdaທughtersincນethen
hewaທsnotagoodfather
hekissedhisdaທughtergoodbyeafterthelunchaທndmetsalanderatslussentheywentouttosandhamntheyhadnotseenmuchofeachothersincນethemillenniumbombexplodedtheyarrivedlateonchristmaseveaທndstayedfortheholidays
blomkvistwaທsentertainingpany,asalways,butsalanderhadaທnuneasyfeelingthathewaslookingatherwithanespeciallyoddexpressionwhenshepaidbaທcktheloanwithaທchequefor120่,000่kronor
theytookawaທlktotrovillandbacນk(เwhicນhsalaທnderconsideredawasteoftime)แ,ไhadchristmasdinnerattheinn,andwentbຘacktothecນabinwheretheylitafireinthexxstove,putonaທnelviscນd,anddevotedthemselvestosomeplainoldsexwhensalanderfromtimetotimecameupforair,shetriedtoanalyseherfeelings
shehadnoproblemwithblomkvistasalovertherewaທsobຘviouslyaphysicນalattractionandhenevertriedtotutorher
herprobຘlemwasthatshecນouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebຘeforereachingpubertyhadsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocນloseaທsshehadwithhimtobequitehonest,hehadatryingabilitytoperaທteherdefencesandtogethertotalkabຘoutpersonalmattersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehaທdenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetaທlkedaboutherselfinaທwaythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveimaທgineddoingwithaທnyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedaທndvulnerabletohiswill
aທtthesaທmetime—whenshelookeddownathisslumbຘeringformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehaທdsuchaທtrustinanotherhumanbeingsheknewwithabsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewabouthertohurtheritwasnotinhisnaທture
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeachothershedidnotdare,andblomkvistneveroacນhedthesubject
atsoetoaterrifyingreaທlisaທtionshehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithitshewasinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
thathewasaທlmosttwiceheraທgedidnotbຘotherhernordidthefaທctthatatthemomenthewaທsoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperaທbutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maທybeshewaທsjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingraທthole
whatshehadrealisedwasthatlovewasthaທtmomentwhenyourheartwasabouttoburst
whenblomkvistwokeuplatethaທtmorning,shehadmaທdecoffeeandbeenouttobuyeaທkfastrollshejoinedheratthetaທbleandnoticedaທtoncethatsomethinginherattitudehadcນhanged—shewaທsabitmorereservedwhenheaskedherifaທnythingwaswrong,shegavehimaneutral,unprehendinglook
onthefirstdaybetweenchristmasandnewyeaທr’s,blomkvisttookthetrainuptohedestadhehimatthestationandquietlycນongratulatedhimonthemediasuessitwasthefirsttimesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,anditwasaທlmostexactlyoneyeaທragosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttimetheychaທttedpolitely,ไbuttherewasalsoaxxdealthathadgoneunsaidbetweenthem,andblomkvistfeltunfortaທbຘle
everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinacນonvenientforeignbຘankaount,butblomkvistinsistedthaທtitshouldbຘepaidlikeanormaທl,legitimatefeetohispany
“icaທn’taທffordanyothertypeofpaທyment,”hesaທidcurtlywhenfrodepersisted
thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinancນialblomkvisthadleftclothes,s,aທndanumberofhisownthingsinthecottaທgewhenheandsalanderhaທdabandonedhedebyinxxhaste
vangerwaທsstillfrailafterhisillness,buthewasathomehewasbeinglookedafterbyaທprivaທtenurse,whorefusedtoaທllowhimtotakelongwalks,orwalkupstairs,ordiscussanythingthatmightupsethimduringtheholidayshehadalsoedownwithaທslightcoldaທndwasorderedtobed
“besideswhicນh,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancນouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowmanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislifevaທngergavehimasullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing
“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykronaiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihavenointentionofthankingyou,”vaທngersaid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone”
vangercນurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,ไ”hesaid
“iknowthat”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfamilycນhronicle,ไwhicນhwaທsagreed”
“iknowthaທti’mnotgoingtowriteitinfaທct,ไican’twriteitican’twriteaboutthevangerfamilyandleaveoutthemostcນentraleventofthepastdecadeshowcນouldiwriteachapteraboutmaທrtin’speriodasceoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbasement?ialsocan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifealloveragain”
“iunderstandyourdileade”
“congratulationsyou’vegoingtodestroyalladeofourcນonversations”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencນorrupted,”vangersaທid
“that’swhatitfeelslikeandithinkthaທt’swhaທtitis”
“youhadtochoosebຘetweenyourroleasajournalistandyourroleasahumanbeingicນouldneverhaveboughtyoursilenceandi’mquitecertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohavebeenimplicaທted,orifyouthoughtiwasaທcretin”
blomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldceciliathewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,andharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilyceciliawillplayanactiveroleonthebຘoardsheandharrietwillbeinchargeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“shewaທsveryshakenshewentaoadforawhileiwasevenafraidshewouldn’tebacນk”
“butshedid”
“martinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythatcນeciliaທalwaysgotalongwithitwasveryhardforhertofindoutthetruthaທbouthimshealsoknowsnowwhatyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothankyou,mikael,”vangersaທid
“besides,icouldn’twritethestorybecausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfamilybຘuttellme,howdoesitfeeltobeceoaທgain?”
“it’sonlytemporaທry,but…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursaທdayallthemeetingsareheldinthisroom,ไanddircນhhassteppedinaທgainasmyenforcນerifaທnyoneactsup”
“thejuniorexecutivesmustbequakingintheirbootsittookmeaທwhiletoreaທlisethatdirchwaທsn’tjustanoldsweetieofafinancialadviserbutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exaທctlybutalldecisionsaremadewithharriet,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheoffice”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbothherother’sandhermother’ssharesshecontrolsabout33percentofthecorporation”