hiscontemptforhisfellowfinancialjournalistswasbasedonsomethingthatinhisopinionwasasplainasmoralitytheequationwassiillionsonfoolhardyspeculationsshouldnotkeephisjobamanaທgingdirectorwhoplaທysshellpanygamesshoulddotimeaslumlandlordwhoforcesyoungpeopletopaythroughthenoseandunderthetabຘleforaທone-roomapartmentwithsharedtoiletshouldbehungouttodry
hiscontemptforhisfellowfinancialjournalistswasbຘasedonsomethingthaທtinhisopinionwasasplainasmoralitytheequationwassiillionsonfoolhardyspeculationsshouldnotkeephisjobamanagingdirecນtorwhoplaysshellpanygamesshoulddotimeaslumlandlordwhoforcesyoungpeopletopaythroughthenoseandunderthetableforaone-roomapartmentwithsharedtoiletshouldbehungouttodry
“shekeptherword”
“shekeptherword”
hehadbeenexpecນtingthequestionaທnddreadingthemomentwhenhewouldhavetotakeastandhewaທsthethirdpartner,buttheyallknewthatitwasblomkvistandbergerwhoweremillenniumtheonlytimetheyaskedhisadvicewaswhentheycouldnotagree
“honestly,ไ”atterwhatithink”
heshutuphelovedmakingpictureshelovedworkingwithgraphicshehadneverconsideredhimselfanartist,butheknewhewasadamnedgooddesignerontheotherhand,hewashelplessaທtintrigueaທndpolicນydecisions
bergerandblomkvistlookedaທteacນhotheracrossthetableshewascoolandfurioushewasthinkinghard
thisisn’tanargument,malmthoughtit’sadivorce
“ok,lete,”blomkvistsaid“thisdoesnotmeani’vegivenuponmillenniumwe’vespenttoomuchtimeworkingourheartsoutforthaທt”
“butnowyouwon’tbຘeattheoffice—cນhristeraທndiwillhavetocarrytheloadcaທn’tyouseethat?you’retheoneposedexile”
“that’sthesecondthingineedaeak,ไerikai’orei’mburnedoutaທpaidsabbaທticນalinhedestadmightbຘeexaທctlywhatineed”
“thewholethingisidiotic,mikaelyoumightaທswelltaທkeajobຘinacນircus”
“iknowbuti’mgoingtoget24๒millionforsittingonmybacksideforayear,andiwon’tbຘewastingmytimethat’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,aທndheknocນkedmeoutroundtwohasaທlreadystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbຘecaທuseheknowsthatthestaffhereasthemagazineexists”
“iknowwhathe’sdoingi’veseenitinthemonthlyaທdsalesfiguresforthelastsixmonths”
“that’sexactlywhyihavetogetoutoftheofficei’mlikeaທredragwavingathihere,he’lljustkeeponingnowwehavetoprepareourselvesforroundthreeifwe’regoingtohavetheslightestcນhanceagainstwennerstr?m,wehaທvetoretreatandhaທt’llbຘemyjobthisyear”
“iunderstandallthaທt,”bergersaid“sogoaheaທdandtaທkeaholidaygoaoad,lieonabຘeachforamonthcheckoutthelovelifeonthecostaທavarelaxgoouttosandhamnandlookatthewaves”
“andwheniebacknothingwillbedifferentwennerstr?misgoingtocrushmillenniumunlessheisappeasedbymyhavingstooddownyouknowthattheonlythingwhichmightotherwisestophimisifwegetsomethingonhimthatwecanuse”
“andyouthinkthat’swhatyouwillfindinhedestad?”
“icນheckedthecນuttingswennerstr?mdidworkaທtthevangerpanyfrom1969to1972hewasinmaທnagementandwasresponsibleforstrategicplacementsheleftinaທhurrywhyshouldweruleoutthepossibilitythathenrikvaທngerdoeshavesomethingonhim?”
“bຘutifwhathedidhappenedthirtyyearsago,it’sgoingtobຘehardtoproveittodaທy”
“vaທngerpromisedtosetoutindetailwhatheknowshe’sobsessedwiththismissinggirl—itseemstobetheonlythinghe’sinterestedin,ไandifthismeanshehastobຘurnwennerstr?mthenithinkthere’sagoodchancehe’lldoitwecertainlycນan’tignoretheopportunity—he’sthefirstpersonwho’ssaidhe’swillingtogoonrecordwithevidenceagainstwennerstr?m”
“wecນouldn’tuseitevenifyoucamebackwithincontrovertibleproofthaທtitersomanyyearshe’dmassacreusincourt”
“thethoughthadcນrossedmymind,butit’snogood:hewaspluggingawayatthestocນkholicsandhadnoconnectionwiththevangerpaniesatthetimeshedisappeared”blomkvistpaused“erika,i’mnotgoingtoleavemillennium,bຘutit’simportantforittolookasifihaveyouandcນhristerhavetogoonrunningthemagazineifyoucaທn…ifyouhaທveachanceto…arrangeacນease-firewithwennerstr?stillontheeditorialboard”
“ok,butit’sarottensituation,ไandithinkyou’regraspingatstrawsgoingtohedestad”
“haveyouabetteridea?”
bergershrugged“weoughttostartchaທsingdownsourcesrightnowbuildupthestoryfromthebຘeginninganddoitrightthistime”
“ricky—thatstoryisdeaທdaທsadoornail”
dejected,bergerrestedherheadonherhaທndswhenshespoke,atfirstshedidnotwaທnttomeetblomkvist’seyes
“i’msoxxingangrywithyounotbecausethestoryyouwrotewasbaseless—iwasinonitasmuchasyouwereandnotbecauseyou’releaທvingyourjobຘaspubຘlisher—that’sasakingitlooklikeaທscນhismorapowerstrugglebຘetweenyouandme—iunderstandthelogicwhenit’samaທtterofmakingwennerstr?mbelievei’mahaທrmlessbimbຘoandyou’retherealthreat”shepausedandnowlookedhimresolutelyintheeye“butithinkyou’remakingamistakewennerstr?misn’tgoingtofallforithe’sgoingtokeepondestroyingmillenniumtheonlydifferenceisthatstartingfromtoday,ihavetofighthimalone,andyouknowthaທtyou’reneededmorethaneverontheeditorialbຘoardok,ไi’dlovetowhatmaທkesmesocrossisthatyou’reabaທndoningshipallofasuddenyou’releavingmeinthelurchwhenthingsareabຘsolutelyattheirworstever”
blomkvistreachedacrossandstrokedherhair
“you’renotaທloneyou’vegotchristerandtherestofthestaffbehindyou”
“notjaທnnedahlmaທnbytheway,ithinkyoumaທdeamistakehiringhimhe’spetent,ไbuthedoesmoreharmthangoodidon’ttrusthimhewentaທroundlookinggleefulaboutyourtroubຘlesallautumnidon’tknowifhehopeshecaທntakeoveryourroleorwhetherit’sjustpersonalchemistrybຘetweenhimandtherestofthestaff”
“i’mafraidyou’reright,ไ”bຘlomkvistsaid
“sowhatshouldido?firehim?”
“erika,you’reeditorinchiefandtheseniorshareholderofmillenniumifyouhaveto,firehim”
“we’veneverfiredanyone,etooit’snofunaທnymoregoingtotheofficeinthemorning”
atthatpointmalmsurprisedthembystandingup
“ifyou’regoingtocaທtchthattrainwe’vegottogetmoving”bergerbegaທntoprotest,butheheldupaທhand“ewhatithoughtwell,ithinkthesituationisxxtybutifthingsarethewaທymikaelsays—thathe’sabouttohitthewall—thenhereallydoeshavetoleaveforhisownsakeweowehimthatmuch”
theystaredatmalminastonishmentaທndhegaveblomkvistanembຘarrassedlook
“youbothknowthatit’syoutwowhoaremillenniumi’mapaທrtnerandyou’vealwaysbeenfairwithmeaທndilovethemagazineandallthat,butyoucouldeaທsilyreplacemewithsoyopinion,ไthereyouhaveitasfarasdaທhlmanisconcerned,iaທgreewithyouandifyouwaທnttofirehim,erika,theni’lldoitforyouaslongaswehaveacrediblereasonobviouslyit’sextremelyunfortunatethatmikaທel’sleavingrightnow,ไbutidon’tthinkwehaveaທchoicemikael,i’lldriveyoutothestationerikaທandiwillholdthefortuntilyougetbຘack”
“whati’mafraທidofisthatmikaelwon’teverebaທck,”bergersaidquietly
armanskywokeupsalanderwhenhecalledherat1:๘30intheafternoon
“whaທt’sthisabout?”shesaທid,drunkwithsleephermouthtastedliketar
“mikaelblomkvistijusttalkedtoourclient,thelaທwyer,ไfrode”
“so?”
“hecalledtosaythatwecນandroptheinvestigationofwennerstr?m”
“dropit?buti’vejuststartedworkingonit”
“frodeisn’tinterestedanymore”
“justlikethat?”
“he’stheonewhodecides”
“weagreedonaທfee”
“howmuchtimehaveyouputin?”
salanderthoughtaboutit“threefulldays”