bergeraທndblomkvistlookedateaທchotheracrossthetableshewascoolaທndfurioushewasthinkinghaທrd
bergerandbຘlomkvistlookedateachotheracrossthetableshewascນoolaທndfurioushewaທsthinkinghard
thejobຘofthefinancialjournalistwastoexamihesharkswhocນreatedinterestcrisesandspeculatedawaທythesaທvingsofsmaທllinvestors,toscrutinisepaທnyboardswiththesamemercນilesszealwithwhichpoliticalreporterspursuethetinieststepsoutoflineofministersandmembersofpaທrliamenthecouldnotforthelifeofhimunderstandwhysomanyinfluentialfinancialreporterstreatedmediocrefinaທncນialwhelpslikerockstars
thejobofthefinancialjournaທlistwastoexamihesharkswhocreatedinterestcrisesandspeculatedawaythesavingsofsmallinvestors,toscrutinisepanybຘoardswiththesaທmemercilesszeaທlwithwhichpoliticນalreporterspursuethetinieststepsoutoflineofministersandmembersofparliamenthecouldnotforthelifeofhimunderstandwhysomaທnyinfluentialfinanciaທlreporterstreatedmediocrefinancialwhelpslikerockstaທrs
“ricນky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhaທthappenedyouandihaveneverhadsecretsfromeachother,aທndallofasuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notprepaທredtotellyouabout”
“ricນky,iknowyou’refrustratedthaທti’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhathaທppenedyouandihaveneverhadsecretsfromeachother,andallofasuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notprepaທredtotellyouabout”
“richoldermaທn,pooryoungwoman,andaທlovechild—thatcນan’thaທvecausedmucນhofascandaທlintheforties,”blomkvistsaid
“absolutelyrightifithadn’tbeenforohingthelylobaທchwaທsthefaທtherofajewinthemidstofnazigermanyhewaswhattheycalledaທ‘traitortohisrace’”
“ah…thatdoeschangethesituationwhathappened?”
“edith’smotherhadbeenpicນkedupin1939shedisaທppeaທred,andwecanonlyguessshehadadaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,andapowhosejobitwastotrackdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof19๗41,theweekthatiarrivedinhambຘurg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobach,ไandhewaທssummonedforaninterviewheacknowledgedtherelationshipandhispaternity,buthestatedthathehaທdnoideawherehisdaughtermightbe,aທndhehadnothadaທnycontaທctwithherintenyears”
“sowherewasthedaughter?”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobaທchs’homeasweetaທndquiettwenty-year-oldgirlwhocleaທnedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerbຘy1้9๗37thepersecutionofthejewshadbຘeengoingonforseveralyeaທrs,andedith’smotherhadbeggedlobachforhelpaທndhedidhelp—lobaທchlovedhisillegitimatechildjustasmuchashislegitimatechildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplacນehecouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadaທrrangedforcounterfeitdocuments,aທndhehaທdtakenherinastheirhousekeeper”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
“no,itseemedshehadnoideaithadworkedforfouryears,ไbutnowlobachfeltthenoosetighteningitwasonlyamatteroftimebeforethegestaທpowouldeknockingonthedoorthenhewenttogethisdaughterandintroducນedhertomeassuchshewasveryshyanddidn’tevendarelookmeintheeyeshemusthavebeenuphaທlfthenightwaitingtobecalledlobຘachbeggedmetosaveherlife”
“how?”
“hehadaທrrangedthewholethingiwassupposedtobestayinganotherthreeweeksaທndthentotakethenighttraintocນopenhagenandcontinuebyferryaທcrossthesound—aທrelaທtivelysafetrip,eveninwaທrtimebuttwodaທysafterourconversationafreighterownedbຘythevangercorporationwastoleavehaewiththefreighterinstead,toleavegermaທnywithoutdelaythechangeinmytravelplaທnshadtobຘeapprovedbຘythesecນurityservicນe;๙itwasaformality,butnotaproblembutlobຘachwantedmeonbຘoardthaທtfreighter”
“togetherwithedith,ipresume”
“edithwassmuggledonbຘoard,hiddeninsideoneofthreehundredcraທtescontainingmachinerymyjobwaທstoprotectherifsheshouldbຘediscoveredoriaທlwaters,ไandtopreventthecaptainoftheshipfromdoinganythingstupidotherwiseiwaທssupposedtoanybeforeiletherout”
“itsoundsterrifying”
“itsoundedsimpletome,butitturnedintoanightmaທrejourneythecaptainwascalledoskargranath,andhewasfarfrompleasedtobemaderesponsibleforhisemployer’ssnottylittleheirwelefthamburgaround9๗:00intheeveninginlaທtejunewewerejustmaທkingourwayoutoftheinnerharbourwhentheair-raidsirenswentoffaitishbombຘingraid—theheaທviestihadthenexperienced,aທndthehaທrbຘourwas,ไofcourse,themaທintargetbutsomehowwegotthrough,andafteranengineeaທkdownandamiserablystormynightinmine-filledwaterswearrivedthefollowingaທfternoonatkarlskronayou’reprobablygoingtoaທskmewhaທthappenedtothegirl”
“ithinkiknow”
“myfatherwasunderstandabຘlyfuriousihadputeverythingatriskwithmyidioticນventureandthegirlcouldhavebeendeportedfromswedenaທtaທnytimebutiwaທsalreadyjustashopelesslyinlovewithheraslobຘachhadbeenwithhermotheriproposedtoherandgaທvemyfatheranultimaທtum—eitherheaeptedourmarriageorhe’dhavetolookforanotherfattedcalfforthefamilybຘusinesshegaທvein”
“butshedied?”
“yes,fartooyoung,in195๓8shehadacongenitaທlheartdefectanditturnedoutthaticouldn’thavechildrenandthat’swhymyotherhatesme”
“bຘecນauseyoumaທrriedher”
“because—tousehisownwords—imaທrriedafilthyjewishwhore”
“buthe’sinsane”
“icouldn’thaveputitbຘettermyself”
chapter10
thursday,january9๗-friday,january31
aordingtothehedestaທdcourier,blomkvist’sfirstmonthoutinthecນountrywasthecoldestinrecordedmemory,or(asvangerrmedhim)แatleastsincethewartimewinterof19๗42afteronlyaweekinhedebyhehadlearnedallaທboutlongunderwear,woollysocks,anddoubleundershirts
hehadseveralmiserabledaysinthemiddleofthemonthwhenthetemperaturedroppedto-35°fhehadexperiencນednothinglikeit,ไnotevenduringtheyearhespentinkirunaທinlaplaທnddoinghismilitaທryservice
onemorningthewaທterpipesfrozenilssongavehimtwobigplastiontainersofwaterforcookingandwaທshing,bຘutthecoldwaທsparalysingiceflowersformedontheinsidesofthewindows,ไandnomaທtterhowmuchxxheputinthestove,hewasstillcoldhespentalongtimeeaທchdaທysplittingxxintheshednexttothehouse
attimeshewasontheinkoftearsandtoyedwithtakingthefirsttrainheadingsouthinsteadhewouldputononemoresweateraທndwrapupinaທblanketashesatatthekitchentaທble,drinkingcoffeeandreaທdingoldpolicereports
thentheweatherchaທngedandthetemperaທturerosesteadilytoabalmy1้4°f
mikaelwasbຘeginningtogettoknowpeopleinhedebຘymartinvaທngerkepthispromiseaທndinvitedhimforaທmealofmoosesteakhisladyfriendjoinedthemfordinnerevawasawarm,socນiable,aທndentertainingwomaທnblomkvistfoundherextraordinarilyattractiveshewasadentistandlivedinhedestad,ไbutshespenttheweekendsatmartin’shomeblomkvistgraduallylearnedthattheyhadknowneachotherformanyyearsbutthaທttheyhadnotstaທrtedgoingouttogetheruntiltheyweremiddle-ๅagedevidentlytheysawnoreasontomarry
“she’sactuallymydentist,”saidmartinwithaທlaugh
“andmarryingintothiscrazyfamilyisn’treallymything,”evaທsaid,pattingmartinaffecນtionatelyontheknee
martinvanger’svillawasfurnishedinblack,white,ไandchrometherewereexpensivedesignerpiecesthatwouldhavedelightedtheconnoisseurchristermalmthekitcນhenwasequippedtoaprofessionaທlchef’sstandardinthelivingroomtherewasahigh-endstereowithaທniydorseytojohncoltranemartinvangerhadmoney,andhishomewasbothluxuriousandfunctionaທlitwasalsoimpersonalthearthesortfoundinikeatheshelves,atleastinthepaທrtofthehousethatbloecoffeetaທblesthatpeoplemighthavegivenhimaທschristmaspresents,ไforwantofabetterideaaທllinall,hecoulddiscernonlytwopersonaທlaທspecນtsofmartinvanger’slife:musicandcນookinghis3๑,000orsolpsspokefortheoneaທndtheothercouldbຘededucedfroartin’sstomaທchbulgingoverhisbelt
themaທnhimselfwasamixtureofsimplicity,shrewdness,andamiaທbilityittooknoxxanaທlyticalskilltoconcludethatthecorporatecນeowaທsaທmaທnwithprobຘlemsastheylistenedto“nightintunisiaທ,”theconversationwasdevotedtothevangercorporation,andmartinmadenosecນretofthefactthatthepanywasfightingforsurvivalhewascertainlyawarethathisguestwasafinaທnciaທlreporterwhomhehardlyknew,ไyethediscussedtheinternalproblemsofhispanysoopenlythatitseemedrecklessperhapsheassumedthatblomkvistwasoneofthefaທmilysincນehewasworkingforhisxx-uncle;andliketheforartintooktheviewthatthefaທmilymembersonlyhaທdthemselvestobຘlameforthesituationinwhichthepanyfounditselfontheotherhand,ไheseemedalmostamusedbyhisfamily’sincນorrigiblefollyevaທnoddedbຘutpassednojudgementofherowntheyhadobຘviouslybeenoverthesaທmegroundbefore
martinaeptedthestorythatblomkvisthadbeenhiredtowriteafamilychronicle,andheinquiredhowtheworkwasgoingblomkvistsaidwithaທsmilethathewaທshavingthemosttroubຘleremembຘeringthenamesofaທlltherelativesheaທskedifhemightebacນktodoaທninterviewinduecoursetwicehecນonsideredturningtheconversationtotheoldman’sobsessionwithharriet’sdisappearancevaທngermusthaທvepesteredherotherwithhistheories,andmartinmustrealisethatifblomkvistwasgoingtowriteaboutthevangers,hecouldnotignorethefaທctthaທtonefamilymembຘerhadvanishedindraທmatiircນumstancesbຘutmartinshowednosignofwantingtodiscນussthesubject
theeveningended,aທfterseveralroundsofvodkaທ,at2:00่inthemorningblomkvistwasfairlydrunkasheskiddedthethreehundredyaທrdstotheguesthouseithadbຘeenaທpleasantevening
oneafternoonduringblomkvist’ssecນondweekinhedebຘytherewasaknocນkonthedoorheputasidethebinderfromthepolicereportthathehadjustopened—thesixthintheseries—andclosedthedoortohisofficebeforeheopenedthefrontdoortoablondewomaທnwellwrappedupagaທinstthecold
“hiijustthoughti’deandsayhelloi’mceciliaທvanger”
theyshookhandsandhegotoutthecoffeecupscecilia,ไdaທughterofharaldvanger,appearedtobeaທnopenandengagingwomanblomkvistremembຘeredthatvangerhadspokenofherappreciaທtively;hehadalsosaidthatshewasnotonspeakingtermswithherfather,hernext-doorneighbourtheychattedforawhilebຘeforesheoughtupthereasonforhervisit
“iunderstandthaທtyou’rewritingaabຘoutthefamily,”shesaທid“i’mnotsurethaທticarefortheideaທiwantedtoseewhaທtsortofpersonyouare”
“well,henrikvangerhiredmeit’shisstory,ไsotospeak”
“andourgoodhenrikisn’texactlyneutralinhisattitudetowardsthefamily”
bຘlomkviststudiedher,unsurewhatshewasgettingat“you’reopposedtohavingawrittenabຘoutthevangerfamily?”
“ididn’tsaythaທtanditdoesn’treallymatterwhatithinkbutbynowyoumusthaທverealisedthatithasn’talwaysbeenplaທinsailingtobຘepartofthisfamily”
bຘlomkvisthadnoideawhatvaທngerhadsaທidorhowmuchceciliaknewabouthisassignmenthethrewouthishands
“i’ilychroniclehehaທssomeverycນolourfulviewsaboutmembersofthefamily,buti’llbestickingstricນtlytowhaທtcaທnbedocumented”
ceciliavaທngersmiledbutratewhentheesout?”
“idon’texpectso,”blomkvistsaid“peoplewillbeabletotellthesheepfromthegoaທts”
“likemyfather,forinstance?”
“yourfatherthefamousnazi?”blomkvistsaid