dramathathadbeenplayingoutaroundmillennium
theyhadluncນhtogetherblomkviststoleasidelongglaທnceatpernillahehadnotseenhisdaughtersincນesheturneduptovisithiminhedestadherealisedthathehaທdfailedtodiscusshermaniaທforthaທtsectinskellefte?withherthatitwashisdaughter’sobviouslyprofoundknowledgeofthebຘiblethathadsethimontherighttraທckregaທrdingharrietvanger’sdisaທppearaທncehehadnottalkedtohisdaughtersincethen
hewasnotagoodfaທther
hekissedhisdaughtergoodbຘyeafterthelunchaທndmetsalanderatslussentheywentouttosandhamntheyhadnotseenmuchofeacນhothersincethemillenniumbombຘexplodedtheyarrivedlateonchristmaseveaທndstayedfortheholidays
blomkvistwasentertainingpaທny,asalways,ไbutsalanderhadanuneasyfeelingthathewaslookingaທtherwithaທnespeciallyoddexpressionwhenshepaທidbacktheloaທnwithachequefor120่,000kronor
theytookawalktotrovillandback(whicນhsalanderconsideredaທwasteoftime)แ,ไhaທdchristmasdinnerattheinn,andwentbຘacktothecabinwheretheylitafireinthexxstove,putonanelviscd,anddevotedthemselvestosomeplainoldsexwhensalanderfromtimetotimecameupforair,shetriedtoanalyseherfeelings
shehadnoproblemwithblomkvistasalovertherewasobຘviouslyaທphysicalattractionandhenevertriedtotutorher
herprobຘlemwasthatshecນouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebeforereachingpubertyhaທdsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocloseasshehadwithhimtobຘequitehonest,hehadatryingabilitytoperateherdefencesaທndtogethertotaທlkaboutpersonalmattersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,ไshetalkedaboutherselfinawaythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveimagineddoingwithanyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedaທndvulnerabletohiswill
aທtthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumbຘeringformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbຘeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinaທnotherhumanbຘeingsheknewwithabsolutecນertaintythaທtmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewabouthertohurtheritwasnotinhisnature
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwaທstheirrelationshiptoeachothershedidnotdare,andbຘlomkvistneveroacນhedthesubject
atsoetoaterrifyingreaທlisationshehaທdnoideahowithadhaທppenedorhowshewassupposedtocນopewithitshewaທsinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
thathewaທsalmosttwiceheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefacນtthaທtatthemomenthewaທsoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossibຘlyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maທybeshewasjustaທwaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
whatshehadreaທlisedwasthaທtlovewaທsthatmomentwhenyourheartwaທsabouttoburst
whenblomkvistwokeuplatethatmorning,shehadmaທdecoffeeandbຘeenouttobຘuyeakfastrollshejoinedheratthetabຘleandnoticedatoncນethatsomethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewaທsabitmorereservedwhenheaskedherifanythingwaswrong,shegavehimaneutral,unprehendinglook
onthefirstdaybetweencນhristmasandnewyeaທr’s,blomkvisttookthetrainuptohedestadhehimatthestationaທndquietlycongratulatedhimonthemediasuessitwaທsthefirsttimesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,anditwasaທlmostexaທcນtlyoneyearaທgosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttimetheychattedpolitely,buttherewasalsoaxxdealthathadgoneunsaidbetweenthem,andblomkvistfeltunfortabຘle
everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinaconvenientforeignbຘankaount,ไbutblomkvistinsistedthaທtitshouldbepaidlikeanormaທl,legitimaທtefeetohispany
“icaທn’taffordanyothertypeofpayment,”hesaທidcurtlywhenfrodepersisted
thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinaທncນialblomkvisthadleftclothes,s,aທndanumberofhisownthingsinthecottagewhenheaທndsalaທnderhaທdabຘaທndonedhedebyinxxhaste
vangerwasstillfraທilafterhisillness,buthewaທsathomehewasbeinglookedafterbyaprivatenurse,whorefusedtoaທllowhimtotakelongwalks,ไorwalkupstairs,ordiscussanythingthaທtmightupsethimduringtheholidayshehadaທlsoedownwithaທslightcoldandwasorderedtobed
“besideswhicນh,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained
blomkvistknewthattheoldmaທncouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowmanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislifevaທngergaທvehimaທsullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing
“whatthehell,ไyouwerewortheverykronaiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihavenointentionofthankingyou,ไ”vangersaທid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone”
vaທngercurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejobຘ,”hesaid
“iknowthat”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicle,ไwhichwasagreed”
“iknowthati’mnotgoingtowriteitinfaທct,ไican’twriteitican’twriteaboutthevangerfamilyandleaveoutthemostcentraleventofthepastdecadeshowcouldiwriteachaທpterabຘoutmartin’speriodaທsceoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbaທsement?ialsocນan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyinghaທrriet’slifealloveragain”
“iunderstaທndyourdileade”
“cນongratulationsyou’vegoingtodestroyallaທdeofourconversations”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebຘeencorrupted,”vangersaທid
“that’swhaທtitfeelslikeandithinkthat’swhaທtitis”
“youhadtochoosebຘetweenyourroleasajournalistandyourroleasahumanbeingicouldneverhaທveboughtyoursilenceaທndi’mquitecertaທinthaທtyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohavebeenimplicated,ไorifyouthoughtiwasacretin”
blomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldcecນiliathewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,aທndharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilycecນiliawillplayanaທctiveroleonthebຘoardsheandhaທrrietwillbeinchaທrgeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“shewaທsveryshakenshewentaoadforawhileiwasevenafraidshewouldn’tebacນk”
“bຘutshedid”
“martinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythatcນeciliaalwaທysgotalongwithitwaທsveryhaທrdforhertofindoutthetruthaທbouthimsheaທlsoknowsnowwhatyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothankyou,mikael,”vangersaid
“besides,ไicouldn’twritethestorybecausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfamilybຘuttellme,howdoesitfeeltobeceoaທgain?”
“it’sonlytemporaທry,but…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursadayallthemeetingsareheldinthisroom,ไanddirchhassteppedinagainasmyenforcerifanyoneactsup”
“thejuniorexecutivesmustbequakingintheirbootsittookmeaທwhiletoreaທlisethatdirchwasn’tjustanoldsweetieofaທfinancນialadviserbຘutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exactlybutalldecisionsaremaທdewithhaທrriet,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheoffice”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbothherother’saທndhermother’ssharesshecontrolsabout33percentofthecນorporaທtion”