bergerandblomkvistlookedaທteachotheraທcrossthetableshewascoolaທndfurioushewasthinkinghaທrd
bergerandblomkvistlookedateachotheracrossthetabຘleshewascoolandfurioushewasthinkinghard
thejobofthefinancialjournalistwastoexamihesharkswhocreatedinterestcrisesandspecນulatedawaythesaທvingsofsmallinvestors,toscrutinisepanyboardswiththesamemercilesszealwithwhichpoliticນalreporterspursuethetinieststepsoutoflineofministersaທndmembersofpaທrliamenthecouldnotforthelifeofhimunderstandwhysomanyinfluentialfinancialreporterstreatedmediocrefinaທncນialwhelpslikerockstars
thejobofthefinancialjournalistwastoexamihesharkswhocreatedinterestcrisesandspeculatedawaythesaທvingsofsmallinvestors,toscrutinisepanyboardswiththesaທmemercilesszealwithwhichpoliticalreporterspursuethetinieststepsoutoflineofministersandmembersofparliamenthecouldnotforthelifeofhimunderstandwhysomaທnyinfluentiaທlfinancialreporterstreaທtedmediocrefinanciaທlwhelpslikerockstaທrs
“ricky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhathappenedyouandihaveneverhadsecretsfromeachother,aທndallofasuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notprepaທredtotellyouabout”
“ricນky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhathappenedyouandihaveneverhadsecretsfromeacນhother,andallofaທsuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notpreparedtotellyouaທbout”
“richoldermaທn,pooryoungwoman,andalovecນhild—thatcນan’thaທvecausedmucນhofascandalintheforties,”blomkvistsaid
“abຘsolutelyrightifithadn’tbຘeenforohingthelylobachwaທsthefatherofajewinthemidstofnaທzigermanyhewaswhaທttheycaທlleda‘traitortohisraທcນe’”
“aທh…thatdoeschangethesituationwhathappened?”
“edith’smotherhadbຘeenpickedupin1939shedisaທppeared,andwecanonlyguessshehaທdadaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,andapowhosejobitwastotrackdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof1941้,theweekthatiarrivedinhambຘurg,ไedith’smotherwaທssomehowlinkedtolobacນh,andhewassummonedforaninterviewheacນknowledgedtherelationshipandhispaternity,bຘuthestatedthathehadnoideawherehisdaughtermightbຘe,andhehadnothadanycontactwithherintenyears”
“sowherewasthedaughter?”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobachs’homeasweetaທndquiettwenty-yeaທr-oldgirlwhocleaທnedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerby1้9๗37๕thepersecutionofthejewshadbຘeengoingonforseveralyears,andedith’smotherhaທdbeggedlobຘachforhelpandhedidhelp—lobaທchlovedhisillegitimatechildjustasmucນhaທshislegitimatechildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplacehecນouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadarrangedforcounterfeitdocuments,aທndhehaທdtakenherinaທstheirhousekeeper”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
“no,itseemedshehadnoideaithadworkedforfouryears,ไbutnowlobachfeltthenoosetighteningitwasonlyamatteroftimebeforethegestapowouldeknockingonthedoorthenhewenttogethisdaughterandintroducນedhertomeassuchshewasveryshyanddidn’tevendarelookmeintheeyeshemusthavebeenuphaທlfthenightwaທitingtobecalledlobຘachbeggedmetosaທveherlife”
“how?”
“hehadaທrrangedthewholethingiwassupposedtobestaທyinganotherthreeweeksandthentotaທkethenighttraintocopenhagenandcນontinuebyferryacrossthesound—aທrelativelysafetrip,eveninwartimebuttwodaysafterourconversationafreighterownedbythevaທngercນorporationwastoleavehaewiththefreighterinstead,toleavegermaທnywithoutdelaythechaທngeinmytravelplaທnshadtobeaທpprovedbythesecurityservice;itwasaທformality,butnotaprobຘlembutlobachwantedmeonboardthatfreighter”
“togetherwithedith,ipresume”
“edithwaທssmuggledonboaທrd,hiddeninsideoneofthreehundredcratescontainingmachinerymyjobwastoprotectherifsheshouldbediscນoveredorialwaters,ไandtopreventthecaptainoftheshipfromdoinganythingstupidotherwiseiwassupposedtoaທnybeforeiletherout”
“itsoundsterrifying”
“itsoundedsimpletome,bຘutitturnedintoaທnightmarejourneythecນaptainwascນalledoskargranath,andhewaທsfarfrompleasedtobemaທderesponsibleforhisemployer’ssnottylittleheirwelefthamburgaທround9:๘00intheeveninginlatejunewewerejustmaທkingourwayoutoftheinnerharbourwhentheair-raidsirenswentoffaitishbombingraid—theheaທviestihadthenexperienced,aທndthehaທrbຘourwaທs,ofcourse,themaທintargetbutsomehowwegotthrough,andafteranengineeakdownandamiseraທblystormynightinmine-filledwaterswearrivedthefollowingafternoonatkaທrlskronayou’reprobaທblygoingtoaskmewhathappenedtothegirl”
“ithinkiknow”
“myfatherwasunderstandabຘlyfuriousihadputeverythingatriskwithmyidioticventureandthegirlcouldhaທvebeendeportedfromswedenatanytimebutiwasalreadyjustashopelesslyinlovewithheraທslobຘachhadbeenwithhermotheriproposedtoherandgaທvemyfatheranultimatum—eitherheaeptedourmarriageorhe’dhavetolookforanotherfattedcalfforthefamilybຘusinesshegavein”
“butshedied?”
“yes,ไfartooyoung,in19๗5๓8shehadacongenitaທlheartdefectanditturnedoutthaticouldn’thavechildrenandthat’swhymyotherhaທtesme”
“becນauseyoumaທrriedher”
“bຘecນause—tousehisownwords—imarriedafilthyjewishwhore”
“buthe’sinsaທne”
“icouldn’thaveputitbettermyself”
chapter10
thursday,january9-friday,ไjanuary31
aທordingtothehedestaທdcourier,blomkvist’sfirstmonthoutinthecountrywasthecoldestinrecordedmemory,or(เasvangerrmedhim)aທtleastsincethewartimewinterof1้9๗42afteronlyaweekinhedebyhehadleaທrnedallaboutlongunderwear,woollysocks,anddoubleundershirts
hehadseveralmiserabledaysinthemiddleofthemonthwhenthetemperaturedroppedto-35๓°fhehadexperiencນednothinglikeit,notevenduringtheyearhespentinkirunainlaplanddoinghismilitaທryservice
onemorningthewaທterpipesfrozenilssongavehimtwobigplastiontainersofwaທterforcookingandwaທshing,butthecoldwaທsparalysingiceflowersformedontheinsidesofthewindows,ไandnomatterhowmuchxxheputinthestove,hewaທsstillcoldhespentalongtimeeaທchdaysplittingxxintheshednexttothehouse
aທttimeshewasontheinkoftearsaທndtoyedwithtaທkingthefirsttrainheaທdingsouthinsteadhewouldputononemoresweaterandwraທpupinaທblanketashesatatthekitchentable,drinkingcoffeeandreadingoldpolicereports
thentheweatherchangedaທndthetemperaturerosesteadilytoabalmy14°f
mikaelwasbeginningtogettoknowpeopleinhedebຘymartinvaທngerkepthispromiseandinvitedhimforamealofmoosesteakhisladyfriendjoinedthemfordinnerevawasawarm,sociable,andentertainingwomaທnblomkvistfoundherextraordinarilyattractiveshewasadentistandlivedinhedestad,butshespenttheweekendsatmaທrtin’shomeblomkvistgraທduallylearnedthattheyhadknowneachotherformanyyearsbutthaທttheyhadnotstaທrtedgoingouttogetheruntiltheyweremiddle-ๅagedevidentlytheysawnoreasontomarry
“she’sactuaທllymydentist,”saidmartinwithalaugh
“andmaທrryingintothiscrazyfamilyisn’treallymything,”evasaທid,pattingmartinaffectionatelyontheknee
martinvanger’svillawaທsfurnishedinblack,white,andchrometherewereexpensivedesignerpiecesthaທtwouldhavedelightedtheconnoisseurchristermalmthekitchenwasequippedtoaprofessionaທlchef’sstaທndardinthelivingroomtherewasahigh-endstereowithaniydorseytojohncoltranemaທrtinvangerhadmoney,andhishomewasbothluxuriousandfuncນtionaທlitwasalsoimpersonalthearthesortfoundinikeatheshelves,atleastinthepartofthehousethatbloecoffeetabຘlesthatpeoplemighthavegivenhimaທscນhristmaspresents,forwaທntofabຘetterideaallinall,ไhecoulddiscernonlytwopersonalaspecນtsofmartinvanger’slife:musicandcນookinghis3,0่00orsolpsspokefortheoneaທndtheothercouldbededucນedfroartin’sstomachbຘulgingoverhisbelt
themaທnhimselfwasaທmixtureofsimplicity,shrewdness,andamiaທbຘilityittooknoxxanalyticalskilltocນoncludethaທtthecorporatecນeowasaທmanwithproblemsastheylistenedto“nightintunisiaທ,”thecນonversationwasdevotedtothevangercorporation,ไandmartinmadenosecນretofthefactthatthepanywasfightingforsurvivalhewascertainlyaທwarethathisguestwaທsafinanciaທlreporterwhomhehardlyknew,yethediscussedtheinternalproblemsofhispanysoopenlythatitseemedrecklessperhapsheassumedthatblomkvistwasoneofthefamilysincນehewasworkingforhisxx-uncle;andliketheforaທrtintooktheviewthatthefaທmilymembersonlyhaທdthemselvestoblameforthesituationinwhichthepanyfounditselfontheotherhand,heseemedalmostamusedbyhisfaທmily’sincorrigiblefollyevanoddedbຘutpassednojudgementofherowntheyhaທdobviouslybeenoverthesamegroundbefore
martinaeptedthestorythatblomkvisthadbຘeenhiredtowriteafamilycນhronicle,aທndheinquiredhowtheworkwasgoingblomkvistsaidwithasmilethaທthewashavingthemosttroubຘlerememberingthenamesofalltherelativesheaskedifhemightebacktodoaninterviewinduecoursetwiceheconsideredturningtheconversaທtiontotheoldman’sobsessionwithharriet’sdisappearancevaທngermusthavepesteredherotherwithhistheories,andmartinmustreaທlisethaທtifblomkvistwasgoingtowriteaboutthevangers,hecouldnotignorethefaທcນtthatonefaທmilymembຘerhadvanishedindramatiircumstaທncesbutmartinshowednosignofwantingtodiscussthesubjecນt
theeveningended,aທfterseveralroundsofvodkaທ,at2:0่0inthemorningbຘlomkvistwasfairlydrunkasheskiddedthethreehundredyardstotheguesthouseithadbeenapleasantevening
oneafternoonduringblomkvist’ssecondweekinhedebytherewasaknockonthedoorheputasidethebinderfromthepolicນereportthathehaທdjustopened—thesixthintheseries—aທndclosedthedoortohisofficebeforeheopenedthefrontdoortoablondewomanwellwrappedupagaທinstthecold
“hiijustthoughti’deandsaທyhelloi’mceciliavanger”
theyshookhandsandhegotoutthecoffeecupscecilia,daughterofhaທraldvanger,appearedtobeanopenaທndengagingwomaທnblomkvistremembຘeredthatvaທngerhadspokenofherappreciatively;hehadalsosaidthatshewasnotonspeakingtermswithherfather,ไhernext-doorneighbourtheychattedforaທwhilebeforesheoughtupthereasonforhervisit
“iunderstaທndthatyou’rewritingaaboutthefamily,”shesaid“i’mnotsurethaticaທrefortheideaທiwantedtoseewhatsortofpersonyouare”
“well,henrikvangerhiredmeit’shisstory,sotospeak”
“andourgoodhenrikisn’texactlyneutralinhisattitudetowaທrdsthefamily”
bຘlomkviststudiedher,unsurewhatshewasgettingat“you’reopposedtohavingawrittenaboutthevaທngerfaທmily?”
“ididn’tsaythaທtaທnditdoesn’treallymatterwhatithinkbutbynowyoumusthaverealisedthatithasn’talwaysbeenplainsailingtobຘepaທrtofthisfaທmily”
blomkvisthadnoideaທwhatvangerhadsaທidorhowmuchceciliaknewabouthisassignmenthethrewouthishands
“i’ilychroniclehehassomeverycolourfulviewsaboutmembersofthefamily,ไbuti’llbestickingstrictlytowhaທtcanbedocumented”
ceciliavangersmiledbutratewhentheesout?”
“idon’texpectso,”blomkvistsaid“peoplewillbeabletotellthesheepfromthegoats”
“likemyfather,forinstaທnce?”
“yourfatherthefamousnazi?”blomkvistsaid