dramaທthathadbeenplayingoutaທroundmillennium
theyhaທdlunchtogetherbຘlomkviststoleasidelongglaທnceatpernillahehadnotseenhisdaທughtersincນesheturneduptovisithiminhedestadherealisedthathehaທdfailedtodiscusshermaniaທforthaທtsectinskellefte?withherthatitwashisdaughter’sobviouslyprofoundknowledgeofthebibຘlethathadsethimontherighttrackregaທrdingharrietvanger’sdisappeaທrancນehehadnottalkedtohisdaughtersincethen
hewasnotagoodfaທther
hekissedhisdaughtergoodbຘyeafterthelunchandmetsalaທnderaທtslussentheywentouttosandhamntheyhadnotseenmuchofeachothersincນethemillenniumbombຘexplodedtheyarrivedlateonchristmaseveandstayedfortheholidays
blomkvistwasentertainingpany,asalways,ไbutsalaທnderhadaທnuneaທsyfeelingthaທthewaslookingatherwithaທnespeciallyoddexpressionwhenshepaidbaທcktheloaທnwithachequefor120,0่00่kronor
theytookawalktotrovillandback(เwhichsalanderconsideredawaທsteoftime),hadchristmasdinnerattheinn,aທndwentbacktothecaທbinwheretheylitafireinthexxstove,putonanelviscd,ไanddevotedthemselvestosomeplainoldsexwhensalanderfromtimetotimecaທmeupforair,ไshetriedtoanalyseherfeelings
shehadnoproblemwithblomkvistasalovertherewasobviouslyaທphysicaທlattractionandhenevertriedtotutorher
herproblemwasthatshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebeforereacນhingpubertyhadsheloweredherguaທrdtoletanotherpersongetsocloseasshehadwithhimtobequitehonest,hehaທdatryingabilitytoperaທteherdefencesaທndtogethertotaທlkabຘoutpersonalmattersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,ไshetalkedaboutherselfinaທwaທythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveimagineddoingwithaທnyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedandvulnerabletohiswill
aທtthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumbຘeringformaທndlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinanotherhumaທnbeingsheknewwithabຘsolutecນertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhaທtheknewabຘouthertohurtheritwaທsnotinhisnaທture
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeaທchothershedidnotdare,ไandblomkvistneveroaທchedthesubject
atsoetoaterrifyingrealisationshehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocນopewithitshewaທsinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
thaທthewasalmosttwiceheragedidnotbຘotherhernordidthefacນtthatatthemomenthewaທsoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwaທsalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossibຘlyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybeshewasjustaທwaytopassthetimewhilehewaທitedforsomeonewhoselifewaທsnotaxxingrathole
whatshehadreaທlisedwasthatlovewaທsthatmomentwhenyourheartwasabouttobຘurst
whenblomkvistwokeuplatethatmorning,shehadmaທdecນoffeeandbeenouttobuyeakfaທstrollshejoinedheratthetableandnoticedatoncນethatsomethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewasaທbitmorereservedwhenheaskedherifaທnythingwaswrong,shegavehimaneutral,ไunprehendinglook
onthefirstdaybetweenchristmasaທndnewyear’s,blomkvisttookthetrainuptohedestadhehimatthestationandquietlycongraທtulatedhimonthemediasuessitwasthefirsttimesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,aທnditwasalmostexactlyoneyearaທgosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttimetheychattedpolitely,buttherewasalsoaxxdealthathadgoneunsaidbຘetweenthem,andblomkvistfeltunfortaທble
everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinaconvenientforeignbຘankaount,butblomkvistinsistedthaທtitshouldbຘepaidlikeanormaທl,legitimaທtefeetohispaທny
“icaທn’taffordaທnyothertypeofpayment,”hesaidcurtlywhenfrodepersisted
thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinaທncialblomkvisthaທdleftclothes,s,andaທnumberofhisownthingsinthecottagewhenheandsalanderhadabaທndonedhedebyinxxhaste
vaທngerwasstillfraທilafterhisillness,buthewasathomehewasbeinglookedafterbyaprivatenurse,whorefusedtoallowhimtotakelongwalks,ไorwalkupstairs,ไordiscນussanythingthaທtmightupsethimduringtheholidayshehaທdalsoedownwithaທslightcoldandwasorderedtobed
“besideswhich,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowmanykronorhehaທdwrittenoffhistaxesaທllhislifevangergaທvehimasullenlookuntilhestartedlaທughing
“whatthehell,ไyouwerewortheverykronaທiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihavenointentionofthankingyou,”vaທngersaທid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticນonsiderthejobຘdone”
vangercurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,”hesaທid
“iknowthaທt”
“youhaທven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicle,ไwhicນhwasagreed”
“iknowthati’mnotgoingtowriteitinfact,ican’twriteitican’twriteaboutthevaທngerfamilyandleaveoutthemostcentraleventofthepastdecadeshowcນouldiwriteachapterabຘoutmartin’speriodasceoandpretendthaທtidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbasement?ialsocນan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifeaທlloveragain”
“iunderstandyourdileaທde”
“congratulationsyou’vegoingtodestroyallaທdeofourconversaທtions”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencນorrupted,”vaທngersaid
“that’swhatitfeelslikeandithinkthat’swhatitis”
“youhadtocນhoosebຘetweenyourroleasajournalistaທndyourroleaທsahumanbeingicouldneverhaveboughtyoursilenceaທndi’mquitecertaທinthaທtyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohaທvebeenimplicated,orifyouthoughtiwaທsacretin”
blomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldceciliaທthewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,aທndharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilycນecນiliaທwillplayaທnactiveroleonthebຘoaທrdsheaທndharrietwillbeinchaທrgeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“shewaທsveryshakenshewentaoadforawhileiwasevenaທfraidshewouldn’tebacນk”
“butshedid”
“maທrtinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythatcນeciliaalwaທysgotaທlongwithitwasveryhaທrdforhertofindoutthetruthabouthimsheaທlsoknowsnowwhatyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothankyou,mikael,”vangersaທid
“besides,ไicນouldn’twritethestorybecausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfamilybuttellme,howdoesitfeeltobeceoagain?”
“it’sonlytemporary,but…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursadayallthemeetingsaທreheldinthisroom,ไanddirchhassteppedinagaທinasmyenforcerifanyoneactsup”
“thejuniorexecນutivesmustbequaທkingintheirbootsittookmeawhiletoreaທlisethatdircນhwasn’tjustanoldsweetieofafinaທnciaທladviserbຘutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exactlybutaທlldecisionsaremadewithhaທrriet,aທndshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheofficນe”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbຘothherother’saທndhermother’ssharesshecນontrolsabout33percentofthecນorporation”
“isthatenough?”
“idon’tknowbirgeristryingtotripherupalexanderhasseenthathehaທsachaທncetomakeaທnimpaທctandhaທsalliedhimselfwithbirgeruchlongerhewastheonlyremainingpersonwithlargeshareholdingsof7๕percent,ไwhichhischildrenwillinheritceciliaaທndanitawillbeonhaທrriet’sside”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,whaທt,45๓percent”
“thatkindofvotingcartelhaທsneverexistedwithinthefaທmilybeforeplentyofshaທreholdersosueedmeascນeoinfeuary”
“thatwon’tmakeherhappy”
“no,butit’snecນessarywehavetotakeinsomenewpartnersandnewbຘloodwealsohavethecນhaທncetocollabຘoratewithherpanyinaustraliatherearepossibilities”
“where’sharriettodaທy?”
“you’reoutofluckshe’sinlondonbຘutshewouldverymucນhliketoseeyou”
“i’llseeheratourboardmeetinginjaທnuaryifshe’sgoingtotakeyourplaທce”
“iknow”
“ithinkthatsherealisesthatiwillneverdiscusswhathappenedinthesixtieswithanyoneexceptforerikaທberger,andidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow”
“shedoesyou’reaທpersonwithmoraທls,mikael”
“bຘutalsotellherthaທteverythingshedoesfromnowoncouldendupinthemagazihevaທngercorporationwon’thaveafreepassfromscrutiny”
“i’llwarnher”
bຘlomkvistleftvaທngerwhenhestartedtodozeoffhepaທckedhisbelongingsintotwosuitcaທsesasheclosedthedoortothecນottageforthelaທsttime,hepausedandthenwentovertocecilia’shouseandknockedshewasnothomehetookouthispocketcalendar,toreoutapaທge,aທndwrote:iwishyouallthebesttrytofivememikaelheputthenoteinherletterboxaທnelecນtrihristaທrtinvaທnger’semptyhouse