dramathaທthadbeenplaທyingoutaroundmillennium
theyhadlunchtogetherblomkviststoleasidelongglancນeatpernillahehadnotseenhisdaທughtersincesheturneduptovisithiminhedestadherealisedthathehaທdfailedtodiscusshermaniaທforthatsectinskellefte?withherthatitwashisdaທughter’sobviouslyprofoundknowledgeofthebຘiblethathadsethimontherighttraທckregaທrdingharrietvanger’sdisaທppeaທrancນehehaທdnottalkedtohisdaughtersincນethen
hewasnotaທgoodfather
hekissedhisdaughtergoodbyeafterthelunchaທndmetsalanderatslussentheywentouttosandhamntheyhadnotseenmucນhofeachothersincນethemillenniumbombexplodedtheyarrivedlateoncນhristmaseveaທndstayedfortheholidays
blomkvistwasentertainingpany,asaທlways,bຘutsalanderhadanuneasyfeelingthathewaslookingaທtherwithanespeciallyoddexpressionwhenshepaidbacktheloaທnwithaທchequefor1้20่,000kronor
theytookawalktotrovillandbacນk(whichsalanderconsideredawaທsteoftime)แ,ไhaທdchristmasdinnerattheinn,ไandwentbacນktothecaທbinwheretheylitaທfireinthexxstove,putonanelviscd,ไanddevotedthemselvestosomeplainoldsexwhensalanderfromtimetotimecນameupforair,shetriedtoanalyseherfeelings
shehadnoproblemwithblomkvistasalovertherewasobຘviouslyaphysicalattractionandhenevertriedtotutorher
herprobຘlemwasthaທtshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincນebeforereacນhingpubertyhaທdsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocນloseaທsshehadwithhimtobequitehonest,hehadatryingaທbilitytoperaທteherdefencesaທndtogethertotaທlkabຘoutpersonaທlmattersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetalkedaທboutherselfinawaທythaທtshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haທveimagineddoingwithaທnyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedaທndvulnerabletohiswill
aທtthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumbຘeringformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehaທdsuchaທtrustinanotherhumaທnbeingsheknewwithabsolutecນertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhaທtheknewaທbouthertohurtheritwaທsnotinhisnaທture
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeacນhothershedidnotdare,ไandbຘlomkvistneveroacນhedthesubjecນt
aທtsoetoaterrifyingreaທlisaທtionshehadnoideaທhowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithitshewaທsinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
thathewasaທlmosttwicນeheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthataທtthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,ไandhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thaທtwasalljustsoapoperaທbutbຘloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybຘeshewasjustaທwaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingraທthole
whaທtshehadrealisedwaທsthatlovewaທsthaທtmomentwhenyourheartwasaທbouttoburst
whenblomkvistwokeuplatethatmorning,ไshehadmadecນoffeeandbຘeenouttobຘuyeakfastrollshejoinedheratthetableandnoticນedatoncethaທtsomethinginherattitudehadchaທnged—shewasaທbitmorereservedwhenheaskedherifaທnythingwaswrong,ไshegavehimaneutral,unprehendinglook
onthefirstdaybetweenchristmaທsaທndnewyear’s,bຘlomkvisttookthetrainuptohedestadhehimatthestationandquietlycນongratulatedhimonthemediasuessitwasthefirsttimesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,aທnditwasalmostexaທctlyoneyearagosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttimetheychattedpolitely,ไbuttherewasaທlsoaxxdealthathaທdgoneunsaidbetweenthem,aທndblomkvistfeltunfortable
everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyaທfewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinacນonvenientforeignbankaount,ไbຘutblomkvistinsistedthatitshouldbepaidlikeanormal,legitimaທtefeetohispaທny
“icaທn’taທffordanyothertypeofpayment,”hesaທidcurtlywhenfrodepersisted
thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinancນialblomkvisthaທdleftclothes,ไs,aທndanumberofhisownthingsinthecottagewhenheandsalanderhaທdaທbandonedhedebຘyinxxhaste
vangerwasstillfrailafterhisillness,ไbuthewasathomehewasbຘeinglookedafterbyaprivatenurse,whorefusedtoaທllowhimtotakelongwalks,orwaທlkupstairs,ordiscussanythingthatmightupsethimduringtheholidayshehadalsoedownwithaທslightcນoldandwasorderedtobed
“besideswhich,ไshe’sexpensive,”vangerplained
bຘlomkvistknewthattheoldmaທncouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowmanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislifevangergaທvehimasullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing
“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykronaiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ไineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihavenointentionofthaທnkingyou,”vaທngersaid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone”
vaທngercurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,”hesaທid
“iknowthat”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicle,whicນhwasagreed”
“iknowthati’mnotgoingtowriteitinfacນt,icaທn’twriteitican’twriteaboutthevaທngerfamilyandleaveoutthemostcentraleventofthepastdecນadeshowcນouldiwriteaທcນhapterabຘoutmartin’speriodascນeoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbasement?iaທlsocນan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyinghaທrriet’slifeaທlloveragain”
“iunderstaທndyourdileade”
“congratulaທtionsyou’vegoingtodestroyallaທdeofourcນonversations”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencorrupted,”vangersaທid
“that’swhatitfeelslikeaທndithinkthat’swhaທtitis”
“youhadtochoosebຘetweenyourroleaທsajournalistaທndyourroleasahumanbeingicouldneverhaທveboughtyoursilenceaທndi’mquitecertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifhaທrriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohaທvebeenimplicນated,ไorifyouthoughtiwasaທcretin”
blomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldcecນiliaທthewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,andharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilycecນiliaທwillplayanacນtiveroleontheboardsheandharrietwillbຘeinchargeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“shewaທsveryshakenshewentaoadforawhileiwasevenafraidshewouldn’teback”
“butshedid”
“martinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythatcນeciliaທaທlwaysgotaທlongwithitwasveryhardforhertofindoutthetruthaທbouthimsheaທlsoknowsnowwhatyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothaທnkyou,mikael,”vangersaid
“besides,ไicouldn’twritethestorybecausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfamilybuttellme,ไhowdoesitfeeltobຘecນeoagain?”
“it’sonlytemporaທry,bຘut…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursadayallthemeetingsareheldinthisroom,ไanddirchhassteppedinagainasmyenforcerifaທnyoneactsup”
“thejuniorexecນutivesmustbequakingintheirbootsittookmeawhiletorealisethatdircນhwasn’tjustanoldsweetieofaທfinaທnciaທladviserbutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exaທctlybutaທlldecນisionsaທremaທdewithharriet,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheoffice”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbຘothherother’sandhermother’ssharesshecນontrolsabout33percentofthecນorporation”
“isthatenough?”
“idon’tknowbirgeristryingtotripherupalexanderhasseenthathehasaທchancetomakeanimpacນtandhasalliedhimselfwithbຘirgeruchlongerhewaທstheonlyremainingpersonwithlaທrgeshareholdingsof7percent,whichhischildrenwillinheritcecນiliaທandanitaທwillbeonharriet’sside”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,what,ไ45percent”
“thaທtkindofvotingcartelhaທsneverexistedwithinthefaທmilybeforeplentyofshareholdersosueedmeaທsceoinfeuary”
“thatwon’tmakeherhaທppy”
“no,butit’snecessarywehavetotaທkeinsomenewpartnersandnewbຘloodwealsohaທvethechaທncetocollaທboratewithherpaທnyinaustraliathereaທrepossibຘilities”
“where’shaທrriettoday?”
“you’reoutofluckshe’sinlondonbຘutshewouldverymuchliketoseeyou”
“i’llseeheratourboaທrdmeetinginjanuaທryifshe’sgoingtotakeyourplacນe”
“iknow”
“ithinkthatsherealisesthaທtiwillneverdiscusswhathappenedinthesixtieswithanyoneexcນeptforerikaທberger,ไandidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow”
“shedoesyou’reaທpersonwithmoraທls,mikael”
“bຘutalsotellherthateverythingshedoesfromnowoncນouldendupinthemaທgazihevaທngercorporationwon’thaveafreepassfromscrutiny”
“i’llwarnher”
bຘlomkvistleftvangerwhenhestartedtodozeoffhepaທckedhisbຘelongingsintotwosuitcasesaທsheclosedthedoortothecນottageforthelasttime,hepausedandthenwentovertoceciliaທ’shouseandknockedshewasnothomehetookouthispocketcalendaທr,toreoutapaທge,ไandwrote:๘iwishyouallthebesttrytofivememikaelheputthenoteinherletterboxaທnelectrihristaທrtinvanger’semptyhouse