船说 However,itwasnotLisbethSandersastonishingckofeotionalinvolveentthatostupsethi.Miltonsiagewasoneofconservativestability.Sanderfittedintothispictureaboutaswelsabuffaloataboatshow.Aranskysstarresearcherwasapale,anorexicyoungwoanwhohadhairasshortasafuse,andapiercednoseandeyebrows.Shehadawasptattooaboutaninchlongonheeck,atattooedlooparoundthebicepsofherleftarandanotheraroundherleftankle.Onthoseoasionswhenshehadbeenwearingatan,Aranskyalsosawthatshehadadragontattooonherleftshoulderbde.Shewasanaturalredhead,butshedyedherhairravenbck.Shelookedasthoughshehadjusteergedfroaweeklongywithagangofhardrockers.
Shedidnotinfacthaveaneatingdisorder,Aranskywassureofthat.Onthecontrary,sheseeedtoconsueeverykindofjunkfood.Shehadsiplybeenbothin,withslenderbonesthatadeherlookgirlishandfinelibedwithsallhands,narrorists,andchildlikebreasts.Shewastwentyfour,butshesoetieslookedfourteen.
Shehadawideouth,asallnose,andhighcheekbonesthatgaveheranalostAsianlook.Heroveentswerequickandspidery,andwhenshewasworkingattheputerherfingersflewoverthekeys.Herextreeslendeesswouldhaveadeacareerinodellingipossible,butwiththerightakeupherfacecouldhaveputheronanybillboardintheworld.Soetiessheworebcklipstick,andinspiteofthetattoosandthepiercednoseandeyebrowsshewaswelttractive.Itwasinexplicable.
ThefactthatSanderworkedforDraganAranskyatallwasastonishing.Shewasnotthesortofwoanwithwhohewouldnorallyeintocontact.
Shehadbeenhiredasajillofalltrades.HolgerPalgren,aseiretiredwyerwholookedafteroldJ.F.Miltonspersonaffairs,hadtoldAranskythatthisLisbethSanderwasaquickwittedgirlwith“arathertryingattitude.”Palgrenhadappealedtohitogiveherachance,whichAranskyhad,againsthisbetterjudgeent,proisedtodo.Palgrenwasthetypeofanwhowouldonlytake“no”asanencourageenttoredoublehisefforts,soitwaseasiertosay“yes”rightaway.AranskyknewthatPalgrendevotedhiselftotroubledkidsandothersocialisfits,buthedidhavegoodjudgeent.
Hehadregrettedhisdecisiontohirethegirltheoentheether.Shedidnotjustseedifficultinhiseyesshewastheveryquintessenceofdifficult.Shehaddroppedoutofschoondhadnosortofhighereducation.
Thefirstfewonthsshehadworkedfulltie,well,alostfulltie.Shetuedupattheofficenowandthen.Sheadecoffee,wenttothepostoffice,andtookcareofthecopying,butconventionalofficehoursorworkroutineswereanatheatoher.Ontheotherhand,shehadatalentforirritatingtheothereployees.Shebecaeknownas“thegirlwithtwobraincells”oneforbreathingandoneforstandingup.Shenevertalkedaboutherself.Colleagueswhotriedtotalktoherseldogotaresponseandsoongaveup.Herattitudeencouragedneithertrustnorfriendship,andshequicklybecaeanoutsiderwanderingthecorridorsofMiltonlikeastraycat.Shewasgenerallyconsideredahopelesscase.
Afteraonthofnothingbuttrouble,Aranskysentforher,fullyintendingtolethergo.Shelistenedtohiscatalogueofheroffenceswithoutobjectionandwithoutevenraisinganeyebrow.Shedidnothavethe“rightattitude,”heconcluded,andwasabouttotellherthatitwouldprobablybeagoodideaifshelookedforeployentwithanotherfirthatcouldakebetteruseofherskills.Onlythendidsheinterrupthi.
“Youknow,ifyoujustwantanofficeserfyoucangetonefrothetepagency.Icanhandleanythingandanyoneyouwant,andifyoudonthaveanybetteruseforethansortingpost,thenyoureanidiot.”
Aranskysatthere,stunnedandangry,andshewentonunperturbed.
“Youhaveaanherewhospentthreeweekswritingapletelyuselessreportaboutthatyuppietheyrethinkingofrecruitingforthatdotpany.Icopiedthepieceofcrapforhistnight,andIseeitslyingonyourdesknow.”
Aranskyseyeswenttothereport,andforachangeheraisedhisvoice.
“Yourenotsupposedtoreadconfidentialreports.”
“Apparentlynot,butthesecurityroutinesinyourfirhaveanuberofshortings.Aordingtoyourdirectivehessupposedtocopysuchthingshiself,buthechuckedthereportatebeforeheleftforthebaryesterday.Andbytheway,Ifoundhispreviousreportinthecanteen.”
“Youdidwhat”
“Caldown.Iputitinhisinbox.”
“Didhegiveyouthebinationtohisdocuentsafe”Aranskywasaghast.
“Notexactly；hewroteitonapieceofpaperhekeptundeeathhisblotteralongwiththepasswordtohisputer.Butthepointisthatyourjokeofaprivatedetectivehasdoneaworthlesspersonalinvestigation.Heissedthefactthattheguyhasoldgablingdebtsandsnortscocainelikeavacuucleaner.Orthathisgirlfriendhadtoseekhelpfrothewoenscrisiscentreafterhebeattheshitoutofher.”
Aranskysatforacoupleofinutestuingthepagesofthereport.Itwaspetentlysetout,writteninclearnguage,andfilledwithsourcereferencesaswelsstateentsfrothesubjectsfriendsandacquaintances.Finallyheraisedhiseyesandsaidtwowords:“Proveit.”
“HowuchtiehaveIgot”
“Threedays.IfyoucantproveyourallegationsbyFridayafteoonyourefired.”
Threedaystershedeliveredareportwhich,withequallyexhaustivesourcereferences,transforedtheoutwardlypleasantyoungyuppieintoanunreliablebastard.Aranskyreadherreportovertheweekend,severalties,andspentpartofMondaydoingahalfhearteddoublecheckofsoeofherassertions.Evenbeforehebeganheknewthatherrationwouldprovetobeaurate.
Aranskywasbewilderedandalsoangrywithhiselfforhavingsoobviouslyisjudgedher.Hehadtakenherforstupid,aybeevenretarded.Hehadnotexpectedthatagirlwhohadcutsoanycssesinschoolthatshedidnotgraduatecouldwriteareportsograaticallycorrect.Italsocontaineddetailedobservationsandration,andhequitesiplycouldnotprehendhowshecouldhaveacquiredsuchfacts.
HecouldnotiagihatanyoneelseatMiltonSecuritywouldhaveliftedexcerptsfrotheconfidentialjoualofadoctoratawoenscrisiscentre.Whenheaskedherhowshehadanagedthat,shetoldhithatshehadnointentionofbuinghersources.ItbecaeclearthatSanderwasnotgoingtodiscussherworkethods,eitherwithhiorwithanyoneelse.Thisdisturbedhibutnotenoughforhitoresisttheteptationtotesther.
Hethoughtabouttheatterforseveraldays.HerecalledHolgerPalgrenssayingwhenhehadsenthertohi,“Everyonedeservesachance.”HethoughtabouthisownMusliupbringing,whichhadtaughthithatitwashisdutytoGodtohelptheoutcasts.OfcoursehedidnotbelieveinGodandhadnotbeeninaosquesincehewasateenager,butherecognisedLisbethSanderasapersoninneedofresolutehelp.Hehadnotdoneuchalongtheselinesoverthepastfewdecades.
InsteadofgivingSandertheboot,hesuonedherforaeetinginwhichhetriedtoworkoutwhatadethedifficultgirltick.Hisipressionwasconfiredthatshesufferedfrosoeseriouseotionalproble,buthealsodiscoveredthatbehindhersullenfacadetherewasanunusualintelligence.Hefoundherpricklyandirksoe,butuchtohissurprisehebegantolikeher.
OverthefollowingonthsAranskytookSanderunderhiswing.Intruth,hetookheronasasallsocialproject.Hegaveherstraightforwardresearchtasksandtriedtogiveherguidelinesonhoroceed.Shewouldlistenpatientlyandthensetofftocarryouttheassignentjustasshesawfit.HeaskedMiltonstechnicaldirectortogiveherabasiourseinITscience.Theysattogetheralfteoonuntilhereportedbackthatsheseeedtohaveabetterunderstandingofputersthanostofthestaff.
Butdespitedevelopentdiscussions,offersofinhousetraining,andotherforsofenticeent,itwasevidentthatSanderhadnointentionofadaptingtoMiltonsofficeroutines.ThisputAranskyinadifficultspot.
Hewouldnothaveputithanyothereployeeingandgoingatwill,andundeoralcircustanceshewouldhavedeandedthatshechango.ButhehadahunchthatifhegaveSanderanultiatuorthreatenedtofirehershewouldsiplyshrughershouldersandbegone.
Aoreseriousproblewasthathecouldnotbesureofhisownfeelingsfortheyoungwoan.Shewaslikeanaggingitch,repellentandatthesaetietepting.Itwasnotasexuattraction,atleasthedidnotthinkso.Thewoenhewasusuallyattractedtowereblondeandcurvaceous,withfulllipsthatarousedhisfantasies.Andbesides,hehadbeenarriedfortwentyyearstoaFinnishwoannaedRitvawhostillorethansatisfiedtheserequireents.Hehadneverbeenunfaithful,wellsoethingayhavehappenedjustonce,andhiswifeighthaveisunderstoodifshehadknownaboutit.ButthearriagewashappyandhehadtwodaughtersofSandersage.Inanycase,hewasnotinterestedinftchestedgirlswhoightbeistakenforskinnyboysatadistance.Thatwasnothisstyle.
Evenso,hehadcaughthiselfhavinginappropriatedaydreasaboutLisbethSander,andherecognisedthathewasnotpletelyunaffectedbyher.Buttheattraction,Aranskythought,wasthatSanderwasaforeigncreaturetohi.HeightjustaswellhavefalleninlovewithapaintingofanyphoraGreekaphora.Sanderrepresentedalifethatwasnotrealforhi,thatfascinatedhithoughhecouldnotshareitandinanycasesheforbadehifrosharingit.
OnoneoasionAranskywassittingatacaféonStortetinGaStanwhenSandercaesaunteringupandsatatatableashortdistanceaway.Shewaswiththreegirlsandaboy,alldressedinuchthesaeway.Aranskyhadwatchedherwithinterest.Sheseeedtobejustasreservedasshewasatwork,butshehadactuallyalostsiledatastorytoldbyoneofherpanions,agirlwithpurplehair.
Aranskywonderedhowshewouldreactifonedayhecaetoworkwithgreenhair,wooutjeans,andaleatherjacketcoveredwithgraffitiandrivets.Sheprobablywouldjustsirkathi.
Shehadbeensittingwithherbacktohianddidnottuaroundonce,obviouslyunawarethathewasthere.Hefeltstrangelydisturbedbyherpresence.Whenatsthegotuptoslinkawayunnoticed,shesuddenlytuedandstaredstraightathi,asthoughshehadbeenawareallthetiethathewassittingthereandhadhionherradar.Hergazehadesosurprisinglythatitfeltlikeanattack,andhepretendednottoseeherandhurriedlyleftthecafé.Shehadnotsaidhelloeven,butshefollowedhiwithhereyes,hewassureofit,andnotuntilhetuedthecoerdidtheybuingintohisneck.