Blokvistcouldnotsleep；andat4：00hegaveup。Hewenttothekitchenandreadthecourtjudgeentoneoretiefrobeginningtoend。HavingthedocuentinhishandhehadasensethattherehadbeensoethingalostfatefubouttheeetingatArho。HecouldneverbesurewhetherLindberghadtoldhithedetailsofWennerstrsswindlesiplyforthesakeofagoodstorybetweentoastsintheprivacyofhisboatscabinorwhetherhehadreallywantedthestorytobeadepublic。
Hetendedtobelievethefirst。ButitayhavebeenthatLindberg；forhisownpersonalorbusinessreasons；hadwantedtodaageWennerstr；andhehadseizedtheopportunityofhavingacaptivejoualistonboard。LindberghadbeensoberenoughtoinsistonBlokvisttreatinghiasananonyoussource。FrothatoentLindbergcouldsaywhatheliked；becausehisfriendwouldneverbeabletodisclosehissource。
IftheeetingatArhohadbeenasetup；thenLindbergcouldnothavepyedhisrolebetter。Buttheeetinghadtohavehappenedbychance。
LindbergcouldhavehadnonotionoftheextentofBlokvistsconteptforpeoplelikeWennerstr。Forallthat；afteryearsofstudy；hewasprivatelyconvincedthattherewasnotasinglebankdirectororcelebritycorporateexecutivewhowasntalsoacretin。
BlokvisthadneverheardofLisbethSanderandwashappilyinnocentofherreportdeliveredearlierthatday；buthadhelistenedtoithewouldhavenoddedinagreeentwhenshespokeofhisloathingforbeancounters；sayingthatitwasnotaanifestationofhisleftwingpoliticalradicalis。Mikaelwasnotuninterestedinpolitics；buthewasextreelyscepticalofpolitical“iss。”Hehadvotedonlyonceinaparliaentaryelectionin1982andthenhehadhesitantlyplupedfortheSocialDeocrats；therebeingnothinginhisiaginationworsethanthreeyearsorewithGstaBohanasfinanceinisterandThorbjFlldinasprieinister。SohehadvotedforOlofPale；andgotinsteadtheassassinationofhisprieinisterplustheBoforsscandandEbbeCarlsson。
Hisconteptforhisfellowfinancialjoualistswasbasedonsoethingthatinhisopinionwasaspinasorality。Theequationwassiple。Abankdirectorwhoblowsillionsonfoolhardyspecutionsshouldnotkeephisjob。Aanagingdirectorwhopysshellpanygaesshoulddotie。Aslundlordwhoforcesyoungpeopythroughthenoseandunderthetableforaonerooapartentwithsharedtoiletshouldbehungouttodry。
Thejobofthefinancialjoualistwastoexaihesharkswhocreatedinterestcrisesandspecutedawaythesavingsofsallinvestors；toscrutinisepanyboardswiththesaeercilesszealwithwhichpoliticalreporterspursuethetinieststepsoutoflineofinistersandebersofParliaent。Hecouldnotforthelifeofhiunderstandwhysoanyinfluentialfinancialreporterstreatedediocrefinancialwhelpslikerockstars。
Theserecalcitrantviewshadtieaftertiebroughthiintoconflictwithhispeers。B；forone；wasgoingtobeaneneyforlife。HistakingonaroleofsocialcritichadactuallytransforedhiintoapricklyguestonTVsofashewasalwaystheoneinvitedtoentwheneveranyCEOwascaughtwithagoldenparachuteworthbillions。
Mikaelhadnotroubleiaginingthatchapagnebottleshadbeenuncorkedinsoenewspapersbackroosthatevening。
Erikahadthesaeattitudetothejoualistsroleashedid。Evenwhentheywereinjoualisschooltheyhadausedtheselvesbyiaginingaagazinewithjustsuchaissionstateent。
ErikawasthebestbossMikaelcouldiagine。Shewasananiserwhocouldhandleeployeeswithwarthandtrustbutwhoatthesaetiewasntafraidofconfrontationandcouldbeverytoughwhennecessary。Aboveall；shehadanicygutfeelingwhenitcaetoakingdecisionsaboutthecontentsoftheupingissue。SheandMikaeloftenhaddifferingviewsandcouldhavehealthyarguents；buttheyalsohadunwaveringconfidenceineachother；andtogethertheyadeanunbeatabletea。Hedidthefieldworkoftrackingdownthestory；whileshepackagedandarketedit。
Millenniuwastheirutualcreation；butitwouldneverhavebeerealitywithouthertalentfordiggingupfinancing。Itwastheworkingcssguyandtheuppercssgirlinabeautifulunion。Erikacaefrooldoney。Shehadputuptheinitialseedoneyandthentalkedbothherfatherandvariousacquaintancesintoinvestingconsiderablesusintheproject。
MikaelhadoftenwonderedwhyErikahadsethersightsonMillenniu。True；shewasapartownertheajoritypartner；infactandeditorinchiefofherownagazine；whichgaveherprestigeandthecontroloverpublicitythatshecouldhardlyhaveobtainedinanyotherjob。UnlikeMikael；shehadconcentratedontelevisionafterjoualisschool。Shewastough；lookedfantasticoncaera；andcouldholdherownwiththepetition。Shealsohadgoodcontactsinthebureaucracy。Ifshehadstucktoit；shewouldundoubtedlyhavehadaanagerialjobatoneoftheTVchannelsataconsiderablyhighersarythanshepaidherselfnow。
BergerhadalsoconvincedChristerMaltobuyintotheagazine。Hewasanexhibitionistgaycelebritywhosoetiesappearedwithhisboyfriendin“athoewith”articles。TheinterestinhibeganwhenheovedinwithAoldMagnusson；anactorwithabackgroundattheRoyalDraaticTheatrewhohadadeaseriousbreakthroughwhenhepyedhiselfinadocusoap。ChristerandAhadthenbeeaediaite。
Atthirtysix；MalwasasoughtafterprofessionalphotographeranddesignerwhogaveMillenniuaodelook。HeranhisbusinessfroanofficeonthesaefloorasMillenniu；andhedidgraphicdesignoneweekineveryonth。
TheMillenniustaffconsistedofthreefulltieeployees；afulltietrainee；andtwoparttiers。Itwasnotalucrativeaffair；buttheagazinebrokeeven；andthecircutionandadvertisingrevenuehadincreasedgraduallybutsteadily。Untiltodaytheagazinewasknownforitsfrankandreliableeditorialstyle。
Nowthesituationwouldinallprobabilitybechanging。BlokvistreadthroughthepressreleasewhichheandBergerhaddraftedandwhichhadquicklybeenconvertedtoawireservicestoryfroTTthatwasalreadyuponAftonbdetswebsite。
CONVICTEDREPORTERLEAVESMILLENNIUM
Stockhol。JoualistMikaelBlokvistisleavinghispostaspublisheroftheagazineMillenniu；reportseditorinchiefandajorityshareholderErikaBerger。
BlokvistisleavingMillenniuofhisownchoice。“Hesexhaustedafterthedraaofrecentonthsandneedstieoff；”saysBerger；whowilltakeovertheroleofpublisher。
BlokvistwasoneofthefoundersofMillenniu；startedin1990。Bergerdoesnotthinkthattheagazinewillsufferinthewakeofthesocalled“Wennerstraffair。”
Theagazinewilleoutasusualnextonth；saysBerger。
“MikaelBlokvisthaspyedaajorroleintheagazinesdevelopent；butnoeretuinganewpage。”
BergerstatesthatsheregardstheWennerstraffairastheresultofaseriesofunfortunatecircustances。SheregretsthenuisancetowhichHansErikWennerstrwassubjected。Blokvistcouldnotbereachedforent。
“Itakesead；”Bergersaidwhenthepressreleasewaseailedout。“MostpeoplearegoingtothinkthatyoureanidiotandIabitchwhostakingtheopportunitytosackyou。”
“Atleastourfriendswillhavesoethingnewtoughabout。”Blokvisttriedtoakelightofit；shewasnottheleastaused。
“IdonthaveapnB；butIthinkwereakingaistake；”shesaid。
“Itstheonlywayout。Iftheagazinecolpses；allouryearsofworkwillhavebeeninvain。Wevealreadytakenabeatingontheadsrevenue。Howdiditgowiththeputerpany；bytheway”
Shesighed。“Theytoldethisoingthattheydidntwanttotakespaceinthenextissue。”
“Wennerstrhasachunkofstockinthatpany；soitsnoaident。”
“Wecanscareupsoenewclients。Wennerstraybeabigwheel；buthedoesntowneverythinginSweden；andwehaveourcontacts。”
Blokvistputanararoundherandpulledherclose。
“SoedayweregoingtonailHerrWennerstrsohardWallStreetisgoingtojupoutofitssocks。ButtodayMillenniuhastogetoutofthespotlight。”
“Iknowallthat；butIdontlikeingacrossasafuckingbitch；andyourebeingforcedintoadisgustingsituationifwepretendthattheressoesortofdivisionbetweenyouande。”
“Ricky；aslongasyouandItrusteachotherwevegotachance。Wehavyitbyear；andrightnowitstietoretreat。”
Shereluctantlyadittedthattherewasadepressinglogictowhathesaid。
CHAPTER4
Monday；Deceber23–Thursday；Deceber26
Bergerstayedovertheweekend。Theygotuponlytogotothebathrooortogetsoethingtoeat；buttheyhadnotonlyadelove。Theyhadinheadtofootforhoursandtalkedaboutthefuture；weighingupthepossibilities；andtheodds。WhendawncaeonMondayoingitwasthedaybeforeChristasEveandshekissedhigoodbyeuntilnexttieanddrovehoe。
Blokv船说