船说 TheideathatheightlightuponHarrietVangerskilleevercrossedhisindassuingshehadbeenurdered,thatis,anddidnotjustdieinsoefreakaident.BlokvistagreedwithVangerthatthechancesofasixteenyearoldgirlgoingoffofherownaordandthenstayinghiddenforthirtysixyears,despitetheoversightofallthegoveentbureaucracy,werenonexistent.Ontheotherhand,hedidnotexcludethepossibilitythatHarrietVangerhadrunaway,aybeheadingforStockhol,andthatsoethinghadbefallenhersubsequentlydrugs,prostitution,anassault,oranaidentpureandsiple.
Vangerwasconvinced,forhispart,thatHarriethadbeenurderedandthatafailyeberwasresponsiblepossiblyincolborationwithsoeoneelse.HisarguentwasbasedonthefactthatHarriethaddisappearedduringtheconfusioninthehourswhentheisndwascutoffandalleyesweredirectedattheaident.
Bergerhadbeenrighttosaythathistakingtheassignentwasbeyondallonsenseifthegoalwastosolveaurderystery.ButBlokvistwasbeginningtoseethatHarrietsfatehadpyedacentralroleinthefaily,andespeciallyforHenrikVanger.Noatterwhetherhewasrightorwrong,Vangersausationagainsthisretiveswasofgreatsignificanceinthefailyshistory.Theausationhadbeenairedopenlyfororethanthirtyyears,andithadcolouredthefailygatheringsandgivenrisoisonousaniositiesthathadcontributedtodestabilisingthecorporation.AstudyofHarrietsdisappearancewouldconsequentlyfunctionasachapterallonitsown,aswelsprovidearedthreadthroughthefailyhistoryandtherewasanabundanceofsourceaterial.Onestartingpoint,whetherHarrietVangerwashispriaryassignentorwhetherheadedowithwritingafailychronicle,wouldbetoapoutthegalleryofcharacters.ThatwasthegistofhisfirstlongconversationthatdaywithVanger.
Thefailyconsistedofaboutahundredindividuals,countingallthechildrenofcousinsandsecondcousins.Thefailywassoextensivethathewasforcedtocreateadatabaseinhisi.HeusedtheNotePadprograe,oneofthosefullvalueproductsthattwoenattheRoyalTechnicalCollegehadcreatedanddistributedassharewareforapittanceontheInter.Fewprograeswereasusefulforaninvestigativejoualist.Eachfailyeberwasgivenhisorherowndocuentinthedatabase.
Thefailytreecouldbetracedbacktotheearlysixteenthcentury,whenthenaewasVangeersad.AordingtoVangerthenaeayhaveoriginatedfrotheDutchvanGeerstat；ifthatwasthecase,thelineagecouldbetracedasfarbackasthetwelfthcentury.
Inodeties,thefailycaefronortheFrance,arrivinginSwedenwithKingJeanBaptisteBeadotteintheearlynieenthcentury.AlexandreVangeersadwasasoldierandnotpersonallyacquaintedwiththeking,buthehaddistinguishedhiselfasthecapableheadofagarrison.In1818hewasgiventheHedebyestateasarewardforhisservice.AlexandreVangeersadalsohadhisownfortune,whichheuseurchaseconsiderablesectionsofforestedndinNorrnd.Hisson,Adrian,wasboinFrance,butathisfathersrequestheovedtoHedebyinthatreoteareaofNorrnd,farfrothesalonsofParis,totakeovertheadinistrationoftheestate.Hetookupfaringandforestry,usingnewethodsiportedfroEurope,andhefoundedthepulpandpaperilroundwhichHedestadwasbuilt.
AlexandresgrandsonwasnaedHenrik,andheshortenedhissuaetoVanger.HedevelopedtradewithRussiaandcreatedasallerchantfleetofschoonersthatservedtheBalticsandGerany,aswelsEngndwithitssteelindustryduringtheid1800s.TheelderHenrikVangerdiversifiedthefailyenterprisesandfoundedaodestiningbusiness,aswelsseveralofNorrndsfirstetalindustries.Helefttwosons,BirgerandGottfried,andtheyweretheoneswhoidthebasisforthehighfinanceVangercn.
“Doyouknowanythingabouttheoldinheritancews”Vangerhadasked.“No.”
“Iconfusedaboutittoo.Aordingtofailytradition,BirgerandGottfriedfoughtlikecatstheywerelegendarypetitorsforpowerandinfluenceoverthefailybusiness.Inanyrespectsthepowerstrugglethreatenedtheverysurvivalofthepany.Forthatreasontheirfatherdecidedshortlybeforehediedtocreateasystewherebyallebersofthefailywouldreceiveaportionoftheinheritanceashareinthebusiness.Itwasnodoubtwellintentioned,butitledtoasituationinwhichinsteadofbeingabletobringinskilledpeopleandpossiblepartnersfrotheoutside,wehadaboardofdirectorsconsistingonlyoffailyebers.”
“Andthatappliestoday”
“Precisely.Ifafailyeberwishestosellhisshares,theyhavetostaywithinthefaily.Todaytheannualshareholderseetingconsistsof50percentfailyebers.Martinholdsorethan10percentoftheshares；Ihave5percentaftersellingsoeofyshares,toMartinaongothers.MybrotherHaraldowns7percent,butostofthepeoplewhoetotheshareholderseetinghaveonlyoneorhalfapercent.”
“Itsoundsedievalinsoeways.”
“Itsludicrous.Iteansthattoday,ifMartinwantstoipleentsoepolicy,hehastowastetieonalobbyingoperationtoensuresupportfroatleast20percentto25percentoftheshareholders.Itsapatchworkquiltofalliances,factions,andintrigues.”
Vangerresuedthehistory:
“GottfriedVangerdiedchildlessin1901.Orrather,ayIbefiven,hewasthefatheroffourdaughters,butinthosedayswoendidntreallycount.Theyownedshares,butitwastheeninthefailywhoconstitutedtheownershipinterest.Itwasntuntilwoenwontherighttovote,wellintothetwentiethcentury,thattheywereevenallowedtoattendtheshareholderseetings.”
“Veryliberal.”
“Noneedtobesarcastic.Thoseweredifferentties.AtanyrateGottfriedsbrother,BirgerVanger,hadthreesons:Johan,Fredrik,andGideonVanger.Theywereallbotowardstheendofthenieenthcentury.WecanignoreGideon；hesoldhissharesandeigratedtoAerica.Thereisstilbranchofthefailyoverthere.ButJohanandFredrikVangeradethepanytheodeVangerCorporation.”
VangertookoutaphotographalbuandshowedBlokvistpicturesfrothegalleryofcharactersashetalked.Thephotographsfrotheearly1900sshowedtwoenwithsturdychinsandpstereddownhairwhostaredintothecaeralenswithoutahintofasile.
“JohanVangerwasthegeniusofthefaily.Hetrainedasanengineer,andhedevelopedtheanufacturingindustrywithseveralnewinventions,whichhepatented.Steendironbecaethebasisofthefir,butthebusinessalsoexpandedintootherareas,includingtextiles.JohanVangerdiedin1956andhadthreedaughters:Sofia,Mrit,andIngrid,whowerethefirstwoenautoaticallytowinadittancetothepanysshareholderseetings.
“Theotherbrother,FredrikVanger,wasyfather.HewasabusinessanandindustryleaderwhotransforedJohansinventionsintoine.Myfatherliveduntil1964.Hewasactiveinpanyanageentrightupuntilhisdeath,althoughhehadtuedoverdailyoperationstoeinthefifties.
“Itwasexactlyliketheprecedinggenerationbutinreverse.Johanhadonlydaughters.”VangershowedBlokvistpicturesofbigbustedwoenwithwidebriedhatsandcarryingparasols.“AndFredrikyfatherhadonlysons.Wewerefivebrothers:Richard,Harald,Greger,Gustav,andyself.”
BlokvisthaddrawnupafailytreeonseveralsheetsofA4papertapedtogether.HeunderlinedthenaesofallthoseonHedebyIsndforthefailyeetingin1966andthus,atleasttheoretically,whocouldhavehadsoethingtodowithHarrietVangersdisappearance.
Heleftoutchildrenundertheageoftwelvehehadtodrawthelinesoewhere.Aftersoepondering,healsoleftoutHenrikVanger.Ifthepatriarchhadhadanythingtodowiththedisappearanceofhisbrothersgranddaughter,hisactionsoverthepastthirtysixyearswouldfallintothepsychopathicarena.Vangersother,whoin1966wasalreadyeightyone,couldreasonablyalsobeeliinated.Reainingweretwentythreefailyeberswho,aordingtoVanger,hadtobeincludedinthegroupof“suspects.”Sevenofthesewerenowdead,andseveralhadnowreachedarespectableoldage.