船说。 Shefrownedandbitherlowerlipinthought。
ThatMondayhadbeenaslownewsday；andVangergotawholefourinutesonthe9：00news。HewasinterviewedinaTVstudioinHedestad。ThereporterbeganbystatingthataftertwodecadesofhavingstoodbackfrothespotlighttheindustrialistHenrikVangerwasback。ThesegentbeganwithasnappybiographyinbckandwhiteTViages；showinghiwithPrieMinisterErnderandopeningfactoriesinthesixties。ThecaerathenfocusedonastudiosofawhereVangerwassittingperfectlyrexed。Heworeayellowshirt；narrowgreentie；andfortabledarkbrownsuit。Hewasgaunt；buthespokeinaclear；firvoice。Andhewasalsoquitecandid。ThereporteraskedVangerwhathadproptedhitobeeapartownerofMillenniu。
“ItsanexcellentagazinewhichIhavefollowedwithgreatinterestforseveralyears。Todaythepublicationisunderattack。Ithaseneieswhoareanisinganadvertisingboycott；tryingtorunitintotheground。”
Thereporterwasnotpreparedforthis；butguessedatoncethatthealreadyunusualstoryhadyetoreunexpectedaspects。
“Whatsbehindthisboycott”
“ThatsoneofthethingsthatMillenniuwillbeexainingclosely。ButIlkeitcleaowthatMillenniuwillnotbesunkwiththefirstsalvo。”
“Isthiswhyyouboughtintotheagazine”
“Itwouldbedeplorableifthespecialinterestshadthepowertosilencethosevoicesintheediathattheyfindunfortable。”
Vangeractedasthoughhehadbeenaculturalradicalespousingfreedoofspeechallhislife。BlokvistburstoutughingashespenthisfirsteveningintheTVrooatRullkerPrison。Hisfellowinatesgncedathiuneasily。
Laterthatevening；whenhewaslyingonthebunkinhiscellwhichreindedhiofacrapedotelroowithitstinytable；itsonechair；andoneshelfonthewall；headittedthatVangerandBergerhadbeenrightabouthowthenewswouldbearketed。HejustknewthatsoethinghadchangedinpeoplesattitudetowardsMillenniu。
VangerssupportwasnooreorlessthanadecrationofwaragainstWennerstr。Theessagewasclear：inthefutureyouwillnotbefightingwithaagazinewithastaffofsixandanannualbudgetcorrespondingtothecostofaluncheoneetingoftheWennerstrGroup。YouwillnowbeupagainsttheVangerCorporation；whichaybeashadowofitsforergreatnessbutstillpresentsaconsiderablytougherchallenge。
TheessagethatVangerhaddeliveredonTVwasthathewaspreparedtofight；andforWennerstr；thatwarwouldbecostly。
Bergerhadchosenherwordswithcare。Shehadnotsaiduch；buthersayingthattheagazinehadnottolditsversioncreatedtheipressionthattherewassoethingtotell。DespitethefactthatBlokvisthadbeenindicted；convicted；andwasnowiprisoned；shehadeoutandsaidifnotinsoanywordsthathewasinnocentoflibendthatanothertruthexisted。Preciselybecauseshehadnotusedtheword“innocent；”hisinnocenceseeedoreapparentthanever。ThefactthathewasgoingtobereinstatedaspublisherephasisedthatMillenniufeltithadnothingtobeashaedof。Intheeyesofthepublic；credibilitywasnoprobleeveryonelovesaconspiracytheory；andinthechoicebetweenafilthyrichbusinessanandanoutspokenandcharingeditorinchief；itwasnothardtoguesswherethepublicssypathieswouldlie。Theedia；however；werenotgoingtobuythestorysoeasilybutBergerayhavedisaredanuberofcritics。
Noneofthedayseventshadchangedthesituationfundaentally；buttheyhadboughttieandtheyhadshiftedthebanceofpoweralittle。BlokvistiaginedthatWennerstrhadprobablyhadanunpleasantevening。Wennerstrcouldnotknowhowuch；orhowlittle；theyknew；andbeforeheadehisnextovehewasgoingtohavetofindout。
Withagriexpression；BergertuedofftheTVandtheVCRafterhavingwatchedfirstherownandthenVangersinterview。Itwas2：45intheoing；andshehadtostifletheipulsetocallBlokvist。Hewaslockedup；anditwasunlikelythathewasallowedtokeephisobile。Shehadarrivedhoesotethatherhusbandwasalreadyasleep。ShewentovertothebarandpouredherselfahealthyeasureofAberloursinglealtshedrankalcohoboutonceayearandsatatthewindow；lookingoutacrossSaltsjntothelighthouseattheentrancetoSkuruSound。
SheandBlokvisthadarguedheatedlywhentheywerealoneaftersheconcludedtheagreeentwithVanger。Theyhadweatheredanyfullbloodedarguentsaboutwhatangletouseforaspecificarticle；thedesignoftheagazine；theevaluationoftheirsourcescredibility；andathousandotherthingsinvolvedinputtingoutaagazine。 ButthearguentinVangersguesthousehadtouchedonprinciplesthatadeherawareshewasonshak
10
yground。
“Idontknohattodonow；”Blokvisthadsaid。“Thisanhashiredetoghostwritehisautobiography。UpuntilnowIvebeenfreetogetupandleavetheoenthetriestoforceetowritesoethingthatisnttrue；ortrieersuadeetosntthestoryinawayIdontholdwith。NowhesapartownerofouragazineandtheonlyonewiththeresourcestosaveMillenniu。AllofasuddenIsittingonthefence；inapositionthataboardofprofessionalethicswouldneverapprove。”
“Haveyougotabetteridea”Bergeraskedhi。“Becauseifyouhave；spititout；beforewetypeupthecontractandsignit。”
“Ricky；VangerisexploitingusinsoesortofprivatevendettaagainstWennerstr。”
“SowhatWehaveavendettaagainstWennerstrourselves。”
Blokvisttuedawayfroherandlitacigarette。
Theirconversationhadgoneonforquiteawhile；untilBergerwentintothebedroo；undressed；andclibedintobed。Shepretendedtobeaslehenhegotinbesidehertwohourster。
ThiseveningareporterfroDagensNyheterhadaskedherthesaequestion：“HowisMillenniugoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence”
“Whatdoyouean”
Thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbeenclearenough；buthespelleditoutanyway。
“OneofMillenniusobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporations。HoilltheagazinebeabletociinacrediblewaythatitsinvestigatingtheVangerCorporation”
Bergergavehiasurprisedlook；asifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected。
“AreyouinsinuatingthatMillenniuscredibilityisdiinishedbecauseawellknownfinancierwithsignificantresourceshasenteredthepicture”
“YoucouldnotnowcrediblyinvestigatetheVangerCorporation。”
“IsthatarulethatappliesspecificallytoMillenniu”
“Excusee”
“Iean；youworkforapublicationthatisfortheostpartownedbyajorcorporateentities。DoesthateanthatnoneofthenewspaperspublishedbytheBonnierGroupiscredibleAftonbdetisownedbyahugeNorwegiancorporation；whichintuisaajorpyerinITandunicationsdoesthateanthatanythingAftonbdetpublishesabouttheelectronicsindustryisnotcredibleMetroisownedbytheStenbeckGroup。AreyousayingthatnopublicationinSwedenthathassignificanteconoicinterestsbehinditiscredible”
“No；ofcoursenot。”
“ThenwhyareyouinsinuatingthatMillenniuscredibilitywouldbediinishedbecausewealsohavebackers”
Thereporterhelduphishand。
“OK；Illretractthatquestion。”
“No。Dontdothat。IwantyorintexactlywhatIsaid。AndyoucanaddthatifDNproisestofocusalittleextraontheVangerCorporation；thenwellfocusalittleoreontheBonnierGroup。”
Butitwasahicaldilea。
BlokvistwasworkingforHenrikVanger；whowasinapositiontosinkMillenniuwiththestrokeofapen。WhatwouldhappenifBlokvistandVangerbecaeeneies
Andaboveallwhatpricedidsheputonherowncredibility；andwhenhadshebeentransforedfroanindependenteditorintoacorruptedone
SanderclosedherbrowserandshutdownherPower。Shewasoutofworkandhungry。Thefirstconditiondidnotworryhersouch；sinceshehadregainedcontroloverherbankaountandBjuranhadalreadytakenonthestatusofavagueunpleasantnessinherpast。Thehungershedealtwithbyswitchingonthecoffeeaker。Sheadethreebigopenryebreadsandwicheswithcheese；caviar；andahardboiledegg。Sheateheighttiesnacksonthesofainthelivingroowhilesheworkedontherationshehadgathered。
ThewyerFrodefroHedestadhadhiredhertodoaninvestigationofMikaelBlokvist；thejoualistwhowasgivenaprisonsentenceforlibellingfinancierHansErikWennerstr。AfewonthsterHenrikVanger；alsofroHedestad；joinsBlokvistsagazinesboardofdirectorsandcisthatthereisaconspiracytocrushtheagazine。Allthisonthesaedaythattheforergoerison。Mostfascinatingofall：atwoyearoldbackgroundarticle“Withtwoeptyhands”aboutHansErikWennerstr；whichshefoundintheonlineeditionofMonopolyFinancialMagazine。ItseeedthathebeganhiscareerintheverysaeVangerCorporationinthetesixties。
Youdidnthavetobearocketscientisttoseethattheseeventsweresoehowreted。Therehadtobeaskeletoninoneoftheircupboards；andSanderlovedhuntingskeletons。Besides；shehadnothingelseonattheoent。
PART3
Mergers
MAY16TOJULY11