船说 HepedbelowCeciliaVangershouseandstoleagnceatthelightedwindowsonthfloor.Thenhewenthoeandputonsoecoffeeofhisown.Hewentintohisofficewhilehewaitedforittobrew.
BeforehepresentedhiselfattheprisonhehadretuedtheajorityofVangersdocuentationonHarriet.Ithadseeedwisenottoleaveitinaneptyhouse.Nowtheshelveslookedbare.Hehad,ofthereports,onlyfiveofVangersownnotes,andthesehehadtakenwithhitoRullkerandnowknewbyheart.Henoticedanalbuonthshelfofthecasethathehadfotten.
Hecarriedittothekitchentable.Hepouredhiselfcoffeeandbegangoingthroughit.
TheywerephotographsthathadbeentakenonthedayHarrietdisappeared.ThefirstofthewasthestphotographofHarriet,attheChildrensDayparadeinHedestad.Thenthereweresoe180crystalclearpicturesofthesceneoftheaidentonthebridge.Hehadexainedtheiagesonebyonewithaagnifyinggssonseveraloasionspreviously.Nowhetuedthepagesalostabsentindedly；heknewhewasnotgoingtofindanythinghehadnotseenbefore.InfacthefeltallofasuddenfediththeunexpinabledisappearanceofHarrietVangerandsedthealbushut.
Restlesslyhewenttothekitchenwindowandpeeredoutintothedarkness.
Thenhetuedhisgazebacktothealbu.Hecouldnothaveexpinedthefeeling,butathoughtflittedthroughhishead,asthoughhewerereactingtosoethinghehadjustseen.Itwasasthoughaninvisiblecreaturehadwhisperedinhisear,akingthehairsonthebackofhisneckstandonend.
Heopenedthealbuagain.Hewentthroughitpagebypage,lookingatallthepicturesofthebridge.HelookedattheyoungerversionofanoilsoakedHenrikVangerandayoungerHarald,aanwhohehadstillnotet.Thebrokenrailing,thebuildings,thewindowsandthevehiclesvisibleinthepictures.HecouldnotfailtoidentifyatwentyyearoldCeciliaintheidstoftheonlookers.Shehadonalightcoloureddressandadarkjacketandwasinatleasttwentyofthephotographs.
Hefeltafreshexciteent,andovertheyearsBlokvisthadleaedtotrusthisinstincts.Theseinstinctswerereactingtosoethinginthealbu,buthecouldnotyetsaywhatitwas.
Hewasstiltthekitchentableat11:00,staringonebyoneagainatthephotographswhenheheardthedooropen.
“MayIein”ItwasCeciliaVanger.Withoutwaitingforananswershesatdownacrossfrohiatthetable.Blokvisthadastrangefeelingofdéjàvu.Shewasdressedinathin,loose,lightcoloureddressandagreyishbluejacket,clothesalostidenticaltothoseshewaswearinginthephotographsfro1966.
“Youretheonewhostheproble,”shesaid.
Blokvistraisedhiseyebrows.
“Fivee,butyoutookebysurprisewhenyouknockedonthedoortonight.NowIsounhappyIcantsleep.”
“Whyareyouunhappy”
“Dontyouknow”
Heshookhishead.
“IfItellyou,proiseyouwontugh.”
“Proise.”
“WhenIseducedyoustwinteritwasanidiotic,ipulsiveact.Iwantedtoenjoyyself,thatsall.ThatfirstnightIwasquitedrunk,andIhadnointentionofstartinganythinglongterwithyou.Thenittuedintosoethingelse.Iwantyoutoknowthatthoseweekswithyouasyoasionalloverweresoeofthehappiestinylife.”
“Ithoughtitwaslovelytoo.”
“Mikael,Ivebeenlyingtoyouandtoyselfthewholetie.Iveneverbeenparticurlyrexedaboutsex.Ivehadfivesexpartnersinyentirelife.OncewhenIwastwentyoneandadebutante.Thenwithyhusband,whoIetwhenIwastwentyfiveandwhotuedouttobeabastard.AndthenafewtieswiththreeguysIetseveralyearsapart.Butyouprovokedsoethingine.Isiplycouldntgetenough.Ithadsoethingtodowiththefactthatyouresoundeanding.”
“Cecilia,youdonthaveto”
“Shhdontinterrupt,orIllneverbeabletotellyouthis.”
Blokvistsatinsilence.
“ThedayyouleftforprisonIwasabsolutelyiserable.Youweregone,asthoughyouhadneverexisted.Itwasdarkhereintheguesthouse.Itwascoldandeptyinybed.AndthereIwas,anoldaidoffiftysixagain.”
ShesaidnothingforawhileandlookedBlokvistintheeyes.
“Ifellinlovewithyoustwinter.Ididnteanto,butithappened.AndthenItookstockandrealisedthatyouwereonlyhereteporarily；onedayyoullbegoneood,andIllstayherefortherestofylife.IthurtsodanuchthatIdecidedIwasntgoingtoletyouinagainwhenyoucaebackfroprison.”
“Isorry.”
“Itsnotyourfault.WhenyoulefttonightIsatandcried.IwishIhadthechancetoliveylifeoveragain.ThenIwoulddecideonohing.”
“Whatsthat”
Shelookeddownatthetable.
“ThatIwouldhavetobetotallyinsaoseeingyoujustbecauseyouregoingtoleaveoneday.Mikael,canwestartagainCanyoufetwhathappenedearlierthisevening”
“Itsfotten,”hesaid.“Butthankyoufortellinge.”
Shewasstilllookingdownatthetable.
“Ifyoustillwante,letsdoit.”
Shelookedathiagain.Thenshegotupandwentovertothebedroodoor.Shedroppedherjacketonthefloorandpulledherdressoverherheadasshewent.
BlokvistandCeciliaVangerwokehenthefrontdooropenedandsoeonewaswalkingthroughthekitchen.Theyheardthethudofsoethingheavybeingputdownnearthewoodstove.ThenBergerwasstandinginthebedroodoorwaywithasilethatrapidlychangedtoshock.
“Oh,goodLord.”Shetookastepback.
“Hi,Erika,”Blokvistsaid.
“Hi.Isosorry.Iapologiseathousandtiesforbarginginlikethis.Ishouldhaveknocked.”
“Weshouldhavelockedthefrontdoor.ErikathisisCeciliaVanger.CeciliaErikaBergeristheeditorinchiefofMillenniu.”
“Hi,”Ceciliasaid.
“Hi,”Bergersaid.Shelookedasthoughshecouldnotdecidewhethertostepforwardandpolitelyshakehandsorjustleave.“Uh,IIcangoforawalk”
“Whatdoyousauttingonsoecoffeeinstead”Blokvistlookedatthearclockonthebedsidetable.Justpastnoon.
Bergeoddedandpulledthebedroodoorshut.BlokvistandCecilialookedateachother.Ceciliaappearedebarrassed.Theyhadadeloveandtalkeduntil4:00intheoing.ThenCeciliasaidshethoughtshedsleepoverandthatinthefutureshewouldntgiveatinkerscusswhoknewshewassleepingwithMikaelBlokvist.Shehadsleptwithherbacktohiandwithhisartuckedaroundherbreasts.
“Listen,itsOK,”hesaid.“Erikasarriedandsheisntygirlfriend.Weseeeachotheowandthen,butshedoesntcareatallifyouandIhavesoethingShesprobablyprettyebarrassedherselfrightnow.”
Whentheywentintothekitchenawhileter,Erikahadsetoutcoffee,juice,leonarade,cheese,andtoast.Itselledgood.Ceciliawentstraightuptoherandheldoutherhand.
“Iwasalittleabruptinthere.Hi.”
“DearCecilia,Isosorryforinginlikeanelephant,”saidaveryebarrassedErikaBerger.
“Fetit,forGodssake.Andletshavebreakfast.”
AfterbreakfastBergerexcusedherselfandleftthealone,sayingthatshehadtogoandsayhellotoVanger.CeciliaclearedthetablewithherbacktoMikael.Hewentupandputhisarsaroundher.
“Whatsgoingtohappennow”Ceciliasaid.
“Nothing.ThisisthewayitisErikaisybestfriend.SheandIhavebeentogetheroffandonfortwentyyearsandwillprobablybe,onandoff,togetherforanothertwenty.Ihopeso.Butweveneverbeenacoupleandwenevergetinthewayofeachothersroances.”
“IsthatwhatwehaveAroance”
“Idontknohatwehave,butapparentlywegetalong.”
“Wheresshegoingtosleeptonight”
“Wellfindheraroosoewhere.OneofHenriksspareroos.Shewontbesleepinginybed,anyway.”
Ceciliathoughtaboutthisforaoent.
“IdontknowifIcanhandlethis.Youandsheightfunctionthatway,butIdontknowIvenever”Sheshookherhead.“Igoingbacktoypce.Ihavetothinkaboutthisforawhile.”
“Cecilia,youaskedeearlierandItoldyouaboutyretionshithErika.Herexistencecantbeanygreatsurprisetoyou.”