“Thatstrue.ButaslongasshewasatafortabledistancedowninStockholIcouldignoreher.”
Ceciliaputonherjacket.
“Thissituationisludicrous,”shesaidwithasile.“eoverfordinnertonight.BringErika.IthinkIgoingtolikeher.”
Erikahadalreadysolvedtheprobleofwheretosleep.OnpreviousoasionswhenshehadbeenuptoHedebytovisitVangershehadstayedinoneofhisspareroos,andsheaskedhistraightoutifshecouldborrowtherooagain.Henrikcouldscarcelyconcealhisdelight,andheassuredherthatshewasweleatanytie.
Withtheseforalitiesoutoftheway,BlokvistandBergerwentforawalkacrossthebridgeandsatontheterraceofSusannesBridgeCaféjustbeforeclosingtie.
“Ireallypissedoff,”Bergersaid.“Idriveallthewayupheretoweleyoubacktofreedoandfindyouinbedwiththetownfeefatale.”
“Isorryaboutthat.”
“HowlonghaveyouandMissBigTits”Bergerwavedherindexfinger.
“FroaboutthetieVangerbecaepartowner.”
“Aha.”
“Whatdoyouean,aha”
“Justcurious.”
“Ceciliasagoodwoan.Ilikeher.”
“Inotcriticising.Ijustpissedoff.CandywithinreachandthenIhavetogoonadiet.Hoasprison”
“Likeanuneventfulholiday.Howarethingsattheagazine”
“Better.Forthefirsttieinayeartheadvertisingrevenueisontherise.Werewaybelowthistiestyear,butwevetuedthecoer.ThankstoHenrik.Buttheweirdthingisthatsubscriptionsaregoinguptoo.”
“Theytendtofluctuate.”
“Byacoupleofhundredonewayortheother.Butwevepickedupthreethousandinthepastquarter.AtfirstIthoughtitwasjustluck,butnewsubscriberskeepingin.Itsourbiggestsubscriptionjupever.Atthesaetie,ourexistingsubscribersarerenewingprettyconsistentlyacrosstheboard.Noneofuscanunderstandit.Wehaventrunanyadcapaigns.Christerspentaweekdoingspotchecksonwhatsortofdeographicisshowingup.First,theyreallbrandnewsubscribers.Second,70percentofthearewoen.Norallyitstheotherwayaround.Third,thesubscriberscanbedescribedasiddleinewhitecolrworkersfrothesuburbs:teachers,iddleanageent,civilserviceworkers.”
“Thinkitstheiddlecssrevoltagainstbigcapital”
“Idontknow.Butifthiskeepsup,itlleanasignificantshiftinoursubscriberprofile.Wehadaneditorialconferencetwoweeksagoanddecidedtostartrunningnewtypesofaterialintheagazine.IwantorearticlesonprofessionattersassociatedwithTCO,theSwedishConfederationofProfessionalEployees,andalsooreinvestigativereportingonwoensissues,forinstance.”
“Dontchangetoouch,”Blokvistsaid.“Ifweregettingnewsubscriberstheniteansthattheylikewhatwererunningalready.”
CeciliahadalsoinvitedVangertodinner,possiblytoreducetheriskoftroublesoicsofconversation.Shehadadeavenisonstew.BergerandVangerspentagooddealofthetiediscussingMillenniusdevelopentandthenewsubscribers,butgraduallytheconversationovedontootheratters.BergersuddenlytuedtoBlokvistatonepointandaskedhihowhisworkwasingalong.
“IcountingonhavingadraftofthefailychroniclepleteinaonthforHenriktolookat.”
“AchronicleinthespiritoftheAddasfaily,”Ceciliasaid.
“Itdoeshavecertainhistoricaspects,”Blokvistconceded.
CeciliagncedatVanger.
“Mikael,Henrikisntreallyinterestedinafailychronicle.HewantsyoutosolvetheysteryofHarrietsdisappearance.”
Blokvistdidnotsayaword.EversincehehadbegunhisretionshithCeciliahehadtalkedfairlyopenlyaboutHarrietwithher.Ceciliahadalreadydeducedthatthiswashisreassignent,eventhoughheneverforallyadittedit.HehadcertainlynevertoldHenrikthatheandCeciliahaddiscussedthesubject.Vangersbushyeyebrowsdrewtogetherabit.Erikawassilent.
“MydearHenrik,”Ceciliasaid.“Inotstupid.IdontknohatsortofagreeentyouandMikaelhave,buthisstayhereinHedebyisaboutHarriet.Itis,isntit”
VangeoddedandgncedatBlokvist.
“Itoldyoushewassharp.”HetuedtoBerger.“IpresuethatMikaelhasexpinedtoyouwhathesworkingonhereinHedeby.”
Shenodded.
“AndIpresueyouthinkitsasenselessundertaking.No,youdonthavetoanswerthat.Itisanabsurdandsenselesstask.ButIhavetofindout.”
“Ihavenoopinionontheatter,”Bergersaiddiploatically.
“Ofcourseyoudo.”HetuedtoBlokvist.“Telle.Haveyoufoundanythingatallthatighttakeusforward”
BlokvistavoidedeetingVangersgaze.Hethoughtinstantlyofthecold,unpceablecertaintyhehadhadthenightbefore.Thefeelinghadbeenwithhiallday,buthehadhadnotietoworkhiswaythroughthealbuagain.AtsthelookedupatVangerandshookhishead.
“Ihaventfoundasinglething.”
Theoldanscrutinisedhiwithaperatinglook.Herefrainedfroenting.
“Idontknowaboutyouyoungpeople,”hesaid,“butforeitstietogotobed.Thankyoufordinner,Cecilia.Goodnight,Erika.Doseeebeforeyouleavetoorrow.”
WhenVangerhadclosedthefrontdoor,silencesettledoverthe.ItwasCeciliawhospokefirst.
“Mikael,whatwasallthatabout”
“IteansthatHenrikisassensitiveoplesreactionsasaseisograph.LastnightwhenyoucaetothecottageIwaslookingthroughanalbu.”
“Yes”
“Isawsoething.Idontknohatitwasyet.Itwassoethingthatalostbecaeanidea,butIissedit.”
“Sowhatwereyouthinkingabout”
“Ijustcanttellyou.Andthenyouarrived.”
Ceciliablushed.SheavoidedBergersgazeandwentouutonsoecoffee.
Itwasawarandsunnyday.Newgreenshootswereappearing,andBlokvistcaughthiselfhuingtheoldsongofspring,“BlossoTieIsing.”ItwasMondayandBergerhadleftearly.
WhenhehadgooprisoninidMarch,snowstillcoveredthend.Nowthebirchesweretuinggreenandthewnaroundhiscabinwaslush.ForthefirsttiehehadachancetolookaroundallofHedebyIsnd.At8:00hewentoverandaskedtoborrowatherosfroAnna.HespokebrieflywithVanger,whowasjustup,andwasgivenhisapoftheisnd.HewantedtogetacloserlookatGottfriedscabin.VangertoldhithatthecabinwasownedbyMartinVangeowbutthatithadstoodostlyvacantovertheyears.Oasionallysoeretivewouldborrowit.
BlokvistjustanagedtocatchMartinbeforeheleftforwork.Heaskedifheightborrowthekey.Martingavehianausedsile.
“IpresuethefailychroniclehasnowreachedthechapteraboutHarriet.”
“Ijustwanttotakealook”
Martincaebackwiththekeyinainute.
“IsitOKthen”
“AsfarasIconceed,youcanoveinthereifyouwant.Exceptforthefactthatitsstuckrightattheotherendoftheisnd,itsactuallyanicerspotthanthecottageyourein.”
Blokvistadecoffeeandsandwiches.Hefilledabottlewithwaterbeforehesetoff,stuffinghispiiclunchinarucksackheslungoveroneshoulder.Hefollowedanarrow,partiallyovergrownpaththatranalongthebayonthenorthsideofHedebyIsnd.Gottfriedscabinwasonapointaboutoneandahalfilesfrothevilge,andittookhionlyhalfanhourtocoverthedistanceataleisurelypace.
MartinVangerhadbeenright.WhenBlokvistcaearoundthebendofthenarrowpath,ashadedareabythewateropenedup.TherewasaarvellousviewoftheinlettotheHedeRiver,Hedestadarinatotheleft,andtheindustrialharbourtotheright.
HewassurprisedthatnoonehadwantedtooveintoGottfriedscabin.Itwasarusticstructureadeofhorizontaldarkstainedtiberwithatileroofandgreenfraes,andwithasallporchatthefrontdoor.Theaintenanceofthecabinhadbeenneglected.Thepaintaroundthedoorsandwindowswasfkingoff,andwhatshouldhavebeenawnwasscrubayardhigh.Clearingitwouldtakeonewholedayshardworkwithscytheandsaw.
Blokvistunlockedthedoorandunscrewedtheshuttersoverthewindowsfrotheinside.Thefraeworkseeedtobeanoldbaoflessthan1,300squarefeet.Theinsidewasfinishedwithpnksandconsistedofoneroowithbigwindowsfacingthewateroneithersideofthefrontdoor.Astaircaseledtoanopensleepingloftattherearofthecabinthatcoveredhalfthespace.Beneaththestairswasanichewithapropanegasstove,acounter,andasink.Thefuishingswerebasic；builtintothewalltotheleftofthedoortherewasbench,aricketydesk,andaboveitacasewithteakshelves.Fartherdownonthesaesidewasabroadwardrobe.Totherightofthedoorwasaroundtablewithfivewoodenchairs；afirepcestoodintheiddleofthesidewall.
Thecabinhadnoelectricity；insteadtherewereseveralkeroseneps.Inon船说