船说 “Hi,Pappa,”PeilAbrahassonsaid.
Hegavehisdaughteralonghug.
“Whereintheworlddidyouspringfro”
“Frohoe,ofcourse.IonywaytoSkellefte.CanIstaythenight”
“Ofcourseyoucan,buthowdidyougethere”
“Maaknehereyouwere.AndIaskedatthecaféiftheyknehereyouwerestaying.Thewoantoldeexactlyhowtogethere.Areyougdtoseee”
“CertainlyIa.ein.YoushouldhavegivenesoewaingsoIcouldbuysoegoodfoodorsoething.”
“Ipedonipulse.Iwantedtoweleyouhoefroprison,butyounevercalled.”
“Isorry.”
“ThatsOK.Maatoldehowyourealwaysgettinglostinyourownthoughts.”
“Isthatwhatshesaysaboute”
“Moreorless.Butitdoesntatter.Istillloveyou.”
“Iloveyoutoo,butyouknow”
“Iknow.Iprettygrownupbynow.”
Headeteaandputoutpastries.
Whathisdaughterhadsaidwastrue.Shewasostassuredlynolongeralittlegirl；shewasalostseventeen,practicallyagrownwoan.Hehadtoleatotreatingherlikeachild.
“So,hoasit”
“Hoaswhat”
“Prison.”
Heughed.“WouldyoubelieveeifIsaidthatitwaslikehavingapaidholidaywithallthetieyouwantedforthinkingandwriting”
“Iwould.Idontsupposetheresuchdifferencebetweenaprisonandacloister,andpeoplehavealwaysgoocloistersforselfreflection.”
“Well,thereyougo.Ihopeithasntbeenaprobleforyou,yourfatherbeingagaolbird.”
“Notatall.Iproudofyou,andIneverissachancetobragaboutthefactthatyouwenrisonforwhatyoubelievein.”
“Believein”
“IsawErikaBergeronTV.”
“Peil,Inotinnocent.IsorrythatIhaventtalkedtoyouaboutwhathappened,butIwasntunfairlysentenced.Thecourtadetheirdecisionbasedonwhattheyweretoldduringthetrial.”
“Butyounevertoldyoursideofthestory.”
“No,becauseittuedoutthatIdidnthaveproof.”
“OK.Thenanswereonequestion:isWennerstrascoundrelorisnthe”
“HesoneofthebckestscoundrelsIveeverdealtwith.”
“Thatsgoodenoughfore.Ivegotapresentforyou.”
Shetookapackageoutofherbag.HeopeneditandfoundaCD,TheBestofEurythics.Sheknewitwasoneofhisfavouriteoldbands.Heputitinhisi,andtheylistenedto“SweetDreas”together.
“WhyareyougoingtoSkellefte”
“BibleschootasuercithacongregationcalledtheLightofLife,”Peilsaid,asifitweretheostobviouschoiceintheworld.
Blokvistfeltacoldfirerundownthebackofhisneck.HerealisedhowalikehisdaughterandHarrietVangerwere.Peilwassixteen,exactlytheageHarrietwaswhenshedisappeared.Bothhadabsentfathers.BothwereattractedtothereligiousfanaticisofstrangesectsHarriettothePentecostalsandPeiltoanoffshootofsoethingthatwasjustaboutascrackpotastheWordofLife.
Hedidnotknowhowheshouldhandlehisdaughtersnewinterestinreligion.Hewasafraidofencroachingonherrighttodecideforherself.Atthesaetie,theLightofLifewasostdefinitelyasectofthetypethathewouldnothesitatetobastinMillenniu.Hewouldtakethefirportunitytodiscussthisatterwithherother.
Peilsleptinhisbedwhilehewrappedhiselfinbnketsonthebenchinthekitchen.Hewokewithacrickinhisneckandachinguscles.Peilwaseagertogetgoing,soheadebreakfastandwentwithhertothestation.Theyhadalittletie,sotheyboughtcoffeeattheiniartandsatdownonabenchattheendoftheptfor,chattingaboutallsortsofthings.Untilshesaid:“YoudontliketheideathatIgoingtoSkellefte,doyou”
Hewasnonplussed.
“Itsnotdangerous.ButyourenotaChristian,areyou”
“Well,InotagoodChristian,atanyrate.”
“YoudontbelieveinGod”
“No,IdontbelieveinGod,butIrespectthefactthatyoudo.Everyonehastohavesoethingtobelievein.”
Whenhertrainarrived,theygaveeachotheralonghuguntilPeilhadtogetonboard.Withonefootonthestep,shetued.
“Pappa,Inotgoinroselytise.Itdoesntattertoewhatyoubelieve,andIllwaysloveyou.ButIthinkyoushouldcontinueyourBiblestudies.”
“Whydoyousaythat”
“Isawthequotesyouhadonthewall,”shesaid.“ButwhysoglooyandneuroticKisses.Seeyouter.”
Shewavedandwasgone.Hestoodontheptfor,baffled,watchingthetrainpulway.Notuntilitvanishedaroundthebenddidtheeaningsinkin.
Mikaelhurriedoutofthestation.Itwouldbealostanhourbeforethenextbusleft.Hewastoouchonedgetowaitthatlong.HerantothetaxistandandfoundHusseinwiththeNorrndaent.
Teninutesterhewasinhisoffice.Hehadtapedthenoteabovehisdesk.
Magda32016
Sara32109
R.J.30112
R.L.32027
Mari32018
Helookedaroundtheroo.ThenherealisedwherehedbeabletofindaBible.Hetookthenotewithhi,searchedforthekeys,whichhehadleftinabowlonthewindowsill,andjoggedthewholewaytoGottfriedscabin.HishandswerepracticallyshakingashetookHarrietsBibledownfroitsshelf.
Shehadnotwrittendowntelephonenubers.ThefiguresindicatedthechapterandverseinLeviticus,thethirdofthePentateuch.
Leviticus,20:16
“Ifawoanapproachesanybeastandlieswithit,youshallkillthewoanandthebeast；theyshallbeputtodeath,theirbloodisuponthe.”
Leviticus,21:9
“Andthedaughterofanypriest,ifsheprofanesherselfbypyingtheharlot,profanesherfather；sheshallbebuedwithfire.”
Leviticus,1:12
“Andheshallcutitiieces,withitsheadanditsfat,andthepriestshallytheinorderuponthewoodthatisonthefireuponthealtar.”
Leviticus,20:27
“Aanorawoanwhoisaediuorawizardshallbeputtodeath；theyshallbestonedwithstones,theirbloodshallbeuponthe.”
Leviticus,20:18
“Ifaanlieswithawoanhavinghersickness,anduncoversheakedness,hehasadenakedherfountain,andshehasuncoveredthefountainofherblood；bothoftheshallbecutofffroaongtheirpeople.”
Hewentoutandsatontheporch.EachversehadbeenunderlinedinHarrietsBible.Helitacigaretteandlistenedtothesingingofbirdsnearby.
Hehadthenubers.Buthedidnthavethenaes.Magda,Sara,Mari,R.J.,andR.L.
AllofasuddenanabyssopenedasMikaelsbrainadeanintuitiveleap.HereeberedthefirevictiinHedestadthatInspectorMorellhadtoldhiabout.TheRebeckacase,whichourredintheteforties.Thegirlwasrapedandthenkilledbyhavingherheadpcedonsoulderingcoals.“Andheshallcutitiieces,withitsheadanditsfat,andthepriestshallytheinorderuponthewoodthatisonthefireuponthealtar.”Rebecka.R.J.Whatwasherstnae
WhatinGodsnaehadHarrietgottenherselfixedupin
Vangerhadbeentakenill.HewasinbedwhenBlokvistknockedonhisdoor.ButAnnaagreedtolethiin,sayinghecouldvisittheoldanforafewinutes.
“Asuercold,”Henrikexpined,sniffling.“Whatdidyouwant”
“Ihaveaquestion.”
“Yes”
“DidyoueverhearofaurderthattookpceinHedestadsoetieinthefortiesAgirlcalledRebeckaherheadwasputonafire.”
“RebeckaJacobsson,”Henriksaidwithoutasecondshesitation.“ThatsanaeIllneverfet,althoughIhaventhearditentionedinyears.”
“Butyouknowabouttheurder”
“IndeedIdo.RebeckaJacobssonwastwentythreeortwentyfourwhenshedied.ThatusthavebeeninItwasin1949.Therewasatreendoushueandcry,Ihadasallpartinityself.”