船说 ThenextsecondMikaelstraightenedup,hardlyabletobelievehiseyes.Sanderhadwrittenabriefpassagegivingherassessentofwhatwouldhappenafterthetrial.ShehadreproducedvirtuallywordforwordthepressreleasethatheandBergerhadsubittedafterheresignedaspublisherofMillenniu.
ButSanderhadusedhisoriginalwording.Hegncedagainatthecoverofthereport.ItwasdatedthreedaysbeforeBlokvistwassentenced.Thatwasipossible.Thepressreleaseexistedtheninonlyonepceinthewholeworld.InBlokvistsputer.Inhisi,notonhisputerattheoffice.Thetextwasneverprintedout.NotevenBergerhadacopy,althoughtheyhadtalkedaboutthesubject.
BlokvistputdownSandersreport.Heputonhisjacketandwentoutintothenight,whichwasverybrightoneweekbeforeMidsuer.Hewalkedalongtheshoreofthesound,pastCeciliaVangerspropertyandtheluxuriousotorboatbelowMartinVangersvil.Hewalkedslowly,ponderingashewent.FinallyhesatonarockandlookedatthefshingbuoylightsinHedestadBay.Therewasonlyoneconclusion.
“Youvebeeninyputer,FrkenSander,”hesaidaloud.“Youreafuckinghacker.”
CHAPTER18
Wednesday,June18
Sanderawokewithastartfroadrealesssluber.Shefeltfaintlysick.ShedidnothavetotuherheadtoknowthatMiihadleftalreadyforwork,butherscentstilllingeredinthestuffyairofthebedroo.SanderhaddrunktooanybeersthenightbeforewiththeEvilFingersattheMill.Miihadtuedupnotlongbeforeclosingtieandehoewithherandintobed.
SanderunlikeMiihadneverthoughtofherselfasalesbian.Shehadneverbroodedoverwhethershewasstraight,gay,orevenbisexual.Shedidnotgiveadanaboutbels,didnotseethatitwasanyoneelsesbusinesswhoshespentheightswith.Ifshehadtochoose,shepreferredguysandtheywereinthelead,statisticallyspeaking.Theonlyproblewasfindingaguywhowasnotajerkandonewhowasalsogoodinbed；Miiwasasweetproise,andshetuedSanderon.TheyhadetinabeertentatthePrideFestivayearago,andMiiwastheonlypersonthatSanderhadintroducedtotheEvilFingers.Butitwasstilljustacasuaffairforbothofthe.ItwasnicelyingclosetoMiiswar,softbody,andSanderdidnotindwakingithherandtheirhavingbreakfasttogether.
Herclocksaiditwas9:30,andshewaswonderingwhatcouldhavewokenherwhenthedoorbellrangagain.Shesatupinsurprise.Noonehadeverrungherdoorbeltthishour.Veryfewpeoplerangherdoorbeltall.Shewrappedasheetaroundherandwalkedunsteadilytothehalltoopenthedoor.ShestaredstraightintotheeyesofMikaelBlokvist,feltpanicracethroughherbody,andtookastepback.
“Goodoing,FrkenSander,”hegreetedhercheerfully.“Itwasatenight,Isee.CanIein”
Withoutwaitingforananswer,hewalkedin,closingthedoorbehindhi.Heregardedwithcuriositythepileofclothesonthehallfloorandtherapartofbagsfilledwithnewspapers；thenhepeeredthroughthebedroodoorwhileSandersworldstartedspinninginthewrongdirection.HowWhatWhoBlokvistlookedatherbewilderentwithauseent.
“Iassuedthatyouwouldnothavehadbreakfastyet,soIbroughtsoefilledbagelswithe.Igotonewithroastbeef,onewithturkeyandDijonustard,andonevegetarianwithavocado,notknowingyourpreference.”Hearchedintoherkitchenandstartedrinsinghercoffeeaker.“Wheredoyoukeepcoffee”hesaid.Sanderstoodinthehalsiffrozenuntilsheheardthewaterrunningoutofthetap.Shetookthreequickstrides.
“atonce”Sherealisedthatshewasshoutingandloweredhervoice.“Danitall,youcantebarginginhereasifyouownedthepce.Wedontevenknoweachother.”
Blokvistpaused,holdingajugandtuedtolookather.
“WrongYouknowebetterthanalostanyoneelsedoes.Isntthatso”
Hetuedhisbackonherandpouredthewaterintotheachine.Thenhestartedopeninghercupboardsinsearchofcoffee.“Speakingofwhich,Iknowhowyoudoit.Iknowyoursecrets.”
Sandershuthereyes,wishingthatthefloorwouldpitchingunderherfeet.Shewasinastateofentalparalysis.Shewashungover.Thissituationwasunreal,andherbrainwasrefusingtofunction.Neverhadsheetoneofhersubjectsfacetoface.HeknowswhereIliveHewasstandinginherkitchen.Thiswasipossible.Itwasoutrageous.HeknowswhoIa
Shefeltthesheetslipping,andshepulledittighteraroundher.Hesaidsoething,butatfirstshedidntunderstandhi.“Wehavetotalk,”hesaidagain.“ButIthinkyoudbettertakeashowerfirst.”
Shetriedtospeaksensibly.“Youlistentoeifyourethinkingofakingtrouble,Inottheoneyoushouldbetalkingto.Iwasjustdoingajob.Youshouldtalktoyboss.”
Hehelduphishands.Auniversalsignofpeace,orIhavenoweapon.
“IvealreadytalkedtoAransky.Bytheway,hewantsyoutoringhiyoudidntanswerhiscallstnight.”
Shedidnotsenseanythreat,butshestillsteppedbackapacewhenhecaecloser,tookherarandescortedhertothebathroodoor.Shedislikedhavinganyoouchherwithoutherleave.
“Idontwanttoaketrouble,”hesaid.“ButIquiteanxioustotalktoyou.Afteryoureawake,thatis.Thecoffeewillbereadybythetieyouputonsoeclothes.First,ashower.Vaoose”
Passivelysheobeyed.LisbethSanderisneverpassive,shethought.
Sheleanedagainstthebathroodoorandstruggledtocollectherthoughts.Shewasoreshakenthanshewouldhavethoughtpossible.Graduallysherealisedthatashowerwasnotonlygoodadvicebutanecessityafterthetuultofthenight.Whenshewasdone,sheslippedintoherbedrooandputonjeans,andaTshirtwiththesloganARMAGEDDONWASYESTERDAYTODAYWEHAVEASERIOUSPROBLEM.
Afterpausingforasecond,shesearchedthroughherleatherjacketthatwasslungoverachair.Shetookthetaseroutofthepocket,checkedtoseethatitwasloaded,andstuckitinthebackpocketofherjeans.Thesellofcoffeewasspreadingthroughtheapartent.Shetookadeepbreathandwentbacktothekitchen.
“Doyounevercleanup”hesaid.
Hehadfilledthesinkwithdirtydishesandashtrays；hehadputtheoldilkcartonsintoarubbishsackandclearedthetableoffiveweeksofnewspapers；hehadwashedthetablecleanandputoutugsandhewasntjokingafterallbagels.OK,letsseewherethisisheading.Shesatdownoppositehi.
“Youdidntansweryquestion.Roastbeef,turkey,orvegetarian”
“Roastbeef.”
“ThenIlltaketheturkey.”
Theyateinsilence,scrutinisingeachother.Whenshefinishedherbagel,shealsoatehalfofthevegetarianone.Shepickedupacrupledpackofcigarettesfrothewindowsilnddugoneout.
Hebrokethesilence.“Iaynotbeasgoodasyouatinvestigations,butatleastIvefoundoutthatyourenotavegetarianorasHerrFrodethoughtanorexic.Illincludethatrationinyreport.”
Sanderstaredathi,buthelookedsoausedthatshegavehiacrookedsile.Thesituationwasbeyondallrhyeorreason.Shesippedhercoffee.Hehadkindeyes.Shedecidedthatwhateverelseheightbe,hedidnotseetobeaaliciousperson.AndtherewasnothinginthePIshehaddohatwouldindicatehewasaviciousbastardwhoabusedhisgirlfriendsoranythinglikethat.Shereindedherselfthatshewastheonewhokneweverything.Knowledgeispower.
“Whatareyougrinningat”shesaid.
“Isorry.Ihadnotinfactpnnedtoakeyentranceinthisway.Ididnteantoaryou.Butyoushouldhaveseenyourfacewhenyouopenedthedoor.Itwaspriceless.”
Silence.Tohersurprise,Sanderfoundhisuninvitedintrusionaeptablewell,atleastnotunpleasant.
“Youllhavetothinkofitasyrevengeforyourpokingaroundinypersonallife,”hesaid.“Areyoufrightened”
“Nottheleastbit,”Sandersaid.
“Good.Inotheretoaketroubleforyou.”
“IfyoueventrytohurteIllhavetodoyouaninjury.Youllbesorry.”
Blokviststudiedher.Shewasbarelyfourfootelevenanddidnotlookasthoughshecouldputupuchresistanceifhewereanassaintwhohadforcedhiswayintoherapartent.Buthereyeswereexpressionlessandcal.
“Well,thatwontbenecessary,”hesaidatst.“Ionlyneedtotalktoyou.Ifyouwantetoleave,allyouhavetodoissayso.Itsfunnybutoh,nothing”
“What”
“Thisaysoundcrazy,butfourdaysagoIdidntevenknowyouexisted.ThenIreadyouranalysisofe.”Hesearchedthroughhisshoulderbagandbroughtoutthereport.“Itwasnotentertainingreading.”
Helookedoutofthekitchenwindowforawhile.“CouldIbuacigarette”Sheslidthepackacrossthetable.