船说 TheanintroducedhiselfasJeffandsaidthathewasthe“studsanager”atthestation.Blokvistaskedhitoexpinwhatthateant.JeffgavehiasidelonglookandconcludedthatBlokvistwasnotfrotheseparts.Heexpinedthatastudsanagerwasrathertheequivalentofafinancianagerinabank,althoughheadinisteredsheep,andthata“station”wastheAustralianwordforranch.
TheycontinuedtoconverseasJeffcheerfullysteeredtheJeepatabouttenkiloetresanhourdownintoaravinewith0°slope.Blokvistthankedhisluckystarsthathehadnotatteptedthedriveinhisrentalcar.Heaskedwhatwasdownintheravineandwastoldthatitwasthepasturendfor700headofsheep.
“AsIunderstandit,CochranFarisoneofthebiggerranches.”
“WereoneofthergestinallofAustralia,”Jeffsaidwithacertainprideinhisvoice.“Werunabout9,000sheephereintheMakawakadistrict,butwehavestationsinbothNewSouthWalesandWesteAustralia.Wehave60,000plushead.”
Theycaeoutfrotheravineintoahillybutgentlerndscape.Blokvistsuddenlyheardshots.Hesawsheepcadavers,bigbonfires,andadozenranchhands.Severalenseeedtobecarryingrifles.Theywereapparentlysughteringsheep.
Involuntarily,hethoughtofthebiblicalsacrificialbs.
Thenhesawawoanwithshortblondehairwearingjeansandaredandwhitecheckedshirt.Jeffpedafewyardsawayfroher.
“Hi,Boss.Wevegotatourist,”hesaid.
BlokvistgotoutoftheJeepandlookedather.Shelookedbackwithaninquisitiveexpression.
“Hi,Harriet.Itsbeenalongtie,”hesaidinSwedish.
NoneoftheenwhoworkedforAnitaCochranunderstoodwhathesaid,buttheyallsawherreaction.Shetookastepback,lookingshocked.Theensawherresponse,pedtheirjoking,andstraightenedup,readytointerveneagainstthisoddstranger.JeffsfriendlinesssuddenlyevaporatedandheadvancedtowardBlokvist.
Blokvistwaskeenlyawarehowvulnerablehewas.AwordfroAnitaCochranandhewouldbedonefor.
Thentheoentpassed.HarrietVangerwavedherhandinapeacefulgestureandtheenovedback.ShecaeovertoBlokvistandethisgaze.Herfacewassweatyanddirty.Herblondehairhaddarkerroots.Herfacewasolderandthinner,butshehadgrownintothebeautifulwoanthatherconfirationportraithadproised.
“Haveweetbefore”shesaid.
“Yes,wehave.IaMikaelBlokvist.YouwereybabysitteronesuerwhenIwasthreeyearsold.Youweretwelveorthirteenatthetie.”
Ittookafewsecondsforherpuzzledexpressiontoclear,andthenhesawthatshereebered.Shelookedsurprised.
“Whatdoyouwant”
“Harriet,Inotyoureney.Inotheretoaketroubleforyou.ButIneedtotalkwithyou.”
ShetuedtoJeffandtoldhitotakeover,thensignalledtoBlokvisttofollowher.Theywalkedafewhundredfeetovertoagroupofwhitecanvastentsinagroveoftrees.Sheotionedhitoacapstootaricketytableandpouredwaterintoabasin.Sherinsedherface,driedit,andwentinsidethetenttochangehershirt.Shegottwobeersoutofacooler.
“So.Talk.”
“Whyareyoushootingthesheep”
“Wehaveacontagiousepideic.Mostofthesesheepareprobablyhealthy,butwecantriskitspreading.Weregoingtohavetosughterorethansixhundredintheingweek.SoInotinaverygoodood.”
Blokvistsaid:“Yourbrothercrashedhiscarintoatruckafewdaysago.Heusthavediedinstantaneously.”
“Iheardthat.”
“FroAnita,whocalledyou.”
Shescrutinisedhiforalongoent.Thenshenodded.Sheknewthatitwaspointlesstodenythefact.
“Howdidyoufinde”
“WetappedAnitastelephone.”Blokvistdidnotthinktherewasanyreasontolie.“Isawyourbrotherafewinutesbeforehedied.”
HarrietVangerfrowned.Heethergaze.Thenhetookofftheridiculousscarfhewaswearing,tueddownhiscolr,andshowedherthestripeleftfrothenoose.Itwasstillredandinfed,andhewouldprobablyalwayshaveascartoreindhiofMartinVanger.
“Yourbrotherhadhungefroahook,butbythegraceofGodypartne
17
rarrivedintietohikillinge.”
Harrietseyessuddenlybued.
“Ithinkyoudbettertellethestoryfrothebeginning.”
Ittookorethananhour.Hetoldherwhohewasandwhathewasworkingon.HedescribedhowhecaetobegiventheassignentbyHenrikVanger.Heexpinedhowthepolicesinvestigationhadetoadeadend,andhetoldherofHenrikslonginvestigation,andfinallyhetoldherhowaphotographofherwithfriendsinJvgsgataninHedestadhadledtotheuncoveringofthesorrowsbehindtheysteryofherdisappearanceanditsappallingsequel,whichhadendedwithMartinVangerssuicide.
Ashetalked,dusksetin.Theenquitworkfortheday,fireswerestarted,andpotsbegantosier.BlokvistnoticedthatJeffstayedclosetohisbossandkeptawatchfuleyeonhi.Thecookservedthedinner.Theyeachhadanotherbeer.WhenhewasfinishedHarrietsatforalongtieinsilence.
Atlengthshesaid:“Iwassohappythatyfatherwasdeadandtheviolencewasover.ItneverourredtoethatMartinIgdhesdead.”
“Icanunderstandthat.”
“YourstorydoesntexpinhowyouknewthatIwasalive.”
“Afterwerealisedwhathadhappened,itwasntsodifficulttoworkouttherest.Todisappear,youneededhelp.Anitawasyourconfidanteandtheonlyoneyoucouldevenconsider.Youwerefriends,andshehadspentthesuerwithyou.Youstayedoutatyourfatherscabin.Iftherewasanyoneyouhadconfidedin,ithadtobeherandalsoshehadjustgotherdriverslicence.”
Harrietlookedathiwithanunreadableexpression.
“SonowthatyouknowIalive,whatareyougoingtodo”
“IhavetotellHenrik.Hedeservestoknow.”
“AndthenYoureajoualist.”
“Inotthinkingofexposingyou.IvealreadybreachedsoanyrulesofprofessionalconductinthiswholedisalessthattheJoualistsAssociationwouldundoubtedlyexpeleiftheyknewaboutit.”Hewastryingtoakelightofit.“Oneorewontakeanydifference,andIdontwanttoakeyoldbabysitterangry.”
Shewasnotaused.
“Howanypeopleknowthetruth”
“ThatyourealiveRightnow,youandeandAnitaandypartner.Henrikswyerknowsabouttwothirdsofthestory,buthestillthinksyoudiedinthesixties.”
HarrietVangerseeedtobethinkingsoethingover.Shestaredoutatthedark.Mikaelonceagainhadanuneasyfeelingthathewasinavulnerablesituation,andhereindedhiselfthatHarrietVangersownriflewasonacapbedthreepacesaway.Thenheshookhiselfandpediaginingthings.Hechangedthesubject.
“ButhowdidyouetobeasheepfarerinAustraliaIalreadyknowthatAnitasuggledyouoffHedebyIsnd,presuablyinthebootofhercarwhenthebridgereopenedthedayaftertheaident.”
“Actually,Iyonthefloorofthebackseatwithabnketovere.Butnoonewaslooking.IwenttoAnitawhenshearrivedontheisndandtoldherthatIhadtoescape.YouguessedrightthatIconfidedinher.Shehelpede,andshesbeenaloyalfriendalltheseyears.”
“WhyAustralia”