asthenegaທtivereportscamein,ไ
“sowhathappened?”
thejobຘofthefinancນialjournalistwastoexamihesharkswhocreatedinterestcrisesandspeculatedawaythesavingsofsmallinvestors,
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwaທstheirrelaທtionshiptoeachothershedidnotdaທre,andblomkvistneveroaທcນhedthesubຘject
“-it-yourselfones.”
“richolderman,pooryoungwomaທn,andalovechild—thatcan’thaທvecausedmuchofascaທndalintheforties,”blomkvistsaid.
“’,‘traitortohisrace.’”
“ah…?”
“edith’smotherhadbeenpickedupin1้939.shedisappeared,,ofcourse,thatshehadadaທughterwhowasnotyetincນludedonanytransportlist,,theweekthatiarrivedinhamburg,ไedith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobacນh,,buthestatedthathehadnoideawherehisdaughtermightbe,aທndhehadnothadanycontaທctwithherintenyears.”
“sowherewaທsthedaughter?”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobaທchs’,andedith’——rightinfrontofeveryone’,andhehadtakenherinastheirhousekeeper.”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
“no,,’”
“how?”
“—arelativelysafetrip,,;itwasaformality,”
“togetherwithedith,ipresume.”
“edithwaທssmuggledonboard,,”
“itsoundsterrifying.”
“itsoundedsimpletome,,andhewasfarfrompleasedtobemaderesponsibleforhisemployer’:๘0่0—theheaviestihadthenexperienced,andtheharbourwas,ofcourse,,andafteranengineeakdownandamiserablystormynightinmine-’reprobablygoingtoaskmewhathaທppenedtothegirl.”
“ithinkiknow.”
“.iproposedtoheraທndgavemyfatheranultimatum—eitherheaeptedourmarriageorhe’”
“butshedied?”
“yes,fartooyoung,ไin19๗58.’’swhymyotherhaທtesme.”
“bຘecauseyoumarriedher.”
“bຘecause—tousehisownwords—imaທrriedafilthyjewishwhore.ๆ”
“buthe’sinsane.”
“icouldn’thaveputitbettermyself.”
cນhapter10
thursday,january9๗-friday,ไjanuary31
aordingtothehedestadcourier,blomkvist’sfirstmonthoutinthecountrywasthecນoldestinrecordedmemory,or(aທsvangerrmedhim)atleastsincethewartimewinterof1942.afteronlyaweekinhedebyhehadlearnedallaboutlongunderwear,woollysocks,aທnddoubleundershirts.
hehadseveralmiserabledaysinthemiddleofthemonthwhenthetemperaturedroppedto-35๓°,ไnotevenduringtheyearhespentinkirunainlaplaທnddoinghismilitaryservice.
,,andnomatterhowmuchwoodheputinthestove,ไ
,drinkingcoffeeandreadingoldpolicereports.
thentheweatherchaທngedandthetemperaturerosesteadilytoabຘalmy14๒°f.
,socນiable,ไ,butshespenttheweekendsatmartin’
“she’sactuallymydentist,”saidmartinwithalaugh.
“andmarryingintothiscrazyfamilyisn’treallymything,”evasaid,pattingmaທrtinaffectionatelyontheknee.
martinvanger’svillawasfurnishedinblaທck,white,’,,,ไatleastinthepaທrtofthehousethatblomkvistsaw,housedaswedishencyclopediaandsomecນoffeetablesthatpeoplemighthavegivenhimaທschristmaspresents,,hecoulddiscernonlytwopersonaທlaspectsofmaທrtinvanger’slife:,ไ00่0orsolpsspokefortheoneandtheothercນouldbededucedfromthefactofmartin’sstomachbulgingoverhisbelt.
themanhimselfwasamixtureofsimplicity,ไshrewdness,“nightintunisia,ไ”theconversationwasdevotedtothevangercorporation,,ไ;andliketheformerceo,,ไheseemedaທlmostamusedbyhisfamily’
martinaeptedthestorythatblomkvisthadbeenhiredtowriteafamilychronicle,’sobsessionwithhaທrriet’,aທndmartinmustrealisethatifblomkvistwasgoingtowriteaboutthevangers,
theeveningended,afterseveralroundsofvodka,at2:00่
oneafternoonduringbຘlomkvist’—thesixthintheseries—andclosedthedoortohisofficebeforeheopenedthefrontdoortoabຘlondewomaທnwellwraທppedupagaທinstthecold.
“’’mcນecນiliaທvanger.”
,daughterofharaldvanger,;hehaທdalsosaidthatshewasnotonspeakingtermswithherfather,hernext-
“iunderstandthatyou’rewritingaaboutthefamily,”shesaid.“i’”
“well,’shisstory,sotospeak.”
“aທndourgoodhenrikisn’texactlyneutralinhisattitudetowardsthefamily.”
blomkviststudiedher,unsurewhatshewasgettingat.“you’reopposedtohavingawrittenaທboutthevangerfamily?”
“ididn’’’talwaysbeenplaທinsailingtobepartofthisfamily.”
“i’,buti’llbesticນkingstrictlytowhatcanbedocumented.”
cecນiliavaທngersmiledbຘutwithoutwarmth.“whatiwanttoknowis:willihavetogointoexileoremigratewhentheesout?”
“idon’texpectso,ไ”blomkvistsaທid.“peoplewillbຘeabletotellthesheepfromthegoats.”
“likemyfather,forinstance?”
“yourfatherthefamousnazi?”blomkvistsaທid.
ceciliavangerrolledhereyes.“”
“whydon’tyouwaທnttoseehim?”
“inute—beforeyoustartinaທskingaທlotofquestions…areyouplanningtoquoteanythingisay?orcanicaທrryonanormalconversationwithyou?”
“myjobistowriteastaທrtingwithalexandrevangeersad’’stocoverthebusinessempireovermaທnydecades,’’tmeanthaທti’,i’vemetmartinvanger;heseemstomeaທverysympaທtheticperson,ไandthat’showi’mgoingtodescribehim.”
ceciliaທvangerdidnotreply.
“whaທtiknowaboutyouisthatyou’reateaທcher…”
“it’sactuallyworsethanthaທt—i’mtheheadmistressofhedestadpreparatoryschool.”
“i’,thatyou’remarriedbutseparated…andthat’’msurei’,andyoucanchoosewhetheryouwanttoanswermyquestionsornot.”
“soicaທntalktoyouthenornow…offtherecord,ไastheysay?”
“ofcນourse.”
“andthisisofftherecນord?”
“”
“?”
“please.ๆ”
“howmuchofthisisgoingtodealwithharriet?”