duringthosefirstconfusedtwenty-fourhours,,,,,tofindoutwhetheranyonemighthaveseenher.ๆ
“,,,ไ—likeherother—aທndasaທteenagershebecaທmewraທppedupinreligion,—andnotherotheroraທnyofthemediocrecousins,nephews,andniecesaroundme—whowasdestinedtorunthevangerbຘusinessonedaທy,oraທtleaທstplayacentralroleinit.”
thejobofthefinancialjournalistwastoexamihesharkswhocນreaທtedinterestcrisesandspecນulatedawaythesavingsofsmallinvestors,
atthesaທmetime—whenshelookeddownathisslumberingformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthaທtshehadneverbຘeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinaທnotherhumaທnbeingsheknewwithabsolutecertaintythaທtmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewabouthertohurtheritwasnotinhisnaທture
“-it-ๅyourselfones.”
“richolderman,pooryoungwoman,ไandalovechild—thatcaທn’thaທvecausedmuchofaທscນandalintheforties,ไ”blomkvistsaທid.
“’,ไ‘traitortohisraທce.’”
“aທh…?”
“edith’smotherhadbeenpickedupin1้93๑9.ๆshedisappeared,,ofcourse,thatshehadaທdaughterwhowaທsnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,,ไtheweekthatiarrivedinhambຘurg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobacນh,,buthestatedthathehadnoideawherehisdaughtermightbe,andhehaທdnothadanycontacນtwithherintenyears.ๆ”
“sowherewasthedaughter?”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobachs’,andedith’——rightinfrontofeveryone’,ไandhehaທdtakenherinastheirhousekeeper.ๆ”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewaທs?”
“no,ไ,’”
“how?”
“—arelaທtivelysafetrip,ไ,;itwasaformality,”
“togetherwithedith,ไipresume.ๆ”
“edithwaທssmuggledonboard,ไ,”
“itsoundsterrifying.”
“itsoundedsimpletome,,aທndhewasfarfrompleaທsedtobemaທderesponsibຘleforhisemployer’:00—theheaviestihaທdthenexperienced,ไandtheharbourwas,ofcourse,,aທndafteraທnengineeakdownandamiseraທblystormynightinmine-’reprobຘabຘlygoingtoaskmewhathappenedtothegirl.ๆ”
“ithinkiknow.”
“.iproposedtoherandgavemyfatheranultimaທtum—eitherheaeptedourmarriageorhe’”
“bຘutshedied?”
“yes,fartooyoung,ไin195๓8.’’swhymyotherhatesme.”
“becນauseyoumarriedher.”
“because—tousehisownwords—imaທrriedafilthyjewishwhore.”
“buthe’sinsane.”
“icouldn’thaveputitbettermyself.”
chapter10
thursday,ไjaທnuary9-friday,january31้
aordingtothehedestadcourier,blomkvist’sfirstmonthoutinthecນountrywasthecoldestinrecordedmemory,or(aທsvangerrmedhim)แatleaທstsincethewartimewinterof1942๐.ๆafteronlyaທweekinhedebyhehaທdleaທrnedaທllaboutlongunderwear,woollysocນks,anddoubຘleundershirts.
hehaທdseveralmiserabledaysinthemiddleofthemonthwhenthetemperaturedroppedto-ๅ35๓°,notevenduringtheyearhespentinkirunainlaplanddoinghismilitaທryservicນe.
,ไ,andnomatterhowmuchwoodheputinthestove,
,drinkingcນoffeeandreadingoldpolicereports.ๆ
thentheweaທthercນhangedaທndthetemperaທturerosesteadilytoabຘalmy14°f.
,sociable,ไ,butshespenttheweekendsatmartin’
“she’sactuaທllymydentist,ไ”saidmaທrtinwithalaugh.
“andmarryingintothiscraທzyfamilyisn’treallymything,”evasaid,pattingmaທrtinaທffectionatelyontheknee.
martinvanger’svillawasfurnishedinblack,white,ไ’,,,aທtleastinthepartofthehousethatbຘlomkvistsaທw,housedaທswedishencyclopediaandsomecoffeetablesthaທtpeoplemighthavegivenhimaschristmaspresents,,ไhecoulddiscernonlytwopersonalaທspecນtsofmaທrtinvanger’slife:,00่0orsolpsspokefortheoneandtheothercນouldbededucນedfromthefactofmaທrtin’sstomacນhbulgingoverhisbຘelt.ๆ
themaທnhimselfwasamixtureofsimplicity,shrewdness,“nightintunisia,ไ”thecນonversationwasdevotedtothevangercorporation,,ไ;aທndliketheformerceo,,heseemedalmostamusedbyhisfamily’
martinaeptedthestorythatblomkvisthadbeenhiredtowriteafamilychronicle,’sobsessionwithharriet’,aທndmartinmustrealisethatifblomkvistwasgoingtowriteaທboutthevangers,
theeveningended,ไafterseveralroundsofvodka,aທt2:00่
oneafternoonduringblomkvist’—thesixthintheseries—andclosedthedoortohisofficນebຘeforeheopenedthefrontdoortoaທblondewomanwellwraທppedupagainstthecold.
“’’mceciliavanger.”
,ไdaughterofharaທldvanger,;hehadalsosaທidthatshewasnotonspeakingtermswithherfather,hernext-
“iunderstandthatyou’rewritingaaທboutthefamily,”shesaid.“i’”
“well,’shisstory,sotospeak.”
“aທndourgoodhenrikisn’texacນtlyneutralinhisattitudetowardsthefamily.”
blomkviststudiedher,unsurewhaທtshewasgettingat.“you’reopposedtohavingawrittenaທboutthevangerfamily?”
“ididn’’’talwaysbຘeenplainsaທilingtobຘepartofthisfamily.”
“i’,bຘuti’llbestickingstrictlytowhatcaທnbedocumented.ๆ”
ceciliaທvaທngersmiledbutwithoutwarmth.“whatiwanttoknowis:willihaທvetogointoexileoremigratewhentheesout?”
“idon’texpectso,”blomkvistsaid.“peoplewillbeabletotellthesheepfromthegoats.”
“likemyfather,forinstaທnce?”
“yourfaທtherthefamousnazi?”blomkvistsaທid.
ceciliavangerrolledhereyes.“”
“whydon’tyouwaທnttoseehim?”
“inute—beforeyoustartinaskingalotofquestions…aທreyouplanningtoquoteanythingisay?orcanicນarryonanormalcນonversationwithyou?”
“myjobistowriteastaທrtingwithalexandrevaທngeersad’’stocoverthebusinessempireovermanydecaທdes,ไ’’tmeanthati’,ไi’vemetmartinvanger;๙heseemstomeaverysympatheticperson,ไaທndthaທt’showi’mgoingtodescribehim.”
ceciliavaທngerdidnotreply.
“whatiknowabຘoutyouisthatyou’reateaທcher…”
“it’sactuaທllyworsethanthat—i’mtheheadmistressofhedestaທdprepaທratoryschool.”