heopenedafolderwithareportonsecurityatauseuwhereabigexhibitionoffrenchipressionistswasopeningsoon.thenheputdownthefolderandlookedatthedoorthroughwhichsalanderhadjustgone.hethoughtabouthowshehadlaughedwithblokvistinherofficeandwonderedifshewasfinallygrowinguporwhetheritwasblokvistwhowastheattraction.healsofeltastrangeuneasiness.hehadneverbeenabletoshakeoffthefeelingthatlisbethsalanderwasaperfectvicti.andhereshewas,huntingaadanoutinthebackofbeyond.
onthewaynorthagain,salandertookonipulseadetourbywayof？ppelvikennursinghoetoseeherother.exceptforthevisitonmidsuereve,shehadnotseenherothersincechristas,andshefeltbadforsoseldotakingthetie.asecondvisitwithinthecourseofafeeekswasquiteunusual.
herotherwasinthedayroo.salanderstayedagoodhourandtookherotherforawalkdowntotheduckpondinthegroundsofthehospital.herotherwasstilluddlinglisbethwithhersister.asusual,shewashardlypresent,butsheseeedtroubledbythevisit.
whensalandersaidgoodbye,herotherdidnotwanttoletgoofherhand.salanderproisedtovisitheragainsoon,butherothergazedafterhersadlyandanxiously.
itwasasifshehadapreonitionofsoeapproachingdisaster.
blokvistspenttwohoursinthegardenbehindhiscabingoingthroughtheapocryphawithoutgainingasingleinsight.butathoughthadourredtohi.howreligioushadharrietvangeractuallybeen？herinterestinbiblestudieshadstartedthelastyearbeforeshevanished.shehadlinkedanuberofbiblequotestoaseriesofurdersandthenhadethodicallyreadnotonlyherbiblebutalsotheapocrypha,andshehaddevelopedaninterestincatholicis.
hadshereallydohesaeinvestigationthatblokvistandsalanderweredoingthirty-sevenyearslater？wasitthehuntforaurdererthathadspurredherinterestratherthanreligiosity？pastorfalkhadindicatedthatinhiseyesshewasoreofaseeker,lessagoodchristian.
hewasinterruptedbybergercallinghionhisobile.
“ijustwantedtotellyouthatgregerandiareleavingonholidaynextweek.i’llbegoneforfourweeks.”
“whereareyougoing？”
“newyork.gregerhasanexhibition,andthenwethoughtwe’dgotothecaribbean.wehaveachancetoborrowahouseonantiguafroafriendofgreger’sandwe’restayingtheretwoweeks.”
“thatsoundswonderful.haveagreattie.andsayhitogreger.”
“thenewissueisfinishedandwe’vealostwrappedupthenextone.iwishyoucouldtakeoveraseditor,butchristerhassaidhewilldoit.”
“hecancalleifheneedsanyhelp.how’sitgoingwithjannedahlan？”
shehesitated.
“he’salsogoingonholiday.i’vepushedhenryintobeingtheactinganagingeditor.heandchristerareindingthestore.”
“ok.”
“i’llbebackonaugustseventh.”
intheearlyeveningblokvisttriedfivetiestotelephonececiliavanger.hesentheratextaskinghertocallhi.buthereceivednoanswer.
heputawaytheapocryphaandgotintohistracksuit,lockingthedoorbeforehesetoff.
hefollowedthenarrowpathalongtheshoreandthenturnedintothewoods.hegroundhiswaythroughthicketsandarounduprootedtreesasfastashecouldgo,eergingexhaustedatthefortresswithhispulseracing.he. compedbyoneoftheoldartillerybatteriesandstretchedforseveralinutes.
suddenlyheheardasharpcrackandthegreyconcretewallnexttohisheadexploded.thenhefeltthepainasfragentsofconcreteandshrapneltoreadeepgashinhisscalp.
forwhatseeedaernityblokviststoodparalysed.thenhethrewhiselfintotheartillerytrench,landinghardonhisshoulderandknockingthewindoutofhiself.asecondroundcaeattheinstanthedived.thebulletsackedintotheconcretefoundation.
hegottohisfeetandlookedallaround.hewasintheiddleofthefortress.totherightandleftnarrow,overgrownpassagesayarddeeprantothebatteriesthatwerespreadalongalineof250yards.inacrouch,hestartedrunningsouththroughthelabyrinth.
hesuddenlyheardanechoofcaptainadolfsson’siniitablevoicefrowinteranoeuvresattheinfantryschoolinkiruna.blokvist,keepyourfuckingheaddownifyoudon’twanttogetyourarseshotoff.yearslaterhestillreeberedtheextrapractisedrillsthatcaptainadolfssonusedtodevise.
he. compedtocatchhisbreath,hisheartpounding.hecouldhearnothingbuthisownbreathing.thehuaneyeperceivesotionuchquickerthanshapesandfigures.moveslowlywhenyou’rescouting.blokvistslowlypeekedaninchoverth. comedgeofthebattery.thesunwasstraightaheadandadeitipossibletoakeoutdetails,buthecouldseenooveent.
hepulledhisheadbackdownandranontothenextbattery.itdoesn’tatterhowgoodtheeney’sweaponsare.ifhecan’tseeyou,hecan’thityou.cover,cover,cover.makesureyou’reneverexposed.
hewas300yardsfrotheedgeof？sterg？rdenfar.soe40yardsfrowhereheknelttherewasanalostiperablethicketoflowbrush.buttoreachthethickethewouldhavetosprintdownagrassslopefrotheartillerybattery,andhewouldbepletelyexposed.itwastheonlyway.athisbackwasthesea.
hewassuddenlyawareofpaininhistepleanddiscoveredthathewasbleedingandthathist-shirtwasdrenchedwithblood.scalpwoundsnever. combleeding,hethoughtbeforeheagainconcentratedonhisposition.oneshotcouldjusthavebeenanaident,buttwoeantthatsoebodywastryingtokillhi.hehadnowayofknowingifthearksanwaswaitingforhitoreappear.
hetriedtobecal,thinkrationally.thechoicewastowaitortogetthehellout.ifthearksanwasstillthere,thelatteralternativewasassuredlynotagoodidea.ifhewaitedwherehewas,thearksanwouldcallywalkuptothefortress,findhi,andshoothiatcloserange.
hecan’tknowifi’vegootherightorleft.rifle,aybeaooserifle.probablywithtelescopicsights.whichwouldeanthatthearksanwouldhavealiitedfieldofvisionifhewaslookingformikaelthroughthesights.
ifyou’reinatightspot—taketheinitiative.betterthanwaiting.hewatchedandlistenedforsoundsfortwoinutes；thenheclaberedoutofthebatteryandraceddowntheslopeasfastashecould.
hewashalfwaydowntheslopeasathirdshotwasfired,butheonlyheardavaguesackbehindhi.hethrewhiselfflatthroughthecurtainofbrushandrolledthroughaseaofstingingtles.thenhewasonhisfeetandovingawayfrothedirectionofthefire,crouching,running,. compingeveryfiftyyards,listening.heheardabranchcracksoewherebetweenhiandthefortress.hedroppedtohisstoach.
crawlusingyourelbowswasanotherofcaptainadolfsson’sfavouriteexpressions.blokvistcoveredthenext150yardsonhiskneesandtoesandelbowsthroughtheundergrowth.hepushedasidetwigsandbranches.twiceheheardsuddencracksinthethicketbehindhi.thefirstseeedtobeveryclose,aybetwentypacestotheright.hefroze,layperfectlystill.afterawhilehecautiouslyraisedhisheadandlookedaround,buthecouldseeno-one.helaystillforalongtie,hisnervesonfullalert,readytofleeorpossiblyakeadesperatecounterattackiftheeneycaeathi.thenextcrackwasfrofartheraway.thensilence.
heknowsi’here.hashetakenupapositionsoewhere,waitingforetostartoving,orhasheretreated？
blokvistkeptcrawlingthroughtheundergrowthuntilhereachedthe？sterg？rden’sfence.
thiswasthenextcriticaloent.apathraninsidethefence.helaystretchedoutontheground,watching.thefarhousewas400yardsdownagentleslope.totherightofthehousehesawcowsgrazing.whyhadn’tanyoneheardtheshotsandetoinvestigate？suer.maybenobodyisathoerightnow.
therewasnoquestionofcrossingthepasture—therehewouldhavenocoveratall.thestraightpathbesidethefencewastheplacehehiselfwouldhavepickedforaclearfieldoffire.heretreatedintothebrushuntilhecaeoutontheothersideintoasparsepinewood.
hetookthelongwayaround？sterg？rden’sfieldsands？derbergettoreachhoe.whenhepassed？sterg？rdenhecouldseethattheircarwasgone.atth. comofs？derbergethe. compedandlookeddownonhedeby.intheoldfishingcabinsbythearinathereweresuervisitors；woeninbathingsuitsweresittingtalkingonadock.heselledsoethingcookingonanoutdoorgrill.childrenweresplashinginthewaternearthedocksinthearina.
justafter8:00.itwasfiftyinutessincetheshotshadbeenfired.nilssonwaswateringhislawn,wearingshortsandnoshirt.howlonghaveyoubeenthere？vanger’shousewaseptybutforanna.haraldvanger’shouselookeddesertedasalways.thenhesawisabellavangerinherbackgarden.shewassittingthere,obviouslytalkingtosoeone.ittookasecondforblokvisttorealiseitwasthesicklygerdavanger,bornin1922andlivingwithherson,alexander,inoneofthehousesbeyondhenrik’s.hehadneverether,buthehadseenherafewties.ceciliavanger’shouselookedepty,butthenmikaelsawaoveentinherkitchen.she’shoe.wasthearksanawoan？heknewthatceciliacouldhandleagun.hecouldseemartinvanger’scarinthedriveinfrontofhishouse.howlonghaveyoubeenhoe？
orwasitsoeoneelsethathehadnotthoughtofyet？frode？alexander？tooanypossibilities.
heclibeddownfros？derbergetandfollowedtheroadintothevillage；hegothoewithoutencounteringanyone.thefirstthinghesaasthatthedoorofthecottagewasajar.hewentintoacrouchalostinstinctively.thenheselledcoffeeandsawsalanderthroughthekitchenwindow.
sheheardhieinthefrontdoorandturnedtowardshi.shestiffened.hisfacelookedterrible,searedwithbloodthathadbe
