“harriettalkedwithareporterfrothecourier.herstoryisthatsheranawayfrohoebecauseshedidn’tgetalongwithherfaily,butthatsheobviouslyhasdonewellintheworldsinceshe’stheheadofaverysubstantialenterprise.”
blokvistwhistled.
“idiscoveredthattherewasoneyinaustraliansheep,butididn’tknowthestationwasdoingthatwell.”
“hersheepstationisgoingsuperbly,butthatisn’theronlysourceofine.thecochrancorporationisinining,opals,anufacturing,transport,electronics,andalotofotherthingstoo.”
“wow！sowhat’sgoingtohappennow？”
“honestly,idon’tknow.peoplehavebeenturningupallday,andthefailyhasbeentogetherforthefirsttieinyears.they’reherefrobothfredrikandjohanvanger’ssides,andquiteafewfrotheyoungergenerationtoo—theonesintheirtwentiesandup.thereareprobablyaroundfortyvangersinhedestadthisevening.halfoftheareatthehospitalwearingouthenrik；theotherhalfareatthegrandhoteltalkingtoharriet.”
“harrietustbethebigsensation.howanyoftheknowaboutmartin？”
“sofarit’sjuste,henrik,andharriet.wehadalongtalktogether.martinand…youruncoveringofhisunspeakablelife,it’sovershadowingjustabouteverythingforusattheoent.ithasbroughtanenorouscrisisforthepanytoahead.”
“icanunderstandthat.”
“thereisnonaturalheir,butharrietisstayinginhedestadforawhile.thefailywillworkoutwhoownswhat,howtheinheritanceistobedividedandsoon.sheactuallyhasashareofitthatwouldhavebeenquitelargeifshehadbeenherethewholetie.it’sanightare.”
mikaellaughed.frodewasnotlaughingatall.
“isabellahadacollapseatthefuneral.she’sinthehospitalnow.henriksayshewon’tvisither.”
“goodforhenrik.”
“however,anitaisingoverfrolondon.iatocallafailyeetingfornextweek.itwillbethefirsttieintwenty-fiveyearsthatshe’sparticipated.”
“whowillbethenewceo？”
“birgerisafterthejob,buthe’soutofthequestion.what’sgoingtohappenisthathenrikwillstepinasceoprotefrohissickbeduntilwehireeithersoeonefrooutsideorsoeonefrowithinthefaily…”
blokvistraisedhiseyebrows.
“harriet？youcan’tbeserious.”
“whynot？we’retalkingaboutanexceptionallypetentandrespectedbusinesswoan.”
“shehasapanyinaustraliatolookafter.”
“true,buthersonjeffcochranisindingthestoreinherabsence.”
“he’sthestudsanageronasheepranch.ifiunderstoodtheattercorrectly,heseestoitthatthecorrectsheepatewitheachother.”
“healsohasadegreeineconoicsfrooxfordandalawdegreefromelbourne.”
blokvistthoughtaboutthesweaty,uscularanwithhisshirtoffwhohaddrivenhiintoandthroughtheravine；hetriedtoiaginehiinapinstripesuit.whynot？
“allofthiswilltaketietoworkout,”frodesaid.“butshewouldbeaperfectceo.withtherightsupportteashecouldrepresentawholenewdealforthepany.”
“shedoesn’thavetheexperience…”
“that’strue.shecan’tjustpopupoutoforeorlessnowhereandstarticro-anagingthepany.butthevangercorporationisinternational,andwecouldcertainlyhaveanaericanceowhodoesn’tspeakawordofswedish…it’sonlybusiness,whenall’ssaidanddone.”
“soonerorlateryou’regoingtohavetofaceuptotheprobleofmartin’sbaseent.”
“iknow.butwecan’tsayanythingwithoutdestroyingharriet…i’gladi’nottheonewhohastoakethedecisionaboutthis.”
“danit,dirch,youwon’tbeabletoburythefactthatmartinwasaserialkiller.”
“mikael,i’ina…veryunfortableposition.”
“telle.”
“ihaveaessagefrohenrik.hethanksyoufortheoutstandingworkyoudidandsaysthatheconsidersthecontractfulfilled.thateansheisreleasingyoufroanyfurtherobligationsandthatyounolongerhavetoliveorworkhereinhedestad,etc.so,takingeffectiediately,youcanovebacktostockholanddevoteyourselftoyourotherpursuits.”
“hewantsetovanishfrothescene,isthatthegistofit？”
“absolutelynot.hewantsyoutovisithiforaconversationaboutthefuture.hesayshehopesthathisinvolveentontheboardofmillenniucanproceedwithoutrestrictions.but…”
frodelookedevenoreunfortable,ifthatwaspossible.
“don’ttelle,dirch…henolongerwantsetowriteahistoryofthevangerfaily.”
dirchfrodenodded.hepickedupanote,openedit,andpusheditovertomikael.
“hewroteyouthisletter.”
dearmikael,
ihavenothingbutrespectforyourintegrity,andidon’tintendtoinsultyoubytryingtotellyouwhattowrite.youaywriteandpublishwhateveryoulike,andiwon’texertanypressureonyouwhatsoever.
ourcontractreainsvalid,ifyouwanttocontinue.youhaveenoughaterialtofinishthechronicleofthevangerfaily.
mikael,i’veneverbeggedanyoneforanythinginyentirelife.i’vealwaysthoughtthatapersonshouldfollowhisoralsandhisconvictions.thistieihavenochoice.
ia,withthisletter,beggingyou,bothasafriendandaspartownerofmillenniu,torefrainfropublishingthetruthaboutgottfriedandmartin.iknowthat’swrong,butiseenowayoutofthisdarkness.ihavetochoosebetweentwoevils,andinthiscasetherearenowinners.
ibegyounottowriteanythingthatwouldfurtherhurtharriet.youknowfirst-handwhatit’sliketobethesubjectofaediacapaign.thecapaignagainstyouwasofquiteodestproportions.youcansurelyiaginewhatitwouldbelikeforharrietifthetruthweretoeout.shehasbeentorentedforfortyyearsandshouldn’thavetosufferanyoreforthedeedsthatherbrotherandherfatheritted.andibegyoutothinkthroughtheconsequencesthisstoryighthaveforthethousandsofeployeesinthepany.thiscouldcrushherandannihilateus.
henrik
“henrikalsosaysthatifyourequirepensationforfinanciallossesthatayarisefroyourrefrainingfropublishingthestory,heisentirelyopentodiscussion.youcansetanyfinancialdeandsyouthinkfit.”
“henrikvangeristryingtoshuteup.tellhithatiwishhehadnevergivenethisoffer.”
“thesituationisjustastroublesoeforhenrikasitisforyou.helikesyouveryuchandconsidersyouhisfriend.”
“henrikvangerisacleverbastard,”blokvistsaid.hewassuddenlyfurious.“hewantstohushupthestory.he’splayingonyeotionsandheknowsilikehitoo.andwhathe’salsosayingisthatihaveafreehan. comublish,andifidosohewouldhavetorevisehisattitudetowardsmillenniu.”
“everythingchangedwhenharrietsteppedontothestage.”
“andnowhenrikisfeelingoutwhatypricetagightbe.idon’tintendtohangharrietouttodry,butsoebodyhastosaysoethingaboutthewoenwhodiedinmartin’sbaseent.dirch,wedon’tevenknowhowanywoenhetorturedandslaughtered.whoisgoingtospeakupontheirbehalf？”
salanderlookedupfroherputer.hervoicewasalostinaudibleasshesaidtofrode,“isn’tthereanyoneinyourpanywho’sgoingtotrytoshuteup？”
frodelookedastonished.onceagainhehadanagedtoignoreherexistence.
“ifmartinvangerwerealiveatthisoent,iwouldhavehunghiouttodry,”shewenton.“whateveragreeentmikaeladewithyou,iwouldhavesenteverydetailabouthitothenearesteveningpaper.andificould,iwouldhavestuckhidowninhisowntortureholeandtiedhitothattableandstuckneedlesthroughhisballs.unfortunatelyhe’sdead.”
sheturnedtoblokvist.
“i’satisfiedwiththesolution.nothingwedocanrepairtheharthatmartinvangerdidtohisvictis.butaninterestingsituationhaseup.you’reinapositionwhereyoucancontinuetoharinnocentwoen—especiallythatharrietwhoyousowarlydefendedinthecaronthewayuphere.soyquestiontoyouis:whichisworse—thefactthatmartinvangerrapedheroutinthecabinorthatyou’regoingtodoitinprint？youhaveafinedilea.maybetheethicsitteeofthejournalistsassociationcangiveyousoeguidance.”
shepaused.blokvistcouldnoteethergaze.hestareddownatthetable.
“buti’notajournalist,”shesaidatlast.
“whatdoyouwant？”dirchfrodeasked.
“martinvideotapedhisvictis.iwantyoutodoyourdanedesttoidentifyasanyasyoucanandseetoitthattheirfailiesreceivesuitablepensation.andtheniwantthevangercorporationtodonate2illionkronorannuallyandinperpetuitytothenationalanisationforwoen’scrisiscentresandgirls’crisiscentresinsweden.”
frodeweighedthepricetagforainute.thenhenodded.
