that’swhenblokvistcalled.
sheusedherownkeytoopenthedoortohisapartent.itwasthefirsttiesincehisbriefvisittotheofficeatmidsuerthatshewaseetinghifacetoface.shewentintothelivingrooandfoundananorexicallythingirlsittingonthesofa,wearingawornleatherjacketandwithherfeetproppeduponthecoffeetable.atfirstshethoughtthegirlwasaboutfifteen,butthatwasbeforeshelookedintohereyes.shewasstilllookingatthiscreaturewhenblokvistcaeinwithacoffeepotandcoffeecake.
“fiveeforbeingpletelyipossible,”hesaid.
bergertiltedherhead.therewassoethingdifferentabouthi.helookedhaggard,thinnerthanshereebered.hiseyeshadashaedexpression,andforaoentheavoidedhergaze.sheglancedathisneck.shesawapaleredline,clearlydistinguishable.
“i’vebeenavoidingyou.it’saverylongstory,andi’notproudofyroleinit.butwe’lltalkaboutthatlater…nowiwanttointroduceyoutothisyoungwoan.erika,thisislisbethsalander.lisbeth,erikaberger,editorinchiefofmillenniuandybestfriend.”
salanderstudiedberger’selegantclothesandself-confidentanneranddecidedaftertensecondsthatshewasostlikelynotgoingtobeherbestfriend.
theireetinglastedfivehours.bergertwiceadecallstocancelothereetings.shespentanhourreadingpartsoftheanuscriptthatblokvistputinherhands.shehadathousandquestionsbutrealisedthatitwouldtakeweeksbeforeshegottheanswered.theiportantthingwastheanuscript,whichshefinallyputdown.ifevenafractionoftheseclaiswereaurate,awholenewsituationhadeerged.
bergerlookedatblokvist.shehadneverdoubtedthathewasanhonestperson,butnowshefeltdizzyandwonderedwhetherthewennerstr？affairhadbrokenhi—thatwhathehadbeenworkingonwasallafigentofhisiagination.blokvistwasatthatoentunpackingtwoboxesofprinted-outsourceaterial.bergerblanched.shewanted,ofcourse,toknowhowithadeintohispossession.
ittookawhiletoconvinceherthatthisoddgirl,whohadsaidnotonewordduringtheeeting,hadunliitedaesstowennerstr？’sputer.andnotjusthis—shehadalsohackedintotheputersofseveralofhislawyersandcloseassociates.
berge
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提供
r’siediatereactionwasthattheycouldnotusetheaterialsinceithadbeenobtainedthroughillegaleans.
but,ofcourse,theycoulduseit.blokvistpointedoutthattheyhadnoobligationtoexplainhowtheyhadacquiredtheaterial.theycouldjustaswellhaveasourcewithaesstowennerstr？’sputerwhohadburnedeverythingonhisharddrivetoacd.
finallybergerrealisedwhataweaponshehadinherhands.shefeltexhaustedandstillhadquestions,butshedidnotknoheretobegin.atlastsheleanedbackagainstthesofaandthrewoutherhands.
“mikael,whathappenedupinhedestad？”
salanderlookedupsharply.blokvistansweredwithaquestion.
“howareyougettingalongwithharrietvanger？”
“fine.ithink.i’veethertwice.christerandidroveuptohedestadforaboardeetinglastweek.wegotdrunkonwine.”
“andtheboardeeting？”
“shekeptherword.”
“ricky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhathappened.youandihaveneverhadsecretsfroeachother,andallofasuddenthere’ssixonthsofylifethati’…notpreparedtotellyouabout.”
bergeretblokvist’sgaze.sheknewhiinsideandout,butwhatshesawinhiseyeswassoethingshehadneverseenbefore.hewasbegginghernottoask.salanderwatchedtheirwordlessdialogue.shewasnopartofit.
“wasitthatbad？”
“itwasworse.i’vebeendreadingthisconversation.iproisetotellyou,buti’vespentseveralonthssuppressingyfeelingswhilewennerstr？hasabsorbedallyattention…i’stillnotready.i’dpreferitifharriettoldyouinstead.”
“what’sthatarkaroundyourneck？”
“lisbethsavedylifeupthere.ifitweren’tforher,i’dbedead.”
berger’seyeswidened.shestaredatthegirlintheleatherjacket.
“andrightnowyouneedtoetoanagreeentwithher.sheisoursource.”
bergersatforatie,thinking.thenshedidsoethingthatastonishedblokvistandstartledsalander；shesurprisedevenherself.thewholetieshehadbeensittingatmikael’sliving-rootable,shehadfeltsalander’seyesonher.ataciturngirlwithhostilevibrations.
bergerstoodupandwentaroundthetableandthrewherarsaroundthegirl.salandersquiredlikeaworabouttobeputonahook.
chapter29
saturday,noveber1–tuesday,noveber25
salanderwassurfingthroughwennerstr？’scyber-epire.shehadbeenstaringatherputerscreenforalostelevenhours.theideathathadaterialisedinsoeunexplorednookofherbrainduringthelastweekatsandhanhadgrownintoaanicpreoupation.forfourweeksshehadisolatedherselfinherapartentandignoredanyunicationfroaransky.shehadspenttwelvehoursadayinfrontofherputer,soedaysore,andtherestofherwakinghoursshehadbroodedoverthesaeproble.
duringthepastonthshehadhadinterittentcontactwithblokvist.hetoowaspreoupied,busyatthemillenniuoffices.theyhadconferredbytelephoneacoupleoftieseachweek,andshehadkepthiupdatedonwennerstr？’scorrespondenceandotheractivities.
forthehundredthtieshewentovereverydetail.shewasnotafraidthatshehadissedanything,butshewasnotsurethatshehadunderstoodhoweveryoneoftheintricateconnectionsfittedtogether.
thisuch-discussedepirewaslikealiving,forless,pulsatinganisthatkeptchangingshape.itconsistedofoptions,bonds,shares,partnerships,loaninterest,ineinterest,deposits,bankaounts,payenttransfers,andthousandsofothereleents.anincrediblylargeproportionoftheassetswasdepositedinpost-office-boxpaniesthatownedoneanother.
thefinancialpundits’ostinflatedanalysesofthewennerstr？groupestiateditsvalueatorethan900billionkronor.thatwasabluff,oratleastafigurethatwasgrosslyexaggerated.obviouslywennerstr？hiselfwasbynoeanspoor.shecalculatedtherealassetstobeworthbetween90and100billionkronor,whichwasnothingtosneezeat.athoroughauditoftheentirecorporationwouldtakeyears.allinallsalanderhadidentifiedclosetothreethousandseparateaountsandbankholdingsallovertheworld.wennerstr？wasdevotinghiselftofraudthatwassoextensiveitwasnolongererelycriinal—itwasbusiness.
soewhereinthewennerstr？anistherewasalsosubstance.threeassetskeptshowingupinthehierarchy.thefixedswedishassetswereunassailableandgenuine,availabl. comublicscrutiny,balancesheets,andaudits.theaericanfirwassolid,andabankinnewyorkservedasthebaseforallliquidcapital.thestorywasinthebusinesswiththepost-office-boxpaniesinplacessuchasgibraltarandcyprusandmacao.wennerstr？waslikeaclearinghousefortheillegalweaponstrade,oneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesincolobia,andextreelyunorthodoxbusinessesinrussia.
ananonyousaountinthecayanislandswasunique；itwaspersonallycontrolledbywennerstr？butwasnotconnectedtoanypanies.afewhundredthsofapercentofeverydealthatwennerstr？adewouldbesiphonedintothecayanislandsviathepost-office-boxpanies.
salanderworkedinatrance-likestate.theaount—click—eail—click—balancesheets—click.shenoteddownthelatesttransfers.shetrackedasalltransactioninjapantosingaporeandonvialuxebourgtothecayanislands.sheunderstoodhowitworked.itwasasifshewerepartoftheipulsesincyberspace.sallchanges.thelatesteail.onebriefessageofsoewhatperipheralinterestwassentat10:00p..thepgpencryptionprograewasajokeforanyonewhowasalreadyinsidehisputerandcouldreadtheessageinplaintext:
bergerhas. compedarguingabouttheads.hasshegivenupordoesshehavesoethingcooking？yoursourceattheeditorialofficesassuredusthattheywereonthebrinkofruin,butitsoundsasiftheyjusthiredanewperson.findoutwhat’shappening.blokvisthasbeenworkingatsandhanforthepastfeeeks,butno-oneknowswhathe’swriting.he’sbeenseenattheeditorialofficesthepastfewdays.canyouarrangeforanadvancecopyofthenextissue？/hew/
nothingdraatic.lethiworry.yourgooseiscooked,oldan.
at5:30intheorningsheturnedoffherputerandgotoutanewpackofcigarettes.shehaddrunkfour,no,fivecokesduringthenight,andnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofa.shewaswearingonlyknickersandawashed-outcaouflageshirtadvertisingsoldieroffortuneagazine,withtheslogankillthemallandletgodsortthemout.sherealisedthatshewascold,soshereachedforablanket,whichshewrappedaroundherself.
shefelthigh,asifshehadconsuedsoeinappropriateandpresuablyillegalsubstance.shefocusedhergazeonthestreetlapoutsidethewindowandsatstillwhileherbrainworkeda. comspeed.maa—click—sister—click—mii—click—holgerpalgren.evilfingers.andaransky.thejob.harrietvanger.click.martinvanger.click.thegolfclub.click.thelawyerbjuran.click.everysinglefuckingdetailthatshecouldn’tfetevenifshetried.
shewonderedwhetherbjuranwouldevertakehisclothesoffinfrontofawoanagain,andifhedid,hoashegoingtoexplainthetattoosonhisstoach？andthenexttiehewenttothedoctorhoouldheavoidtakingoffhisclothes？
andmikaelblokvist.click.
sheconsideredhitobeagoodperson,possiblywithapracticalpigplexthatwassoetiesalittletooapparent.andhewasunbearablynaivewithregardtocertaineleentaryoralissues.hehadanindulgentandfivingpersonalitythatlookedforexplanationsandexcusesforthewaypeoplebehaved,andhewouldnevergetitthattheraptorsoftheworldunderstoodonlyonelanguage.shefeltalostawkwardlyprotectivewhenevershethoughtofhi.
shedidnotreeberfallingasleep,butshewokeupat9:00a..withacrickinherneckandwithherheadleaningagainstthewallbehindthesofa.shetotteredtothebedrooandfellbacktosleep.
itwaswithoutadoubtthebiggeststoryoftheirlives.forthefirsttieinayearandahalf,bergerwashappyinthewaythatonlyaneditorwhohasaspectacularscoopintheovencanbe.sheandblokvistwerepolishingthearticleonelasttiewhensalandercalledhionhisobile.
“ifottosaythatwennerstr？isstartingtogetw
