“howdidshetakeit？”
“shewasveryshaken.shewentabroadforawhile.iwasevenafraidshewouldn’teback.”
“butshedid.”
“martinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfailythatceciliaalwaysgotalongwith.itwasveryhardforhertofindoutthetruthabouthi.shealsoknowsnohatyoudidforthefaily.”
blokvistshrugged.
“sothankyou,mikael,”vangersaid.
“besides,icouldn’twritethestorybecausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfaily.buttelle,howdoesitfeeltobeceoagain？”
“it’sonlyteporary,but…iwishiwereyounger.i’onlyworkingthreehoursaday.alltheeetingsareheldinthisroo,anddirchhassteppedinagainasyenforcerifanyoneactsup.”
“thejuniorexecutivesustbequakingintheirboots.ittookeawhiletorealisethatdirchwasn’tjustanoldsweetieofafinancialadviserbutalsosoeonewhosolvesproblesforyou.”
“exactly.butalldecisionsareadewithharriet,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheoffice.”
“howarethingsgoingforher？”
“sheinheritedbothherbrother’sandherother’sshares.shecontrolsabout33percentofthecorporation.”
“isthatenough？”
“idon’tknow.birgeristryingtotripherup.alexanderhasseenthathehasachancetoakeanipactandhasalliedhiselfwithbirger.mybrotherharaldhascancerandwon’tliveuchlonger.hewastheonlyreainingpersonwithlargeshareholdingsof7percent,whichhischildrenwillinherit.ceciliaandanitawillbeonharriet’sside.”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,what,45percent.”
“thatkindofvotingcartelhasneverexistedwithinthefailybefore.plentyofshareholderswithoneandtwopercentwillvoteagainstus.harrietisgoingtosueedeasceoinfebruary.”
“thatwon’takeherhappy.”
“no,butit’snecessary.wehavetotakeinsoenewpartnersandnewblood.wealsohavethechancetocollaboratewithherpanyinaustralia.therearepossibilities.”
“where’sharriettoday？”
“you’reoutofluck.she’sinlondon.butshewouldveryuchliketoseeyou.”
“i’llseeheratourboardeetinginjanuaryifshe’sgoingtotakeyourplace.”
“iknow.”
“ithinkthatsherealisesthatiwillneverdiscusswhathappenedinthesixtieswithanyoneexceptforerikaberger,andidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow.”
“shedoes.you’reapersonwithorals,mikael.”
“butalsotellherthateverythingshedoesfronowoncouldendupintheagazine.thevangercorporationwon’thaveafreepassfroscrutiny.”
“i’llwarnher.”
blokvistleftvangerwhenhestartedtodozeoff.hepackedhisbelongingsintotwosuitcases.asheclosedthedoortothecottageforthelasttie,hepausedandthenwentovertocecilia’shouseandknocked.shewasnothoe.hetookouthispocketcalendar,toreoutapage,andwrote:iwishyouallthebest.trytofivee.mikael.heputthenoteinherletterbox.anelectrihristascandleshoneinthekitchenwindowofmartinvanger’septyhouse.
hetookthelasttrainbacktostockhol.
duringtheholidayssalandertunedouttherestoftheworld.shedidnotanswerhertelephoneandshedidnotturnonherputer.shespenttwodayswashinglaundry,scrubbing,andcleaningupherapartent.year-oldpizzaboxesandnewspaperswerebundledupandcarrieddownstairs.shedraggedoutatotalofsixblackrubbishbagsandtwentypaperbagsfullofnewspapers.shefeltasifshehaddecidedtostartanewlife.shethoughtaboutbuyinganewapartent—whenshefoundsoethingsuitable—butfornowheroldplacewouldbeoredazzlinglycleanthanshecouldeverreeber.
thenshesatasifparalysed,thinking.shehadneverinherlifefeltsuchalonging.shewantedmikaelblokvisttoringthedoorbelland…whatthen？liftherofftheground,holdherinhisars？passionatelytakeherintothebedrooandtearoffherclothes？no,shereallyjustwantedhispany.shewantedtohearhisaythathelikedherforwhoshewas.thatshewassoeonespecialinhisworldandinhislife.shewantedhitogivehersoegestureoflove,notjustoffriendshipandpanionship.i’flippingout,shethought.
shehadnofaithinherself.blokvistlivedinaworldpopulatedbypeoplewithrespectablejobs,peoplewithorderlylivesandlotsofgrown-uppoints.hisfriendsdidthings,wentontv,andshapedtheheadlines.whatdoyouneedefor？salander’sgreatestfear,whichwassohugeandsoblackthatitwasofphobicproportions,wasthatpeoplewouldlaughatherfeelings.andallofasuddenallhercarefullyconstructedself-confidenceseeedtocruble.
that’swhensheadeupherind.ittookherseveralhourstoobilisethenecessarycourage,butshehadtoseehiandtellhihowshefelt.
anythingelsewouldbeunbearable.
sheneededsoeexcusetoknockonhisdoor.shehadnotgivenhianychristaspresent,butsheknehatshewasgoingtobuy.inajunkshopshehadseenanuberofetaladvertisingsignsfrothefifties,withebossediages.oneofthesignsshowedelvispresleywithaguitaronhishipandacartoonballoonwiththewordsheartbreakhotel.shehadnosenseforinteriordesign,butevenshecouldtellthatthesignwouldbeperfectforthecabininsandhan.itcost780kronor,andonprincipleshehaggledandgotthepriceknockeddownto700.shehaditwrapped,putitunderherar,andheadedovertohisplaceonbellansgatan.
athornsgatanshehappenedtoglancetowardskaffebarandsawblokvistingoutwithbergerintow.hesaidsoething,andshelaughed,puttingherararoundhiswaistandkissinghischeek.theyturneddownbr？nnkyrkagataninthedirectionofbellansgatan.theirbodylanguageleftnorooforisinterpretations—itwasobviouswhattheyhadinind.
thepainwassoiediateandsofiercethatlisbeth. compedinid-stride,incapableofoveent.partofherwantedtorushafterthe.shewantedtotaketheetalsignandusethesharpedgetocleaveberger’sheadintwo.shedidnothingasthoughtsswirledthroughherind.analysisofconsequences.finallyshecaleddown.
“whatapatheticfoolyouare,salander,”shesaidoutloud.
sheturnedonherheelandwenthoetohernewlyspotlessapartent.asshepassedzinkensda,itstartedtosnow.shetossedelvisintoadupster.
anoteabouttheauthor
stieglarssonwastheeditorinchiefoftheantiracistagazineexpo,andfortwentyyearsthegraphicseditorataswedishnewsagency.aleadingexpertonantideocratic,right-wingextreistandnazianizations,hediedin2004.
thisisaborzoi
publishedbyalfreda.knopf
translationcopyright？2008byregkeeland
allrightsreserved.publishedintheunitedstatesbyalfreda.knopf,adivisionofrandohouse,inc.,newyork.
aaknopf.
originallypublishedinswedenasm？nsohatarkvinnorbynorstedts,stockhol,in2005.publishedwithagreeentofnorstedtsagency.copyright？2005bynorstedtsagency.thistranslationoriginallypublishedingreatbritainbymaclehosepress,aniprintofquercus,london.publishedbyarrangeentwithquercuspublishingplc.
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