Thereweresevenekarowingboats,ofwhichfivewerepulleduponshore.Belowtheparsonageonerowingboatwasonshoreandoneinthewater.By?sterg?rdentherewasarowingboatandamotorboat.Alltheseboatswerecheckedandwereexactlywheretheyweresupposedtobe.Ifshehadrowedacrossandrunaway,shewouldhavehadtoleavetheboatontheotherside.”
Vangerheldupfourfingers.
“Sothere’sonlyonereasonablepossibilityleft,namelythatHarrietdisappearedagainstherwill.Someonekilledherandgotridofthebody.”
LisbethSalanderspentChristmasmorningreadingMikaelBlomkvist’scontroversialaboutfinancialjournalism,TheKnightsTemplar:ACautionaryTaleforFinancialReporters.ThecoverhadatrendydesignbyChristerMalmfeaturingaphotographoftheStockholmStockExchange.MalmhadworkedinPhotoShop,andittookamomenttonoticethatthebuildingwasfloatinginair.Itwasadramatioverwithwhichtosetthetoneforwhatwastoe.
SalandercouldseethatBlomkvistwasafinewriter.Thewassetoutinastraightforwardandengagingway,andevenpeoplewithnoinsightintothelabyrinthoffinancialjournalismcouldlearnsomethingfromreadingit.Thetonewassharpandsarcastic,butaboveallitwaspersuasive.
ThefirstchapterwasasortofdeclarationofwarinwhichBlomkvistdidnotmincewords.Inthelasttwentyyears,Swedishfinancialjournalistshaddevelopedintoagroupofinpetentlackeyswhowerepuffedupwithself-importanceandwhohadnorecordofthinkingcritically.Hedrewthisconclusionbecausetimeaftertime,withouttheleastobjection,somanyfinancialreportersseemedcontenttoregurgitatethestatementsissuedbyCEOsandstock-marketspeculators—evenwhenthisrmationwasplainlymisleadingorwrong.Thesereporterswerethuseithersonaiveandgulliblethattheyoughttobepackedofftootherassignments,ortheywerepeoplewhoquiteconsciouslybetrayedtheirjournalisticfunction.Blomkvistclaimedthathehadoftenbeenashamedtobecalledafinancialreporter,sincethenhewouldriskbeinglumpedtogetherwithpeoplewhomhedidnotrateasreportersatall.
Heparedtheeffortsoffinancialjournalistswiththewaycrimereportersorforeigncorrespondentsworked.Hepaintedapictureoftheoutcrythatwouldre