yground.
“Idon’tknowwhattodonow,”Blomkvisthadsaid.“Thismanhashiredmetoghostwritehisautobiography.UpuntilnowI’vebeenfreetogetupandleavethemomenthetriestoforcemetowritesomethingthatisn’ttrue,ortriestopersuademetoslantthestoryinawayIdon’tholdwith.Nowhe’sapartownerofourmagazine—andtheonlyonewiththeresourcestosaveMillennium.AllofasuddenI’msittingonthefence,inapositionthataboardofprofessionalethicswouldneverapprove.”
“Haveyougotabetteridea?”Bergeraskedhim.“Becauseifyouhave,spititout,beforewetypeupthecontractandsignit.”
“Ricky,VangerisexploitingusinsomesortofprivatevendettaagainstWennerstr?m.”
“Sowhat?WehaveavendettaagainstWennerstr?mourselves.”
Blomkvistturnedawayfromherandlitacigarette.
Theirconversationhadgoneonforquiteawhile,untilBergerwentintothebedroom,undressed,andclimbedintobed.Shepretendedtobeasleepwhenhegotinbesidehertwohourslater.
ThiseveningareporterfromDagensNyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:“HowisMillenniumgoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
“Whatdoyoumean?”
Thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbeenclearenough,buthespelleditoutanyway.
“OneofMillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporations.Howwillthemagazinebeabletoclaiminacrediblewaythatit’sinvestigatingtheVangerCorporation?”
Bergergavehimasurprisedlook,asifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected.
“AreyouinsinuatingthatMillennium’scredibilityisdiminishedbecauseawell-knownfinancierwithsignificantresourceshasenteredthepicture?”
“YoucouldnotnowcrediblyinvestigatetheVangerCorporation.”
“IsthatarulethatappliesspecificallytoMillennium?”
“Excuseme?”
“Imean,youworkforapublicationthatisforthemostpartownedbymajorcorporateentities.DoesthatmeanthatnoneofthenewspaperspublishedbytheBonnierGroupiscredible?AftonbladetisownedbyahugeNorwegiancorporation,whichinturnisamajorplayerinITandmunications—doesthatmeanthatanythingAftonbladetpublishesabouttheelectronicsindustryisnotcredible?MetroisownedbytheStenbeckGro