erger.“IpresumethatMikaelhasexplainedtoyouwhathe’sworkingonhereinHedeby.”
Shenodded.
“AndIpresumeyouthinkit’sasenselessundertaking.No,youdon’thavetoanswerthat.Itisanabsurdandsenselesstask.ButIhavetofindout.”
“Ihavenoopiniononthematter,”Bergersaiddiplomatically.
“Ofcourseyoudo.”HeturnedtoBlomkvist.“Tellme.Haveyoufoundanythingatallthatmighttakeusforward?”
BlomkvistavoidedmeetingVanger’sgaze.Hethoughtinstantlyofthecold,unplaceablecertaintyhehadhadthenightbefore.Thefeelinghadbeenwithhimallday,buthehadhadnotimetoworkhiswaythroughthealbumagain.AtlasthelookedupatVangerandshookhishead.
“Ihaven’tfoundasinglething.”
Theoldmanscrutinisedhimwithaperatinglook.Herefrainedfrommenting.
“Idon’tknowaboutyouyoungpeople,”hesaid,“butformeit’stimetogotobed.Thankyoufordinner,Cecilia.Goodnight,Erika.Doseemebeforeyouleavetomorrow.”
WhenVangerhadclosedthefrontdoor,silencesettledoverthem.ItwasCeciliawhospokefirst.
“Mikael,whatwasallthatabout?”
“ItmeansthatHenrikisassensitivetopeople’sreactionsasaseismograph.LastnightwhenyoucametothecottageIwaslookingthroughanalbum.”
“Yes?”
“Isawsomething.Idon’tknowwhatitwasyet.Itwassomethingthatalmostbecameanidea,butImissedit.”
“Sowhatwereyouthinkingabout?”
“Ijustcan’ttellyou.Andthenyouarrived.”
Ceciliablushed.SheavoidedBerger’sgazeandwentouttoputonsomecoffee.
Itwasawarmandsunnyday.Newgreenshootswereappearing,andBlomkvistcaughthimselfhummingtheoldsongofspring,“BlossomTimeIsing.”ItwasMondayandBergerhadleftearly.
Whenhehadgooprisoninmid-March,snowstillcoveredtheland.Nowthebircheswereturninggreenandthelawnaroundhiscabinwaslush.ForthefirsttimehehadachancetolookaroundallofHedebyIsland.At8:00hewentoverandaskedtoborrowathermosfromAnna.HespokebrieflywithVanger,whowasjustup,andwasgivenhismapoftheisland.HewantedtogetacloserlookatGottfried’scabin.VangertoldhimthatthecabinwasownedbyMartinVangernowbutthatithadstoodmostlyvacantovertheyears.Oasionall