ers
MAY16TOJULY11
ThirteenpercentofthewomeninSwedenhavebeensubjectedtoaggravatedsexualassaultoutsideofasexualrelationship.
CHAPTER15
Friday,May16–Saturday,May31
MikaelBlomkvistwasreleasedfromRull?kerPrisononFriday,May16,twomonthsafterhewasadmitted.Thesamedayheenteredthefacility,hehadsubmittedanapplicationforparole,withnogreatoptimism.Heneverdidquiteunderstandthetechnicalreasonsbehindhisrelease,butitmayhavehadsomethingtodowiththefactthathedidnotuseanyholidayleaveandthattheprisonpopulationwasforty-twowhilethenumberofbedswasthirty-one.Inanycase,thewarden—PeterSarowsky,aforty-year-oldPolishexile—withwhomBlomkvistgotalongwell,wrotearemendationthathissentencebereduced.
HistimeatRull?kerhadbeenunstressfulandpleasantenough.Theprisonhadbeendesigned,asSarowskyexpressedit,forhooligansanddrunkdrivers,notforhardenedcriminals.Thedailyroutinesremindedhimoflivinginayouthhostel.Hisfellowprisoners,halfofwhomweresecond-generationimmigrants,regardedBlomkvistassomethingofararebirdinthegroup.HewastheonlyinmatetoappearontheTVnews,whichlenthimacertainstatus.
Onhisfirstday,hewascalledratalkandofferedtherapy,trainingfromKomvux,ortheopportunityforotheradulteducation,andoupationalcounselling.Hedidnotfeelanyneedatallforsocialrehabilitation,hehadpletedhisstudies,hethought,andhealreadyhadajob.Ontheotherhand,heaskedforpermissiontokeephisiinhiscellsothathecouldcontinuetoworkonthehewasmissionedtowrite.Hisrequestwasgrantedwithoutfurtherado,andSarowskyarrangedtobringhimalockablecabisothathecouldleavetheputerinhiscell.Notthatanyoftheinmateswouldhavestolenorvandaliseditoranythinglikethat.Theyratherkeptaprotectiveeyeonhim.
InthiswayBlomkvistspenttwomonthsworkingaboutsixhoursadayontheVangerfamilychronicle,workthatwasinterruptedonlybyafewhoursofcleaningorrecreationeachday.Blomkvistandtwoothers,oneofwhomcamefromSk?vdeandhadhisrootsinChile,wereassignedtocleantheprisongymeachday.RecreationconsistedofwatchingTV,playingcards,orweighttraining.Blomkvistdisco