ou’reahacker.”
“Howdoyouknowthat?”Salanderwasabsolutelypositivethatshehadleftnotracesandthathertrespassingcouldnotbediscoveredbyanyoneunlessatopsecurityconsultantsatdownandscannedtheharddriveatthesametimeasshewasaessingtheputer.
“Youmadeamistake.”
Shehadquotedfromatextthatwasonlyonhisputer.
Salandersatinsilence.Finallyshelookedupathim,hereyesexpressionless.
“Howdidyoudoit?”heasked.
“Mysecret.Whatareyouthinkingofdoingaboutit?”
Mikaelshrugged.
“WhatcanIdo?”
“It’sexactlywhatyoudoasajournalist.”
“Ofcourse.Andthat’swhywejournalistshaveahicsmitteethatkeepstrackofthemoralissues.WhenIwriteanarticleaboutsomebastardinthebankingindustry,Ileaveout,forinstance,hisorherprivatelife.Idon’tsaythataferisalesbianorgetsturnedonbyhavingsexwithherdogoranythinglikethat,evenifithappenstobetrue.Bastardstoohavearighttotheirprivatelives.Doesthatmakesense?”
“Yes.”
“Soyouencroachedonmyintegrity.Myemployerdoesn’tneedtoknowwhoIhavesexwith.That’smybusiness.”
Salander’sfacewascreasedbyacrookedsmile.
“YouthinkIshouldn’thavementionedthat?”
“Inmycaseitdidn’tmakealotofdifference.HalfthecityknowsaboutmyrelationshipwithErika.Butit’samatterofprinciple.”
“Inthatcase,itmightamuseyoutoknowthatIalsohaveprinciplesparabletoyourethicsmittee’s.IcallthemSalander’sPrinciples.Oneofthemisthatabastardisalwaysabastard,andifIcanhurtabastardbydiggingupshitabouthim,thenhedeservesit.”
“OK,”Blomkvistsaid.“Myreasoningisn’ttoodifferentfromyours,but…”
“ButthethingisthatwhenIdoaPI,IalsolookatwhatIthinkabouttheperson.I’mnotneutral.Ifthepersonseemslikeagoodsort,Imighttonedownmyreport.”
“Really?”
“InyourcaseItoneditdown.Icouldhavewrittenaaboutyoursexlife.IcouldhavementionedtoFrodethatErikaBergerhasapastinClubXtremeandplayedaroundwithBDSMintheeighties—whichwouldhavepromptedcertainunavoidablenotionsaboutyoursexlifeandhers.”
BlomkvistmetSalander’sgaze.Afteramomenthelaughed.
“You’rer