katBjurmanhadfoundoutthehardway.
Blomkvisthadthesametiresomehabitaseveryoneelse,pokingaroundinherlifeandaskingquestions.Ontheotherhand,hedidnotreactatalllikemostothermenshehadmet.
Whensheignoredhisquestionshesimplyshruggedandleftherinpeace.Astounding.
Herimmediatemove,whenshegotholdofhisithatfirstmorning,hadnaturallybeentotransferallthermationtoherownputer.ThatwayitwasOKifhedumpedherfromthecase;shewouldstillhaveaesstothematerial.
Shehadexpectedafuriousoutburstwhenheappearedforhisbreakfast.Insteadhehadlookedalmostresigned,mutteredsomethingsarcastic,andgoneofftotheshower.Thenhebegandiscussingwhatshehadread.Astrangeguy.Shemightevenbedeludedintothinkingthathetrustedher.
Thatheknewaboutherpropensitiesasahackerwasserious.Salanderwasawarethatthelegaldescriptionofthekindofhackingshedid,bothprofessionallyandasahobby,was“unlawfuldatatrespassing”andcouldearnhertwoyearsinprison.Shedidnotwanttobelockedup.Inhercaseaprisonsentencewouldmeanthatherputerswouldbetakenfromher,andwiththemtheonlyoupationthatshewasreallygoodat.ShehadnevertoldArmanskyhowshegatheredthermationtheywerepayinghertofind.
WiththeexceptionofPlagueandafewpeopleonthewho,likeher,devotedthemselvestohackingonaprofessionallevel—andmostofthemknewheronlyas“Wasp”anddidnotknowwhoshewasorwhereshelived—KalleBlomkvistwastheonlyonewhohadstumbledontohersecret.Hehadetoherbecauseshemadeablunderthatnotevenatwelve-year-oldwouldmit,whichonlyprovedthatherbrainwasbeingeatenupbywormsandthatshedeservedtobeflogged.Butinsteadofgoingcrazywithragehehadhiredher.
Consequentlyshewasmildlyirritatedwithhim.
Whentheyhadasnackjustbeforeshewenttobed,hehadsuddenlyaskedherifshewasagoodhacker.
Toherownsurpriseshereplied,“I’mprobablythebestinSweden.Theremaybetwoorthreeothersataboutmylevel.”
Shedidnotdoubttheauracyofherreply.Plaguehadoncebeenbetterthanshewas,butshehadpassedhimlongago.
Ontheotherhand,itfeltfunnytosaythewords.Shehadneverdoneitbefore.Shehadneverhadanoutsid