sinkin.No-oneaskedanyquestions.
“Thepastyearhasbeenrough.I’msurprisedandproudthatnoneofyouhasreconsideredandfoundajobsomewhereelse.Ihavetoassumethateitheryou’restarkravingmadorwonderfullyloyalandactuallyenjoyworkingonthismagazine.That’swhyI’mgoingtolaythecardsonthetableandaskyouforonelasteffort.”
“Onelasteffort?”Nilssonsaid.“Thatsoundsasifyou’rethinkingofshuttingdownthemagazine.”
“Exactly,Monika,”Blomkvistsaid.“Andthankyouforthat.WhenshegetsbackErikaisgoingtogatherusalltogetherforagloomyeditorialmeetingandtotellusthatMillenniumwillfoldatChristmasandthatyou’reallfired.”
Nowalarmbeganspreadingthroughthegroup.EvenMalmthoughtforamomentthatBlomkvistwasserious.Thentheyallnoticedhisbroadsmile.
“Whatyouhavetodothisautumnisplayadoublegame.Thedisagreeablefactisthatourdearmanagingeditor,JanneDahlman,ismoonlightingasanrmerforHans-ErikWennerstr?m.Thismeansthattheenemyisbeingkeptrmedofexactlywhat’sgoingoninoureditorialoffices.Thisexplainsanumberofsetbackswe’veexperienced.Youespecially,Sonny,whenadvertiserswhoseemedpositivepulledoutwithoutwarning.”
Dahlmanhadneverbeenpopularintheoffice,andtherevelationwasapparentlynotashocktoanyone.Blomkvistcutshortthemurmuringthatstartedup.
“ThereasonthatI’mtellingyouthisisbecauseIhaveabsoluteconfidenceinallofyou.Iknowthatyou’veallgotyourheadsscrewedonstraight.That’swhyIalsoknowthatyou’llplayalongwithwhattakesplacethisautumn.It’sveryimportantthatWennerstr?mbelievesthatMillenniumisonthevergeofcollapse.Itwillbeyourjobtomakesurehedoes.”
“What’sourrealsituation?”Cortezsaid.
“OK,hereitis:byallaountsMillenniumshouldbeonitswaytothegrave.Igiveyoumywordthatthat’snotgoingtohappen.Millenniumisstrongertodaythanitwasayearago.Whenthismeetingisover,I’mgoingtodisappearagarabouttwomonths.TowardstheendofOctoberI’llbeback.Thenwe’regoingtoclipWennerstr?m’swings.”
“Howarewegoingtodothat?”Nilssonsaid.
“Sorry,Monika.Idon’twanttogiveyouthedetails,butI’mwritinganewstory,andthistimewe’regoingtodo