rgedlikeabandofhoodlums.
Duringthefirstdaysofthemediafrenzy,Blomkvistwasinvisible.Hedidnotanswerhisemailsandcouldnotbereachedbytelephone.AlleditorialmentsonbehalfofMillenniumweremadebyBerger,whopurredlikeacatasshewasinterviewedbytheSwedishnationalmediaandimportantregionalnewspapers,andeventuallyalsobyagrowingnumberofoverseasmedia.EachtimeshewasaskedhowMillenniumhadeintopossessionofallthoseprivateandinternaldocuments,sherepliedsimplythatshewasunabletorevealthemagazine’ssource.
Whenshewasaskedwhythepreviousyear’sexposéofWennerstr?mhadbeensuchafiasco,shewasevenmoredelphic.Sheneverlied,butshemaynotalwayshavetoldthewholetruth.Offtherecord,whenshedidnothaveamicrophoneunderhernose,shewouldutterafewmysteriouscatchphrases,which,ifpiecedtogether,ledtosomeratherrashconclusions.Thatishowarumourwasbornthatsoonassumedlegendaryproportions,claimingthatMikaelBlomkvisthadnotpresentedanysortofdefenceathistrialandhadvoluntarilysubmittedtotheprisonsentenceandheavyfinesbecauseotherwisehisdocumentationwouldhaveledinevitablytotheidentificationofhissource.HewasparedtorolemodelsintheAmericanmediawhohadaeptedgaolratherthanrevealtheirsources,andBlomkvistwasdescribedasaheroinsuchludicrouslyflatteringtermsthathewasquiteembarrassed.Butthiswasnotimetodenythemisunderstanding.
Therewasohingthateveryoneagreedon:thepersonwhohaddeliveredthedocumentationhadtobesomeonewithinWennerstr?m’smosttrustedcircle.Thisledtoadebateaboutwhothe“DeepThroat”was:colleagueswithreasontobedissatisfied,lawyers,evenWennerstr?m’scocaine-addicteddaughterandotherfamilymemberswereputupaspossiblecandidates.NeitherBlomkvistnorBergermentedonthesubject.
Bergersmiledhappily,knowingthattheyhadwonwhenaneveningpaperonthethirddayofthefrenzyrantheheadlineMILLENNIUM’SREVENGE.Thearticlewasaningratiatingportraitofthemagazineanditsstaff,includingillustrationswithaparticularlyfavourableportraitofBerger.Shewasnamedthe“queenofinvestigativejournalism.”Thatsortofthingwonpointsintherankingsoftheentertainmentpages,andther