第 17 部分阅读
“icouldn’thaveputitbetteryself.”
chapter10
thursday,january9-friday,january31
aordingtothehedestadcourier,blokvist’sfirstonthoutinthecountrywasthecoldestinrecordedeory,oratleastsincethewartiewinterof1942.afteronlyaweekinhedebyhehadlearnedallaboutlongunderwear,woollysocks,anddoubleundershirts.
hehadseveraliserabledaysintheiddleoftheonthwhentheteperaturedroppedto-35°f.hehadexperiencednothinglikeit,notevenduringtheyearhespentinkirunainlaplanddoinghisilitaryservice.
oneorningthewaterpipesfroze.nilssongavehitwobigplastiontainersofwaterforcookingandwashing,butthecoldwasparalysing.iceflowersforedontheinsidesofthewindows,andnoatterhowuchwoodheputinthestove,hewasstillcold.hespentalongtieeachdaysplittingwoodintheshednexttothehouse.
attieshewasonthebrinkoftearsandtoyedwithtakingthefirsttrainheadingsouth.insteadhewouldputononeoresweaterandwrapupinablanketashesatatthekitchentable,drinkingcoffeeandreadingoldpolicereports.
thentheweatherchangedandtheteperaturerosesteadilytoabaly14°f.
mikaelwasbeginningtogettoknowpeopleinhedeby.martinvangerkepthisproiseandinvitedhiforaealofoosesteak.hisladyfriendjoinedthefordinner.evawasawar,sociable,andentertainingwoan.blokvistfoundherextraordinarilyattractive.shewasadentistandlivedinhedestad,butshespenttheweekendsatmartin’shoe.blokvistgraduallylearnedthattheyhadknowneachotherforanyyearsbutthattheyhadnotstartedgoingouttogetheruntiltheywereiddle-aged.evidentlytheysawnoreasontoarry.
“she’sactuallyydentist,”saidmartinwithalaugh.
“andarryingintothiscrazyfailyisn’treallyything,”evasaid,pattingmartinaffectionatelyontheknee.
martinvanger’svillawasfurnishedinblack,white,andchroe.therewereexpensivedesignerpiecesthatwouldhavedelightedtheconnoisseurchristermal.thekitchenwasequippedtoaprofessionalchef’sstandard.inthelivingrootherewasahigh-endstereowithanipressivecollectionofjazzrecordsfrotoydorseytojohncoltrane.martinvangerhadoney,andhishoewasbothluxuriousandfunctional.itwasalsoipersonal.theartworkonthewallswasreproductionsandposters,ofthesortfoundinikea.theshelves,atleastinthepartofthehousethatblokvistsaw,housedaswedishencyclopediaandsoecoffeetablesthatpeopleighthavegivenhiaschristaspresents,forwantofabetteridea.allinall,hecoulddiscernonlytwopersonalaspectsofmartinvanger’slife:usicandcooking.his3,000orsolpsspokefortheoneandtheothercouldbededucedfrothefactofmartin’sstoachbulgingoverhisbelt.
theanhiselfwasaixtureofsiplicity,shrewdness,andaiability.ittooknogreatanalyticalskilltoconcludethatthecorporateceowasaanwithprobles.astheylistenedto“nightintunisia,”theconversationwasdevotedtothevangercorporation,andmartinadenosecretofthefactthatthepanywasfightingforsurvival.hewascertainlyawarethathisguestwasafinancialreporterwhohehardlyknew,yethediscussedtheinternalproblesofhispanysoopenlythatitseeedreckless.perhapsheassuedthatblokvistwasoneofthefailysincehewasworkingforhisgreat-uncle；andliketheforerceo,martintooktheviewthatthefailyebersonlyhadtheselvestoblaeforthesituationinwhichthepanyfounditself.ontheotherhand,heseeedalostausedbyhisfaily’sincorrigiblefolly.evanoddedbutpassednojudgeentofherown.theyhadobviouslybeenoverthesaegroundbefore.
martinaeptedthestorythatblokvisthadbeenhiredtowriteafailychronicle,andheinquiredhowtheworkwasgoing.blokvistsaidwithasilethathewashavingtheosttroublereeberingthenaesofalltherelatives.heaskedifheightebacktodoaninterviewinduecourse.twiceheconsideredturningtheconversationtotheoldan’sobsessionwithharriet’sdisappearance.vangerusthavepesteredherbrotherwithhistheories,andmartinustrealisethatifblokvistwasgoingtowriteaboutthevangers,hecouldnotignorethefactthatonefailyeberhadvanishedindraatiircustances.butmartinshowednosignofwantingtodiscussthesubject.
theeveningended,afterseveralroundsofvodka,at2:00intheorning.blokvistwasfairlydrunkasheskiddedthethreehundredyardstotheguesthouse.ithadbeenapleasantevening.
oneafternoonduringblokvist’ssecondweekinhedebytherewasaknockonthedoor.heputasidethebinderfrothepolicereportthathehadju. ened—thesixthintheseries—andclosedthedoortohisofficebeforeheopenedthefrontdoortoablondewoanwellwrappedupagainstthecold.
“hi.ijustthoughti’deandsayhello.i’ceciliavanger.”
theyshookhandsandhegotoutthecoffeecups.cecilia,daughterofharaldvanger,appearedtobeanopenandengagingwoan.blokvistreeberedthatvangerhadspokenofherappreciatively；hehadalsosaidthatshewasnotonspeakingterswithherfather,hernext-doorneighbour.theychattedforawhilebeforeshebroughtupthereasonforhervisit.
“iunderstandthatyou’rewritingaaboutthefaily,”shesaid.“i’notsurethaticarefortheidea.iwantedtoseewhatsortofpersonyouare.”
“well,henrikvangerhirede.it’shisstory,sotospeak.”
“andourgoodhenrikisn’texactlyneutralinhisattitudetowardsthefaily.”
blokviststudiedher,unsurewhatshewasgettingat.“you’reopposedtohavingawrittenaboutthevangerfaily？”
“ididn’tsaythat.anditdoesn’treallyatterwhatithink.butbynowyouusthaverealisedthatithasn’talwaysbeenplainsailingtobepartofthisfaily.”
blokvisthadnoideawhatvangerhadsaidorhowuchceciliaknewabouthisassignent.hethrewouthishands.
“i’contractedbyyouruncletowriteafailychronicle.hehassoeverycolourfulviewsaboutebersofthefaily,buti’llbestickingstrictlytowhatcanbedocuented.”
ceciliavangersiledbutwithoutwarth.“whatiwanttoknowis:willihavetogointoexileoreigratewhentheesout？”
“idon’texpectso,”blokvistsaid.“peoplewillbeabletotellthesheepfrothegoats.”
“likeyfather,forinstance？”
“yourfatherthefaousnazi？”blokvistsaid.
ceciliavangerrolledhereyes.“myfatheriscrazy.ionlyseehiafewtiesayear.”
“whydon’tyouwanttoseehi？”
“waitainute—beforeyoustartinaskingalotofquestions…areyouplanningtoquoteanythingisay？orcanicarryonanoralconversationwithyou？”
“myjobistowriteastartingwithalexandrevangeersad’sarrivalinswedenwithbernadotteandgoinguptothepresent.it’stocoverthebusinessepireoveranydecades,butitwillalsodiscusswhytheepireisindifficultyanditwilltouchontheaniositythatexistswithinthefaily.insuchasurveyit’sipossibletoavoidhavingsoedirtylinenfloattothesurface.butthatdoesn’teanthati’goingtosetou. resentaaliciousportraitofanyone.forexaple,i’veetmartinvanger；heseestoeaverysypatheticperson,andthat’showi’goingtodescribehi.”
ceciliavangerdidnotreply.
“whatiknowaboutyouisthatyou’reateacher…”
“it’sactuallyworsethanthat—i’theheadistressofhedestadpreparatoryschool.”
“i’sorry.iknowthatyouruncleisfondofyou,thatyou’rearriedbutseparated…andthat’saboutallsofar.sodopleasegoaheadandtalktoewithoutfearofbeingquoted.i’surei’lleknockingonyourdoorsoedaysoon.thenitwillbeanofficialinterview,andyoucanchoosewhetheryouwanttoansweryquestionsornot.”
“soicantalktoyouthenornow…offtherecord,astheysay？”
“ofcourse.”
“andthisisofftherecord？”
“ofcourse.thisisasocialvisitafterall.”
“ok.thencaniaskyousoething？”
“please.”
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