第 26 部分阅读
“that’strue.butaslongasshewasatafortabledistancedowninstockholicouldignoreher.”
ceciliaputonherjacket.
“thissituationisludicrous,”shesaidwithasile.“eoverfordinnertonight.bringerika.ithinki’goingtolikeher.”
erikahadalreadysolvedtheprobleofwheretosleep.onpreviousoasionswhenshehadbeenuptohedebytovisitvangershehadstayedinoneofhisspareroos,andsheaskedhistraightoutifshecouldborrowtherooagain.henrikcouldscarcelyconcealhisdelight,andheassuredherthatshewasweleatanytie.
withtheseforalitiesoutoftheway,blokvistandbergerwentforawalkacrossthebridgeandsatontheterraceofsusanne’sbridgecaféjustbeforeclosingtie.
“i’reallypissedoff,”bergersaid.“idriveallthewayupheretoweleyoubacktofreedoandfindyouinbedwiththetownfeefatale.”
“i’sorryaboutthat.”
“howlonghaveyouandmissbigtits…”bergerwavedherindexfinger.
“froaboutthetievangerbecaepartowner.”
“aha.”
“whatdoyouean,aha？”
“justcurious.”
“cecilia’sagoodwoan.ilikeher.”
“i’notcriticising.i’justpissedoff.candywithinreachandthenihavetogoonadiet.hoasprison？”
“likeanuneventfulholiday.howarethingsattheagazine？”
“better.forthefirsttieinayeartheadvertisingrevenueisontherise.we’rewaybelowthistielastyear,butwe’veturnedthecorner.thankstohenrik.buttheweirdthingisthatsubscriptionsaregoinguptoo.”
“theytendtofluctuate.”
“byacoupleofhundredonewayortheother.butwe’vepickedupthreethousandinthepastquarter.atfirstithoughtitwasjustluck,butnewsubscriberskeepingin.it’sourbiggestsubscriptionjupever.atthesaetie,ourexistingsubscribersarerenewingprettyconsistentlyacrosstheboard.noneofuscanunderstandit.wehaven’trunanyadcapaigns.christerspentaweekdoingspotchecksonwhatsortofdeographicisshowingup.first,they’reallbrand-newsubscribers.second,70percentofthearewoen.norallyit’stheotherwayaround.third,thesubscriberscanbedescribedasiddle-inewhite-collarworkersfrothesuburbs:teachers,iddleanageent,civilserviceworkers.”
“thinkit’stheiddle-classrevoltagainstbigcapital？”
“idon’tknow.butifthiskeepsup,it’lleanasignificantshiftinoursubscriberprofile.wehadaneditorialconferencetwoweeksagoanddecidedtostartrunningnewtypesofaterialintheagazine.iwantorearticlesonprofessionalattersassociatedwithtco,theswedishconfederationofprofessionaleployees,andalsooreinvestigativereportingonwoen’sissues,forinstance.”
“don’tchangetoouch,”blokvistsaid.“ifwe’regettingnewsubscriberstheniteansthattheylikewhatwe’rerunningalready.”
ceciliahadalsoinvitedvangertodinner,possiblytoreducetheriskoftroubleso. icsofconversation.shehadadeavenisonstew.bergerandvangerspentagooddealofthetiediscussingmillenniu’sdevelopentandthenewsubscribers,butgraduallytheconversationovedontootheratters.bergersuddenlyturnedtoblokvistatonepointandaskedhihowhisworkwasingalong.
“i’countingonhavingadraftofthefailychroniclepleteinaonthforhenriktolookat.”
“achronicleinthespiritoftheaddasfaily,”ceciliasaid.
“itdoeshavecertainhistoricalaspects,”blokvistconceded.
ceciliaglancedatvanger.
“mikael,henrikisn’treallyinterestedinafailychronicle.hewantsyoutosolvetheysteryofharriet’sdisappearance.”
blokvistdidnotsayaword.eversincehehadbegunhisrelationshipwithceciliahehadtalkedfairlyopenlyaboutharrietwithher.ceciliahadalreadydeducedthatthiswashisrealassignent,eventhoughheneverforallyadittedit.hehadcertainlynevertoldhenrikthatheandceciliahaddiscussedthesubject.vanger’sbushyeyebrowsdrewtogetherabit.erikawassilent.
“mydearhenrik,”ceciliasaid.“i’notstupid.idon’tknohatsortofagreeentyouandmikaelhave,buthisstayhereinhedebyisaboutharriet.itis,isn’tit？”
vangernoddedandglancedatblokvist.
“itoldyoushewassharp.”heturnedtoberger.“ipresuethatmikaelhasexplainedtoyouwhathe’sworkingonhereinhedeby.”
shenodded.
“andipresueyouthinkit’sasenselessundertaking.no,youdon’thavetoanswerthat.itisanabsurdandsenselesstask.butihavetofindout.”
“ihavenoopinionontheatter,”bergersaiddiploatically.
“ofcourseyoudo.”heturnedtoblokvist.“telle.haveyoufoundanythingatallthatighttakeusforward？”
blokvistavoidedeetingvanger’sgaze.hethoughtinstantlyofthecold,unplaceablecertaintyhehadhadthenightbefore.thefeelinghadbeenwithhiallday,buthehadhadnotietoworkhiswaythroughthealbuagain.atlasthelookedupatvangerandshookhishead.
“ihaven’tfoundasinglething.”
theoldanscrutinisedhiwithaperatinglook.herefrainedfroenting.
“idon’tknowaboutyouyoungpeople,”hesaid,“butforeit’stietogotobed.thankyoufordinner,cecilia.goodnight,erika.doseeebeforeyouleavetoorrow.”
whenvangerhadclosedthefrontdoor,silencesettledoverthe.itwasceciliawhospokefirst.
“mikael,whatwasallthatabout？”
“iteansthathenrikisassensitiv. eople’sreactionsasaseisograph.lastnightwhenyoucaetothecottageiwaslookingthroughanalbu.”
“yes？”
“isawsoething.idon’tknohatitwasyet.itwassoethingthatalostbecaeanidea,butiissedit.”
“sowhatwereyouthinkingabout？”
“ijustcan’ttellyou.andthenyouarrived.”
ceciliablushed.sheavoidedberger’sgazeandwentou. utonsoecoffee.
itwasawarandsunnyday.newgreenshootswereappearing,andblokvistcaughthiselfhuingtheoldsongofspring,“blossotieising.”itwasmondayandbergerhadleftearly.
whenhehadgooprisoninid-march,snowstillcoveredtheland.nowthebircheswereturninggreenandthelawnaroundhiscabinwaslush.forthefirsttiehehadachancetolookaroundallofhedebyisland.at8:00hewentoverandaskedtoborrowatherosfroanna.hespokebrieflywithvanger,whowasjustup,andwasgivenhisapoftheisland.hewantedtogetacloserlookatgottfried’scabin.vangertoldhithatthecabinwasownedbymartinvangernowbutthatithadstoodostlyvacantovertheyears.oasionallysoerelativewouldborrowit.
blokvistjustanagedtocatchmartinbeforeheleftforwork.heaskedifheightborrowthekey.martingavehianausedsile.
“ipresuethefailychroniclehasnowreachedthechapteraboutharriet.”
“ijustwanttotakealook…”
martincaebackwiththekeyinainute.
“isitokthen？”
“asfarasi’concerned,youcanoveinthereifyouwant.exceptforthefactthatit’sstuckrightattheotherendoftheisland,it’sactuallyanicerspotthanthecottageyou’rein.”
blokvistadecoffeeandsandwiches.hefilledabottlewithwaterbeforehesetoff,stuffinghispiiclunchinarucksackheslungoveroneshoulder.hefollowedanarrow,partiallyovergrownpaththatranalongthebayonthenorthsideofhedebyisland.gottfried’scabinwasonapointaboutoneandahalfilesfrothevillage,andittookhionlyhalfanhourtocoverthedistanceataleisurelypace.
martinvangerhadbeenright.whenblokvistcaearoundthebendofthenarrowpath,ashadedareabythewateropenedup.therewasaarvellousviewoftheinlettothehederiver,hedestadarinatotheleft,andtheindustrialharbourtotheright.
hewassurprisedthatno-onehadwantedtooveintogottfried’scabin.itwasarusticstructureadeofhorizontaldark-stainedtiberwithatileroofandgreenfraes,andwithasallporchatthefrontdoor.theaintenanceofthecabinhadbeenneglected.thepaintaroundthedoorsandwindowswasflakingoff,andwhatshouldhavebeenalawnwasscrubayardhigh.clearingitwouldtakeonewholeday’shardworkwithscytheandsaw.
blokvistunlockedthedoorandunscrewedtheshuttersoverthewindowsfrotheinside.thefraeworkseeedtobeanoldbarnoflessthan1,300squarefeet.theinsidewasfinishedwithplanksandconsistedofoneroowithbigwindowsfacingthewateroneithersideofthefrontdoor.astaircaseledtoanopensleepingloftattherearofthecabinthatcoveredhalfthespace.beneaththestairswasanichewithapropanegasstove,acounter,andasink.thefurnishingswerebasic；builtintothewalltotheleftofthedoortherewasbench,aricketydesk,andaboveitacasewithteakshelves.fartherdownonthesaesidewasabroadwardrobe.totherightofthedoorwasaroundtablewithfivewoodenchairs；afireplacestoodintheiddleofthesidewall.
thecabinhadnoelectricity；insteadtherewereseveralkerosenelaps.inon
请收藏本站：https://www.shucaiqxsb.com 笔趣阁小说。手机版：https://m.shucaiqxsb.com