Shehadfollowedthetrialinthefirbeliefthatthingswerejustasherfathersaid：hewasinnocent；buthecouldnotproveit。
Shetoldhiaboutasortofboyfriendwhowasinanothercss；andshesurprisedhibysayingthatshehadjoinedachurch。Blokvistrefrainedfroent。
HewasinvitedtostayfordinnerbuthewasexpectedwithhissisterandherfailyoutintheyuppiesuburbofStket。
ThatoinghehadalsohadaninvitationtocelebrateChristasEvewiththeBeckansinSaltsjbaden。Hesaidno；butthankyou；certainthattherewasaliittoBeckansindulgenceandquitesurethathehadnoabitiontofindoutwhatthatliitightbe。
InsteadhewasknockingonthedoorwhereAnnikaBlokvist；nowAnnikaGiannini；livedwithherItalianbohusbandandtheirtwochildren。Withaptoonofherhusbandsretives；theywereabouttocarvetheChristasha。Duringdinnerheansweredquestionsaboutthetriandreceiveduchwelleaningandquiteuselessadvice。
Theonlyonewhohadnothingtosayabouttheverdictwashissister；althoughshewastheonlywyerintheroo。ShehadworkedasclerkofadistrictcourtandasanassistantprosecutorforseveralyearsbeforesheandthreecolleaguesopenedawfiroftheirownwithofficesonKungsholen。Shespecialisedinfailyw；andwithoutBlokvisthavingtakenstockofitshappening；hislittlesisterbegantoappearinnewspapersasrepresentingbatteredorthreatenedwoen；andonpaneldiscussionsonTVasafeinistandwoensrightsadvocate。
Ashewashelpingherpreparethecoffee；sheputahandonhisshoulderandaskedhihoashedoing。Hetoldherhefeltaslowashehadinlife。
“Getyourselfarealwyeexttie；”shesaid。
“Itprobablywouldnthavehelpedinthiscase。Butwelltalkitallthewaythrough；Sis；soeothertiewhenallthedustissettled。”
ShegavehiahugandkissedhionthecheekbeforetheycarriedouttheChristascakeandthecoffee。ThenBlokvistexcusedhiselfandaskedtousethetelephoneinthekitchen。HecalledthewyerinHedestadandcouldheartheretoothebuzzofvoicesinthebackground。
“MerryChristas；”Frodesaid。“DareIhopeyouhaveadeupyourind”
“IreallydonthaveanyiediatepnsandIacurioustoknowore。IlleupthedayafterChristasifthatsuitsyou。”
“Excellent；excellent。Iaincrediblypleased。Youwillfivee；Ivegotchildrenandgrandchildrenvisitingandcanhardlyhearyselfthink。CanIcallyoutoorrowtoagreeonatieWherecanIreachyou”
Blokvistregrettedhisdecisionbeforeevenheleftforhoe；butbythenitwastooawkwardtocalndcancel。SoontheoingofDeceber26hewasonthetrainheadingnorth。Hehadadriverslicense；buthehadneverfelttheneedtoownacar。
Frodewasright；itwasnotalongjouey。AfterUppsacaethestringofsallindustrialtownsalongtheNorrndcoast。Hedestadwasoneofthesallerones；alittleorethananhouorthofGvle。
OnChristasnighttherehadbeenabigsnowstor；buttheskieshadnowclearedandtheairwasicecoldwhenBlokvistalightedatHedestad。HerealisedatoncethathewasntwearingenoughclothesforwinterinNorrnd。FrodeknehathelookedlikeandkindlycollectedhifrotheptforandledhistraighttothewarthofhisMercedes。InthecentreofHedestad；snowclearingwasinfullswing；andFrodewovehiscarefulwaythroughthenarrowstreets。HighbanksofsnowpresentedapicturesquecontrasttoStockhol。Thetownseeedalostlikeanotherp；yethewasonlyalittleorethanthreehoursfroSergelsTindowntownStockhol。Hestoleagnceatthewyer：anangurfacewithsparse；bristlywhitehairandthickgssesperchedonanipressivenose。
“FirsttieinHedestad”Frodesaid。
Blokvistnodded。
“Itsanoldindustrialtownwithaharbour。Poputionofonly24；000。Butpeoplelikelivinghere。HerrVangerlivesinHedebyatthesoutheedgeofthetown。”
“Doyouliveheretoo”
“Idonow。IwasboinSknedownsouth；butIstartedworkingforVangerrightafterIgraduatedin1962。Iacorporatewyer；andovertheyearsHerrVangerandIbecaefriends。TodayIofficiallyretired；andHerrVangerisyonlyclient。Hesretiredtoo；ofcourse；anddoesntneedyservicesveryoften。”
“Onlytoscrapeupjoualistswithruinedreputations。”
“Dontsellyourselfshort。YourenotthefirstooloseaatchagainstHansErikWennerstr。”
BlokvisttuedtoFrode；unsurehowtoreadthatreply。
“DoesthisinvitationhaveanythingtodowithWennerstr”hesaid。
“No；”saidFrode。“ButHerrVangerisnotreotelyinWennerstrscircleoffriends；andhefollowedthetrialwithinterest。Hewantstoeetyoutodiscussawhollydifferentatter。”
“Whichyoudontwanttotelleabout。”
“Whichitisntypcetotellyouabout。WehavearrangeditsothatyoucanspendthenightatHerrVangershouse。Ifyouwouldratheotdothat；wecanyouaroointheGrandHotelintown。”
“IightbetakingtheeveningtrainbacktoStockhol。”
TheroadintoHedebywasstillunploughed；andFrodeanoeuvredthecardownfrozentyreruts。TheoldtowncentreconsistedofhousesalongtheGulfofBothnia；andaroundtherger；oreodehoes。Thetownbeganontheainndandspilledacrossabridgetoahillyisnd。Ontheainndsideofthebridgestoodasall；whitestonechurch；andacrossthestreetglowedanoldfashionedneonsignthatreadSUSANNESBRIDGECAFéANDBAKERY。Frodedroveaboutahundredyardsfartherandtuedleftontoanewlyshovelledcourtyardinfrontofastonebuilding。Thefarhousewastoosalltobecalledaanor；butitwasconsiderablyrgerthantherestofthehousesinthesettleent。Thiswastheastersdoain。
“ThisistheVangerfar；”Frodesaid。“Onceitwasfulloflifeandhubbub；buttodayonlyHenrikandahousekeeperlivethere。Thereareplentyofguestroos。”
Theygotout。Frodepointednorth。
“TraditionallythepersonwholeadstheVangerconceliveshere；butMartinVangerwantedsoethingoreode；sohebuilthishouseonthepointthere。”
BlokvistlookedaroundandwonderedwhatinsaneipulsehehadsatisfiedbyaeptingFrodesinvitation。HedecidedthatifhuanlypossiblehewouldretutoStockholthatevening。Astonestairwayledtotheentry；butbeforetheyreacheditthedoorwasopened。HeiediatelyrecognisedHenrikVangerfrothephotographpostedontheInter。
Inthepicturestherehewasyounger；buthelookedsurprisinglyvigorousforeightytwo：awirybodywitharugged；weatherbeatenfaceandthickgreyhairbedstraightback。Heworeneatlypresseddarktrousers；awhiteshirt；andawellwobrowncasualjacket。Hehadanarrowoustacheandthinsteelriedgsses。
“IHenrikVanger；”hesaid。“Thankyouforagreeingtovisite。”
“Hello。Itwasasurprisinginvitation。”
“einsidewhereitswar。Ivearrangedaguestrooforyou。WouldyouliketofreshenupWellbehavingdinneralittleter。AndthisisAnnaNygren；wholooksaftere。”
Blokvistshookhandswithashort；stoutwoaninhersixties。Shetookhiscoatandhungitinahallcupboard。Sheofferedhiapairofslippersbecauseofthedraught。
MikaelthankedherandthentuedtoHenrikVanger。“InotsurethatIshallbestayingfordinner。Itdependsonwhatthisgaeisalbout。”
VangerexchangedagncewithFrode。TherewasanunderstandingbetweenthetwoenthatBlokvistcouldnotinterpret。
“IthinkIlltakethisopportunitytoleaveyoutwoalone；”saidFrode。“Ihavetogohoeanddisciplihegrandkidsbeforetheytearthehousedown。”
HetuedtoMikael。
“Iliveontheright；justacrossthebridge。Youcanwalkthereinfiveinutes；thethirdhousetowardsthewaterdownfrothebakery。Ifyouneede；justtelephone。”
Blokvistreachedintohisjacketpocketandtuedonataperecorder。HehadnoideawhatVangerwanted；butafterthepasttwelveonthsofhavocwithWennerstrheneededapreciserecordofallstrangeourrencesanywherenearhi；andanunlookedforinvitationtoHedestadcaeintothatcategory。
VangerpattedFrodeontheshoulderinfarewelndclosedthefrontdoorbeforetuinghisattentiontoBlokvist。
“Illgetrighttothepointinthatcase。Thisisnogae。IaskyoutolistentowhatIhavetosayandthenakeupyourind。Youreajoualist；andIwanttogiveyouafreenceassignent。Annahasservedcoffeeupstairsinyoffice。”
Theofficewasarectangleoforethan1；300squarefeet。Onewallwasdoinatedbyafloortoceilingshelfthirtyfeetlongcontainingarearkableassortentofliterature：biographies；history；businessandindustry；andA4binders。Theswerearrangedinnoapparentorder。Itlookedlikeashelfthatwasused。Theoppositewallwasdoinatedbyadeskofdarkoak。Onthewallbehindthedeskwasargecollectionofpressedflowersinneateticulousrows。
Throughthewindowinthegablethedeskhadaviewofth船说