however,itwasnotlisbethsalander’sastonishinglackofeotionalinvolveentthatostupsethi.milton’siagewasoneofconservativestability.salanderfittedintothispictureaboutaswellasabuffaloataboatshow.aransky’sstarresearcherwasapale,anorexicyoungwoanwhohadhairasshortasafuse,andapiercednoseandeyebrows.shehadawasptattooaboutaninchlongonherneck,atattooedlooparoundthebicepsofherleftarandanotheraroundherleftankle.onthoseoasionswhenshehadbeenwearingatan. com,aranskyalsosawthatshehadadragontattooonherleftshoulderblade.shewasanaturalredhead,butshedyedherhairravenblack.shelookedasthoughshehadjusteergedfroaweek-longywithagangofhardrockers.

shedidnotinfacthaveaneatingdisorder,aranskywassureofthat.onthecontrary,sheseeedtoconsueeverykindofjunkfood.shehadsiplybeenbornthin,withslenderbonesthatadeherlookgirlishandfine-libedwithsallhands,narrorists,andchildlikebreasts.shewastwenty-four,butshesoetieslookedfourteen.

shehadawideouth,asallnose,andhighcheekbonesthatgaveheranalostasianlook.heroveentswerequickandspidery,andwhenshewasworkingattheputerherfingersflewoverthekeys.herextreeslendernesswouldhaveadeacareerinodellingipossible,butwiththerightake-upherfacecouldhaveputheronanybillboardintheworld.soetiessheworeblacklipstick,andinspiteofthetattoosandthepiercednoseandeyebrowsshewas…well…attractive.itwasinexplicable.

thefactthatsalanderworkedfordraganaranskyatallwasastonishing.shewasnotthesortofwoanwithwhohewouldnorallyeintocontact.

shehadbeenhiredasajill-of-all-trades.holgerpalgren,asei-retiredlawyerwholookedafteroldj.f.milton’spersonalaffairs,hadtoldaranskythatthislisbethsalanderwasaquick-wittedgirlwith“arathertryingattitude.”palgrenhadappealedtohitogiveherachance,whicharanskyhad,againsthisbetterjudgeent,proisedtodo.palgrenwasthetypeofanwhowouldonlytake“no”asanencourageenttoredoublehisefforts,soitwaseasiertosay“yes”rightaway.aranskyknewthatpalgrendevotedhiselftotroubledkidsandothersocialisfits,buthedidhavegoodjudgeent.

hehadregrettedhisdecisiontohirethegirltheoentheether.shedidnotjustseedifficult—inhiseyesshewastheveryquintessenceofdifficult.shehaddroppedoutofschoolandhadnosortofhighereducation.

thefirstfewonthsshehadworkedfulltie,well,alostfulltie.sheturnedupattheofficenowandthen.sheadecoffee,wenttothepostoffice,andtookcareofthecopying,butconventionalofficehoursorworkroutineswereanatheatoher.ontheotherhand,shehadatalentforirritatingtheothereployees.shebecaeknownas“thegirlwithtwobraincells”—oneforbreathingandoneforstandingup.shenevertalkedaboutherself.colleagueswhotriedtotalktoherseldogotaresponseandsoongaveup.herattitudeencouragedneithertrustnorfriendship,andshequicklybecaeanoutsiderwanderingthecorridorsofmiltonlikeastraycat.shewasgenerallyconsideredahopelesscase.

afteraonthofnothingbuttrouble,aranskysentforher,fullyintendingtolethergo.shelistenedtohiscatalogueofheroffenceswithoutobjectionandwithoutevenraisinganeyebrow.shedidnothavethe“rightattitude,”heconcluded,andwasabouttotellherthatitwouldprobablybeagoodideaifshelookedforeployentwithanotherfirthatcouldakebetteruseofherskills.onlythendidsheinterrupthi.

“youknow,ifyoujustwantanofficeserfyoucangetonefrothetepagency.icanhandleanythingandanyoneyouwant,andifyoudon’thaveanybetteruseforethansortingpost,thenyou’reanidiot.”

aranskysatthere,stunnedandangry,andshewentonunperturbed.

“youhaveaanherewhospentthreeweekswritingapletelyuselessreportaboutthatyuppiethey’rethinkingofrecruitingforthatdot-pany.icopiedthepieceofcrapforhilastnight,andiseeit’slyingonyourdesknow.”

aransky’seyeswenttothereport,andforachangeheraisedhisvoice.

“you’renotsupposedtoreadconfidentialreports.”

“apparentlynot,butthesecurityroutinesinyourfirhaveanuberofshortings.aordingtoyourdirectivehe’ssupposedtocopysuchthingshiself,buthechuckedthereportatebeforeheleftforthebaryesterday.andbytheway,ifoundhispreviousreportinthecanteen.”

“youdidwhat？”

“caldown.iputitinhisin-box.”

“didhegiveyouthebinationtohisdocuentsafe？”aranskywasaghast.

“notexactly；hewroteitonapieceofpaperhekeptunderneathhisblotteralongwiththepasswordtohisputer.butthepointisthatyourjokeofaprivatedetectivehasdoneaworthlesspersonalinvestigation.heissedthefactthattheguyhasoldgablingdebtsandsnortscocainelikeavacuucleaner.orthathisgirlfriendhadtoseekhelpfrothewoen’scrisiscentreafterhebeattheshitoutofher.”

aranskysatforacoupleofinutesturningthepagesofthereport.itwaspetentlysetout,writteninclearlanguage,andfilledwithsourcereferencesaswellasstateentsfrothesubject’sfriendsandacquaintances.finallyheraisedhiseyesandsaidtwowords:“proveit.”

“howuchtiehaveigot？”

“threedays.ifyoucan’tproveyourallegationsbyfridayafternoonyou’refired.”

threedayslatershedeliveredareportwhich,withequallyexhaustivesourcereferences,transforedtheoutwardlypleasantyoungyuppieintoanunreliablebastard.aranskyreadherreportovertheweekend,severalties,andspentpartofmondaydoingahalf-hearteddouble-checkofsoeofherassertions.evenbeforehebeganheknewthatherrationwouldprovetobeaurate.

aranskywasbewilderedandalsoangrywithhiselfforhavingsoobviouslyisjudgedher.hehadtakenherforstupid,aybeevenretarded.hehadnotexpectedthatagirlwhohadcutsoanyclassesinschoolthatshedidnotgraduatecouldwriteareportsograaticallycorrect.italsocontaineddetailedobservationsandration,andhequitesiplycouldnotprehendhowshecouldhaveacquiredsuchfacts.

hecouldnotiagihatanyoneelseatmiltonsecuritywouldhaveliftedexcerptsfrotheconfidentialjournalofadoctoratawoen’scrisiscentre.whenheaskedherhowshehadanagedthat,shetoldhithatshehadnointentionofburninghersources.itbecaeclearthatsalanderwasnotgoingtodiscussherworkethods,eitherwithhiorwithanyoneelse.thisdisturbedhi—butnotenoughforhitoresisttheteptationtotesther.

hethoughtabouttheatterforseveraldays.herecalledholgerpalgren’ssayingwhenhehadsenthertohi,“everyonedeservesachance.”hethoughtabouthisownmusliupbringing,whichhadtaughthithatitwashisdutytogodtohelptheoutcasts.ofcoursehedidnotbelieveingodandhadnotbeeninaosquesincehewasateenager,butherecognisedlisbethsalanderasapersoninneedofresolutehelp.hehadnotdoneuchalongtheselinesoverthepastfewdecades.

insteadofgivingsalandertheboot,hesuonedherforaeetinginwhichhetriedtoworkoutwhatadethedifficultgirltick.hisipressionwasconfiredthatshesufferedfrosoeseriouseotionalproble,buthealsodiscoveredthatbehindhersullenfacadetherewasanunusualintelligence.hefoundherpricklyandirksoe,butuchtohissurprisehebegantolikeher.

overthefollowingonthsaranskytooksalanderunderhiswing.intruth,hetookheronasasallsocialproject.hegaveherstraightforwardresearchtasksandtriedtogiveherguidelinesonho. comroceed.shewouldlistenpatientlyandthensetofftocarryouttheassignentjustasshesawfit.heaskedmilton’stechnicaldirectortogiveherabasiourseinitscience.theysattogetherallafternoonuntilhereportedbackthatsheseeedtohaveabetterunderstandingofputersthanostofthestaff.

butdespitedevelopentdiscussions,offersofin-housetraining,andotherforsofenticeent,itwasevidentthatsalanderhadnointentionofadaptingtomilton’sofficeroutines.thisputaranskyinadifficultspot.

hewouldnothaveputupwithanyothereployeeingandgoingatwill,andundernoralcircustanceshewouldhavedeandedthatshechangeorgo.buthehadahunchthatifhegavesalanderanultiatuorthreatenedtofirehershewouldsiplyshrughershouldersandbegone.

aoreseriousproblewasthathecouldnotbesureofhisownfeelingsfortheyoungwoan.shewaslikeanaggingitch,repellentandatthesaetietepting.itwasnotasexualattraction,atleasthedidnotthinkso.thewoenhewasusuallyattractedtowereblondeandcurvaceous,withfulllipsthatarousedhisfantasies.andbesides,hehadbeenarriedfortwentyyearstoafinnishwoannaedritvawhostillorethansatisfiedtheserequireents.hehadneverbeenunfaithful,well…soethingayhavehappenedjustonce,andhiswifeighthaveisunderstoodifshehadknownaboutit.butthearriagewashappyandhehadtwodaughtersofsalander’sage.inanycase,hewasnotinterestedinflat-chestedgirlswhoightbeistakenforskinnyboysatadistance.thatwasnothisstyle.

evenso,hehadcaughthiselfhavinginappropriatedaydreasaboutlisbethsalander,andherecognisedthathewasnotpletelyunaffectedbyher.buttheattraction,aranskythought,wasthatsalanderwasaforeigncreaturetohi.heightjustaswellhavefalleninlovewithapaintingofanyphoragreekaphora.salanderrepresentedalifethatwasnotrealforhi,thatfascinatedhithoughhecouldnotshareit—andinanycasesheforbadehifrosharingit.

ononeoasionaranskywassittingatacaféonstortetingalastanwhensalandercaesaunteringupandsatatatableashortdistanceaway.shewaswiththreegirlsandaboy,alldressedinuchthesaeway.aranskyhadwatchedherwithinterest.sheseeedtobejustasreservedasshewasatwork,butshehadactuallyalostsiledatastorytoldbyoneofherpanions,agirlwithpurplehair.

aranskywonderedhowshewouldreactifonedayhecaetoworkwithgreenhair,worn-outjeans,andaleatherjacketcoveredwithgraffitiandrivets.sheprobablywouldjustsirkathi.

shehadbeensittingwithherbacktohianddidnotturnaroundonce,obviouslyunawarethathewasthere.hefeltstrangelydisturbedbyherpresence.whenatlasthegotuptoslinkawayunnoticed,shesuddenlyturnedandstaredstraightathi,asthoughshehadbeenawareallthetiethathewassittingthereandhadhionherradar.hergazehadesosurprisinglythatitfeltlikeanattack,andhepretendednottoseeherandhurriedlyleftthecafé.shehadnotsaidhelloeven,butshefollowedhiwithhereyes,hewassureofit,andnotuntilheturnedthecornerdidthey. comburningintohisneck.