theideathatheightlightuponharrietvanger’skillernevercrossedhisind—assuingshehadbeenurdered,thatis,anddidnotjustdieinsoefreakaident.blokvistagreedwithvangerthatthechancesofasixteen-year-oldgirlgoingoffofherownaordandthenstayinghiddenforthirty-sixyears,despitetheoversightofallthegovernentbureaucracy,werenonexistent.ontheotherhand,hedidnotexcludethepossibilitythatharrietvangerhadrunaway,aybeheadingforstockhol,andthatsoethinghadbefallenhersubsequently—drugs,prostitution,anassault,oranaidentpureandsiple.

vangerwasconvinced,forhispart,thatharriethadbeenurderedandthatafailyeberwasresponsible—possiblyincollaborationwithsoeoneelse.hisarguentwasbasedonthefactthatharriethaddisappearedduringtheconfusioninthehourswhentheislandwascutoffandalleyesweredirectedattheaident.

bergerhadbeenrighttosaythathistakingtheassignentwasbeyondallonsenseifthegoalwastosolveaurderystery.butblokvistwasbeginningtoseethatharriet’sfatehadplayedacentralroleinthefaily,andespeciallyforhenrikvanger.noatterwhetherhewasrightorwrong,vanger’sausationagainsthisrelativeswasofgreatsignificanceinthefaily’shistory.theausationhadbeenairedopenlyfororethanthirtyyears,andithadcolouredthefailygatheringsandgivenris. comoisonousaniositiesthathadcontributedtodestabilisingthecorporation.astudyofharriet’sdisappearancewouldconsequentlyfunctionasachapterallonitsown,aswellasprovidearedthreadthroughthefailyhistory—andtherewasanabundanceofsourceaterial.onestartingpoint,whetherharrietvangerwashispriaryassignentorwhetherheadedowithwritingafailychronicle,wouldbetoapoutthegalleryofcharacters.thatwasthegistofhisfirstlongconversationthatdaywithvanger.

thefailyconsistedofaboutahundredindividuals,countingallthechildrenofcousinsandsecondcousins.thefailywassoextensivethathewasforcedtocreateadatabaseinhisi.heusedthenotepadprograe,oneofthosefull-valueproductsthattwoenattheroyaltechnicalcollegehadcreatedanddistributedassharewareforapittanceontheinter.fewprograeswereasusefulforaninvestigativejournalist.eachfailyeberwasgivenhisorherowndocuentinthedatabase.

thefailytreecouldbetracedbacktotheearlysixteenthcentury,whenthenaewasvangeersad.aordingtovangerthenaeayhaveoriginatedfrothedutchvangeerstat；ifthatwasthecase,thelineagecouldbetracedasfarbackasthetwelfthcentury.

inodernties,thefailycaefronorthernfrance,arrivinginswedenwithkingjeanbaptistebernadotteintheearlynieenthcentury.alexandrevangeersadwasasoldierandnotpersonallyacquaintedwiththeking,buthehaddistinguishedhiselfasthecapableheadofagarrison.in1818hewasgiventhehedebyestateasarewardforhisservice.alexandrevangeersadalsohadhisownfortune,whichheuse. comurchaseconsiderablesectionsofforestedlandinnorrland.hisson,adrian,wasborninfrance,butathisfather’srequestheovedtohedebyinthatreoteareaofnorrland,farfrothesalonsofparis,totakeovertheadinistrationoftheestate.hetookupfaringandforestry,usingnewethodsiportedfroeurope,andhefoundedthepulpandpaperillaroundwhichhedestadwasbuilt.

alexandre’sgrandsonwasnaedhenrik,andheshortenedhissurnaetovanger.hedevelopedtradewithrussiaandcreatedasallerchantfleetofschoonersthatservedthebalticsandgerany,aswellasenglandwithitssteelindustryduringtheid-1800s.theelderhenrikvangerdiversifiedthefailyenterprisesandfoundedaodestiningbusiness,aswellasseveralofnorrland’sfirstetalindustries.helefttwosons,birgerandgottfried,andtheyweretheoneswholaidthebasisforthehigh-financevangerclan.

“doyouknowanythingabouttheoldinheritancelaws？”vangerhadasked.“no.”

“i’confusedaboutittoo.aordingtofailytradition,birgerandgottfriedfoughtlikecats—theywerelegendarypetitorsforpowerandinfluenceoverthefailybusiness.inanyrespectsthepowerstrugglethreatenedtheverysurvivalofthepany.forthatreasontheirfatherdecided—shortlybeforehedied—tocreateasystewherebyallebersofthefailywouldreceiveaportionoftheinheritance—ashare—inthebusiness.itwasnodoubtwell-intentioned,butitledtoasituationinwhichinsteadofbeingabletobringinskilledpeopleandpossiblepartnersfrotheoutside,wehadaboardofdirectorsconsistingonlyoffailyebers.”

“andthatappliestoday？”

“precisely.ifafailyeberwishestosellhisshares,theyhavetostaywithinthefaily.todaytheannualshareholders’eetingconsistsof50percentfailyebers.martinholdsorethan10percentoftheshares；ihave5percentaftersellingsoeofyshares,tomartinaongothers.mybrotherharaldowns7percent,butostofthepeoplewhoetotheshareholders’eetinghaveonlyoneorhalfapercent.”

“itsoundsedievalinsoeways.”

“it’sludicrous.iteansthattoday,ifmartinwantstoipleentsoepolicy,hehastowastetieonalobbyingoperationtoensuresupportfroatleast20percentto25percentoftheshareholders.it’sapatchworkquiltofalliances,factions,andintrigues.”

vangerresuedthehistory:

“gottfriedvangerdiedchildlessin1901.orrather,ayibefiven,hewasthefatheroffourdaughters,butinthosedayswoendidn’treallycount.theyownedshares,butitwastheeninthefailywhoconstitutedtheownershipinterest.itwasn’tuntilwoenwontherighttovote,wellintothetwentiethcentury,thattheywereevenallowedtoattendtheshareholders’eetings.”

“veryliberal.”

“noneedtobesarcastic.thoseweredifferentties.atanyrate—gottfried’sbrother,birgervanger,hadthreesons:johan,fredrik,andgideonvanger.theywereallborntowardstheendofthenieenthcentury.wecanignoregideon；hesoldhissharesandeigratedtoaerica.thereisstillabranchofthefailyoverthere.butjohanandfredrikvangeradethepanytheodernvangercorporation.”

vangertookoutaphotographalbuandshowedblokvistpicturesfrothegalleryofcharactersashetalked.thephotographsfrotheearly1900sshowedtwoenwithsturdychinsandplastered-downhairwhostaredintothecaeralenswithoutahintofasile.

“johanvangerwasthegeniusofthefaily.hetrainedasanengineer,andhedevelopedtheanufacturingindustrywithseveralnewinventions,whichhepatented.steelandironbecaethebasisofthefir,butthebusinessalsoexpandedintootherareas,includingtextiles.johanvangerdiedin1956andhadthreedaughters:sofia,m？rit,andingrid,whowerethefirstwoenautoaticallytowinadittancetothepany’sshareholders’eetings.

“theotherbrother,fredrikvanger,wasyfather.hewasabusinessanandindustryleaderwhotransforedjohan’sinventionsintoine.myfatherliveduntil1964.hewasactiveinpanyanageentrightupuntilhisdeath,althoughhehadturnedoverdailyoperationstoeinthefifties.

“itwasexactlyliketheprecedinggeneration—butinreverse.johanhadonlydaughters.”vangershowedblokvistpicturesofbig-bustedwoenwithwide-briedhatsandcarryingparasols.“andfredrik—yfather—hadonlysons.wewerefivebrothers:richard,harald,greger,gustav,andyself.”

blokvisthaddrawnupafailytreeonseveralsheetsofa4papertapedtogether.heunderlinedthenaesofallthoseonhedebyislandforthefailyeetingin1966andthus,atleasttheoretically,whocouldhavehadsoethingtodowithharrietvanger’sdisappearance.

heleftoutchildrenundertheageoftwelve—hehadtodrawthelinesoewhere.aftersoepondering,healsoleftouthenrikvanger.ifthepatriarchhadhadanythingtodowiththedisappearanceofhisbrother’sgranddaughter,hisactionsoverthepastthirty-sixyearswouldfallintothepsychopathicarena.vanger’sother,whoin1966wasalreadyeighty-one,couldreasonablyalsobeeliinated.reainingweretwenty-threefailyeberswho,aordingtovanger,hadtobeincludedinthegroupof“suspects.”sevenofthesewerenowdead,andseveralhadnowreachedarespectableoldage.