Blomkvist was enraged. But he had never managed to be enraged at Erika Berger
for very long.
She wore a black dress, a waist-length jacket, and pumps, which she just happened
to have brought along in her little suitcase. She insisted that Blomkvist wear a
jacket and tie. He put on his black trousers, a grey shirt, dark tie, and grey sports
coat. When they knocked punctually on the door of Vanger’s home, it turned out
that Dirch Frode and Martin Vanger were also among the guests. Everyone was
wearing a jacket and tie except for Vanger.
“The advantage of being over eighty is that no-one can criticise what you wear,” he
declared. He wore a bow tie and a brown cardigan.
Berger was in high spirits throughout the dinner.
It was not until they moved to the drawing room with the fireplace and cognac was
poured that the discussion took on a serious tone. They talked for almost two hours
before they had the outline for a deal on the table.
Frode would set up a company to be wholly owned by Henrik Vanger; the board
would consist of Henrik and Martin Vanger and Frode. Over a four-year period, this
company would invest a sum of money that would cover the gap between income
and expenses for Millennium. The money would come from Vanger’s personal
assets. In return, Vanger would have a conspicuous position on the magazine’s
board. The agreement would be valid for four years, but it could be terminated
by Millennium after two years. But this type of premature termination would be
costly, since Vanger could only be bought out by repayment of the sum he had
invested.
In the event of Vanger’s death, Martin Vanger would replace him on
the Millennium board for the remainder of the period during which the agreement
was valid. If Martin wished to continue his involvement beyond this period, he
could make that decision himself when the time came. He seemed amused by the