want you to take me at my word when I say that I detest most of the members of
my family. They are for the most part thieves, misers, bullies, and incompetents. I
ran the company for thirty-five years—almost all the time in the midst of relentless
bickering. They were my worst enemies, far worse than competing companies or
the government.
“I said that I wanted to commission you to do two things. First, I want you to write a
history or biography of the Vanger family. For simplicity’s sake, we can call it my
autobiography. I will put my journals and archives at your disposal. You will have
access to my innermost thoughts and you can publish all the dirt you dig up. I think
this story will make Shakespeare’s tragedies read like light family entertainment.”
“Why?”
“Why do I want to publish a scandalous history of the Vanger family? Or why do I
ask you to write it?”
“Both, I suppose.”
“To tell you the truth, I don’t care whether the book is ever published. But I do think
that the story should be written, if only in a single copy that you deliver directly to
the Royal Library. I want this story to be there for posterity when I die. My motive is
the simplest imaginable: revenge.”
“What do you want to revenge?”
“I’m proud that my name is a byword for a man who keeps his word and
remembers his promises. I’ve never played political games. I’ve never had problems
negotiating with trade unions. Even Prime Minister Erlander had respect for me in
his day. For me it was a matter of ethics; I was responsible for the livelihoods of
thousands of people, and I cared about my employees. Oddly enough, Martin has
the same attitude, even though he’s a very different person. He too has tried to do
the right thing. Sadly Martin and I are rare exceptions in our family. There are many
reasons why the Vanger Corporation is on the ropes today, but one of the key ones
is the short-termism and greed of my relatives. If you accept the assignment, I’ll
explain how my family went about torpedoing the firm.”
“I won’t lie to you either,” Blomkvist said. “Researching and writing a book like this
would take months. I don’t have the motivation or the energy to do it.”
“I believe I can talk you into it.”