what are you going to do with that knowledge?’ wondered Lange kindly.
Suddenly, Vera saw the connection. Perhaps the antenna that flickered like an electric field around her spine had not taken a strange, 90-degree turn after all? In the academic world, it was two different disciplines, but for her it was the essence of what had always been her calling. ‘I want to help. To ease, to heal, to prevent. I want to… save the world.’
She shrugged her shoulders in embarrassment and, as soon as she had said it, she realized how silly it sounded. Words were insufficient to explain the cluster of characteristics and life experiences that motivated her. What could she say about those chaotic months in Kivu when she tried to help victims of rape and people infected with cholera in the middle of a merciless war? Or about her time in Colombia? How could she explain that four volunteer workers being kidnapped had been the last straw that had forced her onto a new path?
The senior academics chuckled and exchanged amused glances. Vera blushed, and rushed to correct herself, even though she felt that the essence of what she had said was true.
‘I mean, I want to participate and contribute… to something that can change the world for the better.’ That’s the way it is, Vera thought, almost defiantly. Now she sat before them, her life’s goal on display, like a throat exposed for a flock of predators. She had assumed – wrongly it seemed – that the interview would be an economics test. A rejection now would sting much more than if she had failed that kind of test. On the other hand, she thought, if they don’t want me now, then the project isn’t for me anyway. But then, despite the strong backlighting, she thought she saw that Sturesson actually looked flattered.
‘Yes, our investigation definitely has a chance to change EU member states’ welfare systems for the better. And that’s as good a start as any other, right?’ said Sturesson, and he winked at Överlind and Sparre on his right. Överlind smiled, but Sparre did not look amused.
‘Do you know anything about economics, then? For example, can you explain Pareto optimality?’ Sparre’s dark, close-set eyes bored into her.
‘Well, I’ve only been studing economics for six weeks…’ Vera began.
‘And The Development of the Discipline of Economics during the summer,’ added Cissi.
‘Perhaps it is not necessary to conduct a direct interrogation here,’ said Överlind, looking around. ‘Didn’t the application say that the point of the last place was to have someone who isn’t an economist?’
But Vera did not want to avoid the question. ‘Yes, I am a beginner, but as I understand it, it means that resources are optimally distributed; at Pareto optimality it is impossible to make any individual better off without making at least one other person at least equally worse off.’
They looked at her. Överlind amused, Sturesson, Lange and Lilian kindly, and Sparre with a hard-set expression on his face.
Vera continued: ‘Based on that, the first theorem of welfare was formulated, which states that welfare is optimized when the production of goods and services takes place in a completely free market.’
Överlind pushed his chair back and put his hands behind his head.
But Vera was not finished. ‘It’s like we vote with our money about what should be produced. Whatever people are most willing to pay for is assumed to give us the most welfare. But…’
Vera was just about to bring up what she saw as problems with a blind faith in ‘the invisible hand’ of the market, when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her right ankle. She turned her head and looked at Cissi. Vera realized that Cissi thought she should keep quiet.
The atmosphere became more disorganized and relaxed. Sturesson wondered about formalities. Vera answered that she could begin right away and that she would gladly accept Cissi as her advisor.
Cissi looked happy and held up the compendium that had been put together for the project. She asked, ‘Just a detail – in my chapter, how much attention do you want me to pay to the question of the share of GDP that goes to the public sector?’
Sparre quickly asked, ‘Yes, what was Sweden’s GDP last year?’
Vera’s hand leafed distractedly through the folder as she glanced at Cissi. But Sparre pointed sternly at Vera. ‘No, no. I am asking you. And I don’t want you to look up the answer.’
Vera saw in the backlight that everyone was looking at her and waiting. It became embarrassingly quiet. She took her hand off the compendium. ‘Sweden’s GDP last year was 2,995 billion kronor.’
Lange and Överlind exchanged a satisfied glance. Lilian put down her pen. Vera’s cheeks had turned red, but she couldn’t stop herself. She held up the folder and said, ‘But that information isn’t in here.’
Sparre twisted irritably, looked at the clock, mumbled something about how they had gone on longer than planned and got up to leave the room. Sturesson glared at Sparre as if he had just scored an own goal.
Vera felt like she had been interrogated for 24 hours. Her hands were cold as ice and her pulse was racing. She and Cissi waited alone in the corridor outside the room. All the members of the department’s executive committee remained inside, except for the one who had departed hastily.
‘Don’t worry about Sparre,’ Cissi whispered. ‘He’s against the whole idea; it has nothing to do with you. He thinks that if you don’t have a PhD in economics you can’t contribute anything of interest. But I think you disproved that.’ Cissi looked proud.
Vera wondered for a second whether or not she dared speak up; then she said: ‘But why did you kick me just when I was getting to the most interesting part?’
Cissi looked down and said, ‘I just thought… it was really just a factual question, and you had already answered it correctly. Sometimes it’s just as well to save the objections for later.’
Suddenly the door opened and they streamed out.
‘So, we have made a decision. Welcome on board!’ said Sturesson and shook Vera’s hand. Överlind and Lange did the same. Lilian was carrying so many binders and papers that her hands were full, but she smiled and told Vera that she should come to her office to complete ‘a little paperwork, signatures and suchlike’.
When the group wandered off, Cissi dropped her papers and threw her arms around Vera: ‘Congratulations, research colleague!’
With her free arm, Vera hugged her back. Even if she had failed today, it would still have been worth it, she thought warmly, because she had spent time with Cissi and learned so much. ‘Thanks for all your help! And you were right; they did ask about Pareto optimality. Not to be confused with the Pareto principle, which states that 20% of the time we talked about what was 80% important – namely economics,’ Vera said smiling.
‘I think they just wanted to know a bit about your background and stuff. But somebody who has literally held a heart in her hand – that’s somebody you should be able to trust, right?’ Cissi looked appreciatively at her.
Just before Sturesson disappeared he stopped so suddenly that Lilian almost ran into him with her pile of binders. He called Cissi from the far end of the long, empty corridor. ‘You… um… Ågren?’
Cissi
