Read Online Bite by Nick Louth - Free Book Online

them back on the desk. ‘The conference starts in ninety minutes. She’s got a paper to give at five. She was supposed to be here already so that I could run off copies.’
    â€˜That’s leaving it a bit late anyway, isn’t it?’ Zoe asked.
    â€˜Absolutely.’ Milward shuffled through the papers. ‘I have her original paper filed here, the one that went to Nature magazine. But she phoned me and said she wanted to make last minute revisions. I said it was cutting it a bit fine, but as long as I received it before eleven this morning...’
    â€˜When did she phone?’ Max asked.
    â€˜Tuesday last week, I think.’ Milward unlocked a filing cabinet and riffled through the papers. ‘Here it is.’ He turned to them with a thick folder in his hand.
    Zoe stretched out her hand for it. ‘I’m curious to see what she’s really been doing all this time.’
    Milward suddenly pulled back his hand. ‘Now I’m not sure what I should do.’
    â€˜Why?’ Zoe asked.
    â€˜She made me absolutely promise not to let anyone see it. Absolutely nobody.’
    â€˜John, I’ve known her since we were eleven,’ Zoe said.
    â€˜Yes, but she hasn’t told you, has she?’
    â€˜No. We’ve all been in suspense.’
    â€˜Only three people in the world have actually read the paper.’
    â€˜Who are they?’ Max asked.
    â€˜Her professor at Columbia University. The peer review panel chairman at Nature. And me.’
    â€˜And is it good?’ Max asked.
    â€˜It is truly astonishing. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that it’s the parasitological equivalent of the splitting of the atom.’
    There was a hiss of an artificial leg behind them and the lean form of Professor Friederikson lurched into the room, trailed by Tanya the press officer. Milward dropped the paper back in the filing cabinet, turned the lock and pocketed the key.
    â€˜Ah. Erica’s entourage,’ Friederikson said. ‘And is the great woman herself here yet?’
    Milward and Zoe looked at each other. It was Max who spoke. ‘No she isn’t.’
    â€˜Well, I hope she hurries up. We are all impatient to hear about her breakthrough, if that is indeed what it is.’
    Milward turned to Max. ‘Professor Friederikson will be showing his own results for the eradication campaign on Monday. It is thanks to his contacts in Africa that we have been able to get the latest World Health Organization project…’
    â€˜Pish. Don’t get too excited about that. Insecticide and bed nets, good will and chit chat. Malaria is not so easily overcome.’
    Behind Friederikson stood a powerfully-built bespectacled African wearing a sharp suit and a gleaming smile, Erica’s surprise visitor from Africa. Loebe gave them all a firm double-handed handshake, grinning delightedly. Each smile puckered his cheeks to reveal symmetrical tribal scars. To Max it was like a baring of knives.
    â€˜When are we going to hear about the vaccine?’ Loebe said.
    â€˜The minister is a great believer in vaccines,’ said Professor Friederikson, managing simultaneously to convey that this view was unwisely optimistic.
    â€˜And I understand that Dr Stroud-Jones has developed one,’ the minister beamed. ‘The new unity government is pledged to improve the health of all our people and we would be happy to be the first to test any malaria vaccine.’
    â€˜I think you may be working on rumours, minister,’ said Milward.
    â€˜Of course he is,’ Friederikson exploded. ‘We all are. When is she going to tell us what she has discovered? Then this pointless speculation can cease. I trust Mr Milward that the paper will be presented by someone, even if Dr Stroud-Jones is not here to do it?’
    â€˜No. I have been expressly asked to keep it confidential. If, God forbid, Dr Stroud-Jones does not appear, another paper