Read Online Connexion : The Atlantis Project, Book.1 by LEMPEREUR - Free Book Online

moved as one man toward a
door at the end of the canteen, but Alvaro left them, after wishing
a good evening to all. A staircase led to the landing where they
had seen Francisco come down a few hours earlier. Mario stood in
front of a small console with a tactile screen which allowed him to
choose the hanging garden he wished to bring down. He asked
Clementine and the twins, who had been standing back, to come
closer so he could explain how it worked.
    “You can choose any one of the unoccupied
gardens. There are fifteen different gondolas. Each one has its own
special features. It’s up to you to choose according to your
preference. It’s mainly the kinds of plants and their arrangement
that differs, but the gondola’s position under the dome is also
very important, especially if you want to be shielded from curious
eyes. Strictly speaking, there are not supposed to be more than two
people per gondola but for tonight we can make an exception. Garden
number 13 is one of the highest and most pleasant.”
    After selecting number 13 on the screen,
Mario looked up, pointing to the highest point of the dome. They
could hardly make out more than a dark smudge coming down toward
them. The intense light coming from the concave ceiling enveloped
the small platform so that the first details were only perceptible
when it was halfway down. First, it was the flowers’ vivid colors
that stood out, and then a small, low table between two wooden
lounge chairs became visible through the glass floor. The seat
cushions were of the same green as the first leaves of spring, when
the buds are just starting to open – that soft, peaceful green that
brings back the optimism and taste for life that usually accompany
the first signs of warmer weather. A discreet fence, hidden in the
shrubbery, marked the edge of the landscaped platform. Only its
steel gate was visible, opening automatically as the gondola
touched the ground. Slowly, the cables lifted the little group into
the heights of the dome, amidst a surreal décor, still bathed in
light despite the lateness of the hour. Mario took a small silver
case from his pocket. With one deft clip, he cut the end off of the
first cigar, which he held out to Clementine.
    “Ladies first!”
    She accepted it with only slight hesitation.
Mario took an old Zippo out of his other pocket. Clementine’s first
breaths let out large puffs of opaque smoke, releasing a
characteristic aroma.
    “I can see that you’re an old hand. I chose
small Havanas that I get from a specialist shop in Naples.
Actually, I am no expert, but it’s a pleasure I have become
accustomed to over the last few years. Apparently these ones are
particularly appreciated by connoisseurs.”
    Mario turned to the twins. “Jacques, I
suppose you are eager to try one? Charlie, do you smoke too?”
    Jacques answered for him, “My brother is a
dyed-in-the-wool puritan. He spends a lot of his time trying to
talk sense into me and, if possible, to make me feel guilty.”
    “I’ll let that slide,” said Charlie with a
smile. “Actually, what Jacques says is true. I’m not usually a
smoker, but on occasion I do appreciate a fine cigar, especially
when the circumstances lend themselves to it, as they do
today.”
    Mario laughed heartily at the well-defined
roles the brothers assumed, forever united in spite of themselves,
by an unbreakable bond. In some ways they were like an old couple
who had learned to grow together without forgoing any of their
original differences. They were all savoring the moment and the
little garden was plunged into almost complete silence for a few
moments. Plumes of smoke rose slowly from the gondola then
dispersed into the gleaming heights of the dome.
    Mario spoke again, in a more serious tone,
“You know, it may be your difference that saves you one day.” Then
he fell silent, leaving the twins to wonder about the true meaning
and relevance of his comment.
     

 
    9 EXPLANATIONS

     
    Giuseppe stood before