Read Online The God Particle by Daniel Danser - Free Book Online Page A

elastic bands but they were very much alive, obviously having just been
lifted out of their holding tank in the kitchen.
    ‘Maine lobster,’ Pierre told them proudly. ‘Flown in from
America today.’
    Frederick chuckled. ‘I must say, Tom, they look a lot
fresher than you did when I saw you earlier.’
    ‘Okay, okay, I’ll give you that one,’ Tom replied,
sheepishly.
    Pierre was still holding the tray out to them, waiting for a
decision.
    ‘Not for me, thank you Pierre,’ said Tom, making his mind up.
‘It wouldn’t be very patriotic of me to eat one of my fellow Americans.’ He had
never been very good with ‘live’ food at restaurants; he just didn’t have the
killer instinct, he supposed.
    ‘I have no such qualms about eating one of your
compatriots,’ Frederick snorted. ‘Tell Chef Michelle I’d like it grilled with
beurre noire and lemon juice.’
    ‘And for you, Sir?’ Pierre cocked his head towards Tom.
    He quickly scanned the menu and plumped for the filet
mignon, served on a bed of truffle-oil mash and sautéed morel mushrooms.
‘Medium-rare,’ Tom added, before Pierre had time to ask.
    ‘And could you tell the Sommelier that we’d like a bottle of
ice-cold Sancerre and a bottle of his finest Châteauneuf-du-Pape,’ Frederick
concluded, without consulting the wine menu or Tom.
    With that, Pierre discreetly left them to their
deliberations, returning his prize catch to the kitchen to be despatched.
    Tom took in his surroundings. The restaurant certainly lived
up to its name - the vista was spectacular. The floor-to-ceiling windows
along the front gave diners the best possible view of the imposing Jet d’Eau
fountain, rising 450 feet into the air. Illuminated by spotlights on the
shoreline, it resembled a magnificent Arabian stallion’s white tail, rising
majestically from the lake.
    The restaurant’s décor was no less impressive. Elegant
crystal chandeliers reflected in mirrored walls above sumptuously studded
charcoal leather seats, like stars above a pitch-black firmament, cleverly
contrived to give diners the impression that they were eating outside.
    ‘So, what do you think of our little operation so far?’
Frederick asked, snapping Tom’s focus back to the dignified gentleman seated
opposite him, whom he couldn’t help but like.
    ‘Well, it’s certainly bigger than the facility at Brookhaven
and more… interesting,’ said Tom, non-committedly.
    ‘Interestingly good or interestingly bad?’
    ‘Both, I think. You’ve certainly managed to gather together
an influential group of eminent physicists, who are clearly at the peak of
their individual specialities. But they don’t seem to be working as a team.’
    ‘In-ter-est-ing,’ Frederick dragged the word out into its
syllables.
    Tom wondered if he’d said too much. ‘Look, I’m sorry if I’ve
overstepped the mark…’
    ‘Not at all, in fact I think you’ve hit the nail right on
the head,’ Frederick cut in.
    Tom smiled at Frederick’s heavily accented colloquialisms.
    ‘I’ve suspected as much since the death of Erik Morantz,’
continued Frederick. ‘Deiter’s a very good scientist, but a very bad
man-manager.’
    ‘You could say that again!’ Tom interjected, but then
regretted his forwardness.
    ‘It takes a very special person to take all the brain-power
in one room and mould it into a unified intelligence. Morantz had the ability
to do it, and that’s what I see in you, Tom.’
    ‘How did Professor Morantz die?’ Tom asked, side-stepping
the compliment. ‘You can’t always believe what you read in the papers.’
    Frederick gave a heavy sigh. ‘Of course, you have a right to
know…’ He paused as the wine waiter filled the glasses with a choice of the red
or white wine Frederick had ordered. ‘Erik was a brilliant scientist. It’s
really because of all his hard work that we have achieved as much as we have.
But, towards the end, things were getting on top of him. As I told you when I
first met