The Zul Enigma Read Online Free PDF Page A

Carlos thought.
    ‘Yes, Carlos. You are
correct,’ the voice continued, as if answering his very thoughts. ‘One of the
outcomes of this discovery is the understanding of how to manipulate matter.’
    Then the face vanished.
    Carlos sat staring at
the screen long after it had gone blank, his thoughts churning. The Galactic
Federation? At first it had seemed ridiculous… but the voice and the face and
the words themselves… the idea was strangely compelling.
    He shook his head to
clear it. Of course it was a man. Just a man. Some crazy man.
    He forwarded the e-mail
with a second Unusual Network Incident Report.
    ‘Hey, Drew,’ he shouted
as he walked back into the living room. ‘you ready? A comer ,’ and he
raised his bunched fingers to his mouth, ‘let’s go eat.’
    CHAPTER 3
    They shuffled through a revolving door into the lobby of the restaurant, nearly
bouncing off the heat that hung like a curtain inside. It was suffocating, like
walking into a sauna. On his way there, Carlos had been racking his brains to
remember the last time he’d met up with anyone outside of work. He couldn’t.
Over recent years he’d pushed everyone away. But this was different. Drew was
different. It was good to see his old friend again.
    After checking in their coats they ducked through a little archway. Although
late, it was still busy. Conversation blended with laughter nearly drowned out
the recording of Luciano Pavarotti playing in the background. A spectrum of
criss-cross lights reflected off the large silver trays carried high over the
heads of waiters who slalomed between tables. Drew followed Carlos towards the
bar in the corner.
    ‘Drink?’ Carlos asked.
    ‘Sure. A Margarita,’
Drew replied, catching the barmaid’s eye. ‘You?’
    Carlos nodded.
    ‘Hello!’ Drew beamed as
the girl walked over. ‘And what’s your name, darling?’
    She smiled. ‘Anaïs.’
    ‘Well, Anaïs, give us
two Margarita’s on the rocks. And don’t be shy with the tequila,’ he said
winking.
    ‘When will you grow up?’
Carlos muttered.
    ‘Never! Peter Pan,
that’s me.’
    ‘ Signore Maiz,
forgive me.’ A short round man with a flushed chubby face rushed up to Carlos
and made a formal bow. ‘We are so busy tonight, I didn’t see you come in.’
    ‘Luigi.’
    With a plump hand Luigi
adjusted the stringy, black strands plastered unevenly across his scalp. Once
reassured all was in order, he continued, ‘Let me show you to your table.’
    ‘I need a table for two.
I called earlier but the line was busy.’
    Luigi’s little black
eyes flashed as he looked from Carlos to Drew and back again. He clapped his hands
and rocked onto his tiptoes, making his glossy patent leather shoes creak. ‘ Oh
Mio Dio! Signore . You have a company! Of course I can make you a bigger
table,’ and Carlos tried to ignore Drew’s arched brow and sideways glance.
    Anaïs delivered their
drinks. ‘Gentlemen, on the rocks.’
    Carlos took a sip. He
shuddered. ‘Whoa, that’s strong!’
    ‘She’s got a good
pouring arm,’ Drew said, grinning as Anaïs walked away to serve another
customer at the other end of the bar, ‘and just look at that arse!’ he muttered
as he licked the salt off his lips. ‘So… it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to
deduce that you eat here often and on your tod. No wonder you’ve turned into
such a fat bastard. What’s the story? Lost all your friends?’
    Carlos jutted out his
chin. He didn’t want to admit how dull his life had become. ‘It’s no mystery. I
don’t do cooking, the food here’s good and it’s near where I live.’
    Anaïs was mixing another cocktail when Luigi returned to take their order. He
launched into a description of the evening’s specials, ‘and the lamb neck
fillet? She is sooo delicious,’ he said kissing the fingertips of his
pudgy hand. ‘Mmm,’ he exhaled in a husky voice, ‘orgasmic,’ and opened his
fist, exploding the sentiment into the universe.
    ‘That should hit